Tuesday, June 30, 2009
More repartee with cat enablers...
Hello, Kristy. Welcome to the discussion. Would you mind telling me how you made the moral and ethical decision the lives of fifty million feral pets are worth more than the estimated billion of our native birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish they kill yearly? Why kill a billion animals who evolved here to save fifty million of a pet species?
Repartee with a cat enabler.
Alley Cat Allies forgets that he or she doesn't know me, or the opposition I (please forgive me for not adding "and others". I was thinking under pressure.) am rallying to do away with TNR. It will take the average American becoming disgusted with the sheer number of cats to provoke them to action, but that point is soon coming. The millions of cats abandoned recently because of the financial circumstances could become the catalyst. Sort of like the humidity reaching saturation point, before raining on your parade.
The tiny percentage of pets you sterilize is ineffectual, as everyone besides you knows, or will know as we educate them, and you enable their killing of our fauna.
Speaking of education, your rhetoric is showing when you resort to quoting the mythical vacuum effect, it is a fallacy. When one feral cat or a million is removed our natural fauna can move back into what is rightfully theirs.
The tiny percentage of pets you sterilize is ineffectual, as everyone besides you knows, or will know as we educate them, and you enable their killing of our fauna.
Speaking of education, your rhetoric is showing when you resort to quoting the mythical vacuum effect, it is a fallacy. When one feral cat or a million is removed our natural fauna can move back into what is rightfully theirs.
Death watch
My response? They are not killing the pets as fast as they breed. It will take a concerted effort to make any headway. Tens of millions more are out there still breeding and killing.
Hundreds of local animals die when owners don't spay, neuter
-------------------------------------------
The increasing population in feral cats causes problems in local eco-systems because cats are such good predators. The cats diminish the small bird population as well as feed on bats that have the potential for rabies.
"Three years ago, U.S. Fish and Wildlife had feral cats listed as public enemy number one," said Nix.
Hundreds of local animals die when owners don't spay, neuter
-------------------------------------------
The increasing population in feral cats causes problems in local eco-systems because cats are such good predators. The cats diminish the small bird population as well as feed on bats that have the potential for rabies.
"Three years ago, U.S. Fish and Wildlife had feral cats listed as public enemy number one," said Nix.
Monday, June 29, 2009
I found a cat outside... now what?
"according to Alley Cat Allies, the most humane method of population control for feral cats is Trap-Neuter-Release."
You agree with that? Re-abandoning a pet species into the wild? We used to call that irresponsible, inhumane, and just plain rude. That all changed when the cat orgs decided it suited their agenda.
There are those of us who don't see it as compassionate, non-lethal, or humane to the millions of our fauna those pets kill each year. What about them?
You agree with that? Re-abandoning a pet species into the wild? We used to call that irresponsible, inhumane, and just plain rude. That all changed when the cat orgs decided it suited their agenda.
There are those of us who don't see it as compassionate, non-lethal, or humane to the millions of our fauna those pets kill each year. What about them?
Ruffian Foundation shelters feral cats
My post.
"feral cat wooded habitats"? Excuse me? Cats are a pet species and as such when they are outdoors it becomes an environmental issue, not an animal welfare one! Cats are very destructive to our native fauna.
My second post:
If there are feral cat colonies all over the area, they should either be removed or enclosed. The commonly accepted figure among most ecologists and biologists is one billion of our native fauna killed each year by that pet species! The cat fanciers say that is an exaggerated figure, so for the sake of discussion let's cut the number in half. Are you willing to stand by while an abandoned pet species murders a half-billion of our birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish each year? I'm not!
"feral cat wooded habitats"? Excuse me? Cats are a pet species and as such when they are outdoors it becomes an environmental issue, not an animal welfare one! Cats are very destructive to our native fauna.
My second post:
If there are feral cat colonies all over the area, they should either be removed or enclosed. The commonly accepted figure among most ecologists and biologists is one billion of our native fauna killed each year by that pet species! The cat fanciers say that is an exaggerated figure, so for the sake of discussion let's cut the number in half. Are you willing to stand by while an abandoned pet species murders a half-billion of our birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish each year? I'm not!
"Bird Group Watching TNR Colonies Like a Hawk"
Go to the link above to add your comment, mine was: "My gut response is that unwanted pet species have no place outdoors in our ecology and our existing laws to protect our vanishing wildlife should be enforced!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Beloved cat wanders off, leaving him guessing
Can you believe this guy is in charge of their pet section? My response:
If you loved your pet so much why did you expose it to the dangers of being outside? Oh, that cute little rabbit? If one of your cat's teeth or claws scratched it, it died painfully from the infection. Of course it would have starved to death in a day or so anyway, after being taken from its nest.
If you loved your pet so much why did you expose it to the dangers of being outside? Oh, that cute little rabbit? If one of your cat's teeth or claws scratched it, it died painfully from the infection. Of course it would have starved to death in a day or so anyway, after being taken from its nest.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Australians cook up wild cat stew
(Does your kitty really have to go outside?)
Australians have come up with a novel solution to the millions of feral cats roaming the outback - eat them.
The felines are the descendants of domestic pets and kill millions of small native animals each year.
A recent Alice Springs contest featured wild cat casserole. The meat is said to taste like a cross between rabbit and, perhaps inevitably, chicken.
Australians have come up with a novel solution to the millions of feral cats roaming the outback - eat them.
The felines are the descendants of domestic pets and kill millions of small native animals each year.
A recent Alice Springs contest featured wild cat casserole. The meat is said to taste like a cross between rabbit and, perhaps inevitably, chicken.
Cat was quickly put down
(It's so simple, keep your pets indoors or contained on your property!)
Pet appeared sick, like it needed to be euthanized, officials claim
Promontory resident Wyndy Carnell said she knew something was wrong when she returned home June 9 and her housecat, Romeo, was missing.
A neighbor took the roughly 14-year-old cat to Summit County Animal Control when it strayed from its home on West View Trail. The cat was euthanized within three hours of its delivery that afternoon to the animal shelter in Wanship.
"Park City is such an animal town," Carnell said in a telephone interview.
But the woman who contacted Animal Control said Romeo looked "very, very sick," Summit County Sheriff's Office Capt. Dean Carr said.
Pet appeared sick, like it needed to be euthanized, officials claim
Promontory resident Wyndy Carnell said she knew something was wrong when she returned home June 9 and her housecat, Romeo, was missing.
A neighbor took the roughly 14-year-old cat to Summit County Animal Control when it strayed from its home on West View Trail. The cat was euthanized within three hours of its delivery that afternoon to the animal shelter in Wanship.
"Park City is such an animal town," Carnell said in a telephone interview.
But the woman who contacted Animal Control said Romeo looked "very, very sick," Summit County Sheriff's Office Capt. Dean Carr said.
Shelter chief regrets gas chamber ban: Says gassing can be more humane than injections
(I have tried to handle feral cats humanely, and my arms and hands were shredded in the process. Who wants to bet "humane injections" are not humane for the technicians?)
One local shelter supervisor had mixed emotions after Gov. Joe Manchin signed a bill banning new gas chambers for euthanizing animals, "I wish they wouldn't have been completely outlawed," said Dana Johnson, supervisor at the Monongalia County Canine Adoption Center.
Johnson said she was happy Manchin grandfathered existing chambers -- with certain provisions -- but doesn't feel the practice should be banned.
Under the bill, no new gas chambers can be built. Existing chambers must have been built by a certified company, and only trained technicians can use them.
One local shelter supervisor had mixed emotions after Gov. Joe Manchin signed a bill banning new gas chambers for euthanizing animals, "I wish they wouldn't have been completely outlawed," said Dana Johnson, supervisor at the Monongalia County Canine Adoption Center.
Johnson said she was happy Manchin grandfathered existing chambers -- with certain provisions -- but doesn't feel the practice should be banned.
Under the bill, no new gas chambers can be built. Existing chambers must have been built by a certified company, and only trained technicians can use them.
Elderly Richmond man donates 100 cats to shelter
(At last, a cat hoarder who realized he needed help!)
A Richmond, B.C., animal shelter is in dire need of support after an elderly man donated an estimated 100 kittens and cats to their care.
