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Stray cats are a problem all over St. Joseph. The pet population gets out of control when they are not spayed or neutered.

Hillcrest Village Apartments resident Cookie Rock can’t resist a stray kitten or cat.

But she would like to.

“I don’t want to do this,” she said, “but I can’t just walk away.”

So, she brings the three kittens hiding in a bush in front of her apartment building into her home, hoping that she will be able to find them homes. The kittens are only a few of the strays roaming the St. Joseph apartment complex, Ms. Rock said, adding that in the year-and-a-half that she has resided there, she has taken in about 40 strays.

Hillcrest Village isn’t the only place where stray cats roam, said Laurie Salanski, executive director for the Humane Society of St. Joseph. They can be found across the city.

“A lot of times, people will just turn an animal loose,” said Rick Smith, manager of the St. Joseph Animal Control and Rescue.

The problem, said both Ms. Salanski and Mr. Smith, is irresponsible pet owners.

“There’s nobody at fault except for the people who won’t spay and neuter their animals, and then dump them out,” Ms. Salanski said.

According to the Humane Society of St. Joseph, a female cat can have up to three litters a year, with four to six kittens the average per litter. In seven years, one cat and her offspring can produce up to 420,000 cats.

“They breed like rabbits,” Ms. Salanski said. “It’s so preventable.”

If stray cats are becoming a problem for a property owner, Mr. Smith said the owner can bring the animals to the shelter. There they will be held for seven days, and if not adopted, they are humanely euthanasized. Death in the wild isn’t as humane.

Ms. Rock said that she just can’t bring herself to take the strays she finds to the shelter. She’s not alone.

Both Ms. Salanski and Mr. Smith said that owners can place an ad in the newspaper and try to find the stray cat a home. Ms. Rock said she has found homes for the majority of the strays she takes in.

If a cat is causing damage, a property owner can file a complaint with Animal Control and Rescue, Mr. Smith said.

But for every stray cat that either finds a home or is taken to the local shelter, there are several more to take its place, Ms. Salanski and Mr. Smith said. That’s a fact that Ms. Rock is learning.

“I can’t save them all,” she said.

Cathy Woolridge can be reached

at cathyw@npgco.com