Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Cat Enabler's Myth! "TNR reduces the number of cats."

The feral and roaming cat enablers claim their trap, neuter, abandon plan reduces the number of cats in an area. My own house and yard appear to contradict that conspicuously. there are at least three of the neighbor's cats in my yard almost constantly. One of those appears to be a juvenile. Euthanasia of the cats, on the other hand, takes pressure off the wildlife in an area immediately.

12 comments:

Vegan Vogue said...

TNR does work, just not as fast as you’d like it to.

You can euthanize every cat living outdoors, but this problem will continue as long as irresponsible people own pets. A spayed/neutered cat can no more reproduce than a dead one.

The group I work with is responsible for having over 300 cats spayed/neutered. Many more have been adopted out to homes where they were either spayed/neutered before adoption or were required to have the procedure done once the cat was old enough. We aggressively screen adopters and have said no to many people. These cats remain indoors until they find a forever home.

Saying that you’re the example of a failed TNR program (who is actually facilitating this near your home?) doesn’t seem to make sense. If your neighbor’s cats are in your backyard what does that have to do with TNR? If you have feral cats in your area that are still able to reproduce then it sounds like there is not an active TNR program near your home. Maybe you should start one?

As I stated before, I have personally seen a decline in our local feral population as a result of our efforts. If you don't believe me, what can I say? There are many articles written stating that TNR is the best and most humane solution just as there are articles stating that cats are the devil and should be crucified.

To continually write that TNR does not work (that a spayed female and neutered male will continue to have kittens) is in line with me pointing a finger at every person with a bird feeder. A bird feeder is a great place for birds to meet up with any hungry predators in the area. It’s just as unnatural to feed outdoor birds as it is to have people letting their cats outdoors. However, bird watchers are not going to give up the joy of watching birds feed in their back yards.

Sure, as you've stated, you can find other problems birds are facing and you know what? They’re all human. Look at the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. It was nearly driven to extinction by hunting and forest destruction. To this day there are only rare sightings.

I don’t believe you hate cats, but you’re obviously not a bleeding heart for them either. So I hope for a positive outcome with either the cats or your neighbors, whichever you believe to be the bigger problem.

Bird Advocate said...

"TNR does work, just not as fast as you’d like it to."

Your feeding the cats makes them stronger, faster, and more able to kill the natural prey of our predators, our wildlife. This also applies to the roaming, still breeding cats you feed but never catch.

"You can euthanize every cat living outdoors, but this problem will continue as long as irresponsible people own pets."

Yes, and we'll have the cats devouring our wildlife to a minimum. I also advocate stronger laws preventing abandonment of those cats, including outlawing the trap, neuter, abandon programs.

"A spayed/neutered cat can no more reproduce than a dead one."

No, but it can certainly kill as many as hundreds of birds in a year!

"The group I work with is responsible for having over 300 cats spayed/neutered."

Responsible? That's not a term I use for people who trap, neuter, and abandon an alien pest into our fragile ecosystem! Those 300 cats are killing our wildlife!

"Many more have been adopted out to homes where they were either spayed/neutered before adoption or were required to have the procedure done once the cat was old enough. We aggressively screen adopters and have said no to many people. These cats remain indoors until they find a forever home."

I have no problem with that part of your program. It is acting responsibly as long as the adopters agree to keep their animal indoors, but you still abandoned 300 destructive cats!

"Saying that you’re the example of a failed TNR program (who is actually facilitating this near your home?) doesn’t seem to make sense."

It certainly makes no sense to me, either, but they've been killing birds in my yard for years.

"If your neighbor’s cats are in your backyard what does that have to do with TNR? If you have feral cats in your area that are still able to reproduce then it sounds like there is not an active TNR program near your home. Maybe you should start one?"

I'd rather eliminate cats by taking them in to the humane society than enable them to kill more wildlife and be ripped asunder by the local dogs and cars.

"As I stated before, I have personally seen a decline in our local feral population as a result of our efforts. If you don't believe me, what can I say?"

You can admit you value the lives of untame aliens so much you enable them to drive native species to extinction!

"There are many articles written stating that TNR is the best and most humane solution just as there are articles stating that cats are the devil and should be crucified."

Yes, and those advocating it are morally, ethically, and ecologically wrong!

"Sure, as you've stated, you can find other problems birds are facing and you know what? They’re all human. Look at the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. It was nearly driven to extinction by hunting and forest destruction. To this day there are only rare sightings."

Illogical. Yes, many human actions are killing our wildlife, but that's no excuse for accelerating that extinction by enabling feral pests.

"I don’t believe you hate cats, but you’re obviously not a bleeding heart for them either. So I hope for a positive outcome with either the cats or your neighbors, whichever you believe to be the bigger problem."

The irresponsible neighbors are the cause of the problem. Unfortunately, I cannot trap them and take them in to the humane society. The cats they continue to attract and our wildlife will suffer the consequences of their actions.

Vegan Vogue said...

The title of your post is ‘Cat Enabler’s Myth! “TNR reduces the number of feral cats.”
You stated “The feral and roaming cat enablers claim their trap, neuter, abandon plan reduces the number of cats in an area. My own house and yard appear to contradict that conspicuously.”

How is your yard an example of a failed TNR program? Is there a TNR program near your home?

Bird Advocate said...

My neighbors are apparently running a colony, judging by the number of cats here. I have neglected to ask the squalling cats invading my yard and house as to the state of their sexes, but the control is about to begin in earnest.

Vegan Vogue said...

Well, why not talk to your neighbors. Do you hate people too?

'Apparently' means you don't know if they are or not. So apparently you don't talk to your neighbors. Go over and have a chat.

