October 30, 2007

A feral cat colony living in a cargo area at JFK International Airport is slated to be removed by animal control.

75 cats have been removed from the colony so far – at the behest of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The NYC Feral Cat initiative and other groups are speaking out against the round up, saying the animals should be neutered and spayed and then returned to the airport.

But airport officials say the food left for the cats attracts birds – which pose a threat to the 46 million people who fly in and out of JFK each year.

Birds often get sucked into plane engines, causing potentially fatal results.

The cats currently reside near an abandoned tanker truck, where old equipment serves as shelter. Sympathetic airport employees have cared for the animals for years – resulting in the large size of the colony.

A rep from the Feral Cat Initiative says it's unlikely the cats can be adopted – and it's only a matter of time before they are euthanized.

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