Ornitthologists don't often capture the national imagination. But when Jim Stevenson shot a cat he'd seen stalking endangered birds, he hit a cultural nerve.
People magazine, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times dispatched reporters to interview the Galveston bird-watcher. They recounted in loving detail how, two years ago, he saw a gray-and-white tabby stalking piping plovers on the beach. After going home to check state law on feral cats, he drove his Galveston Ornithological Society van back to the beach and carefully aimed his .22.
A Galveston County grand jury indicted him on charges of animal cruelty, a felony. If convicted, he faced up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The case ended in a mistrial on Friday.
In court last week, the legal questions were narrow. Was the cat actually feral? And if it was a pet, should Stevenson have known that?
But the larger story raised larger questions. Are humans responsible for all animals, or just for our pets? In the age-old showdown between cats and birds, are we now obligated to take sides?
What makes a cat owner?
Mama Cat, the tabby in question, was part of a feline colony headquartered under the San Luis Pass toll bridge. An elderly toll collector, John Newland, fed the cats there and brought them bedding and toys.
According to press reports, Newland didn't take the cats home. He didn't have them vaccinated, and he spayed only the few he could catch. Galveston law prohibits cats on the beach, but the members of the colony roamed wherever they pleased.
Under Newland's care, the colony was growing. Some members were abandoned house cats, but most had been born there, near the bridge.
Newland gave them snuggly names — Mama Cat's colleagues included Precious and Cuddles — but the wild-born cats were anything but snuggly. In front of a Wall Street Journal reporter, when Newland bent to pick up a black cat named Maggie, she clawed his face, drawing blood. And Maggie, it should be noted, was among the tamer specimens, one who'd at least let Newland approach her.
Were the cats Newland's pets? To me, that seems dubious. Feeding and naming animals is sweet, but it's not the same as taking full responsibility for them.
So were the cats wild? They weren't fending entirely for themselves. But they don't seem domesticated, either. They seem somewhere in between.
Piping plovers. Sitting ducks.
The birds Stevenson loves exist in a similar gray area. Piping plovers fend for themselves, but they also need human protection.
In 1986, the little orange-legged shorebirds were named an endangered species in the Great Lakes region, where fewer and fewer were spending their summers. In Texas, where they winter, piping plovers are considered threatened. According to the Nature Conservancy, "the species remains in serious danger."
Some species thrive around human beings, but piping plovers aren't one of them. They nest right on the beach, where their sandy coloring makes them hard to spot. Without meaning to, beachwalkers and off-road drivers often squash plovers' nests and eggs.
But pets pose an even bigger threat. Plovers' original habitats didn't include cats and dogs, and the birds have lousy defenses against those nimble predators. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the American Bird Conservancy and the National Audubon Society have all expressed alarm over the threat feral cats pose to the birds.
Faced with a cat, a plover's first instinct is often to stay still, to depend on camouflage that doesn't protect it against a hunter with a keen nose. And if stillness doesn't work, instead of flying away, the 2-ounce bird might then stagger down the beach, faking a broken wing to distract the cat from its nest.
Even a slow cat can catch a staggering plover. And to the cat colony under the bridge, the plovers at San Luis Pass must have looked like a buffet.
Vigilante eco-justice
Stevenson considered shooting a feral cat to be practically a public service, a bit of volunteer wildlife management. He saw himself as controlling an invasive, non-native pest that was preying on an endangered species.
It was vigilante eco-justice, of course, and even in the name of biodiversity, you can't go around shooting cats on the beach — at least, not any more. Since September, a new Texas law protects all cats, both tame and wild.
In theory, laws also guarantee the safety of the plovers, too. Federal law protects threatened species, and Galveston doesn't allow cats on its beaches.
But cats are notorious scofflaws. They don't obey signs, and they don't worry about fines or felonies.
Enforcement is up to their owners. And if Mama Cat was John Newland's pet, then it was his job to control her.
Jim Stevenson was the animal lover on trial for his part in the San Luis Pass debacle. But he wasn't the only animal lover at fault.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
'Osprey cam' leads to rescue
It wasn't exactly like rescuing a cat from a tree for the Milford Fire Department, but it was close.
Or call him one lucky baby osprey. This bird's particular problem was first picked up by a Connecticut Audubon Society "osprey cam" watcher in Maryland.
"We do cats in trees, swans on ice. We take care of animals," said battalion chief Brad Ross. The fire department's rescue unit provided a ladder long enough Saturday afternoon to rescue a month-old osprey entangled in bubble wrap in its platform nest near Milford Point. "We got a call about bubble wrap stuck on one of the babies," Ross said of the 1 p.m. report. "We called in a ladder truck to bring in an extra long ladder, and it did the job. I didn't know you could see this bird from all over the world." Ken Elkins, director of education at the Connecticut Audubon Coastal Center at Milford Point, said he got a call from a Maryland resident who saw the bird's problem on the Internet. A small television camera shows real time activity on the nest both through a television monitor at the center and on the Internet LINK
"He said he tried e-mail in the inquiry but the mailbox was full," Elkins said. "We hear from people all the time who like to watch the nest on the Web." Ospreys are also called fish hawks and are slightly smaller than eagles. Like eagles, they were an endangered species in the 1950s and 1960s due to DDT spray causing fragile eggs to crack when females sat on them. But the birds have been making a comeback since DDT has been banned.
Two young birds on the osprey cam nest are being cared for by a mother and father osprey that circled nervously during the rescue operation but returned to them once it was over. "I ran back into our TV monitor and saw the problem," Elkins said. "The bird somehow got tangled in bubble wrap and kept falling every time he stepped on it. We weren't sure if he was being strangled but we had to do something." The center did not have a ladder long enough to reach the platform, so the fire department was called. The rescue operation consisted of two canoes from the center pulling a rubber Zodiac boat carrying the 20-foot ladder 100 yards out to the platform nest perched on a small island. Matt Hoyt, former CAS animal handler helping as a marsh canoe trip volunteer, climbed the ladder and cut off the offending wrap in several seconds, all covered the on the osprey cam TV monitor. "It was uneventful," said Hoyt, a science teacher at Wilton High School. "The bird was entangled and was exhausted by stepping on the wrap. It definitely looked relieved after I cut it." Frank Gallo, CAS coastal education director, said a dozen calls came into the center from Internet watchers, and he appreciated their concern. "We certainly thank the Milford Fire Department and the people who took the time to call," Gallo said.
LINK
Or call him one lucky baby osprey. This bird's particular problem was first picked up by a Connecticut Audubon Society "osprey cam" watcher in Maryland.
"We do cats in trees, swans on ice. We take care of animals," said battalion chief Brad Ross. The fire department's rescue unit provided a ladder long enough Saturday afternoon to rescue a month-old osprey entangled in bubble wrap in its platform nest near Milford Point. "We got a call about bubble wrap stuck on one of the babies," Ross said of the 1 p.m. report. "We called in a ladder truck to bring in an extra long ladder, and it did the job. I didn't know you could see this bird from all over the world." Ken Elkins, director of education at the Connecticut Audubon Coastal Center at Milford Point, said he got a call from a Maryland resident who saw the bird's problem on the Internet. A small television camera shows real time activity on the nest both through a television monitor at the center and on the Internet LINK
"He said he tried e-mail in the inquiry but the mailbox was full," Elkins said. "We hear from people all the time who like to watch the nest on the Web." Ospreys are also called fish hawks and are slightly smaller than eagles. Like eagles, they were an endangered species in the 1950s and 1960s due to DDT spray causing fragile eggs to crack when females sat on them. But the birds have been making a comeback since DDT has been banned.
