SWAMPSCOTT, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A citizens' petition that would require cats in Swampscott to be kept indoors and licensed is getting voted on in a few weeks.
Attorney Deborah Newman is behind the movement. She told WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas what inspired the petition, which would see all cats licensed after turning six months old.
"To protect the cats' safety, and also to protect the wildlife—they should not be left out of the equation," Newman said. "It's pretty harrowing to come upon a cat killing a little bird or chipmunk or whatever is running around outside for absolutely no reason."
Newman estimates there are about 1,000 cats in town, and that licensing them could add more than $10,000 to Swampscott's revenue.
But like herding cats, Swampscott Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald said enforcing it would be difficult.
Voters will decide on the issue at the next Town Meeting on May 20.
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WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasWBZ) reports