Reply #11: No, this is about humans not taking care of their pets [View All]

[CornField]

This is about humans releasing kittens, dogs and cats into the wild and the animals just doing what comes naturally to them. No one - absolutely no one - is saying that this is the animals' fault. The fault firmly rests on the heads of the humans who have cared so little.

There are exceptional people in this world who can take very young feral kittens and/or newly feral cats and re-domesticate them. Since you have done so, you know that it isn't an easy proposition. At best, it takes weeks -- days before the person can even touch the animal with protective gear. Of course, this would be the best solution. Unfortunately, not many people want to take on that responsibility. (Remember these are the same people that tossed them out to live off the land in the first place.)

Here in Iowa the deer are becoming a problem in populated areas (running through glass doors on homes and so-forth) because the large cat population which formerly kept them under control has declined. The larger cats are being repopulated in more remote areas and the excess herds are being shot closer to town. No doubt the large cats served a larger purpose than just keeping the deer population in check.

I understand what you are saying about the foxes, coyotes and wolves. You did, however, leave out another aspect of the problem -- coy dogs. These are the offspring of domesticated dogs and coyotes. Mostly they are from the larger and more agressive breeds: rotts, pit bulls, and mixes. People get them as pups and then discover that, since they didn't train them, the dogs are out of control. So, they dump the dogs out in the country.

I know it goes against everything inside of you to think that killing could ever be a good thing. I know because I use to feel exactly the same. This isn't just about people wanting to murder your cats (or anyone's cats). This is about a population which is out of control and is posing dangers to an existing ecosystem. When and if you can step back from your emotional stance on the issue, I think you'll be better able to understand.

A final note: laws prohibiting the use of firearms in populated areas are just like other laws; they only work when they are obeyed. Since people are murdered by gunshots, it's obvious that not everyone follows the law. This proposal to allow the killing of feral cats; however, is not going to prompt lines of gunmen walking through communities. Those who would kill neighborhood pets under this proposal are the ones who didn't give a shit about the law to begin with.