[wisb] On the Issue of Feral Cats
- From: Mitch <mitch@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:28:58 -0600
Hi All,
I live on the edge of La Crosse. Behind us is an abandoned farm, a creek
and lot's of overgrown pasture land. When I started feeding birds, I got
a steady parade of cats through my yard. I had no idea they were wild
cats, cause they looked well kept, not mangy and scruffy. I never
noticed a collar though. They were getting my birds, and each spring, I
was seeing new younger cats. I finally figured out what was happening.
I bought a live trap from a Wisconsin company and had immediate success.
I didn't know what to do with the cats though, so I called the animal
control office for La Crosse county. They immediately perked up when I
told them where I lived and what I had in the trap. Within and hour, a
guy showed up in a van and took my trap, cat and all away and said I
could pick up the trap as soon as the cat came out.
There is no trap and release here, if the cat isn't adopted in a week,
it goes to a better place. I am quite happy about this, cause trap and
release is like spraying roaches. It doesn't work. If there were a trap
and release here, I would not call animal control to dispose of these
feral killers, I would do it myself. And I am a life long cat lover.
House cats need to be kept in the house. They are born hunters and
killers and it's not their fault. It's our fault for letting them out
the door at night.
Over two weeks, I trapped 6 cats, then there were no more. I found out
from the various employees who came to pick them up, that they have
gotten at least 100 feral cats from the farm and creek behind the
property here, and they all looked similar to what I was catching,
[Sylvester Cats].
I have not seen a cat in a year now, and I have not seen any bundles of
feathers laying around the feeders since then.
Call your local animal control office. They probably have loaner traps,
as La Crosse does, and all you do is sign one out for as long as you
need it. Call when you catch a cat and they come pick it up. My advise
is to not agonize over this, just do it. It's our duty, it's a problem
we caused and we are responsible for fixing it.
Thanks,
Al Mitchell-
La Crosse, La Crosse County
http://www.picturelacrosse.com/
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