Resident commissioner opposes cat removal plan.
- The San Juan Daily Star
- May 14
- 2 min read
By THE STAR STAFF
Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera sent a letter this week to the National Park Service (NPS) opposing the plan to remove feral “community” cats from Paseo del Morro in Old San Juan.
“As someone born and raised in Old San Juan, I recognize the value of cats in the community and will lobby federal agencies to protect them,” the resident commissioner said.
The letter responded to concerns from residents, visitors and animal welfare organizations about the possible end of the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program, which Save A Gato Inc. (SAG) and Alley Cat Allies have administered since 2005.
The TNR program, established in 2005, humanely controls the community cat population on Paseo del Morro. In the letter, Hernández Rivera warned that removing the cats could lead to euthanasia of many animals and the arrival of new cats, which would perpetuate the problem.
The resident commissioner asked the NPS to suspend removal plans and collaborate with community organizations and members to find a humane, sustainable solution.
According to the SAG website, the cats are a part of the Old San Juan experience, and noted that “some of these cats are said to be descendants from the original cats that arrived on the ships when the first Spanish settlers came to the island.”
“Most of the cats around the Paseo del Morro are feral cats, which means that they are not socialized to humans,” the group said. “They are cats that were either born outside and never had human care/contact, or cats that have become accustomed to living without human companionship.”
Through an agreement with the NPS, SAG said it provides food, water and medical assistance for the cats of Paseo del Morro. It also said it controls the colony’s population by trapping and neutering the cats. However, the group works on donations and encourages other ways to help the cats.
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