Thursday, March 31, 2005

For the Love of Animals
Litchfield County Times, CT
... Following that, Ms. Brissett headed out to Warren to set traps for a colony of feral cats. A family started feeding its two male cats outside, and the next thing they knew 10 to 20 felines showed up at the door.
Hoping to have it hit with fines of $136 per cat for not vaccinating the strays, a neighbor reported the family to Ms. Brissett. She was unwilling to punish people who were trying to do the right thing, so Ms. Brissett is in the process of capturing the cats, spaying or neutering them and finding them homes. That morning she snared two. ...

Cat advocate back
Missoula Independent, MT
... that Animal Control has the authority to charge the fee, and she believes it leads people to abandon cats, which then gather into feral, disease-ridden cat ...

Cat plan drawing yowls of protest
Port Orchard Independent
The change in municipal code recently passed by the Port Orchard City Council banning the feeding of feral cats has drawn criticism from cat lovers and cat-care professional alike.

Tips on controlling cats
The Indianapolis Star
IndyFeral Inc., a group that provides resources in Central Indiana to control the stray and feral cat problem, will be at the Far-Westside location of Pet Supplies Plus from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 9.

Center city: Is that all there is?
Philadelphia Center City Weekly Press, PA
... homeowners and renters are putting their trash out on the streets on any day of the week where it sits to rot or be ripped apart by feral cats until the ...

Subdivision's birds terrorized by a pet cat
SunHerald.com, MS
... about. Yes, Long Beach does have animal control laws, but cats running loose are much harder to find and catch than feral dogs. They ...

Don't dismiss trailer parks
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH
... Feral cats dart in and out like ghosts. "People drop them off here when they don't want them anymore," Mrs. Cole said, shaking her head. ...

An ally watches over alley cats
Bellingham Herald, WA
It's a sign of the times: there are way more condos and far fewer feral cats in Fairhaven than ever. ... All the feral cats ran away. Ferals just don't transfer. ...

Walmart.com Launches Online Pet Store at www.walmart.com
PR Newswire (press release)
... At prices ranging from less than $5 to more than $200, Walmart.com carries a broad pet assortment for dogs, cats, fish and small animals -- all at Every Day ...

Humane Society seeks foster parents for kittens
San Jose Mercury News
... Last year, the Santa Clara animal shelter cared for more than 10,200 kittens and cats, with as many as 100 brought in on any given day. ...

You can insult people all you want, but not cats
Ottawa Citizen, Canada
Of all the luck: That was the one where I made an intemperate remarks about cats. ... Everybody who wrote me likes cats, to varying degrees. ...

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Woman has no idea how to cut down on feral cats
The Free Lance-Star, VA
Ginny Foreman's recent letter to the editor is the second insult thrown at the community ["Feral cats are not miserable and don't need rescuing," March 17]. ...

Viewpoint: Heading north for a while? Here's your checklist
Marco Island Eagle, FL
... It may surprise some people that the number of feral cats always increases after season because those who cannot take cats home abandon them. ...

A cat-alog of interesting behavior
Washington Times, DC
... In her own lifetime, Geyer has had two cats, each of which was named after royalty. Her first cat, Pasha, was a stray living on the streets of Chicago in 1975. ...
When Nikko first entered Geyer's life in 1991, the "sweet and affectionate" cat became the subject of a fascinating historical study that would span thousands of years and the royalties of many ancient royal civilizations.
Geyer calls the human relationship with cats a "very unique historical saga."
"It tells us a great deal about what mankind was thinking," said Geyer. "As wonderful as dogs are, they never had this power to human beings."

Fulton to let low-income owners spay, neuter their pets for free
Atlanta Journal Constitution (subscription), GA
... Fix 'Em Free organizers said the average cost of $100 to $150 to spay or neuter a pet and have it vaccinated prevents many families from taking the animal to a ...

Opinion
The Oregonian, Oregon
For years, Sharon Murphy has delighted in naming orphaned cats at West Linn's Pet Adoptions West Side after famous people. It's simply a lot more fun to tell friends that Albert Einstein or Paris Hilton is rubbing on your legs than, say, Fluffy or Snowball.
Murphy's little joke went public a couple of weeks ago, when The Oregonian prominently featured "Ellen DeGeneres," a medium-haired calico, as the pet of the week.
The next day, the phone rang.
"It was after 5 o'clock, and I thought a friend was goofing on me," Murphy said. "It took me a moment to figure out Ellen DeGeneres was calling."
It seems that TV talk-show host Ellen was tickled by the idea of a feline Ellen and called, out of the blue.
"I could hear the audience laughing in the background," Murphy said. "That's when I knew it was real."
When DeGeneres asked whether Murphy was watching the show, Murphy had to confess that a low-budget no-kill shelter couldn't afford a television.
Soon a 27-inch Sony arrived, courtesy of DeGeneres -- no questions asked.
"She was so charming," Murphy said. "It's a gift she has, to make everybody feel comfortable."
Unfortunately, Murphy said, the shelter can't afford to hook up cable service.
But that's another story.

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Plan to declare cats a nuisance sparks criticism
AZ Central.com, AZ
Associated Press
... Some estimates indicate 2 million wild cats roam Wisconsin. The state says studies show feral cats kill 47 million to 139 million songbirds a year. ...

Springtime on Cape Cod
Cape Cod Today, MA
... way. There are several feral cats on the prowl for unwary prey. They never got to our birds even those who fed on the ground. The ...

From grumpy to grand!
Knox Village Soup, ME
... to be a mean, scary feral cat. He came to the shelter as a stray cat that began hanging around a private home. He did not get along with the cats there and was ...

County animal committee disbanded
Northwest Herald
WOODSTOCK – A McHenry County Board of Health subcommittee that has become a sounding board for complaints against the Animal Control Division was temporarily disbanded Monday, drawing protest from some of its members.
[Excerpt]
Now, it oversees the county's trap-and-release program for feral cats, a population-control experiment that county board members are expected to evaluate this summer before deciding whether to carry on with it.
Three members of the advisory committee wrote a letter pleading with the health board to let it continue because of its work on the trap-and-release program. The committee also is overseeing a re-working of behavioral testing policies, which animal activists accused of being too arbitrary in December.
"It could look like to these groups like an attempt to sidetrack the issues that have gained traction there," said Cindy Bethke, an advisory committee member and a coordinator for Helping Paws, a nonprofit animal shelter.

Critters getting too close for comfort
St. Augustine Record, FL
... She says raccoons, possums, squirrels and feral cats are frequent intruders. But even non-native species are around, such as nutria ...

Carteret ready to bag wild cats
New Brunswick Home News Tribune, NJ
... approved, explained TNR not only decreases the number of feral cats, but it also eliminates the fear of diseases in the animals, because they are properly ...

There's more than one way to help out a feral cat
The Free Lance-Star, VA
Ginny Foreman's letter was thought-provoking ["Feral cats are not miserable and don't need rescuing," March 17]. A January article ...

Fur flies in Wisconsin over idea to hunt cats
DesMoinesRegister.com, IA
... We have reason to be concerned about our bird populations, and feral cats are one of the reasons.". ... Experts say feral cats also harm bird populations in Iowa. ...
[Feral Cat Blog! Note: See daily news and info on this topic from February 11 through today at this permalink:
http://catsinthenews.blogspot.com/2005/03/hunting-cats-wisconsin-department-of.html ]

Feral cat alarm: Disease cashing in
NEWS.com.au
A DISEASE that potentially threatens unborn children could skyrocket with the decline of the Tasmanian devil, says an animal disease specialist. Veterinary pathologist David Obendorf is calling for toxoplasmosis to become a notifiable disease.
[Feral Cat Blog! Resources:
Center for Disease Control (CDC)
Toxoplasmosis Fact Sheet
[Excerpt]
If I am at risk, would I be able to keep my cat?
Yes, you may keep your cat if you are a person at risk for a severe infection (e.g., you have a weakened immune system or are pregnant); however, there are several safety precautions to avoid being exposed to Toxoplasma:
* Keep your cat healthy and help prevent it from becoming infected with Toxoplasma. Keep your cat indoors and feed it dry or canned cat food rather than allowing it to have access to wild birds and rodents or to food scraps. A cat can become infected by eating infected prey or by eating raw or undercooked meat infected with the parasite. Do not bring a new cat into your house that might have spent time out of doors or might have been fed raw meat. Avoid stray cats and kittens and the area they have adopted as their "home." Your veterinarian can answer any other questions you may have regarding your cat and risk for toxoplasmosis.
* Have someone who is healthy and not pregnant change your cat's litter box daily. If this is not possible, wear gloves and clean the litter box every day, because the parasite found in cat feces needs one or more days after being passed to become infectious. Wash your hands well with soap and water afterwards.

downloadable pdf file:
Toxoplasmosis: An Important Message for Cat Owners

American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
What you should know about toxoplasmosis
[Excerpts]
What is Toxoplasmosis?
Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by a microscopic parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. It is not a new disease, having first been discovered in 1908. Since its discovery, Toxoplasmosis has been found in virtually all warm-blooded animals including most pets, livestock and people. Nearly one-third of all adults in the U.S. and in Europe have antibodies to Toxoplasma, which means they have been exposed to the parasite.

How do people become infected with Toxoplasmosis?
There are 3 principal ways Toxoplasmosis is transmitted:
1. Ingestion of infectious oocysts (pronounced o-o-cysts) from dirt in which cats have defecated or by ingestion of infective oocysts in food or water contaminated with feline feces.
2. Consumption of undercooked or raw meat from animals with tissue cysts.
3. Directly from pregnant mother to unborn child when the mother becomes infected with Toxoplasma during pregnancy.
Pigs, sheep, goats and poultry are sources of meat commonly infected with Toxoplasma. Toxoplasma in meat can be killed by cooking at 152°F (66°C) or higher or freezing for a day in a household freezer. Cats are the definitive host for the production of the infectious and resistant Toxoplasma oocysts. The oocyst, released from the intestine of cats in their feces, is very hardy and can survive freezing-even several months of extreme heat and dehydration. Moreover, oocysts can be carried long distances in wind and water.

Dangers of Toxoplasmosis in people...
There are two populations at high risk for disease with Toxoplasma-pregnant mothers and immuno-deficient individuals. In the United States it is estimated that approximately 3,000 children are born infected with Toxoplasmosis every year. Although the majority of infected infants show no symptoms of Toxoplasmosis at birth, many are likely to develop signs of infection later in life.
Children congenitally infected with Toxoplasma may suffer from loss of vision, mental retardation, loss of hearing, and death in severe cases. Ideally, women who have frequent contact with cats should be serologically tested for Toxoplasma gondii before becoming pregnant, because if they are already seropositive, they are not at risk of acquiring a primary infection.
Usually, people suffering from both Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and Toxoplasmosis have been exposed to the Toxoplasma parasite earlier in life, and the HIV infection simply allowed the Toxoplasma parasite to grow unchecked. These patients develop neurologic diseases and can experience convulsions, paralysis, coma or possibly die from Toxoplasmosis even after treatment is administered.

Follow these easy steps to prevent exposure to Toxoplasma:
* Change litter daily before Toxoplasma oocysts can "ripen" and become infectious (Stage F). Dispose of used litter safely, preferably in a sealed plastic bag. If pregnant or immune compromised, avoid changing the litter box or use rubber gloves when doing so.
* Wash vegetables thoroughly before eating, especially those grown in backyard gardens. Boil water from ponds and streams when camping/hiking.
* Cover sand boxes when not in use to discourage cats from defecating in them.
* Wash hands with soap and water after working with soil or after handling raw or undercooked meat.
* Cutting boards, knives, sinks and counters should be washed well and disinfected after cutting meats.
* When cooking, avoid tasting meat before it is fully cooked.
* Cook meat thoroughly until the internal temperature reaches 152°F (66°C) in a conventional oven. Also, be aware that microwaving is not a sure way to kill Toxoplasma in meat.

Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)
New Survey Shows Pregnant Women Getting Mixed Messages on Toxoplasmosis and Cats ]

Pre-Question 62: Wisconsin DNR and Feral Cats

2002 to February 2005

"Wisconsin Urban and Community Forests"
a quarterly newsletter of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Forestry Division
a downloadable pdf file: Winter 02-03
[Scroll down to]
Urban Wildlife:
Managed Cat Colonies
Pages 11 and 13
[Excerpts]
I'm one of those people who usually sees issues I encounter in shades of gray. … But I've finally stumbled across a topic on which I firmly and completely take a stand---managed cat colonies are a dumb, bad, nonsensical, silly, wasteful idea! ...

While many conservation organizations and humane groups agree that homeless cats should be humanely and permanently removed from the wild, there are some advocates of the TNR approach, in which managed cat colonies are established. The theory behind the TNR programs is that in a managed cat colony …

But what really happens? Again referring to the American Bird Conservancy Web site and an article there by Linda Winter, director of Cats Indoors!: ...

What should local officials and park managers, who have an admittedly difficult task in finding solutions to cat overpopulation do? Some sound advice comes from the policy of The Wildlife Society in regards to feral and free-ranging cats: ...


a downloadable pdf file: NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD Minutes, March 2003
[Relevant excerpt in full]
3.B.4. Authorization for hearing on revision of Chapter NR 45, Wis. Adm. Code, pertaining to code governing public use of Department properties.
Mr. Ela observed that according to the Department's summary of the proposed rule revision, the Dane County Humane Society has been neutering captured feral cats and releasing them into the wild. He expressed concern about the depredations caused by feral cats to native birds and small wildlife, and requested that the staff report back at some future meeting about how prevalent this practice is in Wisconsin, and how state policies regarding the introduction of invasive species might apply.

a downloadable pdf file: NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD Minutes, April 2003
[Relevant excerpt in full]
7. Department Secretary Matters
Secretary Hassett presented a written report on Feral Cats that was requested by Board Member Ela at the March 26 Natural Resources Board Meeting.

- - - - - - - - - -
Report from Secretary Hassett to Board Member Ela - April 13, 2003
Subject: Feral Cats

The question has been asked, "What laws, if any, apply to releasing feral cats back into the wild?"

Under Wisconsin law, cats as a species are considered domestic animals. The department does not presently have authority to regulate cats, or enforce laws that may apply to cats or their owners, other than through its police power authority over department lands.

One change that is currently being sought by DNR is to move par. NR 45.13(1)(d), which states: "No person may transplant, relocate, stock or release any plant or animal, domesticated or wild, without written permission from the department" to par. NR 45.04(1)(f). The purpose of this change is to make it illegal to release cats or any other animals on all lands owned or operated by the department, not just on state natural areas. This change is part of proposed order LF-19-03, which provides revisions to ch. NR 45.

In addition, s. 951.15 Stats. states that it (is) illegal for any person to abandon any animal. The difficulty with this statute may be in proving that a person is abandoning a feral cat if they are only returning it to where it was found. Currently, the DNR does not have authority to enforce this statute unless the violation occurred on lands owned or operated by the department. The proposed ch. NR 45 change will make it illegal to release any animal on lands under the ownership or control of the department without department approval. This will be helpful, in that it will not require proving the animal was abandoned.

Outside department lands, it is the responsibility of the local law enforcement authority to enforce violations of s. 951.15. Stats. that apply to domestic species and to determine if it is applicable to these situation.

Releasing a dog or cat into the wild after it has been taken into custody by a humane officer, political subdivision or a person that they contract with does not appear to be an allowable option under ch. 173, Stats., which deals with the disposition of stray animals. However, legal counsel for those agencies would have to make that determination. Attached are several statutory excerpts that relate to this issue.
- - - - - - - - - - -

[Feral Cat Blog! Note: I believe the changes in proposed order LF-19-03 above, which provided revisions to ch. NR 45, passed and became effective in August 2003.]


"Wisconsin Urban and Community Forests"
a quarterly newsletter of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Forestry Division
a downloadable pdf file: Fall 2003
[Scroll down to]
Urban Wildlife Potpourri
Cat Colonies Revisited
Pg 11
[Excerpts]
In a past article I railed against programs that create cat colonies, populations of feral cats that are allowed to roam freely after they've been neutered or spayed and vaccinated. I noted that wildlife management professionals have serious concerns about the impact of this exotic predator on native species. ...

For those who care about wildlife in urban areas---and by wildlife I mean native species of wildlife, not feral introduced species---the challenge posed by the results of this study is the need to educate the public. Can we convince people that native species should be valued over exotics? Can we show the danger that exotics present? For those senior citizens who like seeing cats wandering the neighborhood, can we replace cat-watching with native bird-watching?"


Pets, Feral Domestic Animals Prey Heavily On Wildlife
News Release - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
January 30, 2004
[Excerpts]
... A study on predation by cats found that ol' Tabby is one of the major predators of wildlife in Wisconsin and throughout the United States. The kill estimates result from a five-year study completed by University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student John Coleman and Professor Stanley Temple. The study's purpose was to determine the impact of "free ranging" domestic cats on rural wildlife. A "free ranging" cat is defined as a feline that lives in a house, barn or other structure, but is free to roam at will. ...

The intriguing personalities and behavior of cats have made them the number one pet in America. Couple this with rural residential development and it produces a two-fold effect. The loss of habitat forces animals to concentrate their nesting sites, making them more vulnerable to predators.

“Birds and mammals are not only loosing habitat to development, but they are gaining an extra predator that is not part of the natural wildlife relationship. This unbalanced predator – prey relationship is causing serious problems for some wildlife species,” says wildlife biologist Nancy Christel.

In the wild, Mother Nature keeps everything in balance because of normal predator-prey relationships, but that natural balance does not exist between cats and their prey because felines are not dependent on what they catch for survival.
"Many cat owners believe that because they keep their cat well fed it doesn't need to kill," Christel says, however, research studies have shown that well fed cats kill at a rate equal to hungry ones. Domestic cats kill for play, not out of necessity"

Cat predation has a direct and indirect impact on wildlife populations, the wildlife manager explained. The direct impact is when cats kill birds and mammals outright. This type of predation is especially prevalent during the nesting season with young birds still on the nest. Also, cats have an indirect impact on wildlife by disturbing nesting sites, sometimes resulting in nest abandonment. ...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

DNR News (Weekly)
February 8, 2005
[Excerpt]
The Wisconsin Conservation Congress will seek public input on 31 advisory questions in 2005 on a range of topics some of which include:
* Defining feral cats as an unprotected species

Monday, March 28, 2005

Herding cats ... Jackpot prepares for 'Cat Roundup'
Times-News, ID
[Excerpt]
JACKPOT -- Leaders of this casino town along the Idaho-Nevada border think they've found a possible solution to their feral cat problem.
Gene Frank, chairman of the Jackpot Advisory Board, is spearheading a "Cat Roundup" scheduled for April 12 and 13.
"Our hope is to trap and release around 100 to 200 during this two-day program," Frank said.
The U.S. Humane Society's nonprofit Rural Area Veterinary Service branch, known as RAVS, is sponsoring the roundup.
Volunteers will employ the Trap-Neuter-Return-Manage method, or TNR-M, in which the cats will be caught, neutered and released without being harmed. The program's goal is to stabilize the size of feral cat groups and to achieve a gradual decline of the population.
A team of about 15 volunteers, including veterinarians, technicians and veterinary students, will be on-hand for the two-day event.
Ask most residents in Jackpot about feral cats and they'll tell you nobody wants them hurt or killed. They just want their numbers brought under control. [bold added! ~B]

Jackpot's Cat Roundup
# What can locals do to help?
* Help local project coordinators identify feral cat colonies.
* Volunteer to help with trapping or to help monitor and care for the cats once they are returned to their colonies.
* Provide responsible, humane care for your own cats.
* Let the Jackpot Advisory Board and local businesses know that you support the program. Encourage ongoing efforts to humanely address pet overpopulation in the community.
* Spay or neuter your own pets and prevent them from roaming.
* If feeding stray or feral cats, be sure that they are all spayed or neutered.
* Young kittens and social adult strays should be taken in, sterilized and adopted into permanent homes. Contact the Elko Animal Shelter.
* Volunteer to help monitor and feed colonies.

Feline civil rights recognized [State of Connecticut!]
New Britain Herald, CT
... "In the winter we take them in.". A lot of the cats left behind the shelter are feral, or wild, so that they do not let anyone get near them, Skrzypiec said. ...
[Excerpt]
What Daly was referring to was public act 4-239, "an act concerning penalties and recovery of damages for the unlawful killing or injuring of a companion animal."
Section 1 of the statute, which became effective Oct. 1, 2004, redefines a "companion animal" as a dog or a cat that is dependent on a household.
When act 4-239 was passed in 2004, it only protected dogs.
"We have to shelter cats now according to a new order signed by Gov. Rell," Daly said at the meeting.

Letter: A Catty Problem
Yankton Daily Press, SD
Truly -- spring is in the air. However, this spring I am angered by the number of stray cats in our neighborhood. Cats who have ...

Letters
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN
[Scroll down to]
Animal control not doing its job
[Excerpts]
I live in a mobile home court in Allen County and I had cats under my trailer. I called the county animal control office and was told that they don’t come to mobile home courts because they had their traps stolen. They said I should have the manager of the court set traps, and they would come out and pick up the animal. …
Every citizen who pays taxes and lives in a mobile home court should get a rebate because the county animal control office is not doing the job we’re paying for. I’ve tried to contact the sheriff himself, but he can’t be bothered with just one lone voter. His party will find that one voter really counts when it’s election time.

New law to change how parks issue permits
Maui News, HI
... use and the environmental impacts could be devastating with trash swirling about the pristine summit and dropped food attracting rodents or feral cats. ...
[Excerpt]
HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK – A new federal law will radically change how permits are issued in national parks as it emphasizes visitor safety and protection of the natural resources over business interests.
“The new law allows the superintendents to define what activities are needed,” said Mark Tanaka-Sanders, chief ranger at Haleakala National Park. “We’ll be looking at this in a more holistic way. Instead of just handing out a permit, we’ll look at how it affects everybody else in the park; how it will affect the resources.”
Tanaka-Sanders realizes it will not be a smooth transition.
“From a political standpoint, it will be a hot potato,” he said. “We’re not trying to put anyone out of business, but, in this law, Congress has told us not to think about business first, but to think about safety for the park’s visitors and protection of the resources.”
Details of how to implement the law are still being worked out.

Sunday, March 27, 2005

[Courtesy of Linda S -- thank you!]
Felines out of control in Fort Washington
Gazette, MD
For as long as Julia Baltimore can remember, stray cats have walked the streets of her Fort Washington community, giving residents a weary feeling in their neighborhood. They wondered where the cats were coming from.

In Recognition of National Poison Prevention Week ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center Lists The Top 5 Deadliest Plants To Pets
Monday, March 14, 2005
Center data finds lily, sago palm and others among the most hazardous plants.
(Urbana, IL) March 14, 2005 -- The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center wants to educate pet owners and veterinarians across the Nation during National Poison Prevention Week (March 20-26) on the five most potentially dangerous plants to cats, dogs and other companion animals. …
…Dr. Khan states that awareness is key in preventing accidental plant poisonings. He also advises that “if a pet owner suspects that their animal may have consumed one of these or any other potentially toxic plant, it is important that they act quickly and contact their local veterinarian or call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (1-888-426-4435) immediately for help.”

