By SANDY McGEE

BLACKSTONE — Halloween may be a few days away, but Richmond Street residents already feel haunted by a house's four-legged inhabitants.

For the past month, residents say they have been tormented by dozens of stray cats that have taken refuge in a nearby vacant house.
The cats wander in streets, dig up yards, annoy pets and use porches as toilets, say neighbors.
“There are cats everywhere,” said Sheila Shepherd. “I find them on my porch, in my yard,” said Joe Frappier. “They go everywhere. This is ridiculous. I want the cats out of here.”
After receiving complaints, Animal Control Officer (ACO) Kevin Sullivan drove to the house, located off Rathbun Street, on Tuesday. Only minutes after exiting his van, Sullivan was approached by residents.
“There must be 15-20 cats in that house,” said one man who refused to give his name.
“Are you here to get rid of the cats?” Frappier asked.
The residents, many of whom are pet owners, say they love cats. They just want the animals to receive professional care, whether in a shelter or veterinarian clinic.
Neighbors claim that the house has been vacant for at least a year. While empty, the four-legged felines have moved in.
Town workers say they have no record of a foreclosure at the property, which is surrounded by a jungle of weeds and overgrown grass.
From the street, one can see several broken windows. Empty cardboard boxes, believed to be makeshift cat beds, are found at a rear entrance and on the front porch.
“This is horrible,” Sullivan said. “You can smell evidence of the cats.”
While the ACO was able to examine the house's exterior, he still needs  permission from the building's owner before entering and removing the feral cats. He was waiting for permission on Tuesday.
Sullivan is also investigating a complaint about a Rhode Island woman.
“This lady comes over and feeds these cats every morning,” Frappier said.
Neighbors claim the woman spreads food over the yard, which has not only attracted cats, but seagulls, blackbirds and stray dogs.
“Her heart is in the right place,” Sullivan said. “She is just not doing it the right way.”
Ironically, the constant feeding may make it easier for Sullivan to eventually trap the cats, he said.
“It is easier sometimes when trapping, because they are all in one location,” he said. “However, I wouldn't encourage anyone to feed stray cats.”
The ACO has also received a complaint about stray cats in a nearby neighborhood.
On Tuesday, Sullivan placed two Havahart traps in a wooded area off Diana Street. The traps are a humane way to catch strays, according to the ACO.
A piece of hot dog is placed inside the metal cage. Once the cat enters and steps on a lever a few feet inside, the trap closes.
“It doesn't hurt them at all,” Sullivan said. “It is a safe and secure way to trap them.”
Sullivan, along with volunteers, will routinely monitor the traps.
Any wild animal, such as a raccoon or skunk, that is caught in the trap will be released.
Any cat wearing a collar will also be released. Owners of any cat with a tag will be contacted.
“We have a petty good idea of what cats belong in the area,” Sullivan said.
However, the ACO recommends that pet owners, who notice their cat missing, contact the Blackstone Animal Control Office immediately.
“Anyone that has a cat that does not come home should contact us as soon as possible,” Sullivan said. “I don't want to take any cat that belongs to someone. I want to see these stray cats find good homes.
The Blackstone Animal Control Office can be reached by calling police at (508) 883-1212.
Healthy cats found in the traps will be sent to the Milford Humane Society, who will work to find them homes. Sick cats will be transported to the Countryside Veterinarian Clinic in Wrentham for treatment.
Stray cats can carry feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), an agent of feline AIDS, and leukemia. Both of these diseases can be transferred to other animals.
“Cats can also carry many different diseases, such as worms, which can be transferred to humans,” Sullivan said.
According to the ACO, just two stray cats can produce up to 96 kittens in one breeding season.
“An average cat can have six kittens every four months,” he said. “Kittens start breeding at four months.”
Sullivan recommends that all pet owners have their cats spayed or neutered.
Low-cost spay neuter clinics are held regularly by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) and the Humane Association of Northern Rhode Island, who hold a Spay Neuter Your Pet Program (SNYPP) Clinic in Pascoag.
For more information on these clinics, visit www.mspca.org or www.hanri.org/snypp.html.