Yuma sees a citywide cat crisis

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Feral cats is a citywide issue we see all across Yuma and the surrounding area. Residents at a local mobile home park say they have been experiencing a feral cat infestation for years, and they’re hoping to see some changes.

"I see on daily around 30 to 40 cats in just one row of the trailer park where my mother lives," said local Rudy Reyes. "There's just cats all over the place. Cats laying everywhere. She wakes up in the morning- finds dead kittens in her garden.”

She says she wakes up in the middle of the night from all the cat sounds. They say they’ve tried to solve the problem by feeding the cats away from the area or by sterilizing them.

"I've captured and spayed and neutered a couple of them, but you know if you don’t catch them all, it doesn't help. And I just need help to kind of get this under control," said local Rudy Reyes.

The Humane Society says they have been battling the cat problem in Yuma County for several years. They share some of the solutions they use to help manage the issue.

“One of them is getting trapped, neutered, and returned," said Executive Director of the Humane Society of Yuma Annette Lagunas. "Another way is if you don’t want those cats on your premises, there's many types of deterrents we can use that would allow us to keep those cats away from that area."

They say trap, neuter and return is the best method to fix the problem. People can make an appointment to get the cat sterilized at the Humane Society. If you don’t want the cats near your home, they also say there’s several types of deterrents you can use that would help keep the cats out of the area.

If you see a cat with a notch on its ear, that means it’s already been trapped, neutered and returned.