An article on 3/12/2008 titled “Pet owners urged to keep dogs and cats away from wildlife” claimed that “Cats are very skilled hunters that can have a considerable impact on populations of small animals and songbirds.” Because people believe this myth in regard to songbirds, they often call animal control to trap and remove feral cats from their neighborhood. And since feral cats are generally not adoptable, the cats are euthanized.
Besides the fact that this approach does not work to reduce the population of feral cats, birds make up a very small part of the typical feral cat diet.
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Feral cats are not a major threat to songbirds. Residents who are annoyed by cats for other reasons (e.g., digging in their gardens) can find suggestions for dealing with those issues at Birdfeeders can also be “cat-proofed.”
It is unfair that feral cats are killed for being a “nuisance,” and it is a huge waste of our tax dollars to trap, transport, kill, and dispose of them. More than 700 feral cats were killed in Montrose in 2007 alone. A more humane and cost-effective alternative is a TNR program, but TNR won’t be seriously considered by the city until the public acknowledges the harmlessness of feral cats.
Kelly McConnell
Montrose
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