The cats were staying in a barn in Richmond owned by an 85 to 90-year-old man who lives alone.
When it became clear that many of the kittens were getting sick and needed help, he realized it was time to give them up.
A Richmond, B.C., animal shelter is in dire need of support after an elderly man donated an estimated 100 kittens and cats to their care.
The cats were staying in a barn in Richmond owned by an 85 to 90-year-old man who lives alone.
When it became clear that many of the kittens were getting sick and needed help, he realized it was time to give them up.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Governor's Plan to Save Money By Killing Puppies and Kitties Shouldn't Lead to Spike In Euthanizations Here (For Now)
(The times, they are changing!)
You know you've sailed into truly surreal political waters when the governor of a modern state suggests -- seriously suggests -- we save money by slaughtering more puppies and kittens. Either that or Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, like an adolescent hypnotically toying with a painfully loose tooth, is trying to see how low his popularity numbers can go.
If you hadn't yet heard, the governor's big plan to save the state money is to repeal the 11-year-old "Hayden Bill," which would knock the minimum amount of time an animal shelter must hold onto a dog or cat before euthanizing it from six days down to three. While the Legislative Analyst's Office points out that $23 million is yearly spent for those extra three days feeding and housing animals that go on to be put down anyway -- let us, once again note that a serious politician (albeit one who thrice portrayed a robotic killing machine) is pushing for fiscal solvency via snuffing dogs and cats.
San Francisco Animal Care and Control director Rebecca Katz told SF Weekly that, even if the Haden Bill is terminated, it won't be open season on pets locally: "The quick and dirty answer is, locally, we don't intend to change our practices on how long we hold a stray animal," she says. "I don't know that will always be the case, but that is our intention."
You know you've sailed into truly surreal political waters when the governor of a modern state suggests -- seriously suggests -- we save money by slaughtering more puppies and kittens. Either that or Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, like an adolescent hypnotically toying with a painfully loose tooth, is trying to see how low his popularity numbers can go.
If you hadn't yet heard, the governor's big plan to save the state money is to repeal the 11-year-old "Hayden Bill," which would knock the minimum amount of time an animal shelter must hold onto a dog or cat before euthanizing it from six days down to three. While the Legislative Analyst's Office points out that $23 million is yearly spent for those extra three days feeding and housing animals that go on to be put down anyway -- let us, once again note that a serious politician (albeit one who thrice portrayed a robotic killing machine) is pushing for fiscal solvency via snuffing dogs and cats.
San Francisco Animal Care and Control director Rebecca Katz told SF Weekly that, even if the Haden Bill is terminated, it won't be open season on pets locally: "The quick and dirty answer is, locally, we don't intend to change our practices on how long we hold a stray animal," she says. "I don't know that will always be the case, but that is our intention."
Hill cat dumping ground
(The pressure is on everywhere.)
Napier's hill continues to be a hot spot zone for "dumping" unwanted cats.
A Hawke's Bay Today photographer spotted five, what he believed were stray cats on the Napier Bluff Hill lookout at the weekend.
SPCA general manager Rob Johnson said the hill along with East Pier and Awatoto were regular "dumping zones" for unwanted cats.
__________________________________
Last year the SPCA received 579 lost, stray, abandoned and feral cats.
Napier's hill continues to be a hot spot zone for "dumping" unwanted cats.
A Hawke's Bay Today photographer spotted five, what he believed were stray cats on the Napier Bluff Hill lookout at the weekend.
SPCA general manager Rob Johnson said the hill along with East Pier and Awatoto were regular "dumping zones" for unwanted cats.
__________________________________
Last year the SPCA received 579 lost, stray, abandoned and feral cats.
DOMESTIC CAT PREDATION ON BIRDS AND OTHER WILDLIFE
This is a re-post and puts the lie to some feral cat myths about rodent control and bird predation.
The following are summaries of specific studies:
East Bay Regional Park District, CA: A two-year study
was conducted in two parks with grassland habitat. One park
had no cats, but more than 25 cats were being fed daily in the
other park. There were almost twice as many birds seen in the
park with no cats as in the park with cats. California Thrasher
and California Quail, both ground-nesting birds, were seen
during surveys in the no-cat area,whereas they were never seen
in the cat area. In addition, more than 85% of the native deer
mice and harvest mice trapped were in the no-cat area,whereas
79% of the house mice,an exotic pest species,were trapped in the cat area. The researchers concluded, “Cats at artificially high densities, sustained by supplemental feeding, reduce abundance of native rodent and bird populations, change the rodent species composition, and may facilitate the expansion of the house mouse into new areas.” (Hawkins, C.C., W.E. Grant,and M.T.Longnecker.1999.Effect of subsidized house cats on California birds and rodents. Transactions of the Western
Section of The Wildlife Society 35:29-33)
The following are summaries of specific studies:
East Bay Regional Park District, CA: A two-year study
was conducted in two parks with grassland habitat. One park
had no cats, but more than 25 cats were being fed daily in the
other park. There were almost twice as many birds seen in the
park with no cats as in the park with cats. California Thrasher
and California Quail, both ground-nesting birds, were seen
during surveys in the no-cat area,whereas they were never seen
in the cat area. In addition, more than 85% of the native deer
mice and harvest mice trapped were in the no-cat area,whereas
79% of the house mice,an exotic pest species,were trapped in the cat area. The researchers concluded, “Cats at artificially high densities, sustained by supplemental feeding, reduce abundance of native rodent and bird populations, change the rodent species composition, and may facilitate the expansion of the house mouse into new areas.” (Hawkins, C.C., W.E. Grant,and M.T.Longnecker.1999.Effect of subsidized house cats on California birds and rodents. Transactions of the Western
Section of The Wildlife Society 35:29-33)
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Need a laugh? Read this nonsense!
OMFG! I cannot believe the stupidity! How did the ancient Aztecs, Toltecs, and Mayans build Empires, astrological observatories, and roads from one end of South America to the other, without cats? By respecting and relying on their natural predators, of course!
“Cats are probably the most important species in existence for mankind. We never could have gone from hunter-gatherers to an agricultural society without them,” Carr said. “Imagine life without cats out there killing all of the mice and rats. It would be awful,” They give us a higher quality of life, and we owe them something for that,” Carr said.
“Cats are probably the most important species in existence for mankind. We never could have gone from hunter-gatherers to an agricultural society without them,” Carr said. “Imagine life without cats out there killing all of the mice and rats. It would be awful,” They give us a higher quality of life, and we owe them something for that,” Carr said.
Feral Cats Swarming Yuma
This is both bad news and good news. The cat non-profits are moving in. The good news? Their methods will soon prove ineffectual and more permanent methods will be used.
My reply?
"Feral Cats Swarming Yuma" is not an animal welfare issue, but an ecological one, and should be treated as such. The safety of our Federally protected wildlife should be given top priority, not the perpetuation of an unwanted pet predator colony.
My reply?
"Feral Cats Swarming Yuma" is not an animal welfare issue, but an ecological one, and should be treated as such. The safety of our Federally protected wildlife should be given top priority, not the perpetuation of an unwanted pet predator colony.
How many cats?
How many cats do you think one has to have to be considered a hoarder, or would one's degree of obsession with them be a better criteria?
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
A tragedy for humans and animals (Hoarders)
The nurse appears crisply turned out and totally professional while at work in the hospital. When she goes home, she walks into gagging squalor.
She is a hoarder.
For some reason no one is quite sure of, a large percentage of those who hoard animals in Rhode Island are nurses, says E.J. Finocchio. Their professional lives are all about antiseptic efficiency. Their private lives are all about desperate, lonely, filthy isolation.
The nurses are just one of the strange and tragic twists in a tale of animal cruelty carried out by people convinced they are doing the caring thing.
She is a hoarder.
For some reason no one is quite sure of, a large percentage of those who hoard animals in Rhode Island are nurses, says E.J. Finocchio. Their professional lives are all about antiseptic efficiency. Their private lives are all about desperate, lonely, filthy isolation.
The nurses are just one of the strange and tragic twists in a tale of animal cruelty carried out by people convinced they are doing the caring thing.