Two young birds on the osprey cam nest are being cared for by a mother and father osprey that circled nervously during the rescue operation but returned to them once it was over. "I ran back into our TV monitor and saw the problem," Elkins said. "The bird somehow got tangled in bubble wrap and kept falling every time he stepped on it. We weren't sure if he was being strangled but we had to do something." The center did not have a ladder long enough to reach the platform, so the fire department was called. The rescue operation consisted of two canoes from the center pulling a rubber Zodiac boat carrying the 20-foot ladder 100 yards out to the platform nest perched on a small island. Matt Hoyt, former CAS animal handler helping as a marsh canoe trip volunteer, climbed the ladder and cut off the offending wrap in several seconds, all covered the on the osprey cam TV monitor. "It was uneventful," said Hoyt, a science teacher at Wilton High School. "The bird was entangled and was exhausted by stepping on the wrap. It definitely looked relieved after I cut it." Frank Gallo, CAS coastal education director, said a dozen calls came into the center from Internet watchers, and he appreciated their concern. "We certainly thank the Milford Fire Department and the people who took the time to call," Gallo said.
LINK
Cat predation normal? Not hardly!
There is nothing normal or natural about an alien domestic pet predating on our native birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians!
Cats could be scaring birds out of our cities
ARE cats frightening birds so much that they don't breed? Andy Beckerman and colleagues from the University of Sheffield, UK, think fear of cats may explain the ongoing fall in urban bird numbers.
Many accusatory fingers point to the cat, and in areas of high cat density, predation may indeed be the sole reason for the decline. It might not be cats' only effect, however. Beckerman's team built a model that took both kills and the fear factor into account, and found that apprehension could explain the decrease even where predation is low. A reduction of just one chick per breeding pair per year per cat can lead to a fall in bird numbers of up to 95 per cent (Animal Conservation, DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-1795.2007.00115.x).
"What's cool about the model is that with no mortality you still get a large decline through mechanisms of fear," says Beckerman.
LINK
Many accusatory fingers point to the cat, and in areas of high cat density, predation may indeed be the sole reason for the decline. It might not be cats' only effect, however. Beckerman's team built a model that took both kills and the fear factor into account, and found that apprehension could explain the decrease even where predation is low. A reduction of just one chick per breeding pair per year per cat can lead to a fall in bird numbers of up to 95 per cent (Animal Conservation, DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-1795.2007.00115.x).
"What's cool about the model is that with no mortality you still get a large decline through mechanisms of fear," says Beckerman.
LINK
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Feds to Cape May: Birds trump cats
I like this federal ruling! They set the priority as it should be.
CAPE MAY – The city must end its trap, neuter and release program for feral cats, and amend its ordinances to prevent people from feeding wild cats, city manager Luciano Corea told City Council Monday.
He said the city received a letter from the federal Fish and Wildlife Service requesting the change, out of the division’s concern that the cats impact the endangered and threatened birds that nest on Cape May’s beaches.
The city program is aimed at reducing the overall cat population. Cats are trapped, spayed or neutered and then re-released on private land where a resident has offered to feed them. Supporters say the program is a model for the state and has helped keep Cape May’s cats out of the county shelter system.
But Corea reported that the state is concerned about feral cat colonies along the beach. The cats are not a native species, and can kill or injure endangered birds, he said. The state has indicated that the city would be considered legally liable for any endangered bird injured or killed by a feral cat, Corea said.
Some members of the public and council members had concerns, however. Harry Bellangy said the city’s existing cat control program is a model for the state, and Councilwoman Linda Steenrod said it sounds as though many of the cats sent to the county shelter will face euthanasia.
“I think we need to look around for some alternative solution,” she said.
Mayor Jerome Inderwies said he wants animal control officer John Queenan to report to council at its next work session, which will not take place until the first Tuesday in August.
LINK
CAPE MAY – The city must end its trap, neuter and release program for feral cats, and amend its ordinances to prevent people from feeding wild cats, city manager Luciano Corea told City Council Monday.
He said the city received a letter from the federal Fish and Wildlife Service requesting the change, out of the division’s concern that the cats impact the endangered and threatened birds that nest on Cape May’s beaches.
The city program is aimed at reducing the overall cat population. Cats are trapped, spayed or neutered and then re-released on private land where a resident has offered to feed them. Supporters say the program is a model for the state and has helped keep Cape May’s cats out of the county shelter system.
But Corea reported that the state is concerned about feral cat colonies along the beach. The cats are not a native species, and can kill or injure endangered birds, he said. The state has indicated that the city would be considered legally liable for any endangered bird injured or killed by a feral cat, Corea said.
Some members of the public and council members had concerns, however. Harry Bellangy said the city’s existing cat control program is a model for the state, and Councilwoman Linda Steenrod said it sounds as though many of the cats sent to the county shelter will face euthanasia.
“I think we need to look around for some alternative solution,” she said.
Mayor Jerome Inderwies said he wants animal control officer John Queenan to report to council at its next work session, which will not take place until the first Tuesday in August.
LINK
Birds need help from cat owners
This writer knows how cats are!
As related last week, domestic and feral cats are a huge threat to wildlife species, even in urban and suburban areas.
While loss of habitat and fragmentation due to human development is the leading cause of declining bird populations, The American Bird Conservancy states that invasive species including cats are the second most serious threat to bird numbers worldwide.
A study in Wichita, Kansas found 83 percent of the 41 study cats in an urban area killed birds, despite owners often not being aware of the predation. In fact, a de-clawed cat killed more animals than any other cat in the study.
A four-year Wisconsin study estimated that rural, free-roaming cats kill at least 7.8 million birds (and perhaps as many as 217 million) birds a year in that state. Suburban and urban felines would add to that total.
I've got to believe most cat-lovers also appreciate wildlife. They just need to be aware that when they release Fluffy out into the yard, the cat's natural instincts kick in and he or she becomes a killing machine.
Unfortunately, cats and habitat loss are not the only things making nesting season a dangerous proposition and endangering bird populations.
The duck nest I mentioned last week? Well, either a cat or raccoon killed the hen (I observed both feeding on the carcass) and consumed the seven or more eggs in the nest in the process - literally the day after I wrote last week's column.
MORE
As related last week, domestic and feral cats are a huge threat to wildlife species, even in urban and suburban areas.
While loss of habitat and fragmentation due to human development is the leading cause of declining bird populations, The American Bird Conservancy states that invasive species including cats are the second most serious threat to bird numbers worldwide.
A study in Wichita, Kansas found 83 percent of the 41 study cats in an urban area killed birds, despite owners often not being aware of the predation. In fact, a de-clawed cat killed more animals than any other cat in the study.
A four-year Wisconsin study estimated that rural, free-roaming cats kill at least 7.8 million birds (and perhaps as many as 217 million) birds a year in that state. Suburban and urban felines would add to that total.
I've got to believe most cat-lovers also appreciate wildlife. They just need to be aware that when they release Fluffy out into the yard, the cat's natural instincts kick in and he or she becomes a killing machine.
Unfortunately, cats and habitat loss are not the only things making nesting season a dangerous proposition and endangering bird populations.
The duck nest I mentioned last week? Well, either a cat or raccoon killed the hen (I observed both feeding on the carcass) and consumed the seven or more eggs in the nest in the process - literally the day after I wrote last week's column.
MORE
A better idea for both cats and plovers: Trap, neuter, adopt
I Can't imagine all the cats will be adopted, but it's sheer murder to abandon them to kill again!
The conflict between cats and shorebirds in Cape May and in other communities along the Atlantic Coast does not have to end in tragedy for either species. We can save both cats and shorebirds.
The American Bird Conservancy has established that cats kill beach-nesting birds. The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife identified feral cats as the predominant piping-plover predator in developed shore communities like Cape May. At New York's Gateway National Recreation Area, one adult cat and five kittens were found with the remains of 17 common terns. In 2005, a feral cat killed three piping plovers in New Hampshire. Cats also destroy nests and cause nest abandonment and failure. Even well-fed cats hunt and kill.
MORE
The conflict between cats and shorebirds in Cape May and in other communities along the Atlantic Coast does not have to end in tragedy for either species. We can save both cats and shorebirds.
