WACONIA, Minn. — Cats across Waconia will soon start to feel the oppressive clutch of leash laws, that until now, were only required for their canine counterparts.
No, a cat didn't write that... but a cat lady did.
On March 21, the Waconia City Council amended an already-existing ordinance requiring domestic animals — now including dogs and cats — to be leashed in public. The city said the purpose of the ordinance is to "protect the public against dog and cat related health and safety risks."
But cat advocates at the nonprofit Alley Cat Allies recently pushed back, penning a letter to the city, arguing that leashing cats leaves them open to "dangerous requirements that don't acknowledge their nature."
"We want Waconia to know that dogs and cats are very different animals with very different relationships to people and our communities. Cats cannot be slapdash inserted into laws tailored to dog-related concerns," the letter read, in part.
"... Under a leash law, any cat not wearing a leash outdoors is a visible target. There is no reliable way to distinguish between a community cat, an owned cat allowed outdoors, and an indoor-only cat who is unintentionally outdoors. All of these cats will therefore be at risk, along with the people who care for them."
The nonprofit said utilizing alternative tactics like Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is a more effective way to protect community cats and their caregivers. Further, Alley Cat Alliance representatives invited Waconia city leaders to work with them to craft an ordinance to better reflect cat and caretaker needs.
You can read the whole letter here.
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