Opinion: Feral Cats

[Kapidolo Farms]

Well I know up front that referring to scientific evidence with statistics will kill so much of the joy in babbling about something, so, I'll do my best to speak 'pop culture idioms'.

Domestic/house cats become feral as they leave the door of your house/home. The distinction of how they are treated or maintained inside the house/home does not dictate how the cat behaves outside the home. Once outside the predator kicks in, even grossly obese cats are this way.

Outdoor time that any cat has, has lead to a dramatic decline in songbirds, and many herps. How could we possible know this? Some researchers at Cornell have put small cameras on cats of varying degrees of domestication from those that get outside, eat some grass and tinkle, to full blown wild domestic cats. Even spayed and neutered participate in the killing of small wild animals, and most are not even consumed, but played with or killed and left in place.

That a cat person (someone who professes to love cats), I'd call myself one, would let their cat outside with cars, people who enjoy harming pets, and disease, I'd say you are represent a passive cat owner, vet costs beside.

That cats rip each other up outside further seems to me evidence that some 'cat people' are passive cat people at best. If you feel your cat needs outside time, and I agree with that, make a cattery, or use of a balcony for their outside time suffices. I have a bird feeder (cat TV) for my cat too.

My father is a full time Motorhome person, he has cats, they have an outside apartment for when they are not in travel mode.

That cats "need" outside time is no excuse for all the atrocities that befall cats and what they prey on. How many dead cats alongside the road do you need to see??

How many cats with open sores from their outside time, or those seen in the park etc. do you need to see??

All those escaped tortoises, that is just plain bad husbandry. It happens to many, and a few times me too, it was/is bad husbandry. When animals escape at zoos, people get fired - why (?) professional incompetence.

Oh yeah, cats are cute!

Will

 

[lisa127]

Why don't you take one of her kittens (ask her first, of course) instead of getting one from a breeder. It would be one less cat for you to worry about outside. I'm afraid you'd hate me too. I feed everything, all the neighborhood cats, squirrels, birds. My neighbor and I try to catch some and chip in to have them spayed, but they are all over. It's very sad with Winter coming so I leave my garage open just a bit for any to come in out of the cold.

I second this!!!!

OP, you yourself said there are so many homeless cats in shelters. So why not give a homeless kitten a home, instead of buying one?

 

[kathyth]

18 months ago, I had my first experience with ferel cats. There were just 3 that I could identify. The nice lady next door put water out for them.
When I saw kittens that were about 3 weeks old, it hit me. I had to interfere with the breeding or there would be a zillion cats.
I went to the ASPCA and had a conversation with the, they said that the problem is overwhelming, everywhere. There are a huge excess of tamed kittens that are euthanized. Who would take a wild cat or kitten.
I researched and researched.
I found a place called FixNation. They do the trap, neuter and release. It broke my heart that I would have to release them.
I did exactly what they said. I took 3 traps. They trained me in the proper use of them.
I gave letters to all neighbors telling the, what I planned to do and asked, that anyone who objected, please come and talk to me. People drove by and gave me a thumbs up.
I easily trapped each cat and kitten, over a weeks period, held them the night; brought them in in the morning and held them the first night, post op, to recover.
Each cat was fixed, had its ears cleaned, de fleaed and ear tipped to identify it as a fixed feral.
I gave each cat and kitten water and food the next morning and released them.
I see them and they look great.
There life may be harder than it should be but they seem fine and are not having babies!

 

[Thalatte]

I disagree, it's a pretty good argument. I would add that ID'ing the animal by collar and ID tag would fall under responsible pet ownership in my opinion. This would decrease the chance that someone's pet would accidentally be relocated or taken to a shelter.

Let me start off by saying I have a calico cat and I tried to keep her inside but she hated it and wanted out. So I made sure she had every shot and vaccination that she could get and then I put collar and tags on her only to find her coming home without a collar (it was a breakaway cat collar). So I replaced it. After 17 collars and tags were lost (over $200 dollars) I got her a regular collar and the next morning found her caught in a tree choking.
So needless to say she doesn't have a collar and never will while outside. I don't have the money to replace collars non stop and I refuse to have her health risked just so people know she is mine.

