A proposal that would limit the number of cats in each Langley City household to six has won the support of Langley City council, which will look at implementing a cat bylaw this year.
As proposed by anti-hoarding campaigners Tara White and Laila Hamelin, the limit was based on a survey of existing cat bylaws.
White and Hamelin told the Jan. 13 meeting of City council the number of stray, hoarded and abandoned felines in the City and Township of Langley is a growing issue.
"These situations are overwhelming and heartbreaking," said White, who told council she has been trapping cats for three years to rescue them from cat hoarding situations.
"I come to you as someone on the front lines of cat rescue, spending countless hours trapping, rescuing and rehabilitating cats that are victims of these population explosions," White said.
"I've personally rescued over 30 cats here in Langley City, 18 coming from one single hoarder home that I took to C.A.R.E.S. [Canadian Animal Rescue and Extended Shelter] where I volunteer," White reported.
All cats would be required to be spayed and neutered and have permanent identification as well.
Neither City or Township has licensing regulations specifically for cats. It's estimated there are 20-30,000 free roaming cats in both communities.
At the urging of two self-described "proud cat ladies" Langley City will look into creating a cat bylaw that would, among other things, set a maximum number of allowed felines per household.
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After the Langley City hearing, Hamelin told the Langley Advance Times having a cat bylaw would make it easier for authorities, like the SPCA, to intervene.
"The only way for the SPCA to really get involved, is they need the city to back them up [with a bylaw]. Because [without one] the SPCA needs a court order to remove any cats from any hoarding situation," Hamelin explained.
Hamelin has tried to help one cat owner, a Langley City resident who currently has an estimated 35 cats, by offering to pay to have the animals neutered, but to no avail.
"Two years ago, he had 25 cats taken away from his property," Hamelin said.
"He says they're indoor cats," Hamelin recalled. They're not."
"I've been feeding them since April. It's bad ownership, right? People get cats, and then they can't afford to spay or neuter them, so they throw them outside. And then it multiplies and multiplies and multiplies."
Langley City council members seemed receptive, unanimously voting to consider a cat bylaw in 2025 strategic planning
Councillor Mike Solyom, a cat owner, said& the proposed six-cat maximum "sounds reasonable to me," while Delaney Mack thanked both presenters for their "passion and advocacy," and Mayor Nathan Pachal termed the proposal "really exciting."
"it seemed like they really, really enjoyed our presentation," Hamelin said.
As drafted by White and Hamelin, the suggested wording of the bylaw would also require cat owners to ensure felines are "provided with suitable food, water, shelter, and veterinary care."
In October of last year, White was part of a delegation that made the same pitch to Langley Township council.
Hamelin and White are planning to help supporters of a cat bylaw in Chilliwack lobby that council.
"They've already tried once, and the mayor there refused it," Hamelin said. "So now that we have all this information and our delegation and everything backing us up, then we're going to go and help them with it."
Regulations governing dogs and cats vary from community to community in the immediate area:
In both the Township of Langley and the City of Langley, no more than two dogs over the age of four months are allowed per parcel of land.
In Abbotsford, where the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) provides animal control services, under the FVRD's consolidated animal control regulations, residents are limited to five pets per property including no more than three dogs or three cats.
性视界传媒 allows three dogs and up to five cats, and Maple Ridge allows no more than six cats, or three dogs.
