"Kingston Cats"

Dear Community: 

Last evening at the Laws and Rules Committee meeting, I presented a time line for the "Kingston Cats" to the Common Council committee members.  Marie Post former City of Kingston Cat Warden has resigned her position effective December 2011. Over the next month I will present a Future Control Plan regarding Kingston Neighborhood Cats, at an affordable cost to the taxpayer while protecting their welfare through Continuing Public Education Programs and working with area Veterinarians, Alley Cat Allies, and Animalkind, Inc.

City of Kingston

Laws and Rules Committee Meeting

At A Glance From: Jean C. Jacobs

City of Kingston, Cat Advisory Task Force Chairman

Date January 17, 2012

May 2010 –December 2010

January 2011-December 2011

FACTS:

Best Friends Animal Society Statistics 2010: 

• Estimated Number of Cats City of Kingston 7,230 
• Estimated Number of Feral Community Cats 3,970
• Estimated Costs Associated with Alteration and Return per cat $270.00
• Estimated Costs Associated with Discount Packaged Alteration and Return per cat $130.00
• Estimated Costs Associated with Eradication Per Cat: $300.00
• Estimated Savings for Taxpayers in Kingston through TNR $138.000
• Estimated Savings in Kingston New York with Discounted Sterilization and TNR $708.100
• The survival rate for feral kittens in the first six months is 25%, with an average litter of kittens born every six months, Kingston NY could witness as many as 993 feral kittens born and survive in one year.
• TNR Programs are the most effective approaches to controlling community cat Populations.
• Definition Feral Cat: Any cat of any age born outdoors, without an owner, who is unsocialized and avoid human contact.
• Definition Stray Cat: Can usually be re-socialized and adopted.
• Millions of feral cats are killed in shelters each year because they are not adoptable.

• FACTS: January 26, 2010 Marie Post Year End Report
• Marie Post Report 2010 City of Kingston Feral Cats Trapped, Neutered and Returned (Total 213) in 2010.

n      May 20, 2010 City of Kingston Conservation Advisory Council presented Recommendations for Cat Legislation from Julie Noble, Chair of the CAC.

n       June-July 2010 Legislation: Local Law 6 of 2010 of the Common Council of Kingston, amending Chapter 151 of the City Code of the City of Kingston:

n       September 7, 2010 Local Law 6 of 2010 was passed by the Common Council on Tuesday September 7, 2010

n       September 10, 2010 Kingston Times Correspondent Michael Novinson interviewed Jean Jacobs known in her neighborhood as the “Cat Whisperer” in an article, proposed law lets city seize cats, Kingston residents to have say.

n       September 23, 2010 Public Hearing by the Honorable Mayor of the City of Kingston Cat Legislation. 45 people came to demonstrate their opposition to the proposed law. Potential problems, enforcement, cost to enforce, and safety. Prior council members who voted for the legislation said,” they would not support overriding the veto”. September 23, 2010 Mayor James Sottile vetoed the controversial Cat Legislation.

n       September 23, 2010 ABC News Correspondent Marcus Solis (National News) came to Kingston and interviewed Jean Jacobs (Self Proclaimed Cat Whisperer) at her home and he interviewed Dr. Arnold Rugg at the Kingston Animal Hospital. Dr. Rugg states,” city does not have trained personnel to deal with wild cats, nor the money to enforce the legislation”.

n       November 8, 2010 Mayor Appoints Jean C. Jacobs City of Kingston Cat Advisory Task Force Chairman.

n       November 23, 2010 first meeting of the City of Kingston Cat Task Force hosted initially by Honorable Mayor James Sottile.

n       January26, 2011 Report for 2010 presented by Marie Post City of Kingston Cat Warden.

n       January 2011 Cat Advisory Task force members meet and begin to draft a Mission, Vision, Goals and a Purpose.

n       February cancelled.

n       March 2011, Cat Advisory Task Force created an e-mail http://kingstoncats@yahoo.com a blog http://kingstoncat.blogspot.com and a FACE BOOK PAGE “Kingston Cats” Continuing Community Education was a key component that the task force agreed was essential to create the partnership within the City of Kingston Wards 1-9 neighborhoods.

n       April, May and June  2011 Cat Advisory Task Force realized the importance of Continuing Public Education and discussed the importance of a crafting a public flyer labeled “Kingston Cats”

n       June 2011 Mayor James Sottile sent an e-mail which states, “Would like the Cat Task force to Wrap It Up because the summer was upon us". 

n       June 2011 the City of Kingston Advisory Task Force prepared an update and review which was forwarded to the Mayor James Sottile.

n       June-December 2011 Cat Advisory Task Force awaiting the directive of Honorable Mayor James Sottile with a formal recommendation for the future, based on the Update and Overview presented in June 2011, by the Cat Advisory Task Force.

n       November 2011 Jean Jacobs spoke with Mayor Sottile regarding the accomplishments of the Cat Advisory Task Force and explained we were waiting for his directive. He responded to me by saying, “He would investigate the issue again and discuss with the Common Council”.

n       December 12, 2011 Marie Post sends formal letter of resignation to the Kingston Common Council.

n       December 31, 2011 As a result of my discussion with the Mayor in November, I never heard back from him regarding a directive for the future of the Cat Advisory Task Force.

n       January 3, 2012 Marie Post sends an e-mail letter to Jean Jacobs announcing her position of resignation and outlining how this currently affects the present contract with the City of Kingston.

n       Additional Foot Notes: Jean Jacobs Volunteer working with Marie Post from 2010 until current 2012. Currently I care for 2 cat colonies and have rescued numerous cat and kittens under the direction of Marie Post.

"Think occasionally of the suffering of which you spare yourself the sight."

--Albert Schweitzer