Most of the time cats can't wear collars and to expect the owners to keep one on them isn't realistic.

I agree that feral cats should be spayed and neutered however it is t anyone's place to demand that a neighbor change how they care for a pet when your the one that moved in. There are other ways besides carting animals off to keep them out of your yard. Now if the cat is aggressive talk to the owners to see if they will fix it. If dying or obviously diseased then they should be humanely trapped and taken to a vet.

 

[african cake queen]

hi, i own a feral indoor monster cat.(diesel) got him at 3 days old. never had a cat like this one. i call him the village swamp cat. hes is nice but can turn on a dime. found two beagle dogs using him as a squeaky toy. anyway here in ct. i think they catch , spay and bring them back to where they were. if you get caught feed ing a feral cat here, the town says you own it.

 

[RedfootsRule]

Feral cats are another ripple effect. Do you know where it starts? Irresponsibility. There is only one culprit at play here; its called your own irresponsibility. The refusal to ID your pet because you are to cheap to dish out the money (don't let the cat outside then! If its miserable inside, then spend that money on a cat run!). The refusal to spay your pet because you are either to lazy, or don't want to spend the $20 at a spay and neuter clinic. The refusal to spend the money on a cat run, and instead letting your cat outside because you believe it's miserable inside.
Feral cats are not the blame for feral cats. Their owners are. You have NO right to hurt or abuse that animal in any way. It's not the feral animals fault that it is in the situation that it is. If you care about them, you trap them, spay them, and release or tame them out and then adopt them. Otherwise? Its none of your business. Doesn't matter if you just moved there and they are bothering you. (They were there first! Should've thought about that before you moved in!)

Unfortunately, there is an overwhelming amount of irresponsibility in this world. Is it fair that WE have to deal with the irresponsibility of others? Nope. But sadly, you won't find much in this world that IS fair. As a citizen, I believe it is everybody's job to help out with the feral animal situation as much as they can. That means TNR (trap, neuter, release). That also means taking in kittens, taming them, and adopting them out. I myself have done this close to 100 times, and its not that hard. That also means feeding and supply water and a shelter for any feral cats on your property. Whether you created the problem or not...If you think you have the right to complain about the situation, then you better be doing something to fix it. Otherwise, shut your mouth and mind your own business.

Perhaps you think you should capture them and take them to the ASPCA or humane society. At that point, please just spare the cat and get a gun. Because thats exactly what your doing. Taking a feral animal to them is as good as death. They have a 24-hour Hold period. Then they die. Not even 1/100 of these animals are rescued....So, if you take them to the humane society, please don't believe you just did anything but murder.

Buying from a breeder is just contributing to the situation. I have an issue with all those backyard breeders out there breeding cats or dogs. Now, those that breed the high show quality dogs/cats that cost an upwards of several thousand dollars...Thats a little more understandable. They are at least contributing to persevering the quality of the dogs/cats. But these backyard breeders that continue to uphold the "mangy-mutt" type dogs and cats, of no quality what-so-ever, and just try to sell them...Your the main contributor. People hold much more value for an animal they just spent $2000 on then an animal they just picked up for $10. The $10 pet is the ultimate throw-away pet. Your kids become tired of it, they kick it out the door.

Don't let your cats outside. If you do, keep them in a cat run with an ID tag in-case of escapes. Spay ALL dogs and cats, and TNR any feral dogs and cats within your vicinity. Feed them and keep them alive, to at least give them some sort of life.

Personally, I believe you should have to apply for a no-cost pet permit for any dog or cat. Make this permit difficult to achieve, but not to difficult. But difficult enough to the point that the christmas kitten isn't worth the hassle.

Furthermore, I might mention, if a large enough amount of people did TNR, and people could no longer be able to purchase throw-away pets so easily (permits needed), the feral situation would make a rapid decline within a decade or two. But no, this won't even happen. Because we have all of those out there, several on this very thread, that think they should sit on their couch and complain about the situation, yet do nothing about it; and at the same time, complain about the irresponsibility of other pet owners, while meanwhile being blissfully unaware of their own irresponsibility of not doing anything to help.