The American Bird Conservancy has established that cats kill beach-nesting birds. The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife identified feral cats as the predominant piping-plover predator in developed shore communities like Cape May. At New York's Gateway National Recreation Area, one adult cat and five kittens were found with the remains of 17 common terns. In 2005, a feral cat killed three piping plovers in New Hampshire. Cats also destroy nests and cause nest abandonment and failure. Even well-fed cats hunt and kill.
MORE
Cats freed in the country suffer
Picture this: A family moves to Sonoma County and it can’t find affordable housing that accepts pets. Dad decides to drive the family cat out to a Sonoma County country road to “set it free.” He’s not worried about Spreckles, the cat. This cat can take care of himself. Dad’s seen Spreckles catch gophers and birds. Lots of gophers and birds out there. No problem, right? Wrong.
It’s a big problem for Spreckles who, if not run over by a car, will likely starve to death, be savaged by raccoons or badgers, be poisoned, shot, or, so debilitated from her day-to-day struggle to survive, finally killed by diseases like feline leukemia. There’s a reason our pet cats are called “domestic” shorthairs, “domestic” longhairs. Most don’t have the hunting abilities or the cunning of their “wild” cousins and will not survive.
If Spreckles is really unlucky, she will get pregnant and give birth to dozens of kittens who will also suffer. Spreckles could have as many as three litters of kittens each year. Average litter size: six. The tragic equation is 18 new, abandoned lives per year. You see, our profile family never gave a thought to “fixing” Spreckles because kittens are so cute. And besides, children should see the miracle of birth, shouldn’t they? This family didn’t know more than 5,000 “excess” cats and dogs are killed in Sonoma County shelters each year. They didn’t realize spaying and neutering your pets saves lives.
MORE
It’s a big problem for Spreckles who, if not run over by a car, will likely starve to death, be savaged by raccoons or badgers, be poisoned, shot, or, so debilitated from her day-to-day struggle to survive, finally killed by diseases like feline leukemia. There’s a reason our pet cats are called “domestic” shorthairs, “domestic” longhairs. Most don’t have the hunting abilities or the cunning of their “wild” cousins and will not survive.
If Spreckles is really unlucky, she will get pregnant and give birth to dozens of kittens who will also suffer. Spreckles could have as many as three litters of kittens each year. Average litter size: six. The tragic equation is 18 new, abandoned lives per year. You see, our profile family never gave a thought to “fixing” Spreckles because kittens are so cute. And besides, children should see the miracle of birth, shouldn’t they? This family didn’t know more than 5,000 “excess” cats and dogs are killed in Sonoma County shelters each year. They didn’t realize spaying and neutering your pets saves lives.
MORE
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Golden Gate Park
So do tourists visit California to see the feral cats?
The arboretum harbors what may be San Francisco's last flock of California Quail. Once common throughout San Francisco's parklands, this bird has nearly been extirpated by feral cats that roam the city. The arboretum offers many other interesting plant communities. California native species (great for butterflies), redwood forest, dwarf conifers, and the succulent garden are but a few of the exhibits. The latter can be excellent for hummingbirds. Blooming eucalyptus trees in the area attract warblers, including the occasional American Redstart. A paved path going east from the Eugene Friend Gate can be productive too. If nothing else, the flowers will attract your attention. Rhododendrons are seldom out of bloom there.
LINK
The arboretum harbors what may be San Francisco's last flock of California Quail. Once common throughout San Francisco's parklands, this bird has nearly been extirpated by feral cats that roam the city. The arboretum offers many other interesting plant communities. California native species (great for butterflies), redwood forest, dwarf conifers, and the succulent garden are but a few of the exhibits. The latter can be excellent for hummingbirds. Blooming eucalyptus trees in the area attract warblers, including the occasional American Redstart. A paved path going east from the Eugene Friend Gate can be productive too. If nothing else, the flowers will attract your attention. Rhododendrons are seldom out of bloom there.
LINK
Keep Your Cats In-Doors
Here's another site asking you to:
Keep Your Cats In-Doors
I was feeling like getting some negative email so I thought I would mention a topic that gets some people a little catty: house cats as predators. It's kind of like the issue where some people think we need more assault weapons on the streets. But first, let me be clear, bad as the problem is, habitat loss is the number one factor driving down wildlife populations of all types and species. Cats are an important secondary issue, however, and there is a very simple solution that everyone can do: keep your cat in your house where it belongs.
Cats represent a super predator with a major impact. Hunting is instinctual and something they do even if well fed. Unlike wild predators, they have a steady source of food that they don't have to work to obtain. Because of that food resource, the fact that many people have multiple pets and cat ownership is widespread, the density of cat predators becomes much higher than the formerly natural environment where the predators are held in check by availability of prey. Also, many wild predators are constantly dealing with illness, injuries or parasites for which most domestic cats immediately receive care. All of these factors make domestic cats a much more effective predator.
MORE
Keep Your Cats In-Doors
I was feeling like getting some negative email so I thought I would mention a topic that gets some people a little catty: house cats as predators. It's kind of like the issue where some people think we need more assault weapons on the streets. But first, let me be clear, bad as the problem is, habitat loss is the number one factor driving down wildlife populations of all types and species. Cats are an important secondary issue, however, and there is a very simple solution that everyone can do: keep your cat in your house where it belongs.
Cats represent a super predator with a major impact. Hunting is instinctual and something they do even if well fed. Unlike wild predators, they have a steady source of food that they don't have to work to obtain. Because of that food resource, the fact that many people have multiple pets and cat ownership is widespread, the density of cat predators becomes much higher than the formerly natural environment where the predators are held in check by availability of prey. Also, many wild predators are constantly dealing with illness, injuries or parasites for which most domestic cats immediately receive care. All of these factors make domestic cats a much more effective predator.
MORE
Bottomlands project given $20,000 grant
ANGLETON — To help with the acquisition of land for Columbia Bottomlands, a $20,000 grant was donated by the winning team of the 11th annual Great Texas Birding Classic.
“The timing came together really well,” said Mike Lange, a wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “We’re hoping to add an additional 46 acres.”
The grant money was donated to the Bottomlands project by the Reliant Energy Environmental Partners, the first-prize-winning team of this year’s Great Texas Birding Classic, coordinated by the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory.
Money raised by the birding classic helps fund land protection efforts and public viewing enhancements down the Texas Gulf Coast, said Cecilia Riley, the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory’s executive director.
LINK
“The timing came together really well,” said Mike Lange, a wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “We’re hoping to add an additional 46 acres.”
The grant money was donated to the Bottomlands project by the Reliant Energy Environmental Partners, the first-prize-winning team of this year’s Great Texas Birding Classic, coordinated by the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory.
Money raised by the birding classic helps fund land protection efforts and public viewing enhancements down the Texas Gulf Coast, said Cecilia Riley, the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory’s executive director.
LINK
Florida investigating deaths of sea birds along east coast
HOBE SOUND -- State wildlife officials are investigating the deaths of scores of sea birds being found along Florida's east coast.
The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission has received reports of more than 200 dead or sick shearwaters found along beaches from Hobe Sound to Ponte Vedra Beach since the weekend, the agency said Tuesday.
Scientists are also finding numerous emaciated and dehydrated birds. Commission biologists are trying to determine the cause.
Preliminary findings indicate many of the birds died of starvation during migration, the agency said.
"As only one species appears to be affected and the sick and dead birds have similar symptoms, we believe the seabirds are suffering from the same ailment," said commission biologist Dan Wolf. "In 2005, a similar, but less severe shearwater die-off occurred."
No cause was determined for those deaths.
Shearwaters spend most of their lives far offshore at sea until they breed and need land to nest.
LINK
The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission has received reports of more than 200 dead or sick shearwaters found along beaches from Hobe Sound to Ponte Vedra Beach since the weekend, the agency said Tuesday.
Scientists are also finding numerous emaciated and dehydrated birds. Commission biologists are trying to determine the cause.
Preliminary findings indicate many of the birds died of starvation during migration, the agency said.
