‘Surprised’: Man cited for feeding stray cats during winter cold snap

SWANTON, Ohio (WTVG/Gray News) — An Ohio man said he was shocked when he was cited for feeding stray cats behind a building he owns during a recent stretch of harsh winter weather.

Scott Drummond bought the building a couple of years ago. He said many feral cats live in the alley behind the property.

“Any given time, a dozen cats running around here, and in the summer, it boosts up to as many as three dozen because they have kittens,” Drummond said. “Those cats go through the summer, and some die off and by winter it’s down to 12 to 18 cats again and the whole cycle starts over.”

Drummond said he began feeding the cats and providing shelter during the recent winter weather.

He said the situation escalated in mid-January when he arrived at the building and found cat feces scattered across the back of the property.

“I thought, well, you know, somebody doesn’t like it… I get it,” Drummond said.

Drummond added that five gallons of cat waste had been dumped on his property. When he went to report it to the police, officers learned he had been feeding the cats.

“They asked why [someone would dump waste on my property] and I said, ‘Well, it’s probably in opposition to my feeding cats.’ Well, the cops went nuts and were like, ‘You’re feeding cats? Oh my God, you can’t do that, that’s against a village ordinance.’ They came out immediately and wrote me up,” Drummond said.

Drummond received a minor misdemeanor citation and appeared before a judge.

“I was cited a $100 court cost. Judge was as surprised as I was that you can’t feed cats,” Drummond said.

Drummond said he contacted cat rescues but was told they were full. He said his goal was to keep the cats alive through the cold snap.

“They literally were going to starve to death, or freeze to death, or dehydrate. And so, we put out those things just enough to get them through that cold snap and that deep snow,” Drummond said.

Drummond said he hopes a long-term solution and homes for the cats can be found. He added that without intervention, the population will continue to grow.

“They’re everywhere, and they’re only going to breed. There’s going to be another two dozen cats by spring,” Drummond said.

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