From: ASPCA
Subj: Poison Prevention Tips for Cats
Date: 3/17/2005
FELINE HEALTH ALERT: LILIES CAN BE LETHAL
With Easter just around the corner, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) has partnered with the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) in a campaign to educate companion animal caretakers about the potential dangers of some of the most popular springtime plants. Many kinds of lilies—including Easter lily, tiger lily, rubrum lily, Japanese show lily and some species of the day lily—can cause kidney failure in cats if ingested.
Last year alone, the center handled more than 275 cases of cats ingesting a lilium species. Signs of toxicosis, such as vomiting, lethargy and loss of appetite, may appear within a few hours, and will continue to worsen as damage to the kidneys progresses. Without prompt and proper treatment, kidney failure can develop in 36-72 hours. "Unfortunately, all parts of the lily are considered toxic to cats," says APCC veterinary toxicologist Dr. Sharon Gwaltney-Brant. "Consuming even small amounts can be life-threatening."
You can keep your feline family members safe and sound by simply removing all dangerous plants from their access. We also encourage you to consider beautiful but safer alternatives to lilies, such as Easter orchids, Easter daisies and violets. To help you identify potentially harmful members of the lily family, the APCC and CFA have developed online informational materials that include photos of dangerous species and a list of nontoxic plants. Please visit APCC or CFA to take a look.

Outdoor life can kill your exploring cat
Orlando Sentinel (subscription), FL
... the outdoor life include contracting infectious diseases from other cats, eating poisonous ... to warm up in cold weather, and predators, including stray dogs and ...

A world of wildlife in her own backyard
Denver Post, CO
... instances in the book, she uses the event as an opportunity to offer nuggets of information, this time explaining that outdoor and stray cats kill millions of ...

Lake Norman Ski Club has kickoff
Charlotte Observer, NC
... of Huntersville and Huntersville police are starting a spay and neuter program for people in areas with a lot of stray, abandoned and nuisance cats and dogs ...

Feline advocacy group's refrain: 'Gimme shelter'
Boston Globe
... ''We're grateful to the group for bringing their concerns about feral cats to our attention, and we'll continue to monitor the issue and work closely with them ...

Fear of attacks by wild dogs grows
San Bernardino Sun, CA
... their dogs and cats.'. Regional statistics are sketchy on free-roaming dogs, and animal control agencies don't list dogs as runaway pets, strays or feral animals ...

Why do thousands of us think we've seen big cats every year?
Independent, UK
... The RSPCA agrees that short-term survival of a big cat is conceivable, as is the possibility of feral cats (and an unneutered tom is larger than the domestic ...

Carnival of the Cats
[Posted weekly on Sundays by 6pm Central]

Saturday, March 26, 2005

ART SHOW TO RAISE FUNDS FOR HOMELESS CATS
KPIX-TV 5, CA
... The bayfront feral population has been reduced to about 134 cats, down from about 170 a year ago, said Cimeron Morrissey, a spokesperson for Project Bay Cat. ...

Chessie came out of the marsh
Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL
... disappeared into the bushes. We had heard about a group of feral cats in the swamp, so we made the decision to rescue the orphan. ...

FIRST-EVER NATIONAL ANIMAL CONTROL APPRECIATION WEEK, APRIL 11-17
The National Animal Control Association (NACA) is proud to announce the first annual celebration of the important work of animal control officers all across the country. Explains NACA board member Kevin Kilgore, “This will be the week that these hard-working and dedicated professionals can finally be honored by having the whole community say thank you for helping when no one else would—or would even know how to.”
Are you part of a department or group that works closely with a local animal control agency? NACA invites you to show your support by sponsoring a lunch or appreciation party for them, or sending a thank-you card during the upcoming weekly celebration. For more ideas, or to learn more about NACA, please visit the group’s website.

Friday, March 25, 2005

Feral felines find friends in the Alley
Washington Times, DC
... Cleo is one of about seven feral cats fed daily in the alley by Miss Marie, who runs the Ward 1 Alley Cat Coalition. The cats have ...

Let's quit fighting over feral cats--and help them out!
The Free Lance-Star, VA
As I sit on my deck at my farm on this lovely spring morning, I watch not only my horse, but the frolicking feral cats that have been rescued by Thea Verdak ...

Indiana State Wildlife Update
Indiana Game and Fish Magazine, IN
... G&F: What effect are coyotes, feral dogs and cats having on small- game populations? Lange: In areas of good habitat, they're not much of a problem at all. ...

Neighborhood cat is unlucky victim of an illegal steel trap
Katu.com, OR
... A 2-year-old tortoiseshell named Princess was the unlucky victim. She's one of several stray cats Linda Oberst cares for as she tries to find them homes. ...

York wildlife center aims to build on $20K grant
Portsmouth Herald News, NH
... injured and homeless animals. Species ranging from owls to stray domestic cats are welcome, McElmurry said. At the announcement on ...

Storefronts: Caring About the Strays (CATS)
NorthJersey.com, NJ
... For many visitors, though, the main attractions here are the fluffy felines lounging in comfortable cages along the store's perimeter, awaiting loving homes

Soaked cats lead to meeting with USDA about its trapping in Cape
Press of Atlantic City
LOWER TOWNSHIP - John Queenan thought something was wrong when three cold, soaking wet cats were delivered to the Cape May County Animal Shelter on Wednesday.

Pets, Pets, Pets, by Joanne Anderson
Amityville Record
"Overpopulation kills more cats than any disease," stated Dr. Laura Gay Senk last week during her slide presentation about the feral cats. Dr. Senk should know.

ANIMAL DOCTOR Feral kittens need rapid socialization
Houston Chronicle - USA
... you have a problem. They will get more wild and unapproachable the older they become, turning into feral cats. If their mother is ...

Friday Cat Blogging - do a google.com search for Friday Cat Blogging March 2005

Friday Ark at The Modulator

Thursday, March 24, 2005

Feral Cat-astrophe
Tasmanian Times Weblog
Dr David Obendorf: Nationally feral cats are a major threat to the continued survival of many species of Australian wildlife especially species recognised as threatened, rare or endangered.

Fundraiser for animals
News 10 Now - Syracuse,NY,USA
Beale and other local artists put their work on display at Fabio's Italian Restaurant. Customers can enjoy the view and even bid on certain paintings. The proceeds benefit Animal Aid of Cortland.
... "Our primary focus is spay and neutering. We do stray cats, a lot of farm cats," Beale said. Community members say they're proud to be part of the effort. ...

City Searches for a Feral Cat Fix
Austin Chronicle, TX
... Smith is one of a few hundred volunteers who trap, neuter, and release (TNR) feral cats in Central Texas. Some are organized into ...

Care and Concern
Hamilton-Wenham Chronicle, MA
... They have also placed more than 12,000 cats and kittens since 1992 and spayed/neutered more than 5,000 feral cats since 1992 as part of their feral program. ...

The feral cat problem spreads across the commonwealth
Woburn Advocate, MA
... Inc. has a very lofty goal: "...to eliminate the suffering and overpopulation of stray and feral cats throughout Worcester County.". ...
Make that 10 lives .... Organization gives cats a second chance
Beacon Villager, MA

Cat shootings not a first, neighbors say
Gary Post Tribune, IN
... sheriff. But Shepherd said shooting stray cats or dogs is no remedy to problematic, but harmless, trespassing animals. “John Q ...

Animal welfare in dire straits
Ynetnews, Israel
... She said the agencies’ work, including taking in stray dogs and cats, operating on wounded animals, spaying and neutering costs tens of thousands of shekels ...

Just 2 in animal control
Mount Shasta Herald, CA
... "No one knew the cats were there until he died.". ... "Because our department is mandated by law to pick up each and every stray, abandoned, abused and neglected ...

Reward offered for info about cat's death
phillyburbs.com, PA
... injured," she said. The cat belonged to a colony of about 20 felines that eat and sleep in the woods behind the shopping center. For at ...

Feline overload: One's not enough, but 29 cats?
Tewksbury Advocate, MA
... streets over from Nickerson Avenue. Inside the car, Davis and McGonis discovered the six missing felines. "We did not know whose ...

PAL addresses feral cat problem
Messenger Index, ID
The Pet Adoption League's newest project is a Trap-Neuter-Return program for Emmett's feral cat colonies. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) includes humanely trapping stray and feral (wild) cats, then having them neutered and vaccinated by a veterinarian.

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Local resident receives criminal justice award
San Mateo County Times, CA
... Photographer Robert Barbutti, a Foster City resident, took candid portraits to reflect the true nature of feral and abandoned cats that live in the rocks that ...

Cat bait taste tempters
Hobart Mercury, Australia
CHIPOLATA sausage baits laced with 1080 poison could be used to kill feral cats in Tasmania, a forum heard yesterday. ...

Spring cleanup at Hemlock Gorge
Newton TAB, MA
... The Cat Connection is looking for volunteers for one morning a week to feed homeless feral cats ...

Community Connections
The Argus, CA
... Bound Companion Animal Rescue: Foster homes needed for dogs and cats rescued from ... Feral Cat Program: Financial, humane trapping and transport assistance. ...

Feral cat control an issue at resort
Sun-Sentinel.com, FL
By Luis F. Perez. It started as a rumor: The Boca Raton Resort & Club had scores of feral cats captured and killed. Animal advocates burned up the phones. ...

Woman bitten by rabid raccoon
The Journal News.com, NY
... Keep vaccinations up-to-date for all dogs, cats and ferrets. ... Call your local animal control agency to remove any stray animals from your neighborhood. ...

Haxtun votes to release records
Journal-Advocate, CO
... dogs and cats found "at large." However, Haxtun has no pound to hold any animals picked up, and council considered striking the language governing stray cats. ...

Desex and save cats, say vets
Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia
... cats were acquired from friends or as strays rather than from breeders or pet shops. The Government was awaiting Bureau of Animal Welfare research on the stray ...

Shelter taking mobile pet clinic off the road
WNYT, NY
... Now the fee is $30 for cats and $50 for dogs ... spayed or neutered over 7,000 animals in the last three years and everyone tells me there are less stray animals on ...

Tarentum approves animal-control law
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA
... and also will only be allowed to posses a maximum of four dogs and/or cats. ... Kuniak said she's taken in two stray dogs, and she said there's is a definite need ...

Editorial: We need to get tough over unsterilized pets
Albuquerque Tribune, NM
... pets to roam, they should be subjected to additional costs, maybe even a misdemeanor charge and a stiff fine, based on the assumption their stray cats and dogs ...

Science Closing in on Allergy Prevention
Forbes
... who grew up in an environment with two or more cats had a significantly lower rate of cat allergy than children who grew up in households bereft of felines. ...

Humane society's $5 million shelter campaign begins
Palm Beach Post, FL
A caretaker's apartment is now a haven for more than a dozen cats, and several large old bathrooms have been converted into canine nurseries. ...

