With cats, as is the case for dogs, the City of Glendale adheres to those animal control laws adopted by Maricopa County. There are no leash or license laws for cats and no agency picks up stray or feral cats. This means the City doesn’t have as many options to control them as they do other animals.
This does not mean cat owners cannot be held civilly liable for damages caused by their cats, but this would be a civil matter. If you are experiencing problems with cats roaming on your property, the City recommends talking to the pet owner first in order to resolve the problem with minimal conflict.
If speaking with the pet owner does not resolve the situation, there are several deterrents you can try to discourage cats from entering your yard.
NOTE: Attempts to deal with roaming cats by catching and euthanizing them have proven ineffective, according to Maricopa Animal Care & Control. If feral cats are simply removed from an area, others will take their place and the problem repeats itself.
The Humane Society states that citizens may use recognized, humane traps, baited with plenty of food and water and located in a shaded area, to trap roaming cats. Fees determined by the shelter are typically involved.
There are animal welfare groups that sponsor programs to help control the population of feral cats. The cats are sterilized so they won’t reproduce, then they continue living outdoors. These groups are well versed on where to get traps, how to use them, where to take the cats for sterilization, and what to do afterwards.
FOR MORE INFROMATION, CALL: Maricopa County Animal Care & Control: 602-506-7387 or visit www.maricopa.gov/pets