Blackmail isn't answer for cats
My response: Do we want to be knee deep in cats? Irresponsible pet owners actions have put us between a rock and a hard place environmentally. I was told the other day it is estimated Los Angeles alone has two to three million feral cats. This was a TNR backer I was talking to and she said when she moved there she saw cats everywhere, at work and at home. Who is going to spay and neuter three million cats, much less return them to the city streets?
This is an ecological emergency, not an animal welfare issue! We have to do the responsible and adult thing and get those feral pets out of our ecology by the most efficient means possible!
"When my wife was about to begin her daily walk on the morning of June 3, another lady passed by followed by two young kittens, which she said had been following her for several blocks. They were dirty and disheveled, and had obviously been abandoned. My wife, being the compassionate type, offered to keep the kittens while she called the Humane Society to pick them up."
This is an ecological emergency, not an animal welfare issue! We have to do the responsible and adult thing and get those feral pets out of our ecology by the most efficient means possible!
"When my wife was about to begin her daily walk on the morning of June 3, another lady passed by followed by two young kittens, which she said had been following her for several blocks. They were dirty and disheveled, and had obviously been abandoned. My wife, being the compassionate type, offered to keep the kittens while she called the Humane Society to pick them up."
Has anyone noticed a shortage of cats?
Why should an unwanted abandoned pet species be given a second chance when they're murdering our natural fauna and driving them closer to extinction? Has anyone noticed a shortage of cats?
Monday, June 22, 2009
To the cat enablers, defend your agenda
To the cat enablers: Your agenda is making sure unwanted feral pets are fed, not euthanized, and can live loose in our ecology where they've been abandoned. My agenda, along with that of countless others, is to keep my property free of cats and feel it is an invasion of my privacy and property rights. I detest cat feces and urine all over my lawn, garden, and flower beds. I also abhor their murder of our already pressured wildlife, which I have witnessed many times. Give me one good reason, please, why our agenda is less important than yours.
Letter to the Editor
My post: There seems to be a problem with someone's math. Here it is, they take a cat from a neighborhood to be neutered, then they release it. Net loss? Zero!
Oh, wait a minute... Logically, we have to surmise more cats will be attracted to all of the feeders, plus more unwanted cats will be dumped there as it becomes known they are taking care of them. End result? KaChing! KaChing! More cats!
Oh, wait a minute... Logically, we have to surmise more cats will be attracted to all of the feeders, plus more unwanted cats will be dumped there as it becomes known they are taking care of them. End result? KaChing! KaChing! More cats!
Feline problem on Tuesday agenda (Yuma)
My comment? Can we consider our priorities here? Pet species roaming loose outdoors are not a matter of animal welfare, but of our ecology. Feral and roaming cats are the worst threat to our birds and other fauna, right behind habitat loss and pollution. Some estimate they now outnumber our natural predators combined. TNR perpetuates cat colonies, while inviting more irresponsible pet owners to abandon their own pets. Let's do the responsible and adult thing and end the problem we created.
The city of Yuma will host a meeting Tuesday to address the issue of wild feline populations.
"The first objective is to try and reduce feral cat problems in the city," said city spokesman Dave Nash. "The second objective is to educate residents about trap-neuter-and-release efforts."
Nash said city officials hope to arrive at some conclusions regarding the root cause of the cat problems, and they need the help of the community.
The city of Yuma will host a meeting Tuesday to address the issue of wild feline populations.
"The first objective is to try and reduce feral cat problems in the city," said city spokesman Dave Nash. "The second objective is to educate residents about trap-neuter-and-release efforts."
Nash said city officials hope to arrive at some conclusions regarding the root cause of the cat problems, and they need the help of the community.
Is your cat licensed to kill and have a right to roam free?
Is your cat licensed to kill and have a right to roam free? You may want to go visit these varmint hunter's site. chaiokitty.com I don't believe your cat is safe within 500 yards of them!
Are their methods of killing inhumane? Not when one considers they go for instantaneous one shot kills and your fuzzy kitty may toy with the animals they're protecting for hours before shredding them.
Are their methods of killing inhumane? Not when one considers they go for instantaneous one shot kills and your fuzzy kitty may toy with the animals they're protecting for hours before shredding them.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Doh! Cats are not a health issue?
My reply: Doh! Cats are not a health issue? Read this from the Asthma and Allergy foundation of America.
Allergies to pets with fur or feathers are common, especially among people who have other allergies or asthma. From 15 percent to 30 percent of people with allergies have allergic reactions to cats and dogs.
People with dog allergies may be allergic to all dogs or to only some breeds. Cat allergies are about twice as common as dog allergies.
http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=18&cont=236
More: "If the cats are simply removed, others will come in from outlying areas and take over the now vacant territory."
Pardon me for correcting you. You seem to be granting ownership of our ecology to a pet species. If you take away one cat or fifty million it will relieve their hunting pressure on our natural fauna and allow them to reclaim it. Should pit bulls and poodles be managed in colonies outdoors running free? I don't think so, and neither should cats.
Allergies to pets with fur or feathers are common, especially among people who have other allergies or asthma. From 15 percent to 30 percent of people with allergies have allergic reactions to cats and dogs.
People with dog allergies may be allergic to all dogs or to only some breeds. Cat allergies are about twice as common as dog allergies.
http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=18&cont=236
More: "If the cats are simply removed, others will come in from outlying areas and take over the now vacant territory."
Pardon me for correcting you. You seem to be granting ownership of our ecology to a pet species. If you take away one cat or fifty million it will relieve their hunting pressure on our natural fauna and allow them to reclaim it. Should pit bulls and poodles be managed in colonies outdoors running free? I don't think so, and neither should cats.
City puts limits on ownership of cats
(Cats, feral or roaming, are a domestic pet, and as such should neither be abandoned nor tolerated outdoors. To do so is rude to fellow property owners and devastating to our ecology, as well as being inhumane to the cat.)
Cats are a hot-button issue in San Antonio. When I wrote "Removing neighbor's cats is wrong" (May 24), letters poured in. Like many readers, Tina wrote, "If people love their cats, they need to keep them inside."
Other readers wondered what the city's response would be to a complaint about 50 cats in a neighbor's yard. "They (the city) have to help, right?" says Christina. "That's hoarding."
Cats are a hot-button issue in San Antonio. When I wrote "Removing neighbor's cats is wrong" (May 24), letters poured in. Like many readers, Tina wrote, "If people love their cats, they need to keep them inside."
Other readers wondered what the city's response would be to a complaint about 50 cats in a neighbor's yard. "They (the city) have to help, right?" says Christina. "That's hoarding."
Cat lover learns tough lesson trying to save colony
(Not everyone will tolerate feral cats on their property, here's one battle won!)
A few months ago, a neighbor complained to Jacksonville Beach Animal Control about the stray cats and borrowed a trap to capture them. Over the last few months, as many as 30 cats have been collected from the colony and taken to Jacksonville Animal Care and Control in Jacksonville, where they most likely were euthanized, Merrick and city officials said.
"I kept noticing missing cats," Merrick said. "Evidently they were being trapped for awhile."
When Merrick realized what had happened to the felines, he rushed to the facility. He said he was heartbroken when he couldn't find any of them, particularly when he was told that they most likely had been "put down."
A few months ago, a neighbor complained to Jacksonville Beach Animal Control about the stray cats and borrowed a trap to capture them. Over the last few months, as many as 30 cats have been collected from the colony and taken to Jacksonville Animal Care and Control in Jacksonville, where they most likely were euthanized, Merrick and city officials said.
"I kept noticing missing cats," Merrick said. "Evidently they were being trapped for awhile."
When Merrick realized what had happened to the felines, he rushed to the facility. He said he was heartbroken when he couldn't find any of them, particularly when he was told that they most likely had been "put down."
Saturday, June 20, 2009
More responses to cat enablers...
Another response to a blog:
I once bought out three aviaries within a few weeks of each other and have owned literally thousands of exotic birds. It was a matter of a rescue mission, and I found good homes for them all. Your having owned exotics is beside the point, You choose cats over the survival of our wildlife every time you allow one outside. Cats are domestic pets!
