Letter calls for cats to be poisoned in Mo. community

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Residents of a Missouri trailer park received letters recently asking them to place bowls of antifreeze outside their homes to kill stray cats.

Kim Pillars, who lives in White Eagle Woods in Reeds Spring, Mo., said there are "dead cats everywhere" because someone has been putting out bowls of antifreeze, shooting strays and burning them. She and other residents showed the News-Leader an identical letter telling them the cat problem needed a solution or rents could go up for everyone.

A News-Leader photographer saw several stray cats and a dead, burned cat on the property Thursday afternoon. A complaint has been made to the Stone County Sheriff's Office, and deputies visited the scene, as did Humane Society representatives.

The trailer park's manager, Mark F. Rich, said he did not send the letter. He said there's been a dispute in the trailer park between residents who want dozens of problematic feral cats removed and residents who feed the cats.

Intentionally killing an animal in a manner not authorized by law, such as hunting, is class A misdemeanor, unless the death is caused as a result of torture or mutilation, in which case it's a class D felony.

The note, provided to the News-Leader and posted by Pillars on Craigslist, calls for residents to help get rid of the animals. It asks residents not to leave food outside because strays have become "a major problem." The note says the cats tear up insulation under homes and cause damage.

"Anyone found feeding stray cats will face immediate eviction," the note says. "Beginning the first of October we will begin an all out assault on all stray cats ... so keep your one pet in doors. All residents can help clean up the stray cat problem by leaving a bowl of antifreeze out to poison these ever increasing problem."

Rich told the News-Leader he's been in Colorado for 2 1/2 weeks and was reached by a reporter while on vacation. He said he wasn't aware of any letter or any issue with dead cats.

"We didn't put out any letter and we're not killing any cats," he said.

Rich complained about damage the cats do to trailers and said it's difficult to catch them. He also complained that the county does not have effective animal control and said the Humane Society wants $40 per cat to remove the animals.

Some residents agreed that the stray cats can be a nuisance but said killing them was cruel and other means could be used to deal with the issue.

"Killing them with antifreeze isn't the way to go, there are other steps that can be taken," resident Brian Scott said.

Scott, and others, were also worried that pets, wildlife or children could accidently be injured or killed by the antifreeze.