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Council hears concerns over feral cats running lose in Bethany

Bethany, Mo: After the city council revisited dog ordinances in town, another four-legged animal is under scrutiny as a concerned citizen declared to the council “We have a cat problem”. Paula Denum told the council during a City Hall meeting she had lived in Bethany for twenty-six years and said she had seen nine cats in her garbage at one point in time. She continued on saying every year she had to get her dog licensed but claimed cat owners face no registration issues. She asked the council “Why are dog owners are held to different standards than cat owners?”

Caleb Osmon July 6, 2026 1 minute read

Republican-Clipper photo
A tiny kitten sits at the edge of a wooded area in Bethany. Will this cat go on to become one of the many problem cats in town? The council heard out a concerned citizen at a City Hall meeting when she asked what steps the city is taking to stop the overpopulation of feral and stray cats in town.

Bethany, Mo: After the city council revisited dog ordinances in town, another four-legged animal is under scrutiny as a concerned citizen declared to the council “We have a cat problem”. Paula Denum told the council during a City Hall meeting she had lived in Bethany for twenty-six years and said she had seen nine cats in her garbage at one point in time. She continued on saying every year she had to get her dog licensed but claimed cat owners face no registration issues. She asked the council “Why are dog owners are held to different standards than cat owners?”