A trapping program in Bath targeting animals that commonly carry rabies accidentally caught three house cats as well.
Bath worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to deploy box traps with the goal to reduce the density of skunks, raccoons and gray and red foxes, all of which can carry rabies, according to Lindsey Goudreau, a spokesperson for the city. That program concluded on March 30.
City councilors approved the program in February following a spate of rabid animals attacks, including 14 fox attacks against people and pets.
In total, 24 raccoons and four skunks were caught and euthanized under the program, and testing is being conducted to determine whether any carried rabies, according to Goudreau. Another two gray foxes, three skunks, two brown bats, one muskrat, one brown rat and one raccoon that were found dead or euthanized separately from the trapping program also were collected for sampling.
Goudreau said steps were taken to avoid orphaning young animals, but none of the females captured showed signs of lactation.
The trapping program did catch more than it intended. Among 26 animals not targeted under it, three cats were captured in the box traps. Goudreau said they were turned over to Bath’s animal control officer who quickly returned the cats to their humans. The other animals not targeted also were released.
A report on the trapping program’s results will be released in June. Goudreau said the city will have no additional information to release until that report’s completion.