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We would like to thank Dairne and Linda of Fix Our Ferals for their recent letter responding to the Daily Planet article with the unfortunate title "Feral Cats Not Welcome." We would also like to take this opportunity to draw a distinction between Fix Our Ferals and Home At Last, and to specify more clearly what our complaints are regarding the cats in our neighborhood.  

To clarify, we understand and support the concepts promoted by Fix Our Ferals. We are less concerned about the maintenance of feral colonies in Berkeley because, if dealt with appropriately, over time a feral population will reduce in number. In our neighborhood, however, the problem is more complex because of our neighbor’s involvement with Home At Last, a rescue organization. Our neighbor claims that she is only maintaining the neighborhood feral colony; yet, she also "rescues" and houses a substantial number of "tame" cats. 

Home At Last is an organization that rescues animals from the City of Berkeley Municipal Animal Shelter shortly before they are due to be euthanized, with the goal of finding permanent homes for the animals through adoption. Until the animals are adopted, however, they must be housed somewhere. The unfortunate truth is that many of the animals that are being rescued from euthanization in Berkeley end up at 1408 Fairview Street. We have been told that there are as many as 30-40 cats living on our neighbor’s property, and recently she began housing dogs as well.  

Because many of the rescued animals end up staying for long periods of time, they learn to escape the house and/or makeshift "cage" in the backyard. Thus, the so-called feral population seems to change rather than reduce in number. Adding new animals is not part of the program promoted by Fix Our Ferals. 

Such a high concentration of animals in a residential area is inappropriate. In response to Fairview residents’ requests for help, several members of city staff have said that their "hands are tied" because there is no policy that restricts the number of cats a resident can have. While it is specified under current city policy that a person can have a maximum of four dogs, individuals are allowed to have an unlimited number of cats. Additionally, because the Berkeley City Council grants Home At Last money, staff is forced to take a hands-off approach to avoid a situation in which the city is talking out of both sides of its mouth. 

While we also love animals, we have serious concern about a city policy that leaves the responsibility of "rescuing" animals to citizens who operate shelter-like conditions in residential neighborhoods. I believe that the members of City Council must reconsider this policy and its unintended consequences. Berkeley neighborhoods cannot be the dumping ground for "rescued" animals. Such a policy is not a solution, but a creation of another problem.  

Jennifer and Aran Kaufer 

Berkeley