Randolph, IA - An Iowa town paying to round up loose cats is having a big change of heart. A $5.00 bounty was put on stray cats in Randolph, Iowa. It was an effort to curb the growing population. Thursday night, the city council voted to stop the bounty after groups convinced them there were other options.

Mayor Vance Trively says there are around  five dozen stray cats wandering around the town. He's seen the cats living among other wild animals. "There's going to be a time when disease is going to transfer from them to our cats and then it's going to get to the pets in town," worried the mayor.

Animal groups plan to help the city spay or neuter the cats.

Before the city council voted to stop the bounty, two strays were turned in. A group at Thursday's meeting plans to adopt one of the cats.

Reported by Chriss Knight, cknight@action3news.com