UPDATE: Country Club Cats Face Possible Euthanization

Supporters of a cat colony that has lived on the grounds of the Army Navy Country Club for more than 40 years said last week that they feared the club would go forward with plans to trap and euthanize the cats within days, despite an outcry from some club members and the public.

Club officials are keeping mum on their specific plans and have issued an e-mail "script" for staff members to follow if asked by outsiders or members of the media about the cats.

"We're going to put out a statement to the membership and let them know what's going on," said Peter Gibbons, the club's president. "We don't anticipate to do our correspondence through The [Washington] Post or any other newspaper. I don't really have a comment."

The board of governors of the Arlington club voted in August to hire a contractor to remove the cats, amid growing concern that one of the cats might bite a child or spread disease, according to one board member. If they were removed, the cats probably would have to be euthanized because shelters find it difficult to place feral cats for adoption. The removal had been slated to begin at the start of this month.

The colony of outdoor cats and their offspring have lived amid the manicured golf greens and tennis courts of the country club for decades, becoming de facto mascots for some members. There's even a "Cat Crossing" sign posted on the golf cart trails.

Volunteers serve food and water twice daily to about 21 cats.

"They really are nice cats; they're not aggressive," said club member Alan Herman, a retired Air Force judge advocate who has been a member for 25 years. "It just does not sound rational to do this."

Proponents of the club cats say they differ from other feral cat populations -- which can become a public health hazard -- because the caretakers of these cats have taken steps to control the population by having the cats spayed or neutered and vaccinated with help from veterinarian Anne Garrood.

"They're doing the right thing," said Becky Robinson, national director of Alley Cat Allies, a Maryland-based group that works to control feral cat populations nationally, including animals that live along the boardwalk in Atlantic City, through spaying and neutering. The group has offered its services to the Army Navy Country Club board to help mediate the dispute.

The board's vice president, Al Baker -- who emphasized that he was speaking for himself and not on behalf of the club -- said that members had raised concerns about the cats recently, fearing that one might bite a child participating in one of the club's popular summer programs.

After plans to remove the animals became public in recent days, the club's general manager, Edward A. Urben, e-mailed club staff members the script to read to outsiders who asked about the cats.

"Be cordial and polite, but do not engage in further conversation with them," Urben counseled. The script said outsiders could e-mail comments to information@ancc.org .

Those who care for the cats -- including retired Rear Adm. Thomas Evans and his wife, Dottie -- said the cats are affectionate with caregivers but shy away from most humans. Caregivers buy 400 cans of cat food and three jumbo bags of kibble a month, they said. The cats -- each of which has been named -- even get warm cream on occasion, Evans said. "They're very friendly," he said. "As soon as we stop the car in the morning, the two guys come over and won't eat until I pet them."

-- Annie Gowen