I'm certain she has seen dozens, perhaps hundreds, of birds murdered by cats. A scratch is almost always fatal. We did wildlife rehabilitation for over twenty years, which is one reason I hate the needless killing you enable. One of the Mockingbirds nesting in our yard was so tame he must have been one we raised. The cats murdered his family and left some of his entrails and wings on my porch.
I once bought out three aviaries within a few weeks of each other and have owned literally thousands of exotic birds. It was a matter of a rescue mission, and I found good homes for them all. Your having owned exotics is beside the point, You choose cats over the survival of our wildlife every time you allow one outside. Cats are domestic pets!
I'm certain she has seen dozens, perhaps hundreds, of birds murdered by cats. A scratch is almost always fatal. We did wildlife rehabilitation for over twenty years, which is one reason I hate the needless killing you enable. One of the Mockingbirds nesting in our yard was so tame he must have been one we raised. The cats murdered his family and left some of his entrails and wings on my porch.
This is my 600th Blog here
This is my 600th Blog here, the first was on 12/7/06. That calls for a toast to our wild critters, long may they live! Salut!
These people are overlooking some facts!
"The idea is that trapping and killing does little good because the feral cats will reproduce quickly enough to replace the euthanized animals."
They are guaranteeing their own failure! The idea of any war is to kill more of them than they do of us, and anyone who doesn't believe our battle to save our wildlife isn't a war is not facing reality!
They are guaranteeing their own failure! The idea of any war is to kill more of them than they do of us, and anyone who doesn't believe our battle to save our wildlife isn't a war is not facing reality!
From Michael Hutchins- The Wildlife Society Blog
(Must read!)
New U.S. Government Report Asserts Climate Change is Real and Affecting Us Now
_____________________________
"In addition, the need for active management of wildlife, including the control of introduced species and endangered species and habitat restoration, could become even more essential if we are to mitigate some of the effects of a changing climate."
New U.S. Government Report Asserts Climate Change is Real and Affecting Us Now
_____________________________
"In addition, the need for active management of wildlife, including the control of introduced species and endangered species and habitat restoration, could become even more essential if we are to mitigate some of the effects of a changing climate."
PICK OF THE LITTER
"After the cats undergo surgery, they can be released. Theyll be healthier, and they wont be producing any more unwanted litters."
They will be murdering our natural fauna, though. TNR practicers are making a choice between the lives of up to a billion native animals each year, some of them endangered, in order to to re-abandon unwanted pets!
They will be murdering our natural fauna, though. TNR practicers are making a choice between the lives of up to a billion native animals each year, some of them endangered, in order to to re-abandon unwanted pets!
Rat-catching wild cats seek new homes
"Our cat has killed over 300 mice in five years and only 3, yes 3 birds."
My reply:
Just what is it makes you believe your cat's freedom is more valuable than the lives of those three birds? How many of them may have had a clutch of five or more fledglings in a nest?
My reply:
Just what is it makes you believe your cat's freedom is more valuable than the lives of those three birds? How many of them may have had a clutch of five or more fledglings in a nest?
A post to an enabler who thinks I missed their point...
Oh, we got it alright! Superficially, it sounds like a wonderful philosophy, and if you were to take each of those pets indoors, I would send you a check to help defray your expenses. As it is though, you are choosing to subsidize their unnatural predation on OUR wildlife! You are enabling the murder of fauna that do not belong to you, they belong to each and every citizen and our descendants.
You call yourself an animal lover? In choosing to enable those killer pets you show yourself to be a cat lover, not an animal lover!
You call yourself an animal lover? In choosing to enable those killer pets you show yourself to be a cat lover, not an animal lover!
Friday, June 19, 2009
What's the Deal With "Cat Ladies"?
(A story on Slate)
A Virginia judge declared on Monday that 82-year-old Ruth Knueven is unfit to own pets, after animal-control officers seized her 488 cats. Local law enforcement and animal-control officials say they found 120 cats in her house in 2001 and that they've discovered several other cat hoarders in the area over the past year. What's the deal with "cat ladies"?
A Virginia judge declared on Monday that 82-year-old Ruth Knueven is unfit to own pets, after animal-control officers seized her 488 cats. Local law enforcement and animal-control officials say they found 120 cats in her house in 2001 and that they've discovered several other cat hoarders in the area over the past year. What's the deal with "cat ladies"?
Catch, neuter and return feral cats
My reply to a huggly, cuddly TNR post:
Nowhere in this blog or the replies is the welfare of our natural wildlife mentioned! You use the words compassion, humane, and non-lethal when writing of an unwanted domestic pet illegally dumped into our ecology. Where is your compassion for the billion of our birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish they are estimated to kill each year? Perhaps, that number is exaggerated let's call it a half billion, shall we?
Imagine the starving fledglings who weaken and die when the parents don't come home, the baby rabbits murdered in their nests. How could the life of an abandoned pet be more valuable than theirs? Let's act responsibly and adult and take the pets out of our fragile ecology!
Nowhere in this blog or the replies is the welfare of our natural wildlife mentioned! You use the words compassion, humane, and non-lethal when writing of an unwanted domestic pet illegally dumped into our ecology. Where is your compassion for the billion of our birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish they are estimated to kill each year? Perhaps, that number is exaggerated let's call it a half billion, shall we?
Imagine the starving fledglings who weaken and die when the parents don't come home, the baby rabbits murdered in their nests. How could the life of an abandoned pet be more valuable than theirs? Let's act responsibly and adult and take the pets out of our fragile ecology!
Who let the cats out?
City considering feral cat ordinance after Almont Street complaints
Almont Street has gone to the dogs… err cats.
About ten people who live on Almont Street in Standish attended the City Council meeting on June 18 hissing at council members to address the feral cat situation, which is one hairball that won’t cough up.
Sharon Crouterfield, an Almont Street resident, was the spokesperson for the concerned citizens, saying that cats, some with owners living on the street and some stray but being fed on the street, are tearing up lawns and flower beds, attacking pets and, of course, using the street as their litter box.
“Some people are complaining they can’t open their windows because the smell is so strong,” said Standish City Manager Mike Moran. “They have loose cats in the neighborhood that are leaving fecal deposits and such in the property.”
Almont Street has gone to the dogs… err cats.
About ten people who live on Almont Street in Standish attended the City Council meeting on June 18 hissing at council members to address the feral cat situation, which is one hairball that won’t cough up.
Sharon Crouterfield, an Almont Street resident, was the spokesperson for the concerned citizens, saying that cats, some with owners living on the street and some stray but being fed on the street, are tearing up lawns and flower beds, attacking pets and, of course, using the street as their litter box.
“Some people are complaining they can’t open their windows because the smell is so strong,” said Standish City Manager Mike Moran. “They have loose cats in the neighborhood that are leaving fecal deposits and such in the property.”
Pusses to get boot
My comment? The shore of any place is usually a nice place to visit. Perhaps to watch birds and other wild animals. I wonder how many tourists have visited there, been turned off by the sight and smell of a colony of unwanted pets and left. Please, spare some compassion for the wildlife those cats kill. The cats are neither humane nor non-lethal as they go about their business of killing.
A feral cat colony may have already used one of its nine lives -- if only temporarily.
About 16 of the wild felines -- although each has been spayed and neutered -- have made a little corner along the Bluffer's Park shoreline their home and Rob Brydges dutifully makes his way down to the foot of Brimley Rd. every morning to deliver cat food to his little charges.
They hear his voice, and the cats come running.
"This is sort of a magical place," Brydges said yesterday. "About six years ago I was down here and I saw them out looking for food -- I kind of felt sorry for them and I thought I'd come back and feed them."
A feral cat colony may have already used one of its nine lives -- if only temporarily.
About 16 of the wild felines -- although each has been spayed and neutered -- have made a little corner along the Bluffer's Park shoreline their home and Rob Brydges dutifully makes his way down to the foot of Brimley Rd. every morning to deliver cat food to his little charges.
They hear his voice, and the cats come running.
"This is sort of a magical place," Brydges said yesterday. "About six years ago I was down here and I saw them out looking for food -- I kind of felt sorry for them and I thought I'd come back and feed them."