"As only one species appears to be affected and the sick and dead birds have similar symptoms, we believe the seabirds are suffering from the same ailment," said commission biologist Dan Wolf. "In 2005, a similar, but less severe shearwater die-off occurred."
No cause was determined for those deaths.
Shearwaters spend most of their lives far offshore at sea until they breed and need land to nest.
LINK
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Feral Cat Blues
Download this song, Birders and anyone who cares about our ecology!
Written and performed by Pamela Jo Hatley, accompanied by J. Steele Olmstead on harmonica. Inspired by Professor Tom Ankersen, University of Florida College of Law.
Feral Cat Blues
Pamela Jo Hatley, P.A. Attorney in Tampa Florida practicing environmental, land use and zoning, and real estate law.
Written and performed by Pamela Jo Hatley, accompanied by J. Steele Olmstead on harmonica. Inspired by Professor Tom Ankersen, University of Florida College of Law.
Feral Cat Blues
Pamela Jo Hatley, P.A. Attorney in Tampa Florida practicing environmental, land use and zoning, and real estate law.
GUIDELINES FOR REDUCING FERAL/STRAY CAT POPULATIONS
REASONS FOR FERAL/STRAY (henceforth referred to as feral) CAT CONTROL
1. Feral cats are animals that are no longer under human control, but live and reproduce in the wild, usually in close association with humans. Humans have neglected these animals, which live exposed to disease, hunger, weather and attack from dogs, humans or other cats and animals. Some of these cats may survive for several years before succumbing to starvation, disease, dogs, other animals or motor vehicles. Failure to prevent or control a feral cat population amounts to inhumane treatment of animals.
2. Feral cats can harbor and transmit a variety of fatal and non-fatal diseases to domestic cats and other pets. These diseases include rabies, plague, parasitic worms, external parasites such as fleas and mites, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline distemper or panleukopenia, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), and various bacterial infections.
3. Feral cats can also harbor and transmit fatal and non-fatal diseases to humans. These include rabies, plague, ringworm, internal and external parasites, toxoplasmosis, bartonellosis (formerly known as cat scratch fever), allergies to cat hair, and secondary bacterial infections from cat scratches and bites.
4. Feral cats living in close association with humans can also damage buildings, contaminate food supplies, and kill birds and other wildlife. Parasites such as fleas are often a problem in areas inhabited by feral cats.
LINK
1. Feral cats are animals that are no longer under human control, but live and reproduce in the wild, usually in close association with humans. Humans have neglected these animals, which live exposed to disease, hunger, weather and attack from dogs, humans or other cats and animals. Some of these cats may survive for several years before succumbing to starvation, disease, dogs, other animals or motor vehicles. Failure to prevent or control a feral cat population amounts to inhumane treatment of animals.
2. Feral cats can harbor and transmit a variety of fatal and non-fatal diseases to domestic cats and other pets. These diseases include rabies, plague, parasitic worms, external parasites such as fleas and mites, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline distemper or panleukopenia, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), and various bacterial infections.
3. Feral cats can also harbor and transmit fatal and non-fatal diseases to humans. These include rabies, plague, ringworm, internal and external parasites, toxoplasmosis, bartonellosis (formerly known as cat scratch fever), allergies to cat hair, and secondary bacterial infections from cat scratches and bites.
4. Feral cats living in close association with humans can also damage buildings, contaminate food supplies, and kill birds and other wildlife. Parasites such as fleas are often a problem in areas inhabited by feral cats.
LINK
Cats and Wildlife
The first intake of 2007 at Portland Audubon’s Wildlife Care Center was an adult female robin that had been caught by a cat. The cat’s distraught owner had rushed the robin over to Portland Audubon in the hope that we could repair her injuries. We treated the robin for shock, cleaned her wounds, placed her in an intensive care unit, and started her on a course of antibiotics. However, by the time we arrived the following morning, she was dead. A post-mortem exam revealed that she had suffered numerous puncture wounds and extensive internal injuries. Sadly, this is a story that will repeat itself more than a thousand times before the year is complete.
Cats account for nearly 40% of the animal intakes at our Wildlife Care Center, the number one cause of injury by a wide margin. This statistic includes animals wounded in direct attacks by cats, animals orphaned after cats have predated on their parents, and healthy youngsters removed from the wild by citizens concerned about imminent predation by cats. Cats are also the number one cause of mortality at our Center. Because of the trauma and infection associated with cat predation, animals injured in cat attacks have only a 16% chance of survival, less than a third of the survival rate of all other causes of injury combined. Wildlife rehabilitation centers across the state and the nation report very similar experiences and what we see is only the tip of the iceberg; numerous studies conservatively estimate that cat predation accounts for hundreds of millions of bird deaths each year.1
LINK
Cats account for nearly 40% of the animal intakes at our Wildlife Care Center, the number one cause of injury by a wide margin. This statistic includes animals wounded in direct attacks by cats, animals orphaned after cats have predated on their parents, and healthy youngsters removed from the wild by citizens concerned about imminent predation by cats. Cats are also the number one cause of mortality at our Center. Because of the trauma and infection associated with cat predation, animals injured in cat attacks have only a 16% chance of survival, less than a third of the survival rate of all other causes of injury combined. Wildlife rehabilitation centers across the state and the nation report very similar experiences and what we see is only the tip of the iceberg; numerous studies conservatively estimate that cat predation accounts for hundreds of millions of bird deaths each year.1
LINK
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Wineke: Global warming lets cats out of the bag
It wasn't enough, apparently, for the Cassandras of global warming to warn us that the glaciers are melting, the seas are rising and the grasslands are burning. We took all that in stride.
But, now, we are to believe global warming is causing an increase in the number of feral cats.
Pets Across America, a national pet adoption organization, reports a 30 percent increase in animal shelter intake of cats and kittens from 2005 to 2006.
"Cats are typically warm-weather, springtime breeders," says Kathy Warnick, the organization's president. "States that typically experience primarily longer and colder winters are now seeing shorter, warmer winters, leading to year-round breeding. Basically, there is no longer a reproduction lull with cat-breeding cycles and, unfortunately, it seems more people are bringing boxes of kittens into our agencies during the winters now."
LINK
But, now, we are to believe global warming is causing an increase in the number of feral cats.
Pets Across America, a national pet adoption organization, reports a 30 percent increase in animal shelter intake of cats and kittens from 2005 to 2006.
"Cats are typically warm-weather, springtime breeders," says Kathy Warnick, the organization's president. "States that typically experience primarily longer and colder winters are now seeing shorter, warmer winters, leading to year-round breeding. Basically, there is no longer a reproduction lull with cat-breeding cycles and, unfortunately, it seems more people are bringing boxes of kittens into our agencies during the winters now."
LINK
Protecting Cavity Nesters from Cats
Cats are natural born hunters. No one knows exactly how many birds are killed by cats each year, but estimates run in the hundreds of millions. One Michigan survey indicated on average a domestic cat killed between 0.7 and 1.4 birds per week. Next to habitat loss and fragmentation, cats are considered the most serious threat to songbird populations worldwide. In a few months, one feral cat can kill all the bluebirds you helped fledge in a year. Since some areas only have one or two pairs of nesting bluebirds, the loss of even one bird can have a real impact on local populations.
Some wildlife rehabbers find that #1 cause of admissions to their facilities is domestic and feral cat attacks. Well-fed cats will still kill birds and animals. A cat with a bell on its collar can stalk silently so the bell does not ring, and even if it did, a bird does not recognize the connection between a bell and a predator. A declawed cat can still climb, and one killed more animals than any other cat in a study in Kansas. A feral (wild, with no owner) cat that is neutered and released will continue to hunt and kill.
Cats can easily jump on top of a nestbox that is at least 5 feet high. Some can jump as high as 6 feet, and Keith Kridler heard a report of one that could jump 7 feet (especially off of a hard surface). A cat can use its curved claws to reach into the bird house and hook fledglings and nesting adults. An agile cat can leap into the air and catch a Tree Swallow dive bombing to protect its' nest.
More info at Sialis!
