An Oglesby woman with about 16 cats is asking for permission to keep them all. Mayor Dominic Rivara read her letter to the City Council asking for a waiver to the ordinance that allows up to three per home.
The ordinance on the books since 1992 says up to three cats and dogs, all counted together, can be at one home. Commissioner Jason Curran says the woman owns two houses, so she could keep six cats.
City Attorney James Andreoni suggests giving the woman 30 days to significantly reduce the number of cats she’s keeping and then giving her more time, if she’s making progress, until she’s down to the legal limit.
The woman asked that her home be approved as a cat shelter, but the city council didn’t do that. Commissioner Carrie Lijewski says animal shelters house only animals and don’t have people living with them.
The woman also asked that the city increase the number of cats a person may have. Andreoni says even if the city does that, there could be a zoning problem if the place starts looking like a kennel under the law. Kennels aren’t allowed in residential zoning.