Recently the Collier County Commision discussed a proposal to limit cats to three per household.

I am a bit disappointed that the Collier County Commissioners have not given some thought to more innovative and creative ways to help alleviate the cat problem in Collier County.  I am reasonably sure they could arrive at an acceptable alternative solution if they would adopt an approach similar to one the federal government is using to solve another issue.

I would call the program “CatCare Part D.”  The program would offer subsidized cat care to cat owners.  The program’s features and cost would vary from basic neutering and shots to more tailored services such as daily feeding and litter cleaning.  Since the cost of providing these services would be subsidized by the County Government, many cat clinics and pet stores would, no doubt, be eager to provide these programs (I am a bit surprised they have not already organized to lobby for this solution).  The County could even install a hot line to help cat owners choose among the hundreds of programs that would become available once the County begins subsidizing the providers. The cost to the County could perhaps be recovered through the institution of a new CatCare impact fee.

If cat owners were reluctant to sign up because of the perceived complexity of all these programs, a penalty could naturally be imposed for those who sign up late.

I envision this program to be a great solution because it offers so many choices to cat owners rather than imposing a limit on ownership.  President Bush has stated that having multiple choices is a good thing.  It also allows the best aspects of market-based, subsidized partnerships between private enterprise and government to flourish.

How about it County Commissioners?  Isn’t it time to get a lot more creative on this issue?