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Backyard Birder
A quote and my response:
"We can never, ever abandon a cat, dog or other pet or domesticated animal to the wild to become a feral animal."
Amen, sing it, Sister! How the cat enablers ever convince politicians not to enforce our wildlife protection laws over a domestic pet is beyond me! I like how Bob thinks. I learned this adage many years ago in a far away Asian land. "There is no tactical problem that cannot be resolved through the judicious application of explosives." If they'd legalize shooting destructive pests we wouldn't have as many problems. Before anyone uses the words compassionate, non-lethal, or humane I'll mention none of those words have any relation to the killing those unwanted pets do to hundreds of millions of our native birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and fish.
"We can never, ever abandon a cat, dog or other pet or domesticated animal to the wild to become a feral animal."
Amen, sing it, Sister! How the cat enablers ever convince politicians not to enforce our wildlife protection laws over a domestic pet is beyond me! I like how Bob thinks. I learned this adage many years ago in a far away Asian land. "There is no tactical problem that cannot be resolved through the judicious application of explosives." If they'd legalize shooting destructive pests we wouldn't have as many problems. Before anyone uses the words compassionate, non-lethal, or humane I'll mention none of those words have any relation to the killing those unwanted pets do to hundreds of millions of our native birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and fish.
Birds- Endangered Species
This site features a number of extinct and near extinct birds.
Extinction is unforgivable!
Extinction is FOREVER!
There are no second chances!
This is what extinction looks like...
___________________________________________
We are introducing new predators, like cats and rats, that isolated species have never learned to deal with.
Extinction is unforgivable!
Extinction is FOREVER!
There are no second chances!
This is what extinction looks like...
___________________________________________
We are introducing new predators, like cats and rats, that isolated species have never learned to deal with.
Little bird with a BIG attitude
My comment: May God/dess bless you for keeping your cat on a leash and it and our wildlife safe! Thank you.
Last year, we had a metal cabinet on our back porch. We had a family of house wrens move in and it was fabulous watching them grow.
This year, the female got stuck in our addition we built looking for the cabinet that is long gone.
I wondered where she went after i set her free, and discovered her home the other day.
I was out walking my Manx cat Teddie on his leash, when this little bird with a attitude problem came fussing and swooping down at us.
Last year, we had a metal cabinet on our back porch. We had a family of house wrens move in and it was fabulous watching them grow.
This year, the female got stuck in our addition we built looking for the cabinet that is long gone.
I wondered where she went after i set her free, and discovered her home the other day.
I was out walking my Manx cat Teddie on his leash, when this little bird with a attitude problem came fussing and swooping down at us.
Continuing to work on feral cat issue
My comment: With the feral pet population increasing exponentially in these difficult financial times I predict a time coming soon when the public complaints about them will overcome the lethargy of our politicians. Forget the TNR, it and the people who profess it, is what brought us to this point.
Domestic pets should not be running loose in our ecology!
Domestic pets should not be running loose in our ecology!
Snip & Tip Going Strong After 5 Years
My comment was posted and replied to. I added more.
Hello, wait just a minute here! Our natural fauna evolved here. Domestic cats were bred for by humans, and incredibly they now threaten the very genetic pool they were bred from. There is no place outdoors on Planet Earth they are native to.
They are said by most experts, not in the employ of the cat organizations, to be the second worst threat to the survival of our birds besides habitat destruction… and you support feeding them and tilting the scale further?
In my experience, the cat colony two doors down from me with food available 24 hours don’t read the rhetoric from the cat organizations. The nesting Mockingbird pair’s wings and entrails were left on my front porch. What was left of our Blue jays was in our backyard. That’s only a fraction of their kills I’ve found on my property.
This means there are only fifty to sixty million unwanted and abandoned feral cats in our ecology killing our native birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, and competing against our natural predators. Oh wait, they re-abandoned them? That means none of the killing stopped.
Hello, wait just a minute here! Our natural fauna evolved here. Domestic cats were bred for by humans, and incredibly they now threaten the very genetic pool they were bred from. There is no place outdoors on Planet Earth they are native to.
They are said by most experts, not in the employ of the cat organizations, to be the second worst threat to the survival of our birds besides habitat destruction… and you support feeding them and tilting the scale further?
In my experience, the cat colony two doors down from me with food available 24 hours don’t read the rhetoric from the cat organizations. The nesting Mockingbird pair’s wings and entrails were left on my front porch. What was left of our Blue jays was in our backyard. That’s only a fraction of their kills I’ve found on my property.
This means there are only fifty to sixty million unwanted and abandoned feral cats in our ecology killing our native birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, and competing against our natural predators. Oh wait, they re-abandoned them? That means none of the killing stopped.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Mesa woman overrun by feral cats
(Here is a tactic the poor lady may not have used yet. She should call her County Health Department and make a formal complaint. They do have to investigate every report and in many cases have more leverage than other departments.)
Marlene Barber feels as if her Mesa neighborhood is being invaded.
Since a neighbor began leaving food and water for stray cats, Barber said her yard has become a giant litter box, and she's overwhelmed by the stench.
She estimates at least 30 feral cats have moved onto her block near Greenfield Road and Southern Avenue, and she hasn't been able to get anyone to help.
Marlene Barber feels as if her Mesa neighborhood is being invaded.
Since a neighbor began leaving food and water for stray cats, Barber said her yard has become a giant litter box, and she's overwhelmed by the stench.
She estimates at least 30 feral cats have moved onto her block near Greenfield Road and Southern Avenue, and she hasn't been able to get anyone to help.
What is the feral cat enablers problem?
I have to quote this one: "So stop the propaganda that TNR doesn't work and help us reduce the cat population so no animals are killed. Thanks"
That is so naive a statement I have to remark on it! Don't you know even the best fed house cat can kill dozens to hundreds of our native birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians each year if allowed to roam? Where is your concern for those animals? Oh, that's right, you only care about cats!
Why should even one cat be tolerated in our ecosystem when it is murdering our fauna? You are not only tolerating them you dare to enable their murdering! Have you no compassion left over from the cats? What part of cats dismembering hundreds of millions of animals is humane or non-lethal?
That is so naive a statement I have to remark on it! Don't you know even the best fed house cat can kill dozens to hundreds of our native birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians each year if allowed to roam? Where is your concern for those animals? Oh, that's right, you only care about cats!
Why should even one cat be tolerated in our ecosystem when it is murdering our fauna? You are not only tolerating them you dare to enable their murdering! Have you no compassion left over from the cats? What part of cats dismembering hundreds of millions of animals is humane or non-lethal?
Police sound alarm after rabid cat bites 2 people
Authorities are warning residents to look out for animals that act strangely after an unprovoked rabid cat bit two people last week.
Two township residents received medical treatment after they were bitten by a cat that was confirmed to have rabies, said township health officer Chris Cooke-Gibbs. The bites occurred on two consecutive days last week when the residents were in their backyards in the area of the intersection of Coleman, Bartley and Naughright roads, she said.
Authorities did not identify the residents.
The cat was trapped and held until it died from rabies a few days later, Cooke-Gibbs said.
Authorities do not know whether the feline was feral or a pet, but said residents who live within a mile radius from the intersection should report any animal that acts strangely to the township police department.
"This cat got it from somewhere," Cooke-Gibbs said. "If anyone sees an animal that looks sick or is aggressive, they should keep their distance from it and alert us."
Two township residents received medical treatment after they were bitten by a cat that was confirmed to have rabies, said township health officer Chris Cooke-Gibbs. The bites occurred on two consecutive days last week when the residents were in their backyards in the area of the intersection of Coleman, Bartley and Naughright roads, she said.
Authorities did not identify the residents.
The cat was trapped and held until it died from rabies a few days later, Cooke-Gibbs said.
Authorities do not know whether the feline was feral or a pet, but said residents who live within a mile radius from the intersection should report any animal that acts strangely to the township police department.
"This cat got it from somewhere," Cooke-Gibbs said. "If anyone sees an animal that looks sick or is aggressive, they should keep their distance from it and alert us."
