The stray cats living around the Old San Juan fortress in Puerto Rico have become as much of an attraction as the site itself. When the US National Park Service tried to get rid of them, there was a ton of pushback from animal rights activists.

Maryland-based Alley Cat Allies is the organization behind the lawsuit, which was launched four months after the US National Park Service announced its plan to remove an estimated 200 stray Cats from Old San Juan, a former Spanish fortress during the Colonial Era.

Alley Cat Allies also stated that the six months that the US government agency gave to get rid of all the cats were "not enough," heightening worries that the felines will be killed as a result of the government pushing through with the allotted timeline.

According to The Guardian, the cat advocacy group is requesting additional environmental statements from the US National Park Service. They also asked a federal judge to find that the agency's actions have violated several environmental protection laws, including the National Environmental Protection Act.

Several groups of these cats live throughout Old San Juan. They have lived here for a long time, and these felines have already endeared themselves to locals and tourists alike. When the US federal government announced the plan to get rid of them, there was significant pushback.

However, some people, including a few locals and tourists, considered the cats a nuisance, thus prompting the US National Park Service to act and try to get rid of them.

Why Are the Cats of Old San Juan in Puerto Rico Considered a Nuisance?

In Puerto Rico, the cats of Old San Juan are called "cobblestone" or "colonial" cats. While many have found them endearing, there were also complaints stemming from the "smell of urine and feces" coming from them, as well as some instances of the cats scratching some visitors who got too close.

According to the Associated Press, the numbers of these cats has grown so much that it has become a problem. In its plan, the agency promised to contract an animal welfare organization to remove these stray cats and that organization would be the one to decide whether these cats would be adopted, placed in foster homes, kept in a shelter, or face other options. It remains unclear which animal welfare organization the US National Park Service contacted to get rid of the Old San Juan stray cats.

Local Organizations Working to Trap and Neuter Old San Juan Stray Cats

Despite this, there are already some local animal welfare organizations that were working to control the cat population in Old San Juan long before the federal government stepped in.

According to Mutt Love, there is an organization that helps to care for them and has a Trap, Neuter and Release program. There are also people who made it their mission to provide ample food and water in multiple areas of Old San Juan.

There are also those who argued that the cats are part of the Old San Juan experience and that getting rid of them would take away from that.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: CATS of Old San Juan Puerto Rico - The Shabby Tabby Cat Cafe