Columbia has a cat problem. Thanks to a group of volunteers, it now has a solution. The Columbia Cat Action Team (CCAT) formed earlier this summer with the goal of trapping, neutering and releasing feral cats in the borough, and now the group is looking for people to help with the effort.

Borough Council member Sharon Lintner said she received a letter from a concerned resident who had noticed the numerous feral cats in town. Lintner took the letter to Borough Council president pro tempore Todd Burgard. "We knew we had a problem with feral cats in Columbia," Burgard stated, noting that the council had already designated funds to trap, neuter and release (TNR) cats. "This is a Columbia issue, but it's also a national issue and actually a global issue."

About the time Burgard and Lintner were discussing the problem, Alan Landsman saw a presentation Burgard had put together on the feral cat issue. Having trapped several cats on his own block in Columbia, Landsman was passionate about the project. He learned that CCAT was forming and jumped on board.

"It's estimated that there are 1,000 feral cats in Columbia," Landsman remarked. "Research says we need to sterilize 70% of them to be effective, so our goal is to TNR 700 cats."

CCAT currently has six active volunteers, and the group invites anyone with an interest in helping to join the effort. "We're looking for people who are interested in being part of the solution," Landsman stated, noting that feral cats cause problems ranging from pollution to destruction of property. "Plenty of people know there is a problem, but they don't know what to do. Some people feed the cats thinking they are helping, but that's actually contributing to the problem."

Volunteers are currently needed especially to transport cats to the Lancaster or York SPCA offices, where the felines will be fixed. CCAT had been working locally with Columbia Animal Shelter for the surgery, but the shelter is in between vets at the moment, although executive director Tammy Jalbert noted she plans to resume the services as soon as possible.

The members of CCAT are confident that the feral cat problem in Columbia can be fixed. "If one person on each block would be the liaison for us, we could solve this problem," Landsman noted, adding that the lifespan of a feral cat is two to three years. "In just two or three years, the cat population of Columbia should look very different."

The next meeting of CCAT will be held at the National Watch and Clock Museum, 514 Poplar St., Columbia, at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 14. For more information, email CCAT@columbiapa.net.