Quote:
Every year in Wisconsin alone, an estimated 2 million wild cats kill 47 million to 139 million songbirds, according to state officials. Despite the astounding numbers, Smith's plan has been met with fierce opposition from cat lovers.
What the hell? Songbirds aren't domestic, and while they have a definite place on the food chain, they don't seem to need government protection unless their numbers are seriously threatened, in which case I'd want to see some more about their population in the area.
But then again, wild cats probably fit in even less, and are near/at the top of the local ecosystem. But killing uncollared or wild cats indescriminately is pretty brutal; imagine letting your pet out to play for a little while, and she wanders off... BANG. Dead cat, can't do a damn thing about it. Not a pretty thought.
Personally, I find that Minnesota has the best idea:
Quote:
Minnesota defines a wild, or feral, cat as one with no collar that does not show friendly behavior.
Key words on the friendly. If it's fairly clear that the stray isn't (or wouldn't make) a good animal companion, and doesn't seem to have signs of ownership, then population trimming in the same manneer as wild deer may be the practical, if somewhat saddening, thing to do...
The spay/neutering thing is also somewhat feasible, but not cost-effective. That cat's probably going to be out hunting wild critters that are supposed to be in the local ecosystem for another five years, dangit. Sure, they don't reproduce, but the new strays and abandoned domestic litters will probably keep more coming anyway... just less than if you didn't. And look at all the money going into the veterinary clinics!
Now if only people could agree on some sort of human population control... <p>-------
E'S QUOTE OF THE WHENEVER:
"I'm here to burn the lollipops."</p>