# Should it be a crime to feed feral cats within the city limits? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 29, 2017, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-it-be-a-crime-to-feed-feral-cats-within-the-city-limits/805526 "2017-12-29T17:24:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Arizona\_Mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Arizona\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arizona_Mike)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2018, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-it-be-a-crime-to-feed-feral-cats-within-the-city-limits/805526/61 "2018-01-08T14:50:52Z")
Don’t pass laws you won’t be able to enforce. Cat people will never observe this law. You know it, and I know it. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-it-be-a-crime-to-feed-feral-cats-within-the-city-limits/805526/62 "2018-01-09T04:44:54Z")
> [@FreedomRider](#): > > Yes sterilization is the right answer, it’s very effective actually. 71%-94% of the population must be sterilized for it to be effective, assuming humans don’t add to the number of feral cats. Many of such programs have been unsuccessful according to my cite above. > [@Arizona\_Mike](#): > > Don’t pass laws you won’t be able to enforce. Cat people will never observe this law. You know it, and I know it. Partially effective programs can still be worth supporting. Also, the best way the gauge their level of effectiveness is to give the law a try. Afterwards, more traditional measures can be attempted. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-it-be-a-crime-to-feed-feral-cats-within-the-city-limits/805526.md?page=3)