Nova Scotia faces an uphill battle when it comes to the area’s feral cat problem, but experts are working to find creative and humane solutions to the issue.

While the total numbers are unknown, Halifax city staff estimate there could be as many as 90,000 feral cats in the Halifax Regional Municipality alone.

In January, Halifax city council announced it would give $250,000 over the next five years to charities for spay and neuter programs in an effort to shrink the city’s feral cat population. Nearly a year later, those close to the issue say the efforts to curb the problem are making headway.

“Yes, we have a problem, but yes we are trying to figure out good, creative solutions to that problem,” Hugh Chisholm, a member of a committee dedicated to the feral cat crisis in Halifax, told CTV Atlantic on Tuesday.

Chisholm is a cat owner himself and his friendly feline, named Earl Grey, is also an activist for the cause.

In 2015, Earl Grey famously ran for prime minister on a campaign platform focused on reducing the numbers of feral cats in the country and reforming animal cruelty legislation.

Earl Grey also ran for Nova Scotia premier in 2012. His late brother Tuxedo Stan ran for mayor in 2012.

Like Chisholm, cities across the country are trying to find creative ways to curb their own feral cat problems.

In Vaughn, Ont., city officials have enforced bylaws against cat roaming, but the key to their success has been changing pet owners’ attitudes about abandoning felines.

“We want the same intrinsic value to be placed on whether you have a pet dog or a pet cat,” said Susan Kelly, manager of Animal Services for the city of Vaughn.

“We don't consider cats to be lesser of a pet.”

One possible solution is licensing cats to responsible owners. This would in theory limit the number of irresponsible owners getting new pets.

Versions of this idea are already in place in Montreal, Regina and Calgary.

With all these ideas floating around, Chisholm still thinks the most effective way to fix the problem is if people just took better care of their pets.

“Surprisingly, there's a lot of friendly cats out there that have just been dumped and abandoned," he said.

With a report from CTV Atlantic’s Bruce Frisko