Inside City Hall with Birmingham City Manager, Joe Valentine

Inside City Hall September Edition

Many articles published recently have discussed the issue of how man's best friend, the dog, fits into our community.  However, we should not forget about our other four-legged friend, the cat.  There are two basic types of cats, domestic and feral.  A domestic cat is a cat that lives indoors with a family and all its life sustaining needs are met by that family (food, water, shelter).  A feral cat is a descendant of a domesticated cat that has returned to the wild. It is distinguished from a stray cat, which is a pet cat that has been lost or abandoned, while feral cats are born in the wild.  The offspring of a stray cat can be considered feral if born in the wild.  Generally, humans are unable to touch or handle a feral cat because they are so wild. 

The Birmingham Police Department, just like with dogs, will pick up stray and feral cats that have been reasonably contained for transport.  A cat crate, live trap or box will work as long as the cat is contained. 

Also, as stated above, the Birmingham Police Department has an agreement with Gasow Veterinarian Clinic that gives any resident the option to take a domesticated stray to Gasow, contained or not, during the listed business hours: 

To have a contained stray or feral cat picked up by the Birmingham Police Department, contact our dispatch center at (248) 530-1870. For more information concerning how to deal with stray or feral cats, contact the Michigan Humane Society at 248-852-7420 or visit their website at  http://www.michiganhumane.org. The police department can also provide any resident with the name and telephone number of several local private animal control companies to assist in dealing with feral cats. 

Canada Thistle is a v ery invasive weed, classified as noxious because it takes over an area, colonizing in patches, and does not allow native plants to thrive. Plants may reach 1-3 feet high. It is extremely difficult to eradicate because it has a creeping root system that can grow several feet deep.

Herbicides are most effective with two applications per season: in spring, just before flowering, and in fall on new growth after mowing, treat all stems. The fall is the best time of year to treat with an herbicide because the plant is recharging its root system for the next growing season. Fall is the ideal time to maximize injury to the root system because systemic herbicides travel through the plants with the sugars being sent to the roots. The very best control is done through spring (beginning of June) and fall (Late September, early October).