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

The new unaffiliated volunteers
World Volunteer Web

[Excerpts]
Call them serendipitous, entrepreneurial, spontaneous, unofficial, out of the box, under the radar, independent or unaffiliated. These are the new volunteers that do what they want, when and how they want to do it. They do not feel obligated to do their volunteer work through established channels. They see a need, or something that peaks their interest and they are off and running. I call them the vigilante volunteers. The term vigilante refers to a self-appointed doer of justice. The justice for them is doing “right actions.” These volunteers see themselves as self-appointed doers of good. ...
... The phenomena we are now seeing is that today’s volunteers are going to do what they want to do, regardless of official channels for doing it. They are taking matters into their own hands, creating ad-hoc organizations, or finding personal ways of doing what they want to do. Years ago volunteers would not so readily have worked outside of the system. That is no longer the case. The Tsunami relief efforts provided some interesting examples of this, but they are only the tip of the iceberg. This is happening every day in local communities, as volunteers look at local programs and say, “I’m going to try a new approach.” These are the vigilante volunteers. They have been growing slowly and steadily over the last 10-15 years. ...
... Stepping out to form new organizations and new solutions to problems has led to the creation of many new non-profit organizations. Someone had an idea and put it into practice. What we are seeing today is, I believe, a major shift in how people approach and think about volunteer work. They are not interested in conforming to rules, procedures, or restrictions. They are seeking instant responses in a society that lives by push button action. They tell you what they want to do, when they want to do it, how they want to do it and if you cannot accommodate, they do it on their own. They are not interested in joining a volunteer program. They are interested in results and they will find ways to make it happen. ...
... While these individual responses are not necessarily criticisms of existing organizations and the procedures and processes currently in place for screening and engaging volunteers, it should cause all managers of volunteers to stop and think about what is happening and what volunteers are saying when they set off on their own to do “their thing.” Volunteering is becoming an increasingly individualized activity where potential volunteers are creating their own experiences rather than seeking the collective experience through a traditional organization. The actions of the vigilante or entrepreneurial volunteers cannot be viewed as exceptions, but should be viewed as a growing tide of response to current practices and organizational structures. There is, I believe a huge, challenge on our horizon. How do we attract and engage these independent, creative, individualistic individuals? Will we allow them to shape and change our structure and organizations? Or will they even be interested in talking with us?

Altered states
Mobile vet clinic helps Dacono fix its feral feline problem
Longmont Daily Times-Call - Longmont,CO,USA
[Excerpts]
Hedden volunteered in Dacono on Monday for Divine Feline, an organization the city asked to trap stray and feral cats to spay and neuter. She and other volunteers, along with a veterinarian and a vet technician, fixed 12 cats Monday and hope to do more today.
Hedden drove the cat to the Dacono Police Station, where veterinarian Erica Rambus was working in a 1984 Ford Diamond motor home converted into an operating room. It’s likely the only mobile vet clinic in the country serving communities with feral cats, Rambus said.

City hires architect
Fairmont Sentinel - Fairmont,MN,USA
... Approved amendments to an ordinance that requires all cats and dogs within ... Discussed the effectiveness of requiring cat and dog owners to register pets. ...

City seeks views on dog leash law
Portsmouth Herald News, NH
... Other provisions of the proposed ordinance include a rabies vaccination requirement for every dog, cat or ferret in the city; observation of dogs off-leash on ...

Council adopts toughened animal law
Sioux City Journal, IA
... used the generic word "animal" in the ordinance, even though it will impact dogs more than other pets. "We didn't want to get into a dog-cat discussion," he ...

Airport patrol dispute
Jacksonville Daily News, NC
... The proposed ordinance sets provisions for cat owners and also defines puppy mills. Von Lembke said his problem with the ordinance ...

Possible misdemeanor charges against animal shelter
Salt Lake Tribune
... Capt. Chris Snyder said two cats - one that was feral and one that was infested with mites - had to be put to sleep. Two others ...

[Feral Cat Blog! Note: The Cats Indoors! campaign seems wonderful until one realizes that in recommending 'humane' removal of cats, it condemns the majority of homeless cats to being killed. Many people are unaware that the suggestion to humanely trap and take cats to local animal shelters may mean they will be killed. Within the past year, after having this point called into question, Cats Indoors! added a recommendation of sanctuaries and fencing for homeless cats, still with the knowledge this is not likely for most homeless cats.]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kids 'Keep Your Cat Indoors' poster contest underway (2005-03-15)
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) - News Releases
[Excerpt]
One of America's most efficient predators is the domestic cat, which if allowed outdoors might kill birds and small mammals, even if the cat is well fed by humans.
Every year the lives of free-roaming cats are cut short when they are run over by cars, attacked by other animals, contract diseases, pick up parasites, or are poisoned or harmed by humans, according to Andrea Lee Lambrecht, of the Cats Indoors Minnesota Project.
Her organization is encouraging people to keep their cat indoors, for the cat's safety as well as for the sake of birds and wildlife on which cats prey.
The Ornithologists' Union and the DNR Nongame Wildlife Program are among the organizations that endorse and fund the Cats Indoors campaign.

Keep your cat indoors poster contest - 2005
Cats indoors! Minnesota project -
Campaign for safer birds & cats

Deadline May 1, 2005
Keep Your Cats Indoors Art Contest
Combine language arts, visual arts, and some hands-on fun to help birds, house cats and people. Students design an advertisement to promote responsible pet ownership and wildlife conservation. Students win prizes at the state level and may be published on the All Wild About Kentucky’s Environment website.
For more ideas, visit the American Bird Conservancy’s Cats Indoors Educator Guide. Email Laura Lang for more info .

South Bend-Elkhart Audubon Society - Calendar
4-29 Deadline for entries in the Cats Indoors! poster contest.

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BB gun incident leads to probabtion
Waterbury Republican American, CT
... He told police the cats rummaged in his garbage every Tuesday morning ... instance, Mr. Gauvin was reacting to what he obviously thought was a stray that repeatedly ...

Okinawa on-base housing limits new pets
Stars and Stripes, D.C.
... The focus is on dogs and cats and will not affect smaller animals such as hamsters and gerbils, an Air Force ... “We have a significant number of stray pets on ...

Zoo awarded $250,000 grant
Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust gives $2.1 million to 32 Indiana groups.
Indy Star
• FACE (Foundation Against Companion Animal Euthanasia Inc.), $50,000, to support spay/neuter programs.

News Roundup
San Antonio Express (subscription), TX
... The Spay Neuter Assistance Program will hold a Mozart Cats Only Day beginning at 7:30 am Wednesday at the HEB at Interstate 35 and FM 3009 in Schertz. ...

Monday, March 21, 2005

Feral Friends works to ease life of cats
Times-Standard, CA
EUREKA --
[Excerpts]
This scene is repeated across Humboldt County every morning and evening. Dotted across the city, in the marshes, near restaurants and by hotels, colonies of wild cats are looked after by Feral Friends.
While the group cares for the feral cats, one of its main goals is to prevent any more from coming into the world. Tame cats are put into adoption programs. So are kittens. The feral cats are trapped, spayed or neutered, treated for any problems and given rabies shots then returned to where they were found.
The efforts of Feral Friends, a coalition of nonprofit animal rescue groups, are funded by a grant from the Humboldt Area Foundation through the Marie Raleigh Trust.
Unfortunately, Half-and-half and the other cats down at the waterfront are going to have to find a new home. The building that has been their refuge is going to be moved. Feral Friends will be trapping the cats with the hope of taking them to another location.

Evacuees worry over pets
Animals forgotten after disasters
Disaster News Network
“Sixty percent of people have pets,” she explained. “If you show up at an emergency shelter, and they say ‘no pets,’ what is the alternative?”
Pets are not permitted in most public emergency shelters due to health regulations and other legal concerns.
“We are the alternative,” she said, gesturing toward about 30 people gathered at the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds on Saturday for HSUS-led training in emergency animal sheltering. From animal control employees to shelter operators to concerned pet owners, they all cared about animals and were ready to learn what to do during a disaster.

Feral cat problem is really a people problem
The Free Lance-Star, VA
I have been feeding feral cats in the area for years ["Feral cats get second chance in the Fredericksburg area," March 5]. I see ...

Vox Populi: "The best way to torment a man is not to shot him, but ...
Savannah Morning News, GA
... food, games and prizes, why can't we have a feral cat festival at The Landings? Contributions could be used to improve the conditions of these stray cats.". ...

Cats and dogs take toll on penguins
ABC Online, Australia
Feral cats and pet dogs are wreaking havoc in one of Tasmania's top penguin-watching sites. ... "Feral cats are definitely worse than a dog," he said. ...

Animal control needing update?
Jacksonville Daily News, NC
The armies of stray cats roaming the Onslow countryside and recent complaints about sick puppies have prompted the Onslow County Board of Commissioners to ...

Sunday, March 20, 2005

Carnival of the Cats is One Year Old!
[posted weekly on Sundays by 6pm Central]

The cats of Kangaroo Island
Seven.com.au, Australia
... I suppose one has to put to sleep feral cats that are brought in, and from that we recognise how effective they are at protecting themselves when they are ...

It's spring: Do you know where your cat is?
Albert Lea Tribune, MN
... People who let their cats run loose during this time are probably not even aware ... That's when I remembered seeing a stray cat or two frequenting the neighborhood ...

Dog license sweep in the offing
McMinnville News-Register, OR
... officers also hope more people will consider having their cats spayed or neutered, to help combat the county's burgeoning cat population. Stray dogs brought ...

Cats are prone to rambunctious style of courtship
The Spokesman Review (subscription), WA
Growing up in rural Southern Idaho, at a time when spaying and neutering of barn cats was unheard-of, this veterinarian-to-be got one of the most visible and ...

SUNDAY MAGAZINE: Spring brings new life -- Families adding new ‘ ...
Orangeburg Times Democrat, SC
... The top five pets in the United States, according to the Pet Advisory Council, are cats, dogs, small animals (rabbits, ferrets, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils ...

O'Malley Alley Cat Organization Rummage Sale Success
KTRE, TX
... Samantha Helleck, an O'Malley volunteer said, "with that we will be able to get about 16 cats spayed, neutered, and vaccinated.". ...

Partnerships of pet organizations benefit community
Pasadena Citizen, TX
... To limit pet populations the Pasadena pet shelter offers free spay and neuter programs to people with low incomes and senior citizens. ...

Cats no longer free to roam in Port Orchard [Washington state]
Port Orchard Independent, WA
[Excerpt]
After hearing an update on the Water Resources Inventory Area (WRIA) plan Monday night, the Port Orchard City Council got down to the real business in hand controlling those pesky wild cats. The council voted unanimously to include cats in a list of “wild and feral” animals residents are not allowed to feed. Those who do will be considered the animal’s owner and will be charged with a misdemeanor.
The definition of ownership was changed from being any person “having an interest in or having control or custody or possession of any animal,” to one that “controls, maintains, possesses, has custody of, or otherwise provides care, shelter, protection, restraint, refuge, food or nourishment in such a manner as to control an animals activities.”

Saturday, March 19, 2005

Going rate for a cloned cat? Now only $32,000
Wisconsin State Journal - Madison,WI,USA
[Excerpts]
… Genetic Savings & Clone Inc. is having a sale on cloned cats.
The company, which has its laboratories in Waunakee's business park and bills itself as the only pet cloning company in the world, has reduced its price for a cloned cat from $50,000 to $32,000.
A banner headline on the company's Web page, "Cat Cloning Proves Popular!," announces the deal. …
…In addition to announcing its cloned cat sale, the company has started a new Web page to counter arguments against pet cloning being raised by such organizations as the American Anti-Vivisection Society, a group that campaigns against cruelty to animals. In its literature, the organization denounces pet cloning, arguing that it exacerbates pet overpopulation and misleads grieving pet lovers.
Carlson said the Web page is part of the company's campaign to counter the arguments of such groups and to fight a proposal to ban pet cloning in California, where the company has its headquarters. The law would ban the sale and transfer of cloned pets in the state.
Meanwhile, Carlson said, the company is on track to produce its first cloned pet dog at the Waunakee lab later this year. …

John Schneider: Readers say it's a cat's world, we just live in it
Lansing State Journal, MI
... Duncan of Lansing: "How sad that with your limited human intelligence you have failed to learn that in a clash of wills between humans and felines, the human ...