The message is: if you want to complain about the situation, get off the computer and do something to help. Otherwise, you don't get to complain.

 

[kurmaraja12]

Feral cats are another ripple effect. Do you know where it starts? Irresponsibility. There is only one culprit at play here; its called your own irresponsibility. The refusal to ID your pet because you are to cheap to dish out the money (don't let the cat outside then! If its miserable inside, then spend that money on a cat run!). The refusal to spay your pet because you are either to lazy, or don't want to spend the $20 at a spay and neuter clinic. The refusal to spend the money on a cat run, and instead letting your cat outside because you believe it's miserable inside.
Feral cats are not the blame for feral cats. Their owners are. You have NO right to hurt or abuse that animal in any way. It's not the feral animals fault that it is in the situation that it is. If you care about them, you trap them, spay them, and release or tame them out and then adopt them. Otherwise? Its none of your business. Doesn't matter if you just moved there and they are bothering you. (They were there first! Should've thought about that before you moved in!)

Unfortunately, there is an overwhelming amount of irresponsibility in this world. Is it fair that WE have to deal with the irresponsibility of others? Nope. But sadly, you won't find much in this world that IS fair. As a citizen, I believe it is everybody's job to help out with the feral animal situation as much as they can. That means TNR (trap, neuter, release). That also means taking in kittens, taming them, and adopting them out. I myself have done this close to 100 times, and its not that hard. That also means feeding and supply water and a shelter for any feral cats on your property. Whether you created the problem or not...If you think you have the right to complain about the situation, then you better be doing something to fix it. Otherwise, shut your mouth and mind your own business.

Perhaps you think you should capture them and take them to the ASPCA or humane society. At that point, please just spare the cat and get a gun. Because thats exactly what your doing. Taking a feral animal to them is as good as death. They have a 24-hour Hold period. Then they die. Not even 1/100 of these animals are rescued....So, if you take them to the humane society, please don't believe you just did anything but murder.

Buying from a breeder is just contributing to the situation. I have an issue with all those backyard breeders out there breeding cats or dogs. Now, those that breed the high show quality dogs/cats that cost an upwards of several thousand dollars...Thats a little more understandable. They are at least contributing to persevering the quality of the dogs/cats. But these backyard breeders that continue to uphold the "mangy-mutt" type dogs and cats, of no quality what-so-ever, and just try to sell them...Your the main contributor. People hold much more value for an animal they just spent $2000 on then an animal they just picked up for $10. The $10 pet is the ultimate throw-away pet. Your kids become tired of it, they kick it out the door.

Don't let your cats outside. If you do, keep them in a cat run with an ID tag in-case of escapes. Spay ALL dogs and cats, and TNR any feral dogs and cats within your vicinity. Feed them and keep them alive, to at least give them some sort of life.

Personally, I believe you should have to apply for a no-cost pet permit for any dog or cat. Make this permit difficult to achieve, but not to difficult. But difficult enough to the point that the christmas kitten isn't worth the hassle.

Furthermore, I might mention, if a large enough amount of people did TNR, and people could no longer be able to purchase throw-away pets so easily (permits needed), the feral situation would make a rapid decline within a decade or two. But no, this won't even happen. Because we have all of those out there, several on this very thread, that think they should sit on their couch and complain about the situation, yet do nothing about it; and at the same time, complain about the irresponsibility of other pet owners, while meanwhile being blissfully unaware of their own irresponsibility of not doing anything to help.

The message is: if you want to complain about the situation, get off the computer and do something to help. Otherwise, you don't get to complain.

In other news, I never got to talk to the own because she died right before we moved in. The kittens disappeared, I don't know if they died or moved on. The cats have disappeared because no one has been living in the house for months. The end.

And you know what? I did buy a "designer cat". She was 600 dollars. And I don't care what anyone thinks because I love her. I bought her based on the breed's personality and looks. No doubt the same way other people pick a breed of tortoise to keep.

