79-Year-Old Cat Lady Might Not Face Jail Time for Feeding Stray Cats in Garfield Heights

A 79-year-old Garfield Heights woman is facing potential jail time for feeding stray cats.

Nancy Segula, a self-proclaimed "cat lover," feeds about eight stray cats, plus kittens, daily outside her home. However, feeding strays violates a Garfield Heights City ordinance, according to a press release from the city.

Segula has been convicted of multiple charges related to cats since 2015, including feeding cats, having too many cats at her residence and failure to dispose waste. Last week, Garfield Heights Municipal Court Magistrate Jeffrey Short sentenced Segula to 10 days in the Cuyahoga County Jail for contempt of court after she said she still feeds the cats, which violates her probation.

Jail time may not be in Segula’s future though, as Garfield Heights Municipal Court Judge Jennifer Weiler wants to hear the case beforehand and determine whether jail time is needed. Segula was expected to arrive at the jail on Aug. 11, and a new court date has not yet been set.

The stray cats and kittens reportedly help combat Segula’s loneliness after losing her own cats and her husband, and she is concerned about potential jail time due to reported issues in the Cuyahoga County Jail, she told cleveland.com.

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