Don't push your argument with falsehoods. Get the facts before you post your jaded rage.

Bird Advocate said...

My "jaded rage" is directed at irresponsible cat owners and cat enablers, and the vast majority of wildlife bioligists agree with me. Something has to be done to end our problem with cats, or we will lose more species.
There is a finite number of feral cats and I'm for finding the last one.
Go over and have a chat? That cat enabler shouts accusations at me, then hides in his house.

Vegan Vogue said...

Well, if the person is intolerable, unapproachable, and irresponsible, then call the humane law officer. We've removed cats from hoarders before. They were all sick and dying when we got them, and now they're snug in new, more responsible, homes.

This story has nothing to do with the TNR effort so don’t compare your neighbor’s irresponsibility to the efforts of people trying to help.

Bird Advocate said...

Hmm, you're telling me not to compare you to my neighbor? Let's look at the facts:
1. You are both abandoning an alien domestic animal into the wild to risk mauling by dogs, traffic roadkill, and ill treatment by humans.
2. You are both enabling predation of an alien pest on our wildlife and competition with our natural predators.
3. You are both enabling a pest to invade other's property to plunder, destroy property, and befoul it without any regard to their feelings on the matter.
It appears to me you and my neighbor are similar.

Vegan Vogue said...

It was not by my hand that these cats were put in their current position. Let's not forget the hundreds of cats that are now living in homes where they were once on the street.

Furthermore, the difference between me and you is that I talk to the people in the areas I work with. I know you can't stand it, but they support the effort too as does the city. You know why? Because they see results.

These cats would suffer those same problems if I chose to do nothing.

Obviously less ferals equals less possibility of dead birds.

Just remember this started because you wanted to challenge me concerning the shooting of cats. You thought that was ok. This wasn't a simple bird versus cat debate. You clearly stated that you advocated the shooting of animals.

I simply cannot understand how you continue to debate the fact that the number of ferals will decrease by way of TNR. I have seen it myself.

Let me know when your congressman is in the local pet store teaching potentional pet owners about these issues. I’d love to see that. It is physical action that solves problems. There are no magic wands to wave that will automatically remove these cats from our environment.

Bird Advocate said...

It was not by my hand that these cats were put in their current position. Let's not forget the hundreds of cats that are now living in homes where they were once on the street.

No, but you've helped perpetuate the problem by feeding those that are there, and you have admitted releasing feral killers back into the wild to kill again.

Furthermore, the difference between me and you is that I talk to the people in the areas I work with. I know you can't stand it, but they support the effort too as does the city. You know why? Because they see results.

Believe me, I've talked to my other neighbors and they applaud my efforts in making the cat's I catch trip out of here a one way thing! It leaves a small opening for our natural fauna, but you are too caught up in your cat thing to admit it.

These cats would suffer those same problems if I chose to do nothing.

Perhaps. I do care for the cats, but my energy will be spent in saving our ecology from them.

Obviously less ferals equals less possibility of dead birds.

Yes, but I take them out of our ecology permanently. You return some of them.


Just remember this started because you wanted to challenge me concerning the shooting of cats. You thought that was ok. This wasn't a simple bird versus cat debate. You clearly stated that you advocated the shooting of animals.

No! If you hadn't posted here I'd had to have invented you but if you continue to try to post lies I'll gag you permanently. I advocate trapping cats and taking them to the humane society for placement or euthanasia.

I simply cannot understand how you continue to debate the fact that the number of ferals will decrease by way of TNR. I have seen it myself.

DOH! You're ignoring the National Audubon Society, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the American Bird Conservancy, The Wildlife Society, and the professional association of wildlife biologists, among others!


Let me know when your congressman is in the local pet store teaching potentional pet owners about these issues. I’d love to see that. It is physical action that solves problems. There are no magic wands to wave that will automatically remove these cats from our environment.

He or she will be there when we show them we expect them to be there. You will, almost without doubt, continue to enable the destruction of our ecology. I will continue to fight it.

Vegan Vogue said...

Your words:

"The cat's owners should be charged with abuse for not keeping it indoors where it belongs. Instead he was outside killing our wildlife and getting shot at."

"he was outside getting shot at" = advocating the shooting of cats.

Your implication was that the shooter should not be charged, but the owner should.

Cats sneak by their owners all the time. So the elderly shouldn't be allowed animals? I think a cat is capable of running past its owners if it really wants to go outside.

As a perfect member of society, it would never happen to you though, right?

Bird Advocate said...

"The cat's owners should be charged with abuse for not keeping it indoors where it belongs. Instead he was outside killing our wildlife and getting shot at."

"he was outside getting shot at" = advocating the shooting of cats.

Lie, lie, lie. What I AM advocating is r-e-s-p-o-n-s-i-b-l-e pet ownership!

Your implication was that the shooter should not be charged, but the owner should.

Here's a quote from the story:

"Mrs Crompton, aged 28, said: "It was fantastic to have him home for Christmas, we are going to spoil him rotten. He has got a bit of a limp and he will not be allowed outside for at least a month."

On a scale of one to ten, how responsible and loving is it for them to allow the cat back outdoors? The cat is lucky he is not a frisbee kitty.

Cats sneak by their owners all the time. So the elderly shouldn't be allowed animals? I think a cat is capable of running past its owners if it really wants to go outside.

Read the story! The woman is 28. The cat is regularly allowed outside. Yes, I consider them guilty of exposing it to death and dismemberment, just as you are guilty of abandoning cats to the same.

As a perfect member of society, it would never happen to you though, right?

I've never claimed to be perfect, but I have always gone to great lengths to ensure my animals are safe and that they never impose on my neighbor's property, unlike you!