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Feral cats growing issue
As dark settles, they begin to prowl, abandoning sun-drenched patches in exchange for morsels from trash cans, scratching and scuffling in the shadows, the still night air shattered by piercing shrieks and yowls as they croon to one another, hunt, fight — and search for mates.
In the dark, Clovis becomes a cat town, the ever-growing number of feral cats stirs and comes to life.
More than half of the cats euthanized last year by animal control were feral cats.
Last year, Animal Control captured 422, or an average of 35 cats a month.
Peak seasons are warmer months in early spring, summer and fall.
In the dark, Clovis becomes a cat town, the ever-growing number of feral cats stirs and comes to life.
More than half of the cats euthanized last year by animal control were feral cats.
Last year, Animal Control captured 422, or an average of 35 cats a month.
Peak seasons are warmer months in early spring, summer and fall.
Those darn cats! Feline problem worse at Mira Loma mobile home park
(Some people are reaching their boiling point!)
The problem of wild cats overtaking Swan Lake Country Estates has worsened with a brutal twist, say several residents of the mobile home park in Mira Loma.
Afraid of being evicted for feeding the ferals, some residents have resorted to killing strays or dumping them at animal control to be euthanized, said Swan lake resident Debbie Marsh.
Marsh, 47, said at least five, perhaps as many as 10 cats have been run over by cars on foot paths, stabbed, poisoned, dismembered or shot to death. These deaths began occurring on May 8, the day after some park residents received citations ordering them to stop feeding unattended cats on their property, she said.
The problem of wild cats overtaking Swan Lake Country Estates has worsened with a brutal twist, say several residents of the mobile home park in Mira Loma.
Afraid of being evicted for feeding the ferals, some residents have resorted to killing strays or dumping them at animal control to be euthanized, said Swan lake resident Debbie Marsh.
Marsh, 47, said at least five, perhaps as many as 10 cats have been run over by cars on foot paths, stabbed, poisoned, dismembered or shot to death. These deaths began occurring on May 8, the day after some park residents received citations ordering them to stop feeding unattended cats on their property, she said.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Feral cats and Alley Cat Allies
Another post of mine: From your profile, Laureen... "When she moved to Southern California 11 years ago, everywhere she turned, at work and at home there was a stray or feral cat."
That should have been a clue...
"She began reading and talking to rescue groups and animal advocates. Soon, she began rescuing felines at work and at home. She wants to educate the public on cat issues and promote their welfare."
Okay, but where do our natural fauna fit in? Haven't you realized those feral domestic pets are decimating our wildlife?
My post: Do you have any idea what the kill rate of feral and roaming domestic cats on our wild fauna is today? Most biologists and ecologists say a billion a year, give or take a few hundred million. For the sake of discussion let us say that is an exaggerated figure and "only" a half billion of our native birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals are being killed each year!
Isn't it about time we act in an adult and responsible manner towards these unwanted domestic pets?
"Did you know that the latest study shows that 72% of all cats entering shelters are killed, 23% are adopted and only 2% reunited with their owners? The kill rates in shelters of feral cats is 100%. The number of stray and feral cats in Los Angeles is estimated to be 2-3 million.
Feral cats are the offspring of house cats and stray cats and are healthy yet unadoptable cats because they are not socialized. The kittens are adoptable from 4-8 weeks and kittens 8-12 weeks can be adopted if acclimated to humans. Because they aren't socialized, feral cats have a fear of humans and try to avoid them. Alley Cat Allies leads the movement in the protection and humane treatment of all cats stray, feral and companion.
Alley Cat Allies was founded in 1990 by two women who realized that stray and feral cats' needs weren’t met by local shelter systems. Animal lovers and good hearted citizens who called shelters about feral cats were told that they would be euthanized. Alley Cat Allies founder, Becky Robinson and her staff,created educational materials and instructions on how to care for and protect stray and feral cats. They also introduced the practice of TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) to spay and neuter colonies of cats. The cats are humanely trapped, evaluated, vaccinated, and sterilized by veterinarians and released back to the same location where a volunteer cares for them."
That should have been a clue...
"She began reading and talking to rescue groups and animal advocates. Soon, she began rescuing felines at work and at home. She wants to educate the public on cat issues and promote their welfare."
Okay, but where do our natural fauna fit in? Haven't you realized those feral domestic pets are decimating our wildlife?
My post: Do you have any idea what the kill rate of feral and roaming domestic cats on our wild fauna is today? Most biologists and ecologists say a billion a year, give or take a few hundred million. For the sake of discussion let us say that is an exaggerated figure and "only" a half billion of our native birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals are being killed each year!
Isn't it about time we act in an adult and responsible manner towards these unwanted domestic pets?
"Did you know that the latest study shows that 72% of all cats entering shelters are killed, 23% are adopted and only 2% reunited with their owners? The kill rates in shelters of feral cats is 100%. The number of stray and feral cats in Los Angeles is estimated to be 2-3 million.
Feral cats are the offspring of house cats and stray cats and are healthy yet unadoptable cats because they are not socialized. The kittens are adoptable from 4-8 weeks and kittens 8-12 weeks can be adopted if acclimated to humans. Because they aren't socialized, feral cats have a fear of humans and try to avoid them. Alley Cat Allies leads the movement in the protection and humane treatment of all cats stray, feral and companion.
Alley Cat Allies was founded in 1990 by two women who realized that stray and feral cats' needs weren’t met by local shelter systems. Animal lovers and good hearted citizens who called shelters about feral cats were told that they would be euthanized. Alley Cat Allies founder, Becky Robinson and her staff,created educational materials and instructions on how to care for and protect stray and feral cats. They also introduced the practice of TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) to spay and neuter colonies of cats. The cats are humanely trapped, evaluated, vaccinated, and sterilized by veterinarians and released back to the same location where a volunteer cares for them."
Florida teen charged in string of cat killings
The answer to mysterious cat killings that horrified pet owners and disturbed residents of two South Florida communities for months was not far away from where the animals' mutilated bodies were discovered, authorities say.
In some cases, investigators said the suspect was just a few houses away.
Tyler Hayes Weinman, whose divorced parents live in the neighborhoods where many of the cats were killed, was charged Sunday with 19 counts each of animal cruelty and improperly disposing of an animal body.
"It's shocking to think that someone who lives right here and is our neighbor would do something like this," said Thomas Shad, a Cutler Bay resident whose black cat, Miss Kitty, was among the dead. The body of the small feral cat — which Shad and his wife, Mary Lou, had fed and cared for about a year — was found behind an abandoned house, near the hedges where she slept.
In some cases, investigators said the suspect was just a few houses away.
Tyler Hayes Weinman, whose divorced parents live in the neighborhoods where many of the cats were killed, was charged Sunday with 19 counts each of animal cruelty and improperly disposing of an animal body.
"It's shocking to think that someone who lives right here and is our neighbor would do something like this," said Thomas Shad, a Cutler Bay resident whose black cat, Miss Kitty, was among the dead. The body of the small feral cat — which Shad and his wife, Mary Lou, had fed and cared for about a year — was found behind an abandoned house, near the hedges where she slept.
Cat killer is one sick person
My post: What sort of person do you call those who abandon or re-abandon an alien pet species into the wild to suffer while murdering our natural fauna? This happens much more often than sickos murdering cats.
"It's sad that some maniac finds pleasure in killing and mutilating pet cats. Surely, there's a motive as to why the person is killing cats rather than dogs.
Cat owners are being warned not to leave their pets out at night. These pets, any pets, shouldn't be allowed to roam free at any time of day. People who love and care about their pets know where they are all of the time.
From the papers, it seems that most of the cats are feral cats. Feral cats are not as easy to catch since they usually are cold to humans, whereas pet cats can easily be attracted to a human by simply offering food or being kind. The killer must be setting out food or another attraction at a remote site where he won't easily be seen or discovered. I didn't note what the gender was of the killed pets, which may have some relevance.
I hope that this really sick person will soon be apprehended and thrown into the lion's den at a zoo."
"It's sad that some maniac finds pleasure in killing and mutilating pet cats. Surely, there's a motive as to why the person is killing cats rather than dogs.