NCARF working to 'fix' pet overpopulation snarl
Corsicana Daily Sun - Corsicana,TX,USA
In an aggressive effort to curb pet overpopulation in Navarro County Animals at Risk Foundation (NCARF) plans to "fix" at least 100 animals for life before the ...
The program is open to anyone in Navarro County who would like to have their dogs and cats spayed or neutered, but cannot afford to do so.
There is a limit of five vouchers per household and there is an emphasis on spaying or neutering large dogs over 45 pounds.

Ami Gibson helping solve animal overpopulation
The Spokesman Review (subscription), WA
... One specializes in trapping feral cats. ... In return, Kelleher has offered barn space to store cats for CPA's next feral catch-and-neuter project. ...

ANIMAL DOCTOR Free-range cats threaten birds
Houston Chronicle
... Do you have any suggestions for helping my yard to become a place that stray cats will view as highly unfriendly and uninviting? ...

Thirty-six cats need homes soon — or else
The Argus, CA
... The felines were found living with their owner in a filthy two-story, three-bedroom unit, said Ernest Molieri, supervisor of animal services.Police refused to ...

Community news
Greenville Daily Reflector, NC
... Saving Graces 4 Felines, Friends of the Pitt County Animal Shelter and the Pitt County SPCA are offering engraved pavers to benefit a new clinic. ...

Wild on in the Hill City: Cats on the loose
Lynchburg News and Advance, VA
It’s here that Lisa Dunn comes every morning to feed and care for this Lynchburg colony of 16 feral cats, some abandoned, some born wild. ...

Daphne's 'wonderful' fragrance
The Free Lance-Star, VA
... I find the sisters Marie and Antoinette, two spayed feral cats that grew up in my back yard and call it home, are the best squirrel deterrent I have found. ...

Animal group helps feral cats in the Bonita area
Bonita Daily News, FL
Decades before Michele Antonia started dedicating all her free time to feeding and rescuing feral cats, she couldn't resist helping an animal in need. ...

Friday, March 18, 2005

O'Malley Alley Cat Raises Money For Strays
KTRE, TX
Feral cats continue to be a problem in East Texas. Friday, the O'Malley Alley Cat Organization hosted a big rummage sale to collect money for stray animals. ...

Mike Fry: Better ways to control feral cats
Minneapolis Star Tribune (subscription) - MN,USA
... and does not address the root cause of the problem: irresponsible pet owners who ... do is to keep our cats indoors, and to implement sterilization programs, like ...

Non-Profit Group Tackles Stray Overpopulation
Wiscasset Newspaper, ME
A Paw in the Door was started 15 years ago by Patty Sample after she discovered a colony of feral cats eating out of a dumpster behind the Chocolate Church in ...

Volunteers needed
Allston-Brighton TAB, MA
... and feeding cats in the Allston-Brighton area for two years now. Their work is just part of the nationwide movement to reduce the feral (homeless) cat problem ...

City invites input
Mt. Carmel Daily Republican Register - Mt. Carmel,IL,USA
... Monday they're prepared to go ahead and draft an ordinance addressing cats that's ... Mayor Tom Meeks questioned whether the issue of trespassing cat packs could ...

Healing Garden Offers Support Group
Harvard Post, MA
... 557. The Second Chance Fund for Animal Welfare will sponsor discount spay and neuter clinics for cats in Harvard Saturday, March 26. ...

Taking Follies to heart; more info on clinic
Rockford Register Star, IL
... I NEGLECTED TO MENTION a couple of important bits of information in a column about the free spay and neuter clinic to be held Saturday at Winnebago County ... [Illinois]

Cats, cats, cats
Bolton Common - Harvard,MA,USA
... (SCFAW) has a very lofty goal: "...to eliminate the suffering and overpopulation of stray and feral cats throughout Worcester County." Jan Beckwith, president ...

Rabies vaccines are recommended for all pets
Holland Sentinel, MI
... the country, rabies virus vaccination is highly recommended for all cats, and is ... the first human cases of rabies has been treated in a teenager from Wisconsin. ...

Bloomfield Township bows out of BASCC
Birmingham & Bloomfield Eccentric, MI
... Some stray cats are strutting around in Birmingham. Animal control officers were called out March 12 to the 500 block of Landon ...

Odd encounter is seed for business
Portland Press Herald, ME
... "Cat Naps," which features quotes about the value of an afternoon snooze accompanied by photos of reclined felines, sold more than 60,000 copies in the last ...

Cat Lady vs. Horse Lady
Boston Herald
... cats in Boston. Sixty dead felines were found in her Beacon Hill home in 2003 and 42 Persians were seized and euthanized. ``We were ...

Feral animals threaten fairy penguins
ABC Regional Online, Australia
Feral cats and pet dogs are wreaking havoc in one of Tasmania's top penguin-watching sites. ... "Feral cats are definitely worse than a dog," he said. ...

See a show or catch up with old friends
Pretoria News (subscription), South Africa
The Piano Boys is a fund-raiser for CatPals, a non-profit organisation assisting abandoned and feral cats in Pretoria. The show ...

Warning: Let Stray Sleeping Dogs Lie
MOSNEWS, Russia
... In reality, stray dogs in Moscow are becoming a serious problem ... unleashed canines, canines that were bred to go after foxes and bears go after cats instead, so ...

Cat sanctuary in plea for help
Bury Free Press, UK
... The sanctuary was known as Feralands Feline Rescue, but recently changed its name because people thought it only took in feral cats. ...

Bufo toads pose danger to pets
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, HI
... Cats seem to be much more discriminating and don't bite toads as often as dogs do, but if they do, take the cat to the veterinary clinic. ...

Friday Cat Blogging
[do a google.com search for "Friday Cat Blogging" March 2005 or variations, with or without quotes]

"Photos of Cats, Dogs, Spiders and ?" weekly on Friday Ark at The Modulator

Thursday, March 17, 2005

[Feral Cat Blog! Note: I also posted this article on my Hunting Cats? - Wisconsin news page due to its timing, mention of "The Wisconsin 'Study'", Wisconsin DNR Press Release in January 2004, and the ongoing Wisconsin Cats issue.]
Of Cats and Birds - Spring 2005
Chicago Wilderness Magazine
Think twice about letting your kitty outdoors. Native birds are easy prey for Felis catus.... One of the most often cited studies on bird kills by cats was done at the University of Wisconsin-Madison by John Coleman and Stanley Temple. ...
[Feral Cat Blog! Note and Resource: Oft-citing this study still doesn't make it true or credible! See Addressing “The Wisconsin Study” and many other articles.]

Feral cats are not miserable and don't need rescuing
The Free Lance-Star - Fredericksburg,VA,USA
I was dismayed to read the article about Thea Verdak's work with feral cats in a recent paper ["Feral cats get second chance in the Fredericksburg area," March ...
[Feral Cat Blog! Resource: One related perspective is in an article from Alley Cat Allies, (a downloadable pdf file): Why Trap-Neuter-Return is the Solution to Feral Cat Overpopulation—And Trap-Neuter-Adopt is Not.

Florida Panther Refuge keeps track of the cats
Marco Island Sun-Times, FL
... Some of the methods used to find the elusive cats, if they are not already ... The virus affects 15 to 50 percent of feral domestic cat colonies but is apparently ...
[Feral Cat Blog! Note: What's with these wide ranges ("15 to 50 percent" here and "between 7.8 million and 217 million" in "The Wisconsin 'Study'")? And isn't the FeLV percentage around 5%?]

Farm provides inmates honest, essential work
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA
... The farm, about a five-minute ride from the Statehouse in Trenton, has 220 cows, 30 calves, and about two dozen feral cats, who fend for themselves. ...

So, What the heck is that?
The Japan Times, Japan
... Nozawa had said that tail length in Japanese feral cats is under the control of many genes, each having such a small effect that a cat with a mutation in just ...

4Kids Entertainment Signs Merchandise Licensing Agreement With The ...
Business Wire (press release), CA
... CFA clubs and its affiliates work internationally and nationally with local shelters, assisting to improve the problem of stray cats, encourage the neuter/spay ...

Dog-licensing issue hounds county
Portage Daily Register, WI
... county. In this scenario, stray cats and dogs could only come from municipalities that sign a contract with the Humane Society. ...

Big fines mulled for owners of stray pets
Minda News, Philippines
... Owners of pet animals in South Cotabato, especially of dogs and cats, which may go ... most of the rabies deaths recorded last year was caused by stray pet animals ...

It's my job: The cat's meow
Naples Daily News (subscription), FL
... respectful path around it. She has always been this way, she said, even before she knew anything factual about felines. Years ago, long ...

Cats that stray into your heart -- and, hopefully, into your ...
San Francisco Chronicle
He likes our felines well enough, but he wasn't about to get corralled into a discussion about their relative merits in male/female relationships. ...

X Chromosome May Show Gender Differences
ABC News
... functioning. The choice of which X chromosome is inactivated is random, an effect made visible in the unusual coats of calico cats. ...

Cat's namesake calls from talk show
OregonLive.com, OR
... Cats like television, DeGeneres said, suggesting that Murphy and her 40 cats -- all of whom are named for famous people -- watch "The Ellen DeGeneres Show.". ...

Tragic but preventable: Every litter counts
Royal Oak Mirror, MI
It's not new math, but rather the exponential rate at which two unsterilized cats and their offspring can reproduce in seven years, adding to the tragedy of ...

Dozens of animals seized
Deseret News, UT
But after police and animal control officers executed a search warrant on his kennel Wednesday and seized 35 cats, 26 dogs, three birds and two rabbits, they ...

Stray cats causing headaches
North Journal, PA
Some Third Avenue residents are ticked off about feral cats urinating on their porches and running wild in their Verona [PA] neighborhood.

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

[Feral Cat Blog! Note: This article is also on the Hunting Cats? Wisconsin DNR post.]
Cat's in the bag?
Minneapolis Star Tribune (subscription), MN
A Wisconsin proposal to declare wild or feral cats an unprotected species -- allowing them to be shot on sight -- has sparked, well, a cat fight. ...

Newton notes
Newton TAB - Needham,MA,USA
... group strives to decrease the homeless cat population through Trap-Neuter-Release programs ...

Your letters
Ventura County Star (subscription), CA
... They will also assist with trapping, altering and releasing of feral cats. ... Ignoring stray or feral cats hoping they will just go away will not end the crisis. ...

Bid to better promote Valletta
Times of Malta, Malta
... leftovers. The number of stray cats is beyond calculation, though the rats do not seem to mind them. Clearly, Valletta is out of control. ...

Awhhh... The Pastor's Cat
ChronWatch, CA
... No. Nobody had seen a stray kitten. ... This woman was a cat hater and everyone knew it, so he asked her, "Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?". ...

Residents on Tangier Island Wait, Mourn Waterman's Loss
WAVY-TV, VA
... "Donnie was an avid cat lover. He'd always take in stray cats," said Debora Karnes, who is the sister of Crockett's daughter-in-law, Carol Crockett. ...

One hundred small pets and less garbage
Globe and Mail, Canada
... That day will come. I will live in a rambling house surrounded by 16 half-feral cats that I've rescued from the neighbourhood. They will reign supreme. ...

EEO Public File Report
WTHI, IN
For months now, the number of cats and dogs coming into the Terre Haute Humane Society has slowed to a trickle. Stray animals were left to roam the streets of ...

Prospect revising ordinances
Louisville Courier-Journal, KY
... The proposed ordinance may not please some cat lovers. It says felines would be added to the types of animals that can't roam the city. ...

Discount spay, neuter clinic hopes to help save animals' lives
New Utah, UT
Now, hoping to curtail that statistic, the shelter has opened Utah County's first permanent discount spay and neuter clinic. The ...

