LAMPASAS, Texas (KXXV) — The Lampasas Animal Shelter is dealing with a surge in stray cats and is now facing backlash from the community as city officials begin efforts to control the growing population.
Shelter supervisor Kasey Schwartzer said the real concern lies with the cats already in the shelter’s care.
“The cats that are in danger are the ones that have already been in here. So, we currently have about 70 cats in our care already,” Schwartzer said.
According to Schwartzer, the city has seen a sharp rise in reports of stray cats and kittens, leading to more calls and complaints than usual.
“We are getting a lot of complaints about kittens showing up, cats showing up, the behaviors that the cats exhibit when they are not spayed or neutered. It’s just been kind of a sudden influx of cats,” she said.
In response, the animal shelter recently issued a public notice asking residents to take specific steps to help reduce the problem: keep pet cats indoors, register community cats, and stop feeding stray ones.
The city has also started trapping cats in areas with the most frequent complaints and where large groups of stray cats are regularly seen.
Still, Schwartzer said one of the biggest challenges the shelter faces is a lack of space.
“Animal control is always trapping cats. They are always taking those calls. The only difference now is that we are filled to capacity, so when they bring stuff in it's more of a hardship,” she said.
If the shelter remains at or over capacity, officials may be forced to consider euthanasia—something that has raised concerns among residents, many of whom believe it shouldn’t come to that.
Despite the difficult circumstances, Schwartzer said the shelter is doing everything it can to avoid that outcome and keep its no-kill mission intact.
“We want to be no kill. That’s why we do this job, we want to be here for the animals, but we can only be no kill if our community is there to support us, to understand when we have to manage intake, step up when we need fosters, and to be responsible for their own animals,” she said.