Some wildlife rehabbers find that #1 cause of admissions to their facilities is domestic and feral cat attacks. Well-fed cats will still kill birds and animals. A cat with a bell on its collar can stalk silently so the bell does not ring, and even if it did, a bird does not recognize the connection between a bell and a predator. A declawed cat can still climb, and one killed more animals than any other cat in a study in Kansas. A feral (wild, with no owner) cat that is neutered and released will continue to hunt and kill.
Cats can easily jump on top of a nestbox that is at least 5 feet high. Some can jump as high as 6 feet, and Keith Kridler heard a report of one that could jump 7 feet (especially off of a hard surface). A cat can use its curved claws to reach into the bird house and hook fledglings and nesting adults. An agile cat can leap into the air and catch a Tree Swallow dive bombing to protect its' nest.
More info at Sialis!
Residents on guard after attack by feral cats
Varsity House, a Moiliili apartment complex, has a warning sign posted on its laundry room door: "Warning: Humane Animal Trap in use on these premises."
The sign was visible outside the room where board members were meeting yesterday following an attack by a pack of feral cats on a woman and her dog the night before.
Resident Laurie Martin, who witnessed the attack, said feral cats are often fed outside Kirin Restaurant on South Beretania Street. The apartment and the restaurant are separated by a wall.
Using traps supplied by the Hawaiian Humane Society, Martin said tenants have trapped four or five cats in a week and a half.
On Wednesday night, Deena Frooman was walking with her dog to Star Market when both were attacked by five or six feral cats on the Kaialiu Street side of Kirin Restaurant. Frooman suffered a 7-inch-long scratch and claw punctures to her leg. Kekoa, her dog, suffered a punctured nose and scratches near his eye. An ambulance and police responded to the attack.
Linda Haller, director of shelter operations at the Hawaiian Humane Society, called the attack "highly unusual."
Kirin Restaurant manager David Ho said the cats, about 10 of them, do not live at the restaurant but come by about 5 p.m. when the employees are eating. He expressed surprise on hearing of the attack, saying: "Those cats are very timid. You make a gesture and they run like hell."
Link
The sign was visible outside the room where board members were meeting yesterday following an attack by a pack of feral cats on a woman and her dog the night before.
Resident Laurie Martin, who witnessed the attack, said feral cats are often fed outside Kirin Restaurant on South Beretania Street. The apartment and the restaurant are separated by a wall.
Using traps supplied by the Hawaiian Humane Society, Martin said tenants have trapped four or five cats in a week and a half.
On Wednesday night, Deena Frooman was walking with her dog to Star Market when both were attacked by five or six feral cats on the Kaialiu Street side of Kirin Restaurant. Frooman suffered a 7-inch-long scratch and claw punctures to her leg. Kekoa, her dog, suffered a punctured nose and scratches near his eye. An ambulance and police responded to the attack.
Linda Haller, director of shelter operations at the Hawaiian Humane Society, called the attack "highly unusual."
Kirin Restaurant manager David Ho said the cats, about 10 of them, do not live at the restaurant but come by about 5 p.m. when the employees are eating. He expressed surprise on hearing of the attack, saying: "Those cats are very timid. You make a gesture and they run like hell."
Link
Cape May forced to choose: Cats or plovers
City officials may have to choose between endangered beach-nesting shorebirds or the feral cats that have found a loving home here.
That was the choice presented to City Council on Monday afternoon by City Manager Lou Corea.
The issue, according to Corea, has arisen because the federal government does not want the city to support feral-cat colonies anymore. The concern is that wild cats can kill shorebirds, including the endangered piping plover.
The city has an ordinance prohibiting the feeding of wildlife, except wild cats. The city traditionally has supported the cats with placement of “cat shelters” around town. There is even a program, dubbed TNR, to trap, neuter and release wild cats so they can't reproduce, giving them a healthier life in the wild.
In 2003, when council approved the placement of 10 shelters around town, the city estimated there were about 500 wild cats. While people feed them, there is also plenty to eat in a town of gourmet restaurants, fishing docks and soft-hearted animal lovers.
link
That was the choice presented to City Council on Monday afternoon by City Manager Lou Corea.
The issue, according to Corea, has arisen because the federal government does not want the city to support feral-cat colonies anymore. The concern is that wild cats can kill shorebirds, including the endangered piping plover.
The city has an ordinance prohibiting the feeding of wildlife, except wild cats. The city traditionally has supported the cats with placement of “cat shelters” around town. There is even a program, dubbed TNR, to trap, neuter and release wild cats so they can't reproduce, giving them a healthier life in the wild.
In 2003, when council approved the placement of 10 shelters around town, the city estimated there were about 500 wild cats. While people feed them, there is also plenty to eat in a town of gourmet restaurants, fishing docks and soft-hearted animal lovers.
link
Friday, June 15, 2007
Cats a threat to Playboy bunnies
The controversy between the rabbits and cats arose earlier this month after the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key announced plans to capture the cats for the first time in its history.
In 2000, they estimated 100-300 Hefner rabbits roamed the refuge. It is unclear exactly how many remain, though the number appears to have plummeted.
A study from the late 1990s found that predators killed 53 percent of Hefner rabbits. Though some are natural predators, including snakes, alligators and birds of prey, the majority were feral cats.
Biologist Paige Schmidt said she's never seen a rabbit in her research because they're so rare. But she's seen plenty of cats.
"The decline of the rabbits is so severe, " Schmidt said. "They have suffered a lot recently. That's why we're trying to recover the population using any means that we have available."
A rare rabbit
The Hefner rabbits evolved about 10, 000 years ago as a subspecies of the marsh rabbit found in mainland Florida, after the sea level dropped and isolated the Keys, Morkill said. That means the rabbits are found nowhere else in the world.
Link
In 2000, they estimated 100-300 Hefner rabbits roamed the refuge. It is unclear exactly how many remain, though the number appears to have plummeted.
A study from the late 1990s found that predators killed 53 percent of Hefner rabbits. Though some are natural predators, including snakes, alligators and birds of prey, the majority were feral cats.
Biologist Paige Schmidt said she's never seen a rabbit in her research because they're so rare. But she's seen plenty of cats.
"The decline of the rabbits is so severe, " Schmidt said. "They have suffered a lot recently. That's why we're trying to recover the population using any means that we have available."
A rare rabbit
The Hefner rabbits evolved about 10, 000 years ago as a subspecies of the marsh rabbit found in mainland Florida, after the sea level dropped and isolated the Keys, Morkill said. That means the rabbits are found nowhere else in the world.
Link
Cats are cute -- but not in the park
While we understand Sonya Ferguson's sympathies for feral cats running loose in Wayside Park, the City of Gulf Breeze is doing the right thing in removing them.
Ferguson and other cat lovers should take advantage of the city's offer to let them try to find homes for the cats, if possible, as an alternative to putting them down at the Escambia County Animal Shelter.
While we understand why Ferguson and other cat lovers hope to save the animals, their sympathy for the cats is detrimental to other wildlife -- especially songbirds.
The group Neighborhood Cats (www.neighborhoodcats.org) says few feral cats depend solely on hunting for their food. But research shows that even fully domesticated cats, fed by their owners, still kill birds.
Researchers estimate free-ranging cats -- both feral and domestic -- kill hundreds of millions of birds a year nationally. University of Wisconsin researchers estimated almost 20 million birds a year are killed in that state alone.
Ferguson and other cat lovers should take advantage of the city's offer to let them try to find homes for the cats, if possible, as an alternative to putting them down at the Escambia County Animal Shelter.
While we understand why Ferguson and other cat lovers hope to save the animals, their sympathy for the cats is detrimental to other wildlife -- especially songbirds.
The group Neighborhood Cats (www.neighborhoodcats.org) says few feral cats depend solely on hunting for their food. But research shows that even fully domesticated cats, fed by their owners, still kill birds.
Researchers estimate free-ranging cats -- both feral and domestic -- kill hundreds of millions of birds a year nationally. University of Wisconsin researchers estimated almost 20 million birds a year are killed in that state alone.