Around the Counties
Louisville Courier-Journal, KY
... A low-cost spay-neuter clinic will be held Friday in a mobile surgery van at the fire station at 3713 W. Ky. 146 in Buckner. Preregistration ...

Four-dog night in Ormond Beach
Daytona Beach News-Journal, FL
... The plan would set a higher fee for pets that haven't been sterilized and use tag-fee revenue to subsidize low-cost spay/neuter programs. ...

Council, residents hear ways to convert animal sanctuary
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, CA
... Winograd talked about the need for a comprehensive adoption program, foster care, affordable spay and neuter programs, and community partnerships with rescue ...

Lee County OK's mobile pet sterilization unit
WZVN-TV, FL
... mobile sterilization and adoption unit. It will service poor neighborhoods and will spay and neuter animals for little or no charge. ...

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

City: Cats' benefactor has gone a-stray of law
Kentucky Post, KY
... A state law that went into effect in July also requires anyone with a feral cat on his premises to make "a reasonable effort to capture or vaccinate the cats.". ...

Cat problem lingers until engine purrs
Longmont Daily Times-Call, CO
... The city has been feeding its feral cats at specific locations for more than a month, to congregate the animals and prepare them for trapping. ...

Today on Alley Cat Allies website about IL Senate Bill 2078:
Illinois State Senator Introduces Ground-Breaking Spay/Neuter Legislation
For more information about this bill and to send letters of support to the Health and Human Services committee visit our Action Center.

Massachusetts Animal Coalition
A downloadable pdf file Animal Friendly-Spay/Neuter License Plate Grant Program REQUEST ...
... DEADLINE Proposals must be postmarked no later than March 15, 2005 The original
and ... Proposals that focus on feral cats should specify how attempts will be made ...

Last Hope Animal Rescue - Calendar
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
downloadable pdf file: Feral Cat Lecture
Please join us for an informational evening about Feral cats and how you can help them.
See how you can help the stray and Feral cats in your community.
7:30 PM
Rainbow Senior Center
293 Buffalo Avenue (between 34-35th Sts)
Lindenhurst, NY
tel: (631) 957-7526
Lecture Given by Dr. Laura Gay Senk
Any Questions call: 516-942-8022 or 631-205-5069

Cats abound at animal shelter
Summit Daily News, CO
Summit County Animal Shelter is practically busting at the seams with adoptable cats. An unusually high influx of relinquished and stray felines has filled the ...

Anatomy and physiology classes dissect furry felines
Silver Chips Online, MD
[Excerpt]
According to the American Anti-Vivisection Society, approximately 100,000 cats are dissected in classrooms across the country each year. Van attributes the popularity of cats over other commonly dissected animals to their conveniently small size, low price tag (about $50 each) and similar anatomy to humans. "Size-wise, price-wise and anatomically, cats make the most sense,” says Van.
Jamie Aitchison, a spokeswoman for the National Anti-Vivisection Society (not to be confused with the American Anti-Vivisection Society), believes that animal dissection is wrong on not just moral grounds but social grounds as well. "Dissection desensitizes compassion towards animals. They're not here to be our playthings; they're here to spend their time on earth just like us humans,” she says.
On the other hand, Dan James, vice president of business development at Carolina Biological Supply Company, which provides Blair with cats, says that efforts to stop dissection would not mean more cats are saved. "We get the cats from animal shelters in Mexico, already dead or the ones that they are going to put to sleep,” says James. "It's not like any fewer animals are going to be killed if we stopped providing cats.”

[Feral Cat Blog! Resources ~
Alternatives to Cat Dissection and to Dissection period:]

Cat Dissection Fact Sheet
SnikSnak.com
[Feral Cat Blog! Note: I have not yet located this fact sheet on the American Anti-Vivisection Society website.]

From the American Anti-Vivisection Society website:
A teacher-focused online resource for alternatives to dissection and animal experimentation in the classroom!
AnimalLearn.org
A student-focused online resource for alternatives to dissection and animal experimentation in the classroom!
HumaneStudent.org

Dissection vs. Alternatives: A Cost Comparison compares the costs of dissection materials and three different dissection alternatives (the cat, fetal pig, and bullfrog) over a three-year period.
A downloadable pdf file from the HSUS: http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/ARI/2004_Cost_Comparison.pdf

Dissection vs. Alternatives: Comparative Studies is a list of scientific references that demonstrate that students learn the material as good as, if not better than, students who dissect animals.

Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights
Search for all types of alternatives to harming or killing nonhuman animals in education using AVAR's online Alternatives in Education Database
Or, view alphabetical lists of linked titles for key disciplines.

Dissection-Alternatives
Alternatives in Education > Cat Dissection
UC Davis, School of Veterinary Medical

Dissecting Virtual Dissection
Kidzworld.com

Cats Need Shelter After Fire
WLS, IL
A building that houses a Chicago animal shelter has been declared unsafe. Now the staff is trying to find homes for 300 cats. Tree ...

SPCA's euthanization holding period may end
StarPhoenix, Canada
... "They should be proactive in using spay and neuter programs first so you're cutting down on what's going into the shelter first and then using licensing ...

Panel OKs 'unfixed' pet rules
Kentucky.com, KY
... Owners of unaltered pets would have the option of paying $50 to get their animal back or paying $50 for a spay or neuter surgery. ...

Petland challenges city's new spay/neuter law in court
The Athens News, OH
... The ordinance also prohibits the sale of dogs and cats younger than six months old "without proof of purchase of spay or neuter services from a licensed ...

Proponents of animals' rights take aim at abuse
Perry County News, IN
... Leading an effort to raise funds to build a new shelter, Ritchie also pointed out the county needs a spay-neuter ordinance. No shelter ...

Monday, March 14, 2005

TIA turned inside out, but no feline is found
St. Petersburg Times, FL
... "If she got out, she might have fallen in with some of the feral cats that live around the airport. But we really want to find her. ...

Looking for love
New Britain Herald, CT
... The group also has started The Central Connecticut Cat Project which provides low cost spaying and neutering for feral and homeless cats to help reduce the ...

Safe barn homes needed for cats
North Texas e-News, Texas
By Barn Cats media release. Safe barn homes are needed for feral and semi-feral (non-domesticated) cats. The cats have come from ...

'Catkins' diet might benefit diabetic felines
Monterey County Herald, CA
By DR. MARTY BECKER. While the jury is still out on the health effects of the popular Atkins diet in humans, a new study shows that ...

Everyone's in stitches for cats' benefit
Rockford Register Star, IL
After writing about our animal shelter, Safe Haven, needing cat blankets for the many cats they foster, I had more than 100 (!) requests for the pattern. ...

Free pet sterilization clinic set at LR shelter
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (subscription), AR
A pet sterilization clinic will be held Saturday at the Central Arkansas Rescue Effort for Animals spay/neuter facility at the Little Rock Animal Shelter. ...

Sunday, March 13, 2005

Feral cats a growing problem
Carlisle Sentinel, PA
... winter," says Audrey Biller, a clerk at Freysinger's Pontiac on the Carlisle Pike in Hampden Township, where a colony of 12 reproducing feral cats was reduced ...
[Groups mentioned in this article: PAWS, York County Cats, CPAA -- and many incredible volunteers.]
[Excerpt]
Until they got involved, volunteers say they were completely ignorant of the number of cat colonies in the area.
"The public has no idea what goes on. I didn't a year ago," says Zella Anderson of Hampden Township, founder of Central Pennsylvania Animal Alliance, an all-volunteer, nonprofit group of area shelters and rescue organizations for dogs, cats and other animals.
With 32 member organizations, CPAA is still growing, she says.
"It doesn't matter which group you help — you're helping an animal."

Cat comes back
Winnipeg Sun, Canada
... "Apparently, Remy made her way to Winkler and was living as a stray behind Genesis ... "The biggest thing I tell people now is to get their cats tattooed," said ...

Proceeds from antiques booth benefits cats
Orlando Sentinel (subscription), FL
... The privately run animal shelter is a no-kill haven for abandoned cats until they are adopted. The shelter currently has more than 400 cats. ...

Free pet sterilization clinic set at LR shelter
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (subscription), AR
A pet sterilization clinic will be held Saturday at the Central Arkansas Rescue Effort for Animals spay/neuter facility at the Little Rock Animal Shelter. ...

HOMELESS PET PROBLEM CONTINUES: Spaying, neutering urged for ...
Corsicana Daily Sun, TX
... Vance said the high rate is due largely to pet overpopulation and lack of spay/neuter. One other reason is the lack of education ...

Laying the Foundation
Ironton Tribune, OH
... Through her generosity, and the hard work of the Foundation, a gift is made every year to the Lawrence County Humane Society to spay and neuter cats. ...

Carnival of the Cats
[posted weekly on Sundays by 6pm Central]

Saturday, March 12, 2005

Paul council questions animal control commitment
Twin Falls Times-News, ID
... McClellan said the animal control board is ready to start a spay and neuter program for dogs adopted from the shelter and to change the rabid dog ordinance. ...

Couple forced to close cat shelter
MLive.com, MI
... The community would not have this problem, he said, "if we could just get the message out that people need to spay and neuter their animals." said.

School, Not Surgery
Washington Post
... from Rebecca Robinson, national director of Alley Cat Allies, pooh-poohing the concerns of Eaton parents, teachers and staff about a spay-neuter clinic that ...

Friends of Ferals to meet today
The Spokesman Review (subscription), WA
A group calling themselves the Friends of Ferals plans to host an informational meeting today on feral cats. The meeting will be ...

Turn your indoor feline from a sour puss into a happy cat
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO
... org. For more information on stray and feral cats, log on to the Metro Animal Resource Services Web site at www.metroanimal.org.

Paradise self-assembled
Whittier Daily News, CA
... Two dogs and numerous feral cats wander the expansive property, moving freely through the countless doggie doors in both the main house and the guest house. ...

Man's best friend also can be a bird's when cats are on the hunt
DetNews.com, MI
... Do you have any suggestions for helping my yard to become a place that stray cats will view as highly unfriendly and uninviting? ...

Free cat neutering Saturday
Sonoma Index-Tribune, CA
... weeks old. The felines must fast from 11 pm the night before - confine them inside - and must be brought in plastic carriers. This ...

New Hall spay, neuter clinic almost ready to open
Access North Georgia - Gainesville,GA,USA
by Jeff Hart. GAINESVILLE - Hall County Humane Society Executive Director Rick Aiken says they are close to opening their new Spay Neuter Clinic. ...
Aiken said the clinic has been in the planning stages for over a year.
"We just felt that with the number of animals we have coming through here that it was something we needed to have. Euthanasia is not the answer to pet population control," he said.

Friday, March 11, 2005

March Howls Bring May Kittens
Town Times - Middlefield,CT,USA
... problem in the future. I was recently trapping at a local feral cat colony to spay and neuter close to ten feral cats. We've had some ...

Volunteers wanted
Allston-Brighton TAB - Needham,MA,USA
[Scroll down to]
The Cat Connection
... Their work is just part of the nationwide movement to reduce the feral (homeless) cat problem which goes by the name "TNRF," - trap, neuter, return and feed. ...

Stu Bykofsky | New chief raises hopes at PACCA
philly.com - Philadelphia,PA,USA
... Families Fund. Hiring Derby-Perrin is a step toward PACCA's stated goal of becoming a "no-kill" shelter within a decade. To that ...

Woman gets 15-day extension to place cats
Allentown Morning Call - Allentown,PA,USA
... Herman complimented cat lovers who came to the meeting to offer help. He hopes people who e-mailed the township about enforcing its ordinance will do the same. ...

Your Letters
Centre Daily Times, PA
Two recent Centre Daily Times articles, "Feral cats raise a stink at Toftrees" (Jan. 31) and "Volunteers respond to cat crisis" (Feb. ...

