US Announces Purge of Hundreds of Stray Cats From Puerto Rico to Prevent ‘Potential Disease Vector’: Report

A U.S. government agency announced earlier this week a plan to rid hundreds of stray cats from roaming the streets of Puerto Rico, according to a report. 

The Associated Press reported that the U.S. National Park Service will work to remove approximately 200 cats from the Puerto Rican capital San Juan over the coming year in an effort to decrease the spread of diseases.

“All visitors will benefit from the removal of a potential disease vector from the park,” the park service plan says, according to the AP. 

An animal welfare organization will head up the removal, the park service said, adding that the organization has a timeline of six months to do so. If the organization fails, the park service will contract a removal agency. 

The cats are part of the history of San Juan. 

They have been roaming around a seaside area of San Juan spanning 75 acres, where a fortress operated by the federal agency stands. Some of these cats, the AP reported, are believed to be descendants of colonial-era cats and others are believed to be descendants of cats that were brought over to kill mice in the mid-20th century. 

“These cats are unique to San Juan,” Puerto Rico resident Danna Wakefield told the AP. “Me and many other people love that walk because of the cats. Otherwise, it would be a very boring walk.”

Volunteers with Save a Gato, a nonprofit organization based in San Juan, have been tending to the cats and providing medical care, as well as facilitating adoptions. 

Ana María Saicrup, secretary of the board of directors for Save a Gato, told the AP that she hopes the organization is involved with the park service plan but added that the six-month timeline is unrealistic. 

“Anyone who has worked with cats knows that is impossible,” Salicrup said. “They are setting us up for failure.”