Animal experts in Luzerne County say the warm weather caused a longer than normal breeding season for stray cats and now some neighborhoods in the area are battling feral felines.
Many cute kitties came off the streets of Luzerne County and now they are waiting for a good home.
Some neighborhoods in Pittston have seen an increase in the strays over the past several months.
George Thomas said it's a problem. "They have been really bad. They've been all over the place people just don't seem to take care of them and they are cute when they are small. They let them go and self-sufficient, but bad for the neighborhood," Thomas said.
Cary Moran of the Luzerne County S.P.C.A. in Plains Township said the numbers of feral cats could explode if pet owners don't take control of their animals.
"In 10 years a cat can produce 10 million offspring based on if none of them are getting spayed or neutered year after year and that's why it becomes such a problem," Moran said.
The Pittston city manager tells Newswatch 16 he is aware of the problem of stray cats there and in other communities, but there's just not enough money in the city's budget to hire an animal control officer. He said if a neighbor is spotted feeding a stray, they could be cited.
"I think you have a combination of warm weather, economy, lot of people lost their homes and they are afraid to bring their animals to a shelter because their worried they could be put down. They've got a chance here for a new life," Moran added.
The S.P.C.A. can help. For a $75 deposit, you can get a humane cat trap. Once you trap a stray, bring it back to the S.P.C.A. and your deposit will be returned. The stray will be spayed or neutered and, if possible, put up for adoption.