Chatham County Ordinance 22-212 sets an eight-cat limit inside a single-family house. Mariela, who cares for an outdoor cat colony, argues that the rule does not apply to the cats gathering in her yard. She says she is complying with county requirements for now.
Mariela said she began Cat Garden after finding dozens of pregnant strays; neighbors were already feeding them. She said protecting safety was her main reason for starting the effort.
Fawn Smiley, Mariela’s former tenant and a Humane Society board member, taught her trap-neuter-return. Mariela says that for 25 years she has had cats fixed and vaccinated and treated them with free flea medication. She says the care helps protect the neighborhood.
Mariela says many of the cats at the garden are microchipped and belong to other neighbors. She also describes the yard as a place where SCAD freshmen who miss home come to sit with the cats.
Riley Wolcott, a neighbor and SCAD student, raised questions about the consequences of stopping vaccinations: “Does she have to stop vaccinating? And then what? Overpopulation, sick cats, people getting sick?”
Chatham Animal Services had not responded by the time of the report.
Yolonda Harris
News Now Georgia
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