US halts plan to remove iconic stray cats from a historic area in Puerto Rico’s capital
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The U.S. government has temporarily halted a plan to remove iconic stray cats from a historic neighborhood in Puerto Rico’s capital until a lawsuit challenging the project is resolved, a nonprofit group announced Monday.
The ruling was cheered by those opposed to the U.S. National Park Service’s decision to remove an estimated 200 cats that roam a seaside fort built by Spain during the colonial era.
“It’s a short-term victory, but in the long run these cats are still in danger,” said Yonaton Arnoff, an attorney for Alley Cat Allies in Maryland.
The cats, long a tourist attraction, are both loved and reviled by those who visit and live in Old San Juan, home to the 16th-century fort known as “El Morro.” It’s part of the San Juan National Historic Site, managed by the U.S. National Park Service.
The federal agency warned in 2022 that the cat population had exploded and that the cats could transmit diseases to humans. It also warned that the area smelled of urine and feces.
In late 2023, the agency announced it would hire an animal welfare organization to remove the cats. If the selected organization did not do so within six months, officials said they would hire a removal agency.
The U.S. National Park Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The agency held heated public hearings on the plan, with critics noting that the selected organization would decide whether to adopt the captured cats, take them to a shelter, keep them in a shelter or pursue other options.
Arnoff indicated in a telephone interview that removing the current cats is an impossible task, because new cats would take their place.
“They’re going to have to keep doing this forever,” he said.
The U.S. National Park Service was set to begin removing the cats in October, but agreed to halt those plans until a judge rules on a lawsuit filed by Alley Cat Allies in March. The nonprofit claims the plan violates laws including the National Environmental Protection Act.
According to Aronoff, a ruling is not expected until the first quarter of 2025.
Meanwhile, cats of all colors and sizes continue to roam the trails along the deep turquoise waters surrounding El Morro, and there’s even a statue in their honor nearby. Some of the felines are thought to be descended from colonial-era cats, while others were brought in by a former mayor in the mid-20th century to kill rats.
A local nonprofit, Save a Gato, feeds, spays, and neuters the cats and places them up for adoption.
But it’s hard to find homes for so many cats, with the nonprofit previously saying that shelters on the mainland don’t have room for them.