June et al.,
Feral cats simply do not belong in the American wild. Period. Wild cats
only occur naturally in Europe, Middle East and parts of Africa, and are
kept in check by other large cats and predators. The well-documented
damage done by feral cats to native bird populations and other animals
here in the US, Australia, and oceanic islands cannot be dismissed, and I
wish more people would distinguish between keeping house cats (which no
birder I know object to) and the "feral cat problem". The problem arises
when irresponsible cat owners leave their cats behind when they move, do
not neuter or spay their house cat before letting them roam the streets,
dump unwanted kittens in the woods behind their property etc.

People who understands the instinctive nature of cats know that simply
keeping the feral cats well fed does not prevent them from killing
wildlife. At my previous residence near Catonsville I found on many
occasions freshly killed (and hardly eaten) brown snakes and birds right
next to their still half full food bowls.

I fully support the catch and release program initiated by many cities and
communities and perhaps us bird (and pet) enthusiasts should get more
involved and support these preventive measures and help inform the public
of the problem.

Frode Jacobsen
Windsor Mill, MD 21244
ASPCA supporter and proud owner of rescue dogs and cats


> [I normally try hard to stay out of the dreaded "cat thread", but this
> time I'm giving in.]
>
> Leslie,
>
> You say that no one is willing to take action. Somebody is taking
> action. The action happens to be on behalf of the feral cats, which are
> wild creatures, just as birds are. If a person wants to establish a
> wildlife preserve on private property it's their business. Furthermore,
> great effort is made to trap and neuter the cats on these preserves, so
> that the feral cat population is not increased. That is preferable to
> simply allowing feral cats to wander all over the place and breed
> indiscriminately.
>
> Many birders seem to be in favor of rounding up and killing every feral
> cat simply because cats prey on birds. Are we to round up and kill all
> accipiters, snakes, raccoons, etc. because they prey on smaller birds
> and their eggs?
>
> Yes, there are too many feral cats. That's why allowing coyotes to cull
> the population naturally and using neutering and colonies to reduce the
> population over time makes sense.
>
> June Tveekrem
> Columbia, MD
> A card-carrying member of Alley Cat Allies and proud of it.
> ________________________________________________________
>
> Leslie Starr wrote:
>
> Feral cats
> OK, I'll throw the match: There is a county-sanctioned feral cat colony
> in central Calvert County, on a property otherwise described as a tree
> farm.
> [SNIP]
> This seems to be so politically connected that no one is willing to take
> action.
>
> Leslie Starr
> Port Republic
>