Cat owners are being warned not to leave their pets out at night. These pets, any pets, shouldn't be allowed to roam free at any time of day. People who love and care about their pets know where they are all of the time.
From the papers, it seems that most of the cats are feral cats. Feral cats are not as easy to catch since they usually are cold to humans, whereas pet cats can easily be attracted to a human by simply offering food or being kind. The killer must be setting out food or another attraction at a remote site where he won't easily be seen or discovered. I didn't note what the gender was of the killed pets, which may have some relevance.
I hope that this really sick person will soon be apprehended and thrown into the lion's den at a zoo."
Bird Nesting Material
I've thought about it before and just this year put out a can of the hair I take from my brushes for nests. It disappeared rapidly. Since I have neither cut nor trimmed my hair nor beard in a number of years there is quite a lot of it, most of it gray... uh, white.
Perhaps the strangest nests I've seen were some dove nests at the refinery I retired from on the Houston Ship Channel. The main material of construction was small pieces of stainless steel tie wire the insulators had nipped.
Perhaps the strangest nests I've seen were some dove nests at the refinery I retired from on the Houston Ship Channel. The main material of construction was small pieces of stainless steel tie wire the insulators had nipped.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
In response to: Cute Innocent Feral Kittens came to my house
You are my friend? If you were my friend you would not persist in attracting then abandoning or re-abandoning your unwanted pets outdoors so they can spray urine and poop in my grand children's sand box and my garden.
My garden was my hobby from which I shared nourishing food with family and friends until the cats took it over. Now it would endanger anyone's health to eat from it so I plowed it under.
Another enjoyable hobby of mine was watching and listening to the song birds attracted to my feeder and fountain. They would drop in from exhausting migrations to refresh themselves and repay me with their beautiful songs! The cats ended that too. After finding the remains of two pairs of song birds I stopped providing them with food and water, knowing your pets considered them good sport.
You can wave at me and call me your friend, but I won't be smiling and waving back!
My garden was my hobby from which I shared nourishing food with family and friends until the cats took it over. Now it would endanger anyone's health to eat from it so I plowed it under.
Another enjoyable hobby of mine was watching and listening to the song birds attracted to my feeder and fountain. They would drop in from exhausting migrations to refresh themselves and repay me with their beautiful songs! The cats ended that too. After finding the remains of two pairs of song birds I stopped providing them with food and water, knowing your pets considered them good sport.
You can wave at me and call me your friend, but I won't be smiling and waving back!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
One of my posts at The Wildlife Society Blog
The real reason trap-and-remove has not worked the last thirty years is there are hundreds of thousands of organized cat fanciers willing to see a billion of our birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles dismembered each year by an unwanted domestic pet before one hair is touched on a pussy cat!
Trap, Neuter, and Release: Bad for Cats, Disaster for Birds
My remark at another Blog:
I have been saying it for years, people! The cat fanciers are united, we have to unite, too! How did it become such a sin and crime to dare to wish bad things on little fuzzy-wuzzy kitties? Thousands of cat enablers wrote our politicians complaining! Those of us opposing them have to make it very clear domestic pets should never be allowed to prey on our natural fauna!
I have been saying it for years, people! The cat fanciers are united, we have to unite, too! How did it become such a sin and crime to dare to wish bad things on little fuzzy-wuzzy kitties? Thousands of cat enablers wrote our politicians complaining! Those of us opposing them have to make it very clear domestic pets should never be allowed to prey on our natural fauna!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
The aliens have landed
Invasive alien species are affecting native wildlife in almost every corner of the Earth. “An unwanted by-product of globalization, non-native species are harming ecosystem services, livelihoods and economies throughout the world”, said Ban Ki-moon - United Nations Secretary-General.
Invasive alien species are plants, animals and other organisms that are not native to an ecosystem. Introduced species - such as rats and cats - are one of the greatest drivers of biodiversity loss, and have been implicated in almost half of all bird extinctions in the past five centuries.
To increase understanding and raise awareness of biodiversity issues, the United Nations declared today - 22 May - the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB). This year’s theme is drawing attention to the threats posed to biodiversity by invasive alien species.
Invasive alien species are plants, animals and other organisms that are not native to an ecosystem. Introduced species - such as rats and cats - are one of the greatest drivers of biodiversity loss, and have been implicated in almost half of all bird extinctions in the past five centuries.
To increase understanding and raise awareness of biodiversity issues, the United Nations declared today - 22 May - the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB). This year’s theme is drawing attention to the threats posed to biodiversity by invasive alien species.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
20 cat deaths leave Fla. communities worried
(KEEP YOUR PETS INDOORS!)
The black cat's body was found in the grass, just feet from the hedges where she slept each day.
Miss Kitty was still warm to the touch when the South Florida couple who cared for her found her in the yard next door. Her head was smashed and her back legs skinned, like pieces of chicken in a grocer's freezer. And she was not the only one to suffer such a fate.
Horrified owners have been finding their cats killed and mutilated for the past month in two south Miami-Dade County communities. Many of the cats were missing fur and appeared to have been cut with a sharp, straight instrument, police said. In all, investigators are looking into about two dozen deaths, with enough evidence to try to prosecute at least 15 of the cases.
The black cat's body was found in the grass, just feet from the hedges where she slept each day.
Miss Kitty was still warm to the touch when the South Florida couple who cared for her found her in the yard next door. Her head was smashed and her back legs skinned, like pieces of chicken in a grocer's freezer. And she was not the only one to suffer such a fate.
Horrified owners have been finding their cats killed and mutilated for the past month in two south Miami-Dade County communities. Many of the cats were missing fur and appeared to have been cut with a sharp, straight instrument, police said. In all, investigators are looking into about two dozen deaths, with enough evidence to try to prosecute at least 15 of the cases.
Beachgoers asked to help protect threatened Wilson's plover
One pair of the threatened birds was found this season on Jekyll Island.
Two can be a lonely number, especially when it comes to one of Georgia's threatened bird species on the coast.
Only one nesting pair of Wilson's plovers has been found on Jekyll Island this season, adding urgency to a plea by state wildlife biologists for beachgoers to help protect the plovers and other shorebirds sharing the sand.
People can help the birds, which breed on Georgia beaches from April through July, by leaving their dogs at home. In addition, beachfront residents should keep pet cats indoors and shouldn't feed feral cats prowling the shore, Brad Winn, a Georgia Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist, said Tuesday.
"Nesting shorebirds already face daunting natural dangers such as high spring tides and native predators. Birds like the Wilson's plover that nest right on the beach do not tolerate the added pressure from pet dogs and free-roaming cats," said Winn, who's coastal program manager for DNR's Wildlife Resources Division Nongame Conservation Section.
Two can be a lonely number, especially when it comes to one of Georgia's threatened bird species on the coast.
Only one nesting pair of Wilson's plovers has been found on Jekyll Island this season, adding urgency to a plea by state wildlife biologists for beachgoers to help protect the plovers and other shorebirds sharing the sand.
People can help the birds, which breed on Georgia beaches from April through July, by leaving their dogs at home. In addition, beachfront residents should keep pet cats indoors and shouldn't feed feral cats prowling the shore, Brad Winn, a Georgia Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist, said Tuesday.
"Nesting shorebirds already face daunting natural dangers such as high spring tides and native predators. Birds like the Wilson's plover that nest right on the beach do not tolerate the added pressure from pet dogs and free-roaming cats," said Winn, who's coastal program manager for DNR's Wildlife Resources Division Nongame Conservation Section.
How should feral cats be managed?
My answer?
The feral cat issue is 100% a problem of misguided priorities. As you say yourself "Is the answer to kill them? Admittedly, that is how we manage other over-population problems in nature."
Domestic pets outdoors are an ecology problem, and our threatened fauna should be given priority, not an unwanted and exponentially increasing population of domestic pets.
The feral cat issue is 100% a problem of misguided priorities. As you say yourself "Is the answer to kill them? Admittedly, that is how we manage other over-population problems in nature."
Domestic pets outdoors are an ecology problem, and our threatened fauna should be given priority, not an unwanted and exponentially increasing population of domestic pets.
Eliminating all feral cats would not stop the decline of bird populations?