Illinois Rabies Bill Draws Criticism and Praise
KFVS, MO
... vaccination program for low-income residents. It also exempts "farm dogs" and feral cats from requiring a rabies vaccination registration. ...

Letters: East County
Ventura County Star (subscription), CA
... Second, if you are feeding or are aware of stray or feral cats, please contact Valley Veterinary Clinic Non-Profit. Volunteers are ...

Rabies Clinic April 2
Scituate Mariner, MA
... 30 to 11 am. All dogs must be on a leash and cats must be in a secure cat carrier. No Feral Cats. Information on the Scituate Animal ...

Humane Society moves into new building
Oshkosh Northwestern, WI
... It’sa kind of tough love in the stray cat room where Penelope and a few other cats wait to be medically checked and personality typed before going in with ...

Cats need home before cattery revamp
Norfolk Eastern Daily Press, UK
... then they'll have to put new adhesive down, which isn't good for the cats or health and safety.". One of the longest-serving residents is former stray Amy, who ...

John Grogan | Delco shelter's staff feeling beleaguered
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA
... And the illnesses, they say, arrive daily in the stray and surrendered animals that come through the door. ... Other cats were in open cages just feet away. ...

Finally, a new home for stray animals?
Narragansett Times, RI
... Southern Rhode Island has only one more hurdle to jump before it realizes a long-held - and much-needed - dream: a new facility for the dogs and cats it cares ...

Pet tax hike leaves owners confused, angry
Indo-Asian News Service, India
... our dogs need to carry a token on their collar certifying they are not stray.". ... Dogs, cats and other pet animals are taken to roads and streets for relieving ...

A real cat's meow
Talon Marks (subscription), CA - Cerritos College News on the Web
... get it spayed or neutered so that I didn't end up with even more cats hanging around ... The attendant wrote stray in capital letters across the top of the paperwork ...

Queens Pet-Fest Encourages Adoption Of Homeless Animals
Queens Chronicle, NY
... city’s transition from using the “catch and kill” method on stray animals to ... From 1999 to 2000 there were 45,000 cats and dogs euthanized by the agency. ...

Community briefs
Townsend Times, MA
... HARVARD -- A discount spay/neuter clinic for cats will be held at Harvard Vet Clinic on Ayer Road, by appointment only, Saturday, March 26, with drop-off from 8 ...

94 Cats, Dogs Found Living In Deplorable Conditions At Home
Local6.com, FL
An anonymous tip to Florida Fish and Wildlife investigators led to the discovery of 94 malnourished dogs and cats living in deplorable conditions at a house in Lake County, Florida.. Officers found the starved animals at the home of Katherine and Robert Collins in Umatilla, Fla.,

Thursday, March 10, 2005

With Only 400 Left, Wildcat May Be on Its Ninth Life
National Geographic - Washington,D.C.,USA
New research suggests only some 400 genuine Scottish wildcats remain in Britain after centuries of crossbreeding with feral cats. ...

Dawn's early (laser) light: Township begins geese abatement in ...
Montclair Times - Montclair,NJ,USA
[Excerpt]
“If I had 1,000 geese in Edgemont Park, then I would entertain a roundup decision,” he said.
However, Ward said that he will begin applying for a permit allowing the township to have the roundup option next week.
The township has already received a permit from the Federal Fish and Wildlife Department authorizing it to addle, or vigorously shake, the eggs, to prevent the births of new goslings, in 25 nests in both parks.
Ward said the method was an “intelligent population-control solution,” akin to the effort, led by resident Sandy Reynolds, to reduce Montclair’s population of stray cats.
In that initiative, cats are rounded up, spayed by a veterinarian, and released after recuperation, Ward said.

LuVerne City Council discusses plans to evict feline residents
Algona Upper Des Moines - Algona,IA,USA
... Several other suggestions to eliminate the stray cat problem were offered, some less ... There is an ordinance setting penalties for letting a dog run loose inside ...

SNAP Comes to King William, 3/8/05
King William Association Newsletter - February 2005, San Antonio, Texas
[Excerpts]
The Spay and Neuter Assistance program will be making a special stop in the King William area on March 8th in order to spay or neuter as many as fifty cats. This will be a great opportunity for the residents of King William to get their cats, or any strays they are feeding, altered and vaccinated before mating season gets into full swing.
A committee has been formed to oversee this project and it is the hopes of the committee to provide this as a free service to the residents of King William.
We are also looking for volunteers to help out on that day and for residents to loan us their humane traps to help catch some of the more elusive feral cats in the neighborhood.
Specific details about this program will be forthcoming in the next issue of the King William newsletter.

Feral cats congregating near Burger King
Carlisle Sentinel - Carlisle,PA,USA
His futile pursuit of a pack of feral cats roaming a hillside behind Burger King restaurant has convinced the Shippensburg Township supervisor that he has no ...

Mayor: Leash law will be enforced
Demopolis Times - Demopolis,AL,USA
... Williamson said that although there was no specific city ordinance dealing with cats, she ... a bird feeder," Williamson said, "but instead it's become a cat feeder ...

[Much appreciation for writing this article, Suzanne!]
MY TURN Suzanne S. Cushing
Kitty birth control and the rebirth of tomcat Earl
OregonLive.com - Portland,OR,USA
... Others don't want to be bothered. Still others think it's tampering with nature -- for them, the "tom" should remain in tomcat. ...
... Or, for a long list of other low-cost programs, go to www.spayoregon.org and click on "Low-Cost Spay Neuter Programs in Oregon and Washington.". ...
[Feral Cat Blog! Note: You can go directly to my spay/neuter directory -- Neuter/Spay Assistance and Information ~ Oregon, Washington, Nationwide -- through its direct link: http://neuterspayoregon.blogspot.com.]

Beverly council ponders new method of controlling population of wild cats
[Burlington County, New Jersey]
phillyburbs.com - Philadelphia,PA,USA
... If Beverly adopts an ordinance next month, it would become the first municipality in ... Mark Krzykalski said he decided to look into the feral cat problem after ...
Nature's Refuge received a $50,000 grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation's Feral Cat Initiative. There would be no cost to Beverly, Stull said.

Plover nesting begins on key beaches
Coos Bay World, OR
... management. The bird's eggs are preyed upon by animals including skunks, crows, ravens, feral cats and the invasive red foxes. Among ...
[Feral Cat Blog! Note: See the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon's response letter to the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).]

Countywide spay-neuter plan best way to abate shelter kills
Daytona Beach News-Journal, FL
... euthanized. Big, black dogs, white cats and older dogs and cats do not have much of a chance, and are the first selected to die. ...

Trap expert snares prestigious award
Scoop.co.nz (press release), New Zealand
... s contributions to the development of acceptable welfare standards for trapping a range of animals including possums, stoats, rats, feral cats, and ferrets. ...

The stray cat blues
Daily Eastern News (subscription), IL
... While some may not bat an eyelash at these visitors, Charleston's rising population of stray cats is quickly becoming a problem that cannot be ignored. ...

Madera residents find 54 dead cats dumped in yards
Fresno Bee, CA
... At the Madera County Animal Shelter, director Kirsten Gross said there were some stray dogs in the area where the cats were found. ...

Neglected cats' owner sought
Edmonton Sun, Canada
There, they found a house full of garbage, animal feces and four dead felines, along with five starving cats close to death, said Cheryl Wallach of the humane ...

Author Turns Life-Long Love Affair with Cats into a Book Showing ...
Emediawire (press release), WA
... The patient and quiet Roscoe, the curious and insightful Nosy, and the stubborn but kind-hearted Rocky are just a few of the felines you’ll meet. ...

Fur flies as Bangladesh hospital repels cat invasion
Designerz.com, GA
Health chiefs in Bangladesh have launched a drive to evict some 200 cats living in the wards of the country's premier public hospital. ...

Peaceable kingdom
Toronto Star, Canada
... Cats often perceive a garden as their own vast and glorious personal litter box, not to mention a fabulous source of birds to stalk and pounce upon ...

Wednesday, March 9, 2005

Defenseless animals need legal protection
Bangor Daily News, ME
... hoarders: people who, with the best of intentions, collect stray and feral animals and ... Bangor Humane societies, both of which stepped in when the 49-cats and 72 ...

[Articles are not included only because they might briefly mention feral cats -- think about it!]
Deer flyover ready to begin
Morris News Bee, NJ
... Last September the committee adopted an ordinance proposed by the Board of Health to prohibit the feeding deer, feral or wild cats, skunks, raccoons and bears ...

Beauregard takes pro-life view
Red Bluff Daily News, CA
... Unsocialized feral cats are also euthanized as there is no money for the most humane solution a trap, spay-and-neuter, release program. ...

A to Z Directory
Roanoke Times, VA
... This is not true. Most of the creatures, such as the cats, are feral — meaning they were strays that had to be put downto sleep. ...

Shooters to target feral animals
ABC Regional Online, Australia
... before any shooting starts. "The target species are foxes, feral cats, wild dogs and deer," he said. "We have a fairly rigorous ...

Volunteer options
Newton TAB, MA
... The Cat Connection is looking for volunteers for one morning a week to feed homeless feral cats on Chestnut Street in Waltham, just over the Auburndale line. ...

A New Breed: Animal control officers ‘not just a dog catcher' ...
Palatka Daily News, FL
... Smaller cages stacked four-high hold cats of all sizes, colors and temperaments. "Come on, come on," Boas said to the young feral cat as she coaxed it from her ...

Push on for animal program
Jackson Clarion Ledger, MS
... Madison County Chief Deputy Eddie Belvedresi said stray cats and dogs are a growing problem in the county, "but there is nothing we (at the sheriff's department ...

Some counties bark at microchip mandate
Bloomington Pantagraph, IL
SPRINGFIELD -- An Illinois law requiring stray pets to be implanted with small ... after the state began requiring counties to implant microchips in cats and dogs ...

Lodi resident must give up some cats to meet the city's limits
Lodi News-Sentinel, CA
Bonnie Tweedy has too many cats. ... Tweedy has 12 cats and is trying to find homes for them before she has to take them to the animal shelter. ...

Tuesday, March 8, 2005

Stray cat population out of control
KATC - Lafayette,LA,USA
Lafayette's animal control is putting down an average of 200 cats a week, as the stray cat population is out-of-control. The problem ...

Woman Creates Cat Sanctuary For Older Pets
KSDK - St. Louis,MO,USA
... This cageless, no-kill shelter relies on volunteers like Claudia Seifert who calls herself the crazy cat lady, "Indeed I love them obsessively, so this is ...

Stray, roaming animals out of hand in La Grange
Kinston Free Press - Kinston,NC,USA
LA GRANGE - Councilman Larry Gladney says it's time the town passed an ordinance to control animals loose in the town. Gladney lost his pet cat last week to a ...

Cat licensing vote in Seabrook
Hampton Union - Exeter,NH,USA
... by deadline, but he has said he has been caught between a rock and hard place trying to enforce the ordinance, particularly when it comes to feral cats. ...

Starting today, Bridgeton attacks quality of life woes
Bridgeton News, NJ
... similar to Camden's. She was armed with forceful pictures showing the injuries sustained by stray cats she has taken into the refuge.

Speaking for Animals With One Voice
Los Angeles Times (subscription), CA
... Rich McLellan has been pushing a futuristic solution to the number of stray animals in ... "The fact that we don't have identities for dogs and cats other than a ...

Focus: Animals
San Antonio Express (subscription), TX
... It reminded me yet again of how overpopulated Bexar County is with stray dogs and cats. To all pet owners: Please, please get your pets spayed or neutered. ...

