The Post
By the Editor of the Watertown Post
Watertown, we have a problem. And it’s got whiskers.
As the editor of the Watertown Post, I try to keep my ears to the ground — but lately, it’s the yowls in the night and the eerie silence afterward that have caught my attention. Two neighborhood cats have recently returned home with what looks disturbingly like makeshift castrations. My own beloved cat is missing. And I’m not the only one who’s noticed something strange going on.
Concerned for the animals and for public safety, I did what any responsible citizen would do. I went to the SPCA. The response? “This doesn’t look like something an animal did. It could be a human doing DIY neutering.” Let that sink in. Someone might be running around trying to neuter stray (or not-so-stray) cats. That’s not quirky. That’s criminal.
The SPCA told me to contact the police.
So, I marched into Watertown City Hall. They told me to go to the county building.
I went to the county building. The Watertown City Police were there, and I was told — you guessed it — they couldn’t help me. Instead, they handed me a phone number on a slip of paper and sent me on my way.
I called the number. I’m still waiting.
In the meantime, my cat is gone, two others are mysteriously mutilated, and the people in charge are pointing fingers in every direction but the mirror.
And let me just say this plainly: The way I was treated by the woman at the counter was insulting. Dismissive, rude, and completely devoid of empathy. I wasn’t some crank complaining about parking meters — I was reporting a potential crime against animals. Against my own pet. Against the community’s trust.
Watertown has a growing stray cat population. Everybody knows this. But when citizens step up to report disturbing incidents and the city’s response is to hand you a number and shuffle you out the door like a nuisance — something is very wrong.
It’s time for the city of Watertown to pull its head out of the sand — or wherever else it’s currently lodged — and treat animal welfare as a public responsibility. Whether this is a case of vigilante neutering, animal cruelty, or something worse, it deserves a real investigation.
I’m not done looking for answers. And I’ll keep using this platform to ask the hard questions — until someone, anyone, in authority decides to care. Because until then, our cats are at risk, and so is our sense of community.
If you’ve seen anything suspicious or if your pet has been harmed, please reach out. The Post will be collecting information and demanding action.
This isn’t just about cats. It’s about accountability. And that starts now.
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