 

[bigred]

Feral cats are another ripple effect. Do you know where it starts? Irresponsibility. There is only one culprit at play here; its called your own irresponsibility. The refusal to ID your pet because you are to cheap to dish out the money (don't let the cat outside then! If its miserable inside, then spend that money on a cat run!). The refusal to spay your pet because you are either to lazy, or don't want to spend the $20 at a spay and neuter clinic. The refusal to spend the money on a cat run, and instead letting your cat outside because you believe it's miserable inside.
Feral cats are not the blame for feral cats. Their owners are. You have NO right to hurt or abuse that animal in any way. It's not the feral animals fault that it is in the situation that it is. If you care about them, you trap them, spay them, and release or tame them out and then adopt them. Otherwise? Its none of your business. Doesn't matter if you just moved there and they are bothering you. (They were there first! Should've thought about that before you moved in!)

Unfortunately, there is an overwhelming amount of irresponsibility in this world. Is it fair that WE have to deal with the irresponsibility of others? Nope. But sadly, you won't find much in this world that IS fair. As a citizen, I believe it is everybody's job to help out with the feral animal situation as much as they can. That means TNR (trap, neuter, release). That also means taking in kittens, taming them, and adopting them out. I myself have done this close to 100 times, and its not that hard. That also means feeding and supply water and a shelter for any feral cats on your property. Whether you created the problem or not...If you think you have the right to complain about the situation, then you better be doing something to fix it. Otherwise, shut your mouth and mind your own business.

Perhaps you think you should capture them and take them to the ASPCA or humane society. At that point, please just spare the cat and get a gun. Because thats exactly what your doing. Taking a feral animal to them is as good as death. They have a 24-hour Hold period. Then they die. Not even 1/100 of these animals are rescued....So, if you take them to the humane society, please don't believe you just did anything but murder.

Buying from a breeder is just contributing to the situation. I have an issue with all those backyard breeders out there breeding cats or dogs. Now, those that breed the high show quality dogs/cats that cost an upwards of several thousand dollars...Thats a little more understandable. They are at least contributing to persevering the quality of the dogs/cats. But these backyard breeders that continue to uphold the "mangy-mutt" type dogs and cats, of no quality what-so-ever, and just try to sell them...Your the main contributor. People hold much more value for an animal they just spent $2000 on then an animal they just picked up for $10. The $10 pet is the ultimate throw-away pet. Your kids become tired of it, they kick it out the door.

Don't let your cats outside. If you do, keep them in a cat run with an ID tag in-case of escapes. Spay ALL dogs and cats, and TNR any feral dogs and cats within your vicinity. Feed them and keep them alive, to at least give them some sort of life.

Personally, I believe you should have to apply for a no-cost pet permit for any dog or cat. Make this permit difficult to achieve, but not to difficult. But difficult enough to the point that the christmas kitten isn't worth the hassle.

Furthermore, I might mention, if a large enough amount of people did TNR, and people could no longer be able to purchase throw-away pets so easily (permits needed), the feral situation would make a rapid decline within a decade or two. But no, this won't even happen. Because we have all of those out there, several on this very thread, that think they should sit on their couch and complain about the situation, yet do nothing about it; and at the same time, complain about the irresponsibility of other pet owners, while meanwhile being blissfully unaware of their own irresponsibility of not doing anything to help.

The message is: if you want to complain about the situation, get off the computer and do something to help. Otherwise, you don't get to complain.

In other news, I never got to talk to the own because she died right before we moved in. The kittens disappeared, I don't know if they died or moved on. The cats have disappeared because no one has been living in the house for months. The end.

And you know what? I did buy a "designer cat". She was 600 dollars. And I don't care what anyone thinks because I love her. I bought her based on the breed's personality and looks. No doubt the same way other people pick a breed of tortoise to keep.

Im glad you got the cat you wanted, do what you want. I think you should post a pic of it just to put a good end to this. Maybe even of her eating a bird or mouse like they were meant to do