Audubon: Common backyard birds becoming less common
Some of the most common birds seen and heard in American back yards are becoming a less frequent sight and sound in much of the United States, according to a study released by the National Audubon Society.
Twenty common birds -- including the northern bobwhite, the field sparrow and the boreal chickadee -- have lost more than half their populations in the past 40 years, according to the society's research.
"These populations are not yet on the endangered species list, but it is noteworthy, and we need to take steps to protect their habitat," said Carol Browner, Audubon chair and former Environmental Protection Agency administrator.
And like the proverbial canary in the coal mine, the health of a region's bird population is often a harbinger of the health of other wildlife and of human populations as well.
"The focus isn't really on what's happening to these 20 birds, but what's happening to their environment," said Greg Butcher, the society's conservation director.
Link
Twenty common birds -- including the northern bobwhite, the field sparrow and the boreal chickadee -- have lost more than half their populations in the past 40 years, according to the society's research.
"These populations are not yet on the endangered species list, but it is noteworthy, and we need to take steps to protect their habitat," said Carol Browner, Audubon chair and former Environmental Protection Agency administrator.
And like the proverbial canary in the coal mine, the health of a region's bird population is often a harbinger of the health of other wildlife and of human populations as well.
"The focus isn't really on what's happening to these 20 birds, but what's happening to their environment," said Greg Butcher, the society's conservation director.
Link
Monday, May 7, 2007
National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (NWRA)
Another fine organization we are proud to link to! National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (NWRA)
My reply to a TNR enthusiast
Trapping, neutering, and releasing cats to kill more birds is ignorance gone to seed. It has been proven the number of cats will increase to the available food level. They are not territorial and will do nothing to deter the abandonment of more cats. What is needed is support for a vigorous campaign of euthanasia to eliminate the cat problem, not perpetuate it!
What's killing the songbirds?
A York University professor’s new book is raising the alarm about an environmental crisis that threatens our forests and the battle against global warming.
In Silence of the Songbirds, biologist Bridget Stutchbury (left) argues that songbirds are disappearing from our skies – an environmental danger sign equivalent to canaries in a coal mine.
"We’ve lost nearly half the birds that filled our skies just 40 years ago," says Stutchbury, who is York's Canada Research Chair in Ecology and Conservation. "This is not just an endangered species problem. What we’re facing is a severe loss of ecosystem that comes with removing millions of birds from our forests each year."
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of American environmentalist and author Rachel Carson, whose 1962 book Silent Spring first warned of the dangers of the pesticide, its detrimental impact on the world’s bird population and its threat to human health. Stutchbury has devoted decades to the study of migratory songbirds and how their habitats are linked with our ecological well-being. Her book details the 10,000-kilometre migratory journey of songbirds from Canada to South America and highlights the environmental threats faced by songbirds. She illustrates that little has changed since 1962.
LINK
In Silence of the Songbirds, biologist Bridget Stutchbury (left) argues that songbirds are disappearing from our skies – an environmental danger sign equivalent to canaries in a coal mine.
"We’ve lost nearly half the birds that filled our skies just 40 years ago," says Stutchbury, who is York's Canada Research Chair in Ecology and Conservation. "This is not just an endangered species problem. What we’re facing is a severe loss of ecosystem that comes with removing millions of birds from our forests each year."
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of American environmentalist and author Rachel Carson, whose 1962 book Silent Spring first warned of the dangers of the pesticide, its detrimental impact on the world’s bird population and its threat to human health. Stutchbury has devoted decades to the study of migratory songbirds and how their habitats are linked with our ecological well-being. Her book details the 10,000-kilometre migratory journey of songbirds from Canada to South America and highlights the environmental threats faced by songbirds. She illustrates that little has changed since 1962.
LINK
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Feral Cat Attacks Woman, Golfer At Park
A Jacksonville woman was at a park in Arlington when she was scratched, clawed and bitten, by a cat, according to police.
The Blue Cypress Park is usually a place where there are kids playing, people golfing and others enjoying the outdoors. However, a woman said what she found near the park drinking fountain was a combative cat.
The victim didn't want to talk about the attack on camera, but Mike Breen was also at the park on Monday and said he saw the feline.
"It was just acting a little abnormal," Breen said.
The woman near the drinking fountain was not the only person who had a run-in with the cat Monday. On the other side of the park, the feral cat also scratched a golfer.
LINK
The Blue Cypress Park is usually a place where there are kids playing, people golfing and others enjoying the outdoors. However, a woman said what she found near the park drinking fountain was a combative cat.
The victim didn't want to talk about the attack on camera, but Mike Breen was also at the park on Monday and said he saw the feline.
"It was just acting a little abnormal," Breen said.
The woman near the drinking fountain was not the only person who had a run-in with the cat Monday. On the other side of the park, the feral cat also scratched a golfer.
LINK
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Once again, Mr. John L. Trapp has given us the honor of including our blog in his blogrolling at Birds Etcetera—Birds, Birding, Birders, and Birdwatching We appreciate his continued support and return it whole heartedly.
Feral cat program doesn't really work
Editor, the Record:
How sad. According to an April 20 story, local Girl Scouts are learning at a young age that re-abandoning a domestic companion animal to the wild is OK. We need to teach our children real responsibility and humanity towards animals, but that is not the essence of Trap/Neuter/Release.
TNR is a misguided attempt at controlling overpopulation that results in environmental irresponsibility, the mortality of native wildlife, and miserable living conditions and tragic deaths for cats. Teaching them about TNR no doubt will also convey the message that emotion and not science should be their guide in life.
MORE
How sad. According to an April 20 story, local Girl Scouts are learning at a young age that re-abandoning a domestic companion animal to the wild is OK. We need to teach our children real responsibility and humanity towards animals, but that is not the essence of Trap/Neuter/Release.
TNR is a misguided attempt at controlling overpopulation that results in environmental irresponsibility, the mortality of native wildlife, and miserable living conditions and tragic deaths for cats. Teaching them about TNR no doubt will also convey the message that emotion and not science should be their guide in life.
MORE
Hummer Nest '05
Monday, April 23, 2007
A letter to an editor
Jim Stevenson, the founder of the Galveston Ornithological Society, was indicted in the shooting death of a feral cat at San Luis Pass. Stevenson has stated that feral cats on the isle’s West End are a danger to bird populations.
What Has Happened To Our Animal Priorities?
We would also like to contribute to Jim Stevenson’s defense.
About 30 years ago, our house was on a dead-end street, and there were a lot of feral cats in the pastures around our house.
One of our daughters, a toddler of 4 years, was playing in a room that we were adding on to our house.
We were not aware that one of the feral cats had gotten into this room. All of a sudden, I heard this awful screaming. The cat had our daughter’s little hand in its mouth and would not let go of her.
Our daughter was deathly sick for about one week. She could not walk, her entire body was swollen, she had fever and she was on antibiotics.
On the way to the hospital in her little voice, she asked: “Am I going to die?”
Needless to say, the next day, we dug a deep hole, my husband got the shotgun and we killed about 10 feral cats in the pasture.
We are not animal haters; we just believe you should have a right and obligation to protect your own children.
I guess in this day and time, we’d be arrested and go to prison?
Feral cats are mean and dangerous animals. What has happened to our society? Where are your priorities?
Gladys S. Haak Santa Fe
LINK
What Has Happened To Our Animal Priorities?
We would also like to contribute to Jim Stevenson’s defense.
About 30 years ago, our house was on a dead-end street, and there were a lot of feral cats in the pastures around our house.
One of our daughters, a toddler of 4 years, was playing in a room that we were adding on to our house.
We were not aware that one of the feral cats had gotten into this room. All of a sudden, I heard this awful screaming. The cat had our daughter’s little hand in its mouth and would not let go of her.
Our daughter was deathly sick for about one week. She could not walk, her entire body was swollen, she had fever and she was on antibiotics.
On the way to the hospital in her little voice, she asked: “Am I going to die?”
