Owen Sound Residents will be limited to having 3 feline friends.
Council voted 5-4 in favour of the bylaw to limit the number of cats per household.
Because the vote was so close, the bylaw won’t receive final approval until the next council meeting.
Councillor David Adair, Chairman of the bylaw review committee says they looked at other community bylaws, and consulted with the SPCA to determine an appropriate number.
Adair feels in some cases its not an issue of the number of cats per household, but the owner failing to properly care for the animal.
Adair ended up voting against the By-law.
Adair says if pet owners aren’t causing problems, they shouldn’t be punished.
Councillor Arlene Wright voted against the Bylaw, saying it will be very difficult to enforce.
Neighbours can file a complaint with the city if they notice an excess of cats in a household.
The committee has added a grandfathering clause that allows people with more than three cats to keep them, as long as they’re registered before the bylaw is passed.
