Don't Shoot The Cat

[Floydian1]

http://www.dontshootthecat.com/

Firefighter seeks law legalizing hunting of stray cats

Associated Press
Mar. 7, 2005 10:26 AM

MADISON, Wis. - Hunter Mark Smith welcomes wild birds on to his property, but if he sees a cat, he thinks the "invasive" animal should be considered fair game.

The 48-year-old firefighter from La Crosse has proposed that hunters in Wisconsin make free-roaming domestic cats an "unprotected species" that could be shot at will by anyone with a small-game license.

His proposal will be placed before hunters on April 11 at the Wisconsin Conservation Congress spring hearings in each of the state's 72 counties.

"I get up in the morning and if there's new snow, there's cat tracks under my bird feeder ... I look at them as an invasive species, plain and simple," Smith said.

Smith's proposal has horrified cat lovers, but is seen by others as a way to stop cats from killing wild birds.

University of Wisconsin-Madison wildlife ecology professor Stanley Temple, who trapped more than 100 cats and analyzed their stomach contents during a four-year study, has estimated that between 7.8 million and 219 million birds are killed by rural cats in Wisconsin each year.

"It's obviously a very controversial proposal," Temple said, but added, "I think there really is a basis for having a debate about it."

The Conservation Congress is a five-member elected body whose duty is to advise the Department of Natural Resources and the Legislature on natural resources issues.

DNR attorney Tim Andryk said the vote would simply be "an advisory recommendation" to state lawmakers.

"We (the DNR) don't have authority to regulate domestic animals. Legislation would have to be passed to accomplish this," Andryk said. "You might also have to amend laws relating to abuse of domestic animals."

But Temple said he thinks legislation is not needed. He said the department does have the authority to declare rural cats an unprotected species - because unclaimed cats can be considered non-native wildlife species like house mice, Norway rats, pigeons and starlings.

"If they are not a pet, if somebody doesn't claim ownership, they become a non-native wildlife species and not entitled to protection by the state," he said.

Cat enthusiasts Cheryl Balazs, Ted O'Donnell and Adam Bauknecht are trying to organize opposition to Smith's proposal. O'Donnell, a co-owner of MadCat Pet Supplies, recently set up a Web site, dontshootthecat.com, to inform people about it.

O'Donnell said Smith's proposal "is a callous response" to the problem of cats preying on wild birds.

"There's more humane solutions," he said. "We as citizens should step up and solve the problem humanely."

Sheri Carr, senior humane officer at the Dane County Humane Society, said the group has not yet taken a position on the proposal, but wants cat owners to abide by their local ordinances and not let their animals roam.

"I would hate to think that tame, owned cats who happen to slip out would be at risk of being deemed a wild, unprotected species," Carr said. "It's a delicate (ecological) balance out there, but does that mean people should be able to shoot their neighbor's cat? Probably not."

[Mygala]

I agree, this is not a good solution to the feral cat problem in this country. I do hope, that perhaps it WILL start a serious discussion among interested parties. Maybe something can be accomplished from this.

If people see that there is a serious problem, and that there are some pretty unpleasant options for dealing with it, maybe they will try a little harder to come up with a more acceptable way to deal with it.

The problem of feral cats, and the damage they do to the environment is huge, it's not going away, and the longer we wait, the worse our options will be..

[CTChin]

People will use this as an excuse to shoot ANY cat roaming free...even pets! This is a poor idea and just goes to show how little respect cats still do NOT get in our society.

[Crazy Chin Lady]

I agree with Brenda on this. This law this gentleman wants passed sickens me greatly. If I can get up there to oppose this law, I will.

[dragonmaster]

i agree. I mean, it's not like they will look to see if it's collared or not before they shoot it. (Not that it would make it any better if they did, but since they are talking about the cats being unclaimed I just thought I'd throw that out there.)

[chazee]

I had the same problem, cats killing the birds and squirrels that came to visit and eat the treats that I would put out. What's was the solution? I stopped putting feed where cats, including mine, could not reach the little wild critters. And please, if this laws passes, little boys in the neighborhood would be on the frenzy!!

[Amethystbelle]

I agree with everyone else, its a totally sick idea and needs throwing out now before it gets any further. Theres always going to be people who hate cats out there for what they stand for as they are detrimental to wildlife as thats a cats nature they are hunting machines which any cat owner knows, but it doesn't mean these people should be allowed to go out there and shoot them! Totally sick idea

[velvetrabbit]

Exactly what is to stop your neighbour from "accidently" shooting your cat? I mean, I can just imagine all kinds of court cases or legal battles ensuing, and the "hunter" claiming such things as "I didn't see the collar, honestly! I thought it was a stray!" and the cat owner saying "You know that the orange tabby was MY cat, and not a stray!"....

Besides, has anyone looked at what might happen if cats all of a sudden were taking out of the food chain by not being allowed to "hunt" wild birds? What about Nature's number one rule of Survival of the Fittest? I bet, when it comes time for harvesting, and all these extra MILLIONS of wild birds are around, people won't be so happy. Or when there's no room for all these birds to make their nests and they start nesting in people's houses and buildings, they won't be happy. Or how about, since it seems cats are one of the biggest wild bird population controls, when disease strikes the birds, and since there's an over abundance of them, due to lack of population control, it spreads and mutates so that it affects people, not just birds, I bet then that peope won't be very happy.

[Ravnos]

Well, for starters, discharging a firearm inside of a city limits (and not at a licensed firing range) is still a crime in everywhere I can think of. So its not going to create a bunch of gun toting rednecks roaming the suburbs looking for cat trophies. Really though, cats should be kept indoors anyway, and many cities already have laws to reflect that. Those that don't have leash laws, almost universally have licensing laws that require a tag to be on your cat at all times. While that isn't much of a deterrant, at least its something for the honest (I'd like to think they are still in the majority.) people to go by when determining a stray.

Cats are an invasive predator that do not belong in the food chain of most places. They are obliterating native wildlife that should be there at an alarming rate. Its not population control at all, its extermination.

That being said, I certainly don't approve of hunting them down. There are more humane methods that can be employed - the problem is, they cost more money. I don't see it getting passed, but at least it'll bring up the discussion and maybe it will actually be talked about seriously by someone other than the humane societies and rescues.

Rav

[chazee]

"So its not going to create a bunch of gun toting rednecks roaming the suburbs looking for cat trophies"
Sorry to say, there are plenty of these rednecks already all around me. They are forever going across my property to hunt in the fields and woods for all types of animals, including those not in season. This would just give them another reason to shoot whatever moves!!

[Mygala]

Quote: Originally Posted by velvetrabbit Besides, has anyone looked at what might happen if cats all of a sudden were taking out of the food chain by not being allowed to "hunt" wild birds? What about Nature's number one rule of Survival of the Fittest? I bet, when it comes time for harvesting, and all these extra MILLIONS of wild birds are around, people won't be so happy. Or when there's no room for all these birds to make their nests and they start nesting in people's houses and buildings, they won't be happy. Or how about, since it seems cats are one of the biggest wild bird population controls, when disease strikes the birds, and since there's an over abundance of them, due to lack of population control, it spreads and mutates so that it affects people, not just birds, I bet then that peope won't be very happy.

This is a partial reposting of something I posted in another discussion. The facts are pertinent here:

Outdoor cats (by this I mean feral and "indoor/outdoor" cats) today far exceed the numbers of bobcats at any point in history. Various estimate range from 30 to 50 million of these domestic cats in the US alone.

That many cats are estimated to kill as many as 200 million birds alone. The USDA puts a relative value on pests and animals that consume pests. Pest eating birds are given a relative value to farmers of about $30 each. That means cats cost our agricultural economy approximately $6 Billion.

Outdoor cats are in direct competition with native predators like hawks, owls, fox, snakes, etc. What's more, because cats aren't native, the prey animals don't have natural defenses against them. So cats are actually better at killing prey than some of our native predators. The more cats there are, the fewer natural predators there will be.

With habitat destuction, at an all time high, native birds and predators are being pushed to the brink of existence. The last thing they need is a non-native predator. A study done in Illinois (my home state) showed that cats were responsible for the destruction of 5.5 million rodents and 2.5 billion other vertebrates from a 26,000 square mile area.

Cats are responsible for the destruction of heron and egret colonies in Florida, they have been directly responsible for the extinction of 8 bird species in New Zealand. Many people, myself included, have Bluebird trails on our property. The worst thing that can happen to a trail is a cat. They have no trouble reaching into the box and pulling out fledglings and adults.

Many urban rehab centers will tell you that the most common reason for an animal coming in to their facility is because it was attacked or orphaned by a cat. Studies have shown that small animals brought into wildlife rehab facilities have a very low chance of survival if they were caught by a cat. I've seen numbers on the order of 10 to 15% survival rate. This is because there are between 50 and 100 different types of bacteria found in a cat's saliva.


As far as disease, the CDC reports that rabies is more than twice as common in cats as it is in dogs or cattle, and cats have the highest incidence of rabies among domestic species.

Bex, the cats are much more likely to carry a disease to humans than birds.

Most of the birds we are talking about are insectivores. A jump in their population would mean fewer pesticides being used, and lower prices for domestic produce. I can live with both of those effects due to fewer ferals.

As their numbers rise, so also will populations of native predators like hawks, falcons, owls, foxes, etc. I'd rather see these animals rather than feral cats hunting alongside rural roads and fields.

There is NO ecological downside to getting rid of feral cats. Nature compensates as it is made to do.

This is NOT about shooting cats near your houses, in cities or towns, it's about controlling a very deadly non-native predator. It's not even about a law at this point, just an informal recommendation.

There is no lawmaker wanting to write legislation that would allow people to shoot pet cats.


If this were a mildly poisonous snake, there would be practically no outcry at all.

Google up these words together: Guam Brown Tree Snake.
See what happens when a successful non-native predator destroys the enviroment.

I, and everyone else would like a better solution than shooting cats. Rather than complaining abut this one, come up with a better one. The problem is, all the shelters in North America don't have space for all those cat, nor are there home for even a tiny fraction of them.

Does that mean that just because they are "Cats" they have the right to destroy the other animals? The ones native here?

I love cats, I have three rescue cats. All of them used to be outdoor cats until they came to live with me. No problems adapting whatsoever. I have a cat on my lap like I do most nights at the computer.

Ferals are not pet cats, and if I have to make a choice, I'll choose the environment and native species over the ferals.

[Jamys_mom_1990]

Quote: The 48-year-old firefighter from La Crosse has proposed that hunters in Wisconsin make free-roaming domestic cats an "unprotected species" that could be shot at will by anyone with a small-game license.

since I live in LaX I've been hearing a lot about this issue. I definately thing that they will pass the law making it legal. since most of the communtiy is farmland and forests there are lots of barn cats and such and many times they aren't taken care of well. not that that makes it ok to shoot them or anything, but I'm just saying that most of the "un-domesticated" cats are ferrel. if people don't want their cats to be shot then keep them inside. I'm not trying to be mean or anyhting but I'm getting sick of hearing people compain about their cats being shot when is their fault the cats were outside to begin with.

[Ilovesmepets]

I have an outside cat. He stays on my property. He has 50 or so acres to range over. He gets fed good, so he doesn't kill many birds. Maybe a few a year. He kills alot of rats and mice though. I'm sure there's plenty of those. But, he never eats them. Now, if I lived in a neighborhood where there were lots of houses, I guess I'd keep him inside. However, if anyone ever shot any of my pets, cause I have have outside dogs too, they had better watch out. Especially since none of my pets leave my property. Just so ya know, they are all fixed. My dad has shot one cat that I know of. It was a tom cat that belonged to my grandma and it was MEAN! It attacked people. It was when I was really little, but I remember thinking it was wrong. He's also shot a stray dog that was rabid. While not very humane, it was necessary. Hunting cats is another thing all together. If they pass this law, it won't be long till J-lo will be sportin a kitty fur coat. There are better ways to control ferral populations of cats. I'm sure lots of research has went into it. It should start with the common person. I'm not sure how it would work, but making some kind of regulations about having your pets fixed could be used. I've witnessed how 1 cat can become 20+ in a little over a year, so I know how it is. Ferral cats are a problem, but shooting them for sport is not the answer.

[Zouave]

On national radio today, well-known pet expert Warren Eckstein made reference to this terrible situation in Wisconsin, and he was appaled by it. So the word is getting out.

www.warreneckstein.com

[MissAmandasZoo]

For a few days there was some cat in heat making loud sounds outside my parents window. They told my brother he could shoot it. I got sooo... mad. How could they do that. Wear some ear plugs! I caused a fit. They said he didn't shoot it but if he did they wouldn't tell me, knowing how horrible i thought it was. EEERRRGGG. that's there solution to any animal bothering them, a blue jay, a cat. They tell me it won't kill it. Well thats even worse, then its in pain, and suffering. They are so unreasonable about that stuff errrggg...