Eliminating all feral cats WOULD STOP the percentage of decline of bird populations caused by feral cats!
Friday, June 5, 2009
New Film Shows Failure of Popular Stray Cat Management Program
The film highlights two examples where the technique has been used: one, at Ocean Reef, a gated, private residential community in the Florida Keys; and one at a public park in Miami. The Ocean Reef program is widely hailed as a model for TNR programs nationally, though it is quite different from most, having full-time paid staff and veterinarian care twice weekly.
Despite this huge investment in resources and restricted access to the colony by the public so that cat abandonment is limited, 500 cats continue to roam the community fifteen years after the program began. In the more typical case of A.D. Barnes Park in Miami, the cat population at the colony has grown since the TNR program run by volunteers was launched.
“A better solution is to trap, neuter, and remove feral cats, and then relocate them to enclosed cat sanctuaries or shelters, or, where possible, to adopt them out to safe and comfortable homes,” said Holmer.
Despite this huge investment in resources and restricted access to the colony by the public so that cat abandonment is limited, 500 cats continue to roam the community fifteen years after the program began. In the more typical case of A.D. Barnes Park in Miami, the cat population at the colony has grown since the TNR program run by volunteers was launched.
“A better solution is to trap, neuter, and remove feral cats, and then relocate them to enclosed cat sanctuaries or shelters, or, where possible, to adopt them out to safe and comfortable homes,” said Holmer.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The pet enablers think they have words like "compassion, non-lethal, and humane" patented
We have to fight fire with fire. The pet enablers think they have words like "compassion, non-lethal, and humane" patented, and use them incessantly on our politicians.
Remember Frank Luntz, the speech coach Rove used to teach the GOP to frame their discussions? You could get the votes of an entire forum of birders with a closeup picture of the remnants of a clutch of murdered fledglings. The politicians have to be reminded feral cats are a destructive abandoned pet species.
Remember Frank Luntz, the speech coach Rove used to teach the GOP to frame their discussions? You could get the votes of an entire forum of birders with a closeup picture of the remnants of a clutch of murdered fledglings. The politicians have to be reminded feral cats are a destructive abandoned pet species.
"Rodent control, rodent control, rodent control!"
"Rodent control, rodent control, rodent control! Oh my heavens! If we didn't have a hundred million domestic pets running loose in our ecosystem whatever would protect us from the murderous rodents?"
Why, our natural predators, of course!
Why, our natural predators, of course!
Trap, Neuter, and Release: Bad for Cats, Disaster for Birds
(This at GrrlScientist Blog. My post:
Domestic cats are a pet species which has evolved to rely on humans over thousands of years. This makes their abandonment or re-abandonment animal cruelty and inhumane. Their presence outdoors is entirely an environmental issue, not an animal welfare one. There is nothing compassionate, non-lethal, nor humane about their murder of our wildlife, I've watched it in my own yard for years. Anyone abandoning them or enabling them to murder protected wildlife should be prosecuted.
It will take a committed organization of birders, biologists, ecologists, and other concerned citizens to overcome the pandering and myths of the cat enablers and apologists.
Domestic cats are a pet species which has evolved to rely on humans over thousands of years. This makes their abandonment or re-abandonment animal cruelty and inhumane. Their presence outdoors is entirely an environmental issue, not an animal welfare one. There is nothing compassionate, non-lethal, nor humane about their murder of our wildlife, I've watched it in my own yard for years. Anyone abandoning them or enabling them to murder protected wildlife should be prosecuted.
It will take a committed organization of birders, biologists, ecologists, and other concerned citizens to overcome the pandering and myths of the cat enablers and apologists.
Feral cat myths are so illogical!
"If the cats were simply euthanized, DuCharme said, more would move into the area and keep on breeding."
My post:
Feral cat myths are so illogical!
This is one of the more laughable myths the feral cat enablers have spread. Most of us learned our "take aways" in grade school. Euthanize any number of cats, from one to fifty million, and you reduce the hunting pressure so our natural fauna can reclaim their rightful place in our ecology. Feral cats are a domestic animal, bred for thousands of years to rely on humans for their survival. Abandoning or re-abandoning them to murder our wildlife is neither humane, non-lethal, nor compassionate.
My post:
Feral cat myths are so illogical!
This is one of the more laughable myths the feral cat enablers have spread. Most of us learned our "take aways" in grade school. Euthanize any number of cats, from one to fifty million, and you reduce the hunting pressure so our natural fauna can reclaim their rightful place in our ecology. Feral cats are a domestic animal, bred for thousands of years to rely on humans for their survival. Abandoning or re-abandoning them to murder our wildlife is neither humane, non-lethal, nor compassionate.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
The Truth About Cats and Birds?
My answer on a blog: Domestic cats are a pet species which makes their abandonment or re-abandonment animal cruelty and inhumane. Their presence outdoors is an environmental issue, not an animal welfare one. Anyone enabling them to murder protected wildlife should be prosecuted.
Monday, June 1, 2009
"Trap, Neuter, and Release: Bad for Cats, Disaster for Birds"
A response I made at "The Hawk Owl's Nest"
Clare, the BirdChaser is one Birder most of us would follow. He not only has the writing expertise and credentials needed for this, he has repeatedly blogged about the matter.
Nothing will change until we begin to organize the same way the feral pet enablers do, and we have to frame our arguments correctly.
Our city and county governments will continue to give precedence to the hundreds of letters from "humane, compassionate, and non-lethal" TNR advocates until it is explained to them this pet species is being inhumanely re-abandoned to murder our wildlife!
I've been blogging about this for several years total and am glad to see your concern. Thank you.
Clare, the BirdChaser is one Birder most of us would follow. He not only has the writing expertise and credentials needed for this, he has repeatedly blogged about the matter.
Nothing will change until we begin to organize the same way the feral pet enablers do, and we have to frame our arguments correctly.
Our city and county governments will continue to give precedence to the hundreds of letters from "humane, compassionate, and non-lethal" TNR advocates until it is explained to them this pet species is being inhumanely re-abandoned to murder our wildlife!
I've been blogging about this for several years total and am glad to see your concern. Thank you.
Feral cat causes havoc in Elgin
‘wild and dangerous’ animal needs to be caught, say residents
A FERAL cat is causing havoc in an Elgin neighbourhood, scratching residents and forcing them to keep their pet cats indoors to save on hefty vet bills.
The long-haired “scruffy beast” took a bite out of one domestic cat’s cheek, bit the paw of another, and clawed the arm of an 11-year-old boy who tried to pet it.
Its latest victim, 29-year-old Kevin Philip, was given a tetanus injection at Dr Gray’s Hospital on Sunday after the cat “sprung at him” in his Kingsmills garden, leaving a painful scratch across his chest. His mother, Moira Slater, said she was bitten on the leg by the same cat last year, and was left with a £65 vet’s bill after her own cat was attacked.
A FERAL cat is causing havoc in an Elgin neighbourhood, scratching residents and forcing them to keep their pet cats indoors to save on hefty vet bills.
The long-haired “scruffy beast” took a bite out of one domestic cat’s cheek, bit the paw of another, and clawed the arm of an 11-year-old boy who tried to pet it.
Its latest victim, 29-year-old Kevin Philip, was given a tetanus injection at Dr Gray’s Hospital on Sunday after the cat “sprung at him” in his Kingsmills garden, leaving a painful scratch across his chest. His mother, Moira Slater, said she was bitten on the leg by the same cat last year, and was left with a £65 vet’s bill after her own cat was attacked.
Film: Feral cat programs fail, hurt birds
My post:
The one basic fact many of you choose to ignore is the feral cat is a PET SPECIES and therefore has no place outdoors! Would you support poodle colonies? I doubt it. Would you support Pit Bull colonies? Heck no, you would not! Let's be responsible adults.
This is not an animal welfare problem, but a serious environmental issue!
The one basic fact many of you choose to ignore is the feral cat is a PET SPECIES and therefore has no place outdoors! Would you support poodle colonies? I doubt it. Would you support Pit Bull colonies? Heck no, you would not! Let's be responsible adults.
This is not an animal welfare problem, but a serious environmental issue!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
