April 1, 2010
In the wake of South Florida's housing bust came an unlikely boom -- hundreds of thousands of cats roaming beaches in Miami-Dade County, breeding in abandoned homes.
Colonies of feral cats roam in and around the shuttered buildings in North Miami Beach. When the sun goes down, they come out -- and so does professional cat catcher Rob Hammer.
"All you need is a little tuna to lure them into the cage and then gotcha! Nothing hurt except their feelings," said Hammer as he demonstrated how his pain-free cat trap worked.
While Hammer has been catching cats for 22 years, he said he's never seen anything like this.
"Along the boardwalk here, say 300 yards, there are literally 200 cats. They live under buildings, abandoned buildings," he said.
According to state records, one in 10 homes in Miami-Dade are in foreclosure. Hammer said homeless cats have moved into bank-owned properties to breed in safety. He estimates populations are up 20 percent the last two years.
"The smell from the feces and urine goes right over here," he said, pointing to a row of beachfront hotels and condos.
Feral cats are nothing new to the sandy shores of Miami Beach. But Hammer's increased presence in the area signals the community's growing frustration with the feline loiterer. Hotels and condo sellers are now waging a type of undercover cat cleanup. Hammer is their main operative.
"Every day I have a different call. I mean, these hotels are now worried about their image. Their beaches are being turned into litter boxes," he said, while laying down more traps.
Hammer said that in all of South Florida, South Beach has the worst homeless cat population. He estimates more than 100 cat colonies live in abandoned buildings. While it used to be guaranteed a cat would land in one of Hammer's traps, now cat lovers are throwing off his catching efforts.
"This is the biggest colony," said cat feeder Danielle Crocker, while walking by a boarded-up condo building on the corner of Collins and Second Avenue.
Crocker said many of the cats near her South Beach condo are abandoned pets, what she called victims of the economy.
"They are so sweet, all of them. They were thrown out to the streets with no means of caring for themselves. This cat doesn't even have claws," Crocker said.
Crocker feeds them and has even had one neutered, all the while upsetting her neighbors who flash lights on her as she lays down food.
"They're innocent animals. All I'm doing is giving them some food. If you have any problems with it, you should contact the city of Miami Beach because they are the ones that created the problem down here," Crocker said.
She's talking about the year 1915, when Miami Beach brought cats to the island to kill rats.
"Today we don't have a whole lot of rats, but we certainly do have a whole lot of cats," said city Commissioner Deede Whitehorn.
Whitehorn said at one point it was proposed to kill all the cats until she suggested spaying and neutering.
"It doesn't get rid of the cats, but at least it stops them from reproducing," said Whitehorn, adding that 300 cats have been fixed since the program began.
Still, Hammer estimates there are 300,000 cats roaming the beach.
While it may not be politically correct to capture these cats, Hammer said it is perfectly legal. As the night ended, Hammer packed his latest catch, a tabby-colored cat, into the back of his pickup truck.
"This one's a very sweet cat. I'm going to give this one to a friend," he said.
Hammer normally takes his trapped cats to local shelters. He said about 90 percent of the cats are put down because of diseases.
In the wake of South Florida's housing bust came an unlikely boom -- hundreds of thousands of cats roaming beaches in Miami-Dade County, breeding in abandoned homes.
Colonies of feral cats roam in and around the shuttered buildings in North Miami Beach. When the sun goes down, they come out -- and so does professional cat catcher Rob Hammer.
"All you need is a little tuna to lure them into the cage and then gotcha! Nothing hurt except their feelings," said Hammer as he demonstrated how his pain-free cat trap worked.
While Hammer has been catching cats for 22 years, he said he's never seen anything like this.
"Along the boardwalk here, say 300 yards, there are literally 200 cats. They live under buildings, abandoned buildings," he said.
According to state records, one in 10 homes in Miami-Dade are in foreclosure. Hammer said homeless cats have moved into bank-owned properties to breed in safety. He estimates populations are up 20 percent the last two years.
"The smell from the feces and urine goes right over here," he said, pointing to a row of beachfront hotels and condos.
Feral cats are nothing new to the sandy shores of Miami Beach. But Hammer's increased presence in the area signals the community's growing frustration with the feline loiterer. Hotels and condo sellers are now waging a type of undercover cat cleanup. Hammer is their main operative.
"Every day I have a different call. I mean, these hotels are now worried about their image. Their beaches are being turned into litter boxes," he said, while laying down more traps.
Hammer said that in all of South Florida, South Beach has the worst homeless cat population. He estimates more than 100 cat colonies live in abandoned buildings. While it used to be guaranteed a cat would land in one of Hammer's traps, now cat lovers are throwing off his catching efforts.
"This is the biggest colony," said cat feeder Danielle Crocker, while walking by a boarded-up condo building on the corner of Collins and Second Avenue.
Crocker said many of the cats near her South Beach condo are abandoned pets, what she called victims of the economy.
"They are so sweet, all of them. They were thrown out to the streets with no means of caring for themselves. This cat doesn't even have claws," Crocker said.
Crocker feeds them and has even had one neutered, all the while upsetting her neighbors who flash lights on her as she lays down food.
"They're innocent animals. All I'm doing is giving them some food. If you have any problems with it, you should contact the city of Miami Beach because they are the ones that created the problem down here," Crocker said.
She's talking about the year 1915, when Miami Beach brought cats to the island to kill rats.
"Today we don't have a whole lot of rats, but we certainly do have a whole lot of cats," said city Commissioner Deede Whitehorn.
Whitehorn said at one point it was proposed to kill all the cats until she suggested spaying and neutering.
"It doesn't get rid of the cats, but at least it stops them from reproducing," said Whitehorn, adding that 300 cats have been fixed since the program began.
Still, Hammer estimates there are 300,000 cats roaming the beach.
While it may not be politically correct to capture these cats, Hammer said it is perfectly legal. As the night ended, Hammer packed his latest catch, a tabby-colored cat, into the back of his pickup truck.
"This one's a very sweet cat. I'm going to give this one to a friend," he said.
Hammer normally takes his trapped cats to local shelters. He said about 90 percent of the cats are put down because of diseases.
Closed November 2010
Bankruptcy Wizard
Yes I'm a man, but I almost cried when I saw the homeless teenagers in New Orleans years ago. Like the cats, the roamed the streets at night, begging for food... and, probably breeding.
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