Provo ordinance change will allow study of feral cats

PROVO — The city will allow university classes to trap and release feral cats for study purposes, as long as the cats are spayed or neutered before they are let go.

Provo City Council members approved an ordinance Tuesday that will permit the cats to be used for "a bona fide educational or scientific research project."

The change was made at the request of Thomas Smith, a professor of wildlife management at BYU, who proposes capturing, radio-collaring and releasing some of the 100 to 200 feral cats on campus to study the animals' behavior.

Before the change, city ordinances did not allow anyone to keep or capture feral cats, considered nuisance animals, and required that they be turned over to the city once they were caught.

Several animal protection groups were on hand Tuesday to protest the ordinance change, but opposition dwindled when the city said the cats would be released following the study and they would be spayed or neutered before that.

— Marc Haddock