Resident presses Mountainside council for more aggressive action on community cat colony

A Mountainside resident used the public-comment period to urge the borough to step up trapping and control of a neighborhood community-cat colony she says has repeatedly used her yard as a litter box.

The resident said she and neighbors trapped six cats in an earlier effort but that within a week "they were replaced with six new ones," and that the animals continue to use her gardens and window wells. She described repeated distress and said she does not feed the animals: "Every day, I have new ones in my yard leaving me their calling cards in my gardens." The speaker asked how the borough will prevent the animals from returning and said she has been complaining about the problem for roughly 15 years.

Council members and meeting participants said the borough's health officer, Megan, has been involved in prior trapping efforts. A council speaker stated that Megan "said the cats have all been picked up" and that trapped animals were placed on a farm; another council member said Megan would not trap during extremely cold weather and that "another round is coming about in the spring." Council members offered to follow up: one said they would call Megan the next day and expressed willingness to assist in additional trapping.

Health officer actions were described in the meeting record as including multiple rounds of trapping, ear-tipping of rereleased cats (a sign of TNR—trap, neuter, return) and relocating some animals to a farm. Participants in the discussion noted the distinction between owned indoor/outdoor cats and community cats placed or dumped by others; meeting speakers urged residents not to abandon animals and to use shelters or no-kill options when possible.

The resident said previous trapping results were short-lived and asked the borough for a plan that prevents reintroduction; council members did not announce new funding or a formal new policy but committed to pursuing additional trapping activity and following up with the health officer.

The council did not adopt a new ordinance or formal directive during the public-comment exchange; the record indicates staff follow-up will occur.

The meeting transcript captures the complaint, descriptions of past trapping, and council assurances to investigate further. Absent new formal action in the record, the situation remains a resident concern and a borough operational issue for health/animal-control staff to resolve.