Needless to say, the next day, we dug a deep hole, my husband got the shotgun and we killed about 10 feral cats in the pasture.
We are not animal haters; we just believe you should have a right and obligation to protect your own children.
I guess in this day and time, we’d be arrested and go to prison?
Feral cats are mean and dangerous animals. What has happened to our society? Where are your priorities?
Gladys S. Haak Santa Fe
LINK
Cats not the mascot, but they're all over
A&M-CC and city dealing with feral animal problems
Some of Tavia Young's unwelcome neighbors have moved on.
But the 20-year-old Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi student is greeted by the same three or four cats roaming around her on-campus student apartment in the evenings.
"They are always there," said the communications major from Palacios, about 50 miles east of Victoria. "Last year, there were tons - all the time."
LINK
Some of Tavia Young's unwelcome neighbors have moved on.
But the 20-year-old Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi student is greeted by the same three or four cats roaming around her on-campus student apartment in the evenings.
"They are always there," said the communications major from Palacios, about 50 miles east of Victoria. "Last year, there were tons - all the time."
LINK
Thursday, April 19, 2007
"Cats kill birds. It's what they do."
I ran across another blog with a flame war going on about feral cats. I've done my share of verbal and written fighting on the subject, but managed to avoid that particular war. I'll only say here the experts... (and by "experts" I'm not refering to the TNR enthusiasts) expert biologists will tell you domestic cats are killing machines. They have no more a niche in our ecology than do Burmese Pythons.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Walla Walla tries to get at feral cat problem
Unfixed felines are banned from prowling outdoors here under a kitty curfew aimed at curbing the feral cat population.
The curfew, enacted last month by the City Council, applies to cats 4 months and older. It also prohibits leaving pet food outdoors overnight.
Violators can be fined up to $500, and three citations could lead to a larger fine or even jail time, City Attorney Tim Donaldson said. The city's animal control officer also can seize at-large cats, he said.
LINK
The curfew, enacted last month by the City Council, applies to cats 4 months and older. It also prohibits leaving pet food outdoors overnight.
Violators can be fined up to $500, and three citations could lead to a larger fine or even jail time, City Attorney Tim Donaldson said. The city's animal control officer also can seize at-large cats, he said.
LINK
City May Change Feral Cat Laws
Let's hope they put some bite in their laws!
OMAHA, Neb. -- Omaha's City Council is considering a change in the way the city deals with feral cats.
On Tuesday, an ordinance proposed by Councilman Chuck Sigerson was discussed. It would require people who take in feral or stray cats to identify them, put tags on them and have them vaccinated against rabies.
If passed, the ordinance would also require people who take care of large numbers of feral cats to get a permit.
"What we're trying to do is in the name of public safety to reduce the wild -- that is, feral -- cat populace, while those who choose to take care of these animals shall have to take some responsibility," Sigerson said.
The ordinance could come to a final vote within two weeks.
LINK
OMAHA, Neb. -- Omaha's City Council is considering a change in the way the city deals with feral cats.
On Tuesday, an ordinance proposed by Councilman Chuck Sigerson was discussed. It would require people who take in feral or stray cats to identify them, put tags on them and have them vaccinated against rabies.
If passed, the ordinance would also require people who take care of large numbers of feral cats to get a permit.
"What we're trying to do is in the name of public safety to reduce the wild -- that is, feral -- cat populace, while those who choose to take care of these animals shall have to take some responsibility," Sigerson said.
The ordinance could come to a final vote within two weeks.
LINK
Friday, April 13, 2007
Cat, plover camps 'compromise"™
I will be adversarial to cats as long as they are killing birds!
Wildlife officials protecting an endangered shore bird and a rescue league that feeds wild cats are working together this year to keep predator and prey apart.
Starting this week, the U.S. Department of the Interior, working with state Fish and Game, will trap cats in Hampton Beach State Park and release them to Seacoast Area Feline Education and Rescue (SAFER).
The "catch and release" policy comes just in time to welcome the endangered piping plover back to Hampton and Seabrook beaches.
LINK
Wildlife officials protecting an endangered shore bird and a rescue league that feeds wild cats are working together this year to keep predator and prey apart.
Starting this week, the U.S. Department of the Interior, working with state Fish and Game, will trap cats in Hampton Beach State Park and release them to Seacoast Area Feline Education and Rescue (SAFER).
The "catch and release" policy comes just in time to welcome the endangered piping plover back to Hampton and Seabrook beaches.
LINK
Grand jury indicts bird lover in cat's death
Stevenson discussed the hours before his arrest after his release in November. His account appeared on the Texbirds online message board.
He wrote that, the night before his arrest, he saw a feral cat on the West End “creeping up on three snowy and two piping plovers, and several sanderlings.”
Stevenson wrote that he tried unsuccessfully to capture the cat. However, the next morning, he saw it and several other cats in the area, making him concerned for endangered and threatened birds whose habitat lies near the isle’s western tip.
LINK
He wrote that, the night before his arrest, he saw a feral cat on the West End “creeping up on three snowy and two piping plovers, and several sanderlings.”
Stevenson wrote that he tried unsuccessfully to capture the cat. However, the next morning, he saw it and several other cats in the area, making him concerned for endangered and threatened birds whose habitat lies near the isle’s western tip.
LINK
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Palm Bay man treated for rabies from cat
A man bitten by a stray cat while working in his yard underwent the first in a series of shots Wednesday, after health officials confirmed that the feral feline had rabies.
The Brevard County Health Department also issued a warning Wednesday to residents living in the Scodella Street area of southwest Palm Bay, where the cat roamed.
The incident occurred Tuesday as the unidentified man, who also cares for a number of cats in his home, cleared a lot, health department officials said.
"It was a stray cat that came up to the man while he was working outside. The cat hugged his leg and was scratching him," said Dr. Heidar Heshmati, director of the health
department.
"When he reached down to grab the cat, he was bitten on the right thumb," Heshmati said.
LINK
The Brevard County Health Department also issued a warning Wednesday to residents living in the Scodella Street area of southwest Palm Bay, where the cat roamed.
The incident occurred Tuesday as the unidentified man, who also cares for a number of cats in his home, cleared a lot, health department officials said.
"It was a stray cat that came up to the man while he was working outside. The cat hugged his leg and was scratching him," said Dr. Heidar Heshmati, director of the health
department.
"When he reached down to grab the cat, he was bitten on the right thumb," Heshmati said.
LINK
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Cats showing up at wildlife refuge
Officials think owners are dropping off unwanted pets
The boat landing at the bridges to Hilton Head Island has become a dumping ground for unwanted cats, say wildlife officials, who fear the felines could threaten the bird population at Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge.
The Hilton Head Humane Association is attempting to relocate the feral cats, but it’s having a hard time trapping them because someone is giving them food and water, said Franny Gerthoffer, the association’s executive director.
To combat the problem, officials with Savannah Coastal Refuges say anyone caught releasing cats at the refuge will face fines. Jane Griess, a project leader for the coastal refuge, says the cats pose a threat to painted buntings and other birds nesting on the island.
Griess said people should stop leaving food and water for the cats.
“We’re not trying to be the bad guy here at all,” Griess said, “but there are some places that are appropriate for cats, and a national wildlife refuge is not that place.”
LINK
The boat landing at the bridges to Hilton Head Island has become a dumping ground for unwanted cats, say wildlife officials, who fear the felines could threaten the bird population at Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge.
The Hilton Head Humane Association is attempting to relocate the feral cats, but it’s having a hard time trapping them because someone is giving them food and water, said Franny Gerthoffer, the association’s executive director.
To combat the problem, officials with Savannah Coastal Refuges say anyone caught releasing cats at the refuge will face fines. Jane Griess, a project leader for the coastal refuge, says the cats pose a threat to painted buntings and other birds nesting on the island.
Griess said people should stop leaving food and water for the cats.
“We’re not trying to be the bad guy here at all,” Griess said, “but there are some places that are appropriate for cats, and a national wildlife refuge is not that place.”
LINK
Official: Feeding Feral Cats Is Not the Answer
Bill Tinsley, Lakeland's parks and recreation director, seemed surprised this week to learn of Lusby's longtime practice of feeding cats living in Lake Parker Park. Though he understands Lusby's affection for the animals, Tinsley said feeding the cats only creates further problems.
"We certainly do not encourage the establishment or maintaining of a domestic or exotic animal population in a public park," Tinsley said. "There are lots of reasons why they shouldn't be fostered in that public space. I love animals as much as anybody, but you have to do what's responsible for the animals."
Tinsley supports the capture of feral cats to be sterilized, but he said they shouldn't be returned to the park, where their presence might spur irresponsible owners to release more cats and perpetuate the cycle. He cited concerns about diseases and the cats' killing of native wildlife.
MORE
"We certainly do not encourage the establishment or maintaining of a domestic or exotic animal population in a public park," Tinsley said. "There are lots of reasons why they shouldn't be fostered in that public space. I love animals as much as anybody, but you have to do what's responsible for the animals."
Tinsley supports the capture of feral cats to be sterilized, but he said they shouldn't be returned to the park, where their presence might spur irresponsible owners to release more cats and perpetuate the cycle. He cited concerns about diseases and the cats' killing of native wildlife.
MORE
Friday, March 16, 2007
Adopt THIS loving cat!
What is it about this cat that makes him deserving of support while he kills our natural wildlife, and urinates and defecates on our property?
Adopt THIS loving cat!
Adopt THIS loving cat!
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Feral Cat Information
Unfortunately, most cats in a colony are feral and have never been touched by a human and would not adjust to living in someone's home. In fact, trying to place a feral cat can be extremely dangerous for the new owner and the cat. A conscientious adoption program will not accept feral cats for adoption.
Relocation of feral cats is extremely inhumane. Relocation amounts to double abandonment. These animals were abandoned once in their lives and now they are being abandoned again. There is no place to take them that doesn't already have a feral cat problem. Relocated cats are at extreme risk of injury and starvation; they don't know where to find safe shelter or food; they are almost never accepted into the existing colony; and they will spend the remainder of their lives as outsiders without the benefit of social interactions with the existing colony.
Feeding and encouraging stray, abandoned, or feral cats without offering shelter, sterilization, and preventive health care is irresponsible. These animals will rely on the food source you provide and you could find yourself host to numerous cats. If these cats are not sterilized and vaccinated against disease, particularly rabies, the problem will continue to grow. Litters of kittens will be born and those that survive will be unsocialized and wild. Distemper, feline leukemia, and other feline diseases will pass between the cats and probably cause a few to suffer and die. The cats can also pass these diseases to yours or your neighbor's pets.
LINK
Relocation of feral cats is extremely inhumane. Relocation amounts to double abandonment. These animals were abandoned once in their lives and now they are being abandoned again. There is no place to take them that doesn't already have a feral cat problem. Relocated cats are at extreme risk of injury and starvation; they don't know where to find safe shelter or food; they are almost never accepted into the existing colony; and they will spend the remainder of their lives as outsiders without the benefit of social interactions with the existing colony.
Feeding and encouraging stray, abandoned, or feral cats without offering shelter, sterilization, and preventive health care is irresponsible. These animals will rely on the food source you provide and you could find yourself host to numerous cats. If these cats are not sterilized and vaccinated against disease, particularly rabies, the problem will continue to grow. Litters of kittens will be born and those that survive will be unsocialized and wild. Distemper, feline leukemia, and other feline diseases will pass between the cats and probably cause a few to suffer and die. The cats can also pass these diseases to yours or your neighbor's pets.
LINK
Alien Predators Are More Dangerous Than Native Predators
Introduced predators such as foxes and cats are twice as deadly as native predators to Australia's unique native animals, a new study has found.
The new finding, published this week in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, is the first confirmation of what has been a long-held hypothesis among scientists.
It also highlights the heavy continuing impact of these predators long after their introduction and that Australia's fauna has been among the hardest hit in the world.
Experts believe that introduced "alien" predators are more dangerous than native predators because their prey, such as numbats and bettongs, are naïve to the hunting tactics of alien predators.
LINK
The new finding, published this week in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, is the first confirmation of what has been a long-held hypothesis among scientists.
It also highlights the heavy continuing impact of these predators long after their introduction and that Australia's fauna has been among the hardest hit in the world.
Experts believe that introduced "alien" predators are more dangerous than native predators because their prey, such as numbats and bettongs, are naïve to the hunting tactics of alien predators.
LINK
Maui man, 74, saves seabird colony
For most of his 74 years, Isao Nakagawa considered Hawea Point in Kapalua as simply a good place to catch bait fish, not as nesting habitat for wedge-tailed shearwaters.
Then, about seven years ago, he discovered the aftermath of a massacre at the dwindling seabird colony.
"One day I found 22 dead birds. That really got me. I couldn't stand it," said Nakagawa, a retired shop supervisor for Maui Land & Pineapple Co.'s Honolua plantation.
The marauders were cats or dogs, and Nakagawa was moved to launched a one-man campaign to remove predators from the area and protect the shearwaters, which spend most of their lives on the open ocean, coming ashore in late March and April to nest in burrows in the sandy soil and rocky crevices, and between the roots of ironwood trees.
LINK
Then, about seven years ago, he discovered the aftermath of a massacre at the dwindling seabird colony.
"One day I found 22 dead birds. That really got me. I couldn't stand it," said Nakagawa, a retired shop supervisor for Maui Land & Pineapple Co.'s Honolua plantation.
The marauders were cats or dogs, and Nakagawa was moved to launched a one-man campaign to remove predators from the area and protect the shearwaters, which spend most of their lives on the open ocean, coming ashore in late March and April to nest in burrows in the sandy soil and rocky crevices, and between the roots of ironwood trees.
LINK
Monday, March 12, 2007
Mandatory spay/neuter bill upsets dog, cat breeders
The pet breeders are concerned for their profits, but this may help protect our wildlife. I think it may be a good start.
Breeders of domestic pets are howling mad over a bill that would require all dogs and cats in California to be spayed or neutered unless they are registered purebreds and have special, government-issued permits.
The main goal of AB1634 is to combat the overpopulation of stray pets -- a problem that forces cities like Los Angeles to spend millions of dollars to expand and build new animal shelters, said the bill's author, Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys. Shelters euthanize nearly half a million dogs and cats every year, he said.
"We simply have a huge problem in the state with pet overpopulation," Levine said. "I can't tell you how many people have complained to me about cats defecating in their yards, flowerbeds ... and in sandboxes where kids play. It's a huge public safety and public health issue."
LINK
Breeders of domestic pets are howling mad over a bill that would require all dogs and cats in California to be spayed or neutered unless they are registered purebreds and have special, government-issued permits.
The main goal of AB1634 is to combat the overpopulation of stray pets -- a problem that forces cities like Los Angeles to spend millions of dollars to expand and build new animal shelters, said the bill's author, Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys. Shelters euthanize nearly half a million dogs and cats every year, he said.
"We simply have a huge problem in the state with pet overpopulation," Levine said. "I can't tell you how many people have complained to me about cats defecating in their yards, flowerbeds ... and in sandboxes where kids play. It's a huge public safety and public health issue."
LINK
Food For Ferals: Neri Cares For Cats Others Ignore
We don't ignore those cats. We know they are out there killing our wildlife, and defecating and spraying on our property!
I try to get him to give me more complete answer but “I just feel compelled” is the best I can get. Neri has spent an incredible amount of his time and money caring for what most people consider pests and a nuisance. He obviously enjoys it, but he also does it with the air of someone who doesn’t feel he has a choice.
LINK
I try to get him to give me more complete answer but “I just feel compelled” is the best I can get. Neri has spent an incredible amount of his time and money caring for what most people consider pests and a nuisance. He obviously enjoys it, but he also does it with the air of someone who doesn’t feel he has a choice.
LINK
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