'They're running the neighbourhood': Kerwood couple says their community is overrun by cats

Eight cats are visible in the back of a trailer in Kerwood (Source: Cheryl Campbell)

A couple in the Middlesex County village of Kerwood, west of London, says their neighbourhood has been overrun by cats, to the point that it’s negatively impacting their quality of life.

Randy and Cheryl Campbell claim their township, Adelaide Metcalfe, is allowing the problem to get worse by not doing anything to resolve the issue.

“They’re running the neighbourhood,” explained an exasperated Cheryl Campbell. “They’re in buildings behind the house. They’re in the garage. They’re in hidden rooms. Transport trailers.”

She said the problem began about ten years ago when their neighbour across the street started bringing the cats home. It was about 20 at first she said, but before long it multiplied to over 100.

Campbell said some of the cats are injured or sick, they’re left to their own devices outside so they roam the streets, they defecate in peoples’ yards, they lounge around on patios, and they’re a general nuisance.

Five cats sit on a patio in Kerwood, November 15, 2024 (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)

The Campbells say they’ve gone to battle over the cats with their neighbours, and they’ve tried to get the local authorities to do something about the cat infestation, but to no avail.

“I’ve called the township. I’ve called the OPP. I’ve reached out to every avenue that I could see possible. It all keeps going around in circles, that I need to go back to the next person, and one person says go to this person,” said Campbell.

CTV News knocked on the door of the home where the cats have been seen coming from to see if the residents would like to talk about the cats. We were greeted by plenty of cats on the front porch and on the home’s walkway, but no people answered the door.

In the meantime, the CAO of Adelaide Metcalfe says the township has attempted to deal with the cat problem over several years, even having removed cats from the property in the past.

Morgan Calvert said the Township would not agree to an interview to talk about the situation, but he did provide the following written statement:

The Township is aware of a cat population issue within one of our community areas. We have engaged with, and continue to engage with the appropriate agencies to assist in resolving the issue.

To respect the privacy of those involved, the Township is not in a position to provide further comments on this matter

A cat walks beneath the boughs of a pine tree, Kerwood, November 15, 2024 (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)

The London & Middlesex Humane Society is contracted to provide animal care services to Adelaide Metcalfe. It also declined our request for an interview. Wendy Arnott, Interim Executive Director provided the following written statement instead:

The Humane Society London & Middlesex is committed to working with the communities we serve through our contracted animal care and control services. In situations such as a cat overpopulation issue, we work with the appropriate members of the municipality and responsible agencies to help solve the issue. Any enforcement taken by the HSLM would align with the municipal by-laws we have been contracted to enforce.

It’s of little comfort to a couple with a cat problem, that won’t go away.

“We can’t sit on our patio because the cat urine smell is atrocious. There is feces all over our yard. I can get five gallons per week scooped up in a pail, every week,” said Campbell.