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NEW YORK - Authorities at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport began rounding up wild cats and kittens yesterday as part of a plan to get rid of them, despite an outcry by animal rights groups.
Professional animal handlers started to trap cats living near the airport's cargo area, said the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport. The cats will then be handed over to Animal Care & Control, a city agency that has put to sleep nearly 12,000 unwanted cats in the past year.
An estimated 75 cats live at the airport, feeding on rats and scraps of food provided by airport workers. The food attracts a variety of animals including birds, which create a hazard for jet engines, the Port Authority says.
Animal rights advocates called the safety hazard claims exaggerated and said the captured cats most likely would be euthanised.
The Port Authority said if animal rights groups adopted the cats, it would agree to pay for their neutering.
- Reuters
