GIRARD — With large feral cat colonies in parts of the city, officials are seeing what options they have to reduce their numbers.

Alicia Stoner, a volunteer with Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) in Warren, which captures feral cats for neutering and spaying before releasing them, told city officials Monday that she has spent time in the city catching cats and noted there is “a hot spot” off Hartzell Avenue where there are two separate cat colonies.

She said the goal is to get cats from those colonies and have them spayed or neutered and then released, which will help to decrease the population by 75%. A goal is to get at least a third of the cats spayed or neutered.

Stoner said she is a trapper working with TNR and feels that the catching of the cats is the best approach to reducing the numbers over time. Stoner said there also is a problem of people dropping off cats at the locations where there are already many kittens that were born in the spring.

She asked city council to consider passing legislation in support of the effort, which will also help serve as a deterrent to people dropping off cats.

“The problem will not go away. The cats will go to places where there is food,” she said, such as food establishments. Officials said the cats fight over territory and with two colonies of cats in separate areas, they will clash.

Councilman Thomas Grumley, D-4th Ward, said he will look into some type of legislation being prepared. Stoner said she is always seeking volunteers to assist her, noting she takes the cats to Steel Valley Spay and Neuter Clinic in Girard.

Stoner said she also has trapped cats in Campbell, where she has received support from officials. In previous years, Campbell officials dealt with cat colonies living at the former Sheet & Tube homes, which were demolished. The cats were trapped and removed from that location.

She said some residents support her efforts, while others do not. Stoner said the cats have tried to attack chickens and do damage to people’s flowers, gardens and shrubbery so those residents want them removed. She said other residents will find cats trapped in the small cages set out and release them, claiming they are the cat’s owner, but have no proof of this.

She and other trappers work with communities through cat management programs to help control the cat numbers but also make sure they are safe and healthy.

She said kittens that are trapped and able to be fixed and are healthy can be put up for adoption.

“We are doing the best we can to address these situations. We are trying to get the word out for people to not drop off cats and kittens,” Stoner said.

Resident Annette Minnitti said they had a trap set to catch skunks causing issues on Stambaugh Street, but a cat was found in the trap. She said people are out late at night looking for traps with cats in them to release them.