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City Of LA To Spend $800K To Study Feral Cat Problem

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com)  — An estimated 1 million to 3 million cats roam the streets of Los Angeles, and now the city will spend $800,000 trying to figure out what to do about them.

"They're animals. They're not friendly unless you feed them," David Charitan a concerned citizen said. "And once you feed them they're going to continue to breed. They are eating everything. They're eating rodents which is great, but they're eating lizards. They're eating all the birds."

In 2006, the city started a policy called "trap, neuter and release." A few years later some environmental groups sued. Their concern was not knowing how so many wild cats would impact water quality, wildlife like birds and the spread of disease.

"Their feces is being deposited everywhere," Phyllis Daugherty of Animal Issue Movement. "That's going into the ground and into the water system. We're worried about plastic bags but nobody's worried about this in the city government"

By court order, the city must pay for the California Environmental Quality act.

There are about 16 categories that need to be studied, including water, soil and air quality,  and about 470 square miles to cover.

No city in the country has ever taken on a project like this.

CBSLA wanted to ask how the city could pay this much to study cats, when there are people going hungry on the streets. We were only given a statement from Animal Services General Manager Brenda Barnette which said the city does not have a report to share at this time.

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