Shelter manager wants cats registered

RENO -- The new manager of Washoe County Regional Animal Services says he would like to see pet owners voluntarily start registering their cats.

Mitch Schneider said cat owners should also consider microchipping the animals in case they wander away and are dropped off at a shelter.

"I have tremendous respect for what people feel toward their cats, and I don't want to have euthanized a pet who has a loving home because we couldn't find the owner," he said.

The American Humane Society recommended cat licensing for the county in an animal control review. Dogs are required to be registered, but cats are not.

Schneider said he'd like to see cat registration and microchipping start as voluntary, but strongly pushed, and progress to toward an ordinance.

He said the county would save money by not having to house as many lost pets, and spending less staff time on animal care and tracking the animals' owners. Schneider estimated the cost of registration at $5 to cover staff time.

Some residents are wary of a new law, although they do support the idea of microchipping cats.

Sparks resident Jackie Peterson was able to find her lost cat, Murry, five days after it ran off during a windstorm. She said a microchip wouldn't have helped her locate the cat, but it's still a good idea for Murry and the kitten Peterson adopted when she went to the shelter to see if Murry was there.

"We'd be first in line to register these guys," she said.