It was bound to happen. This week I have received 3 emails from a person who does not feel that he can agree with what I am trying to do. I have tried to reply to those emails, but each time my message bounces back. Therefore, I am going to respond to the statements in those emails within this post. I will paste each statement, exactly as it appears in the original email, and then respond.
I AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE A BETTER OPTION THAT THESE CATS BE NEUTERED OR SPAYED AND HOPEFULLY FIND A RESPONSIBLE CAT OWNER.
Unfortunately, feral cats are not good candidates for adoption. Adult ferals are truly wild animals. It is true that a small percentage of feral cats can be socialized, but the vast majority will never be pets. If they are sent to shelters they will be killed, or spend the rest of their lives in cages.
The purpose of a trap/neuter/return program is to stabilize a feral colony, provide food and shelter for it, and reduce its numbers through reduced reproduction and natural selection. Adult feral cats will prevent new ferals from moving into their territory, so once reproduction has been controlled, mother nature will take care of the rest. If the colony is being properly managed, it will be easy to identify any new cats that show up, and make arrangements to trap and sterilize them. This is the only method that has ever been shown to have a positive effect on feral cat population. Removing feral cats from their territory, either through relocation or euthanasia, simply allows new cats to move in, thus perpetuating the cycle.
HOWEVER, I DO NOT AGREE THAT THE STRAY CATS BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO PREY ON THE SONG BIRDS, SQUIRRELS ETC. AND TO DEFECATE AND URINATE ON RESIDENTS PRIVATE PROPERTY. FIRSTLY IT IS DISGUSTING AND SECONDLY IT CREATES UNNECESSARY HEALTH RISKS.
Cats do not eat birds unless they are starving. Feral cats prey on rodents — mice, rats, and, yes, squirrels. Feral cats in a managed colony eat cat food. Cats do, sometimes, hunt birds, but the ones they catch are usually those that are sick or weak and would not have survived. With 40+ feral cats on my block, I have yet to find a dead bird in my yard.
Many people have suggested that feral cat colonies are a threat to endangered species of birds. This has not been shown through any scientific study. In fact, there are no studies showing that feral cat colonies have any impact, positive or negative, on wild bird populations.
The waste problem may not be due to feral cats alone. Ferals are very good at hiding any trace of their existance, including their waste. Much of the cat feces home owners find in their yards is due to pet cats being allowed to wander.
I HAVE ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH DIFFERENT RESIDENTS ON DIFFERENT STREETS IN WOLSELEY AND WE HAVE ALREADY PLACED TWO TRAPS AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR ALL RESIDENTS OF WOLSELELY TO RESPECT THEIR NEIGHBOURS PROPERTY AND THE CITY BYLAWS. WE HAVE ALREADY TRAPPED 2 CATS AND WE HAVE TAKEN THEM TO THE WHS. I AM HOPING THAT YOU WILL SPREAD THE WORD THAT THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN INITIATED, AND THAT IF ANY IRRESPONSIBLE PET OWNER IS MISSING A CAT,TO CHECK WITH THE WHS.
I truly hope that the cats this person has trapped were pets with tattoos or microchips. If they were feral, the WHS will have had no choice but to destroy them. I would like to state that I do not agree with what this person is doing, as it may cause the deaths of the cats he traps.
I would also like to say that I do not appreciate being used in this way. The City of Winnipeg has established animal control bylaws and made remedies available to citizens who take issue with the way their neighbours control their pets. I am not one of those remedies.