Good luck cats!
News Today, India
Can cats be a good omen? Not in India for sure, but they are considered so in the Land of the Rising Sun. Many Indians look at a ...

Fatal virus threatens kittens, perplexes veterinarians
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN
... FIP stems from feline enteric coronavirus, a common virus of the intestines that is estimated to infect 95 to 99 percent of cats. ...
[Excerpt, Resource]
Veterinarian Susan Little of Ottawa, Canada, says that those seeking online information about FIP consult reputable, up-to-date Web sites. Among them: www.catvirus.com .

Owner due money after cat killed, court says Owner may get damages ...
Chicago Sun-Times
... Anzalone said she boarded Blackie and "several cats" at the clinic in June 2002 and during their stay, a clinic employee "let Blackie out of her cage and took ...

Make it work
Daytona Beach News-Journal, FL
... County. There, they say, the entire spay/neuter budget is quickly consumed by people who maintain populations of feral cats. That's ...

Cat lady rescues felines from the ferocious world
Enid News & Eagle, OK
... Ediger keeps two cats inside her home, which was only meant to be a place to ... She can pet most of the 34 felines — “they’re not real feral” — and she ...

Hunting Cats? - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources [WI DNR] Conservation Congress

Today's Items on Feral Cats in the News ~ the Feral Cat Blog!

On this page: [permalink] Latest update - March 31, 2005

The Question: Hunting Cats?
Take ACTION!
Predation Studies / The Wisconsin "Study"
Daily News and Info ~ February 11 through March 31
Petition and Poll
Wisconsin Animal Organizations - Statements
Wisconsin DNR / Hearing (7pm April 11) Info and Locations
Pre-Question 62: Wisconsin DNR and Feral Cats ~ 2002 to Feb 2005
Wisconsin State Statutes
Wisconsin Legislators
Map of Wisconsin from wisconline
Hunting in Wisconsin

[Feral Cat Blog! Note ~ March 7, 2005: The initial news article on this issue was published February 11, at which time it was posted on Feral Cats in the News ~ the Feral Cat Blog! and e-mailed to national and leading Wisconsin feral cat and animal groups.]

The Question: Hunting Cats?

On April 11, 2005, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Conservation Congress seeks input on feral cats. "At present free roaming feral domestic cats are not defined as a protected or unprotected species. Unprotected species can be hunted year-round in Wisconsin. The congress asks if the DNR should define free roaming feral domestic cats as an unprotected species."

[The Wisconsin DNR categorization of Unprotected Wild Animals means: "No closed season, bag limit, size limit or possession limit applies to these animals."
in the 2004 Small Game Hunting Regulations pamphlet, a downloadable pdf file]

Text of Question #62
Conservation Congress Advisory Questions
[Scroll down to Question #62]

Wisconsin DNR Conservation Congress
Feral Cats [new webpage posted March 11, 2005]
[Excerpts]
Thank you for your feedback concerning the Conservation Congress advisory question asking whether feral cats should be classified as an unprotected species. Members of the Conservation Congress and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources have received many comments about this advisory question and realize this is an issue of great public interest.
We are pleased to share information on some frequently asked questions about the Wisconsin Conservation Congress and the upcoming advisory question on whether feral cats should be classified as an unprotected species.


Take ACTION!
Check these links for action alerts!

Don’t Shoot the Cat [March 6, 2005 new website]
[MadCat / Wisconsin Cat Action Team webpage]
http://www.dontshootthecat.com/

Alliance of Animals [February 18, 2005? posted on website]
Cat Hunting in Wisconsin -- Conservation Congress at it again!
Monday, April 11, 2005: Conservation Congress Delegate Election and Spring Hearings

Year round Cat Hunting in Wisconsin?!
Madison Indy Media, WI [February 18, 2005 posted on website]

AnimalConcerns.org [March 6, 2005 posted on website]
Category: Actions You Can Take > Companion Animals > Cats
Don't Shoot the Cat

Alley Cat Allies [March 11, 2005 posted on website]
Wisconsin Cats in Jeopardy
On April 11, 2005, Wisconsin residents will be asked to vote on whether feral cats should be listed as an unprotected species, thereby making it legal to hunt them year round. These cats need your help! If you're a resident of Wisconsin click here to find out what you can do to help. If you are not a resident of Wisconsin, click here.

Feral Cat Blog! Note ~

What communities must do CONCURRENTLY:

Implement, or support existing, high-impact programs to
For 'owned' cats
* spay/neuter 'owned' cats
* keep 'owned' cats indoors, supervised or contained
* identify 'owned' cats with collars and microchips
For 'unowned' cats
* practice Trap-Neuter-RETURN
* adopt or foster cats

;-) Ask Professor Temple ("The Wisconsin 'Study'") and Linda Winter (Cats Indoors!, a program of the American Bird Conservancy) to help raise funds for fences!!! ;-)

Predation Studies / The Wisconsin "Study"

Stray Pet Advocacy
Predation Webpage:
* Feral Cat Predation and It’s Effect on Wildlife - Searching for the Truth
[Excerpt]
"This topic has become a battleground of competing studies and experts. A study supporting any stance can be found, and are often cited and quoted without seriously analyzing the actual study. However, some conclusions can be reached regarding feline predation and its effect on wildlife:
* There is no strong support for the viewpoint that cats are a serious threat to wildlife, except perhaps for fragile populations in isolated or fragmented ecosystems;
* The role of other predators, including foxes, feral dogs, and some bird species has not been adequately addressed;
* The role of feral cats in a healthy ecosystem has not been studied;
* Finally, the effect of humans on sensitive ecosystems and disappearing species is often ignored."
[Excerpt]
"It is an undeniable fact that cats are carnivores; their physiology demands this. However, the debate on cat predation focuses on the impact on the other species in their ecosystem. While it is clear that cats can and do have a large impact in exceptional situations (isolated ecosystems being the primary example), it is much more apparent that in our normal, everyday environments the actions of humans have a much greater effect on vulnerable and threatened species. Urban sprawl, fragmentation of forested ecosystems, the increase in motor vehicles and the related increase in roads, and the use of pesticides, fertilizers and poisons do much more damage to bird and small vertebrate species than do domestic and/or feral cats. However, feral cat predation, and its’ supposed effect on vulnerable species, is frequently used as an argument against trap/neuter/return (TNR) programs. As cats are opportunistic feeders, providing them with a readily available food source as a part of a TNR program will reduce any effect they have on their traditional prey species. All cats, and feral cats in particular, have become convenient scapegoats for the loss of many species, especially songbirds. However, we can no longer ignore the role that we humans have played in this process. Before we can sentence cats to death for being carnivores, we need to take a hard look at ourselves and what we have done to our ecosystem."

* Addressing “The Wisconsin Study”
"... addresses the study which is cited most often by wildlife conservationists to show the decimating effect that free-ranging cats have on bird populations. The conclusion of the article is that this study simply does not stand up to scientific scrutiny."
[Excerpt]
"Though the study results were never published, there are four articles written by the authors on the subject of cat predation on birds. One of the articles was co-authored by Scott R. Craven.
Coleman, J.S. and S.A.Temple. 1993. Rural residents' free-ranging domestic cats: a survey. Wildlife Society Bulletin 21: 381-390.
Coleman, J.S. and Temple, S.A. 1995. “How Many Birds Do Cats Kill?” Wildlife Control Technology: 44.
Coleman, J.S. and S.A.Temple. 1996. “On the Prowl.”Wisconsin Natural Resources 20(6):4-8.
Coleman, J.S., Temple, S.A., and Craven, S.R. 1997. “Cats and Wildlife: A Conservation Dilemma.” University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Publications. Madison, WI."
[Excerpt]
"So in the end, one of the authors of the infamous “Wisconsin Study” debunks these estimates published by pointing out that the numbers presented aren’t actual data. Yet wildlife conservation groups, in particular the Cats Indoors program of the American Bird Conservancy, continue to propagate the myth that there was a University of Wisconsin study that indicates that free-ranging cats may be killing 219 million birds in the state of Wisconsin alone. There was a University of Wisconsin Study – it was never published (and the numbers cited were projections based on the study, not the conclusions of the study). Critical analysis of the study and extensive research into the available literature on cat predation raises serious doubts as to validity of these findings. And so the question remains – why is this study used so frequently to support the idea that feral cats are decimating wildlife (especially bird) populations? Is it because it’s easier to accept what “experts” say when it supports your point of view than it is to critically evaluate the studies? When such numbers are used to support or deny programs and funding availability – or even eradication of living creatures – we feel it is imperative that they stand up to scientific scrutiny. In this case, the numbers published that were extrapolated from “The University of Wisconsin” study do support the conservation groups’ position with the strongest numbers, but the projections based on the study simply do not stand up under such scrutiny."

Alley Cat Allies (ACA)
http://www.alleycat.org/resources_care.html
[Scroll down to]
Wildlife Issues
* Understanding Cats & Predation
* An Assault on Stray and Feral Cats
* Feral Cats on the Firing Line: For all the Talk of Cat Predation, Science Exonerates our Feral Friends - San Francisco SPCA
Scientific Studies
* Plight of the Vanishing Songbirds - Defenders of Wildlife

TNR - The Most Viable Option for Expedient Reduction of Stray and Feral Cat Populations
by: Susan B. Krebsbach, D.V.M.
Dane County Friends of Ferals veterinarian
http://www.allanimals.org/article2.html


News and Info ~ February 11 through March 31
[Feral Cat Blog! Note:
DontShootTheCat.com began posting news articles and Public Statements March 14 on their website, but I will continue compiling and posting here for now, although one of my goals for animal groups is to avoid duplication of effort!]

[Duplicate articles are not posted unless to show a particular source.]

March 30, 2005

Should Feral Cats be Hunted?
WBAY - Green Bay,WI,USA
... The Bay Area Humane Society takes in hundreds of feral cats every year. ... States like Minnesota and South Dakota allow residents to kill feral cats. ...

Cat Lovers Unite
WXOW - La Crosse,WI,USA
Wisconsin cat lovers are forming a group in opposition of a proposal to make shooting free-roaming cats legal in the state. A few weeks ago, we introduced you to Mark Smith of La Crosse. He wants the state to declare stray cats as unprotected species, meaning homeowners can shoot them if they invade their property. Immediately after Smith's proposal, the controversy started. In response, people throughout the state are teaming together to form a cat-action team to speak out against the idea. Estimates put the number of wild cats in Wisconsin at around two million. On April 11th, people in every Wisconsin county will have a chance to weigh in on the issue. In La Crosse, the meeting is in the La Crosse Center North Hall at 7p.m.

March 29, 2005

Plan to declare cats a nuisance sparks criticism
AZ Central.com, AZ
Associated Press
... Some estimates indicate 2 million wild cats roam Wisconsin. The state says studies show feral cats kill 47 million to 139 million songbirds a year. ...

Fur flies in Wisconsin over idea to hunt cats
DesMoinesRegister.com, IA
... We have reason to be concerned about our bird populations, and feral cats are one of the reasons.". ... Experts say feral cats also harm bird populations in Iowa. ...

March 27, 2005

You know, you never know ...
Green Bay News Chronicle, WI
... But write one eensie-weensie column about an honestagod proposal to hunt cats in Wisconsin, and EVERYONE gets a hairball in the throat! ...

Your views
LaCrosse Tribune, WI
... On one page we have folks who want to save cats threatening with death, the man who wants to kill stray cats, liberal state Rep. ...... article about Mark Smith, and the death threats he has received for proposing that the state permit hunters on private lands to kill feral cats, was appalling ...

March 25, 2005

Proposal shines light on irresponsible cat owners
Onalaska Life, WI
... That suddenly changed when the Wisconsin