Grant to help fix Estancia's cat problem

Estancia's animal control officer says it doesn't take much to trap up to 20 feral cats in the town every month. That number should be increased greatly in the coming months thanks to a $23,940 grant from PetSmart Charities, said Alysha Lenderman, the town's animal control officer. "I only do light trapping now — only when I see a problem or someone reports sick cats," Lenderman said. "Right now, we just don't have the resources to do more." Lenderman and Estancia Police Chief Jimmy Chavez say the town is virtually being overrun with stray cats. It's a problem that has been years in the making and difficult to address. The pair tell stories that would stretch belief if there weren't witnesses. For instance, there was the time a stray cat jumped into the window of a Torrance County maintenance department vehicle and had kittens. Then there was the time someone called in a cat problem at an abandoned house. When officers went in the house, there were 38 cats who were calling the building home. "You can't even really estimate the number of feral cats we have," Chavez said. "This grant will go a long way in taking care of the problem."...more