Woodbridge residents urge council members to tackle the town's feral cat population
Officials and volunteers clash over a failed agreement on managing Woodbridge’s feral cat colonies.
September 24, 2025
A small parade of residents used the public comment portion of the Woodbridge Township Council meeting on Tuesday to press for an official trap‑neuter‑return (TNR) program to manage what they described as an out-of-control feral cat population.
Nicole Paternoster of Avenel said she got involved after trying to place a single stray and finding that “rescue shelters couldn’t take it.” She told the council she called “55 places in the state of New Jersey, rescues [and] shelters — no one could take one cat”. Removing cats isn’t a long‑term solution, she argued, because “you remove a bunch of cats [and] other cats come into that place”.
Paternoster said TNR, a system in which outdoor cats are trapped, sterilized, and returned to their colonies, is humane and effective. “Cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered… Cats no longer reproduce. They fight less, they spray less, they cause fewer complaints”. She presented a petition signed by 247 people, including 65 township residents, and said a survey conducted since Sunday drew more than a dozen responses showing strong support for humane solutions. According to Paternoster, some cat colonies in Woodbridge number up to 50 animals, and one unspayed female can produce thousands of kittens. She noted that several neighboring towns have adopted TNR ordinances and argued that sterilization costs less than housing cats in shelters.
“We can do this for under $100 a cat,” she told officials.
Arlene Rhodes of Fords, who has addressed the council several times, said she was frustrated that there had been no action since she first raised the issue.
“Please look into a township TNR program. This program will help control the cat population,” she said.
To fund the program, Rhodes suggested using the fines the township already collects from residents who feed strays.
“I know three people who were fined well over $1,000 each,” she added, noting that the township shelter’s nonprofit arm could also dedicate money to sterilization.
Meryl from Fords framed the issue in ethical terms.
“Animals can’t speak, so we are the voices that need to stand up for them,” she said.
Recounting starving cats and kittens in a wooded area behind the local library, she told officials it was “a very sad day for everyone that lives within the confines of this township” if stray animals are left to “get hit by cars, starve to death and [be] eaten by other creatures”.
The exchange revealed sharp disagreement over past efforts.
Council President Cory Spillar said the township signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) months ago allowing a volunteer group to conduct TNR operations, but noted that the group withdrew from the agreement two weeks later.
Marge Petrow, a member of the group that signed the MOU, told council members the deal was supposed to have the township shelter handle most of the trapping and neutering, with her group assisting only with overflow cases. She pressed council members to work with the group to find a solution. However, Spillar countered that no such terms were written into the agreement.
Business Administrator Vito Cimilluca backed Spillar, calling Petrow’s description “completely inaccurate.” He added that the township would have included those details in writing if that had been requested.
“You signed it, Marge. You read it, you signed it,” Cimilluca said.
After the meeting, Petrow took to Facebook to express frustration with town leaders.
“We did not walk away. We were left without support from the township and had no choice but to pause. The need is overwhelming, and we remain ready to work with officials if they commit to a real partnership,” she wrote.