Feral Cats
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Has our big debate about feral cats made the national news? There is a proposal under consideration to have an 'open season' on feral (wild) cats. People could shoot cats if they're out in the wild without a collar or tags on. The 'pros' say that the cats kill lots of songbirds (maybe small rabbits, too), spread disease, etc, and the 'cons' say you just can't kill poor little kitty. I would say "only in Wisconsin", where the visually impaired can receive a hunting license, but apparently there are a couple of other states that allow this practice. What say you, cat lovers???
Comments
Feral cats can be quite a problem. Here we have a few organizations that trap and spay/neuter...it doesn't solve the immediate problem but reduces the kitten population...
edit...I should probably note that I am also a cat owner.... : )
Don't know what happened to 'em after the stadium was fixed up.
I am seriously considering shooting a black cat that hangs out in my back yard trying to pounce on the birds I feed at the feeder. I've found assorted bundles of feathers in the past year and it really pisses me off. I don't know who owns these animals and don't care. I'm a good shot, so the neighbors are not at risk unless one of them is with the cat.
I have one indoor cat, and several in the barn and quonset that run around the farm, keeping the mice and rabbit populations to a minumum. Catch of the day this morning was a robin, though.
Feral cats are a huge problem - even I, as a cat lover, admit that. It doesn't outrage me that they'd have a hunting season on them, it just saddens me. I'm sure glad we aren't following suit in Nebraska. The downsite is that they fight, spread disease to each other, multiply like crazy - it just isn't good for the cats or the communities.
I'm impressed over Beag's story of treating, fixing, and releasing - that's great, but potentially expensive. I just plunked down a significant chunk of change to get all my barn kittens fixed and vaccinated, and am looking at spaying one or two of my three remaining mama cats.
VERY expensive... the tab was picked up by the City (read: taxpayers). Your tax dollars at work, I guess. x:-)
>shoot the owners.
Amen Whirlwind! It's the fault of irresponsible owners, not the cats that have allowed this to happen. I'm more of a DOG person, but love all animals. I can't see punishing them for the stupidity of humans!
Not to mention the possibility that this would be done while perhaps under the influence of Meth and Jack Daniels.
Why not just trap the damn things and humanely destroy them?
I can here the stories now, "I had seen cat tracks in this particular neighborhood for about a week. I knew by the size of the paw print, it had to be a monster. So I got up early on Saturday, and set up in the neighbor's treehouse. I sat there for what seemed like an eternity and a day, when I spotted the cat coming across the yard from my left. My heart rate jumped and I could hardly get a bead on the cat due to the sweat running into my eyes. He stopped about 20 yards in front of me and BLAM! He never knew what hit him!"
>tracks in this particular neighborhood for about
>a week. I knew by the size of the paw print, it
>had to be a monster. So I got up early on
>Saturday, and set up in the neighbor's
>treehouse. I sat there for what seemed like an
>eternity and a day, when I spotted the cat
>coming across the yard from my left. My heart
>rate jumped and I could hardly get a bead on the
>cat due to the sweat running into my eyes. He
>stopped about 20 yards in front of me and BLAM!
>He never knew what hit him!"
Too Funny. I wonder if they will ever make a mounting kit that will allow a gun rack to be installed in the back glass of an '84 Camaro?
Ok then how do you explain all the other ones?
(I can give you the names of several people who would kill other people and then go curl up with their mate)
Don - Good tips on hunting methodology, I agree that the small caliber rifle is more adapted to this type of game. As one of my co-workers said, 'the big caliber guns would really make the fur fly'.
I would love to see one one nailed with a .308 to see what exactly happens.
>trap the cats and deliver them to the back door
>of a local Chinese restaurant or tamale shack.
>You have never seen one roaming around one of
>the above places.
I will post my Meow-Meow Teriyaki recipe later....