What Will Happen To NYC Street Cats Under December's New Legislation?

The incoming Companion Animal Care Standards Act is causing concern amongst cat rescuers and independent fosterers across NYC.

By Celina Jimenez

Cats at a shelter. — Stray cats inside a shelter house. Credit: Mia X, Pexels

When the Companion Animal Care Standards Act goes into effect on December 15, cat rescuers will be subject to new rules that many worry will significantly limit their ability to care for stray cats in New York City.

With an estimated stray cat population of at least 500,000, fosterers and rescuers fear rising costs, insufficient facilities, and inaccessible regulations will impede their ability to mitigate this.

“Something like this is necessary, but this went way too far,” said Jean Bubley, an independent fosterer in Brooklyn.

At the city-associated shelter system Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) alone, stray cat intake has remained steadily high since 2020.

The cost of spaying and neutering cats is a significant barrier as well.

“[This law] is not addressing the root of the problem: people letting animals outside or abandoning animals that aren’t spayed,” Bubley said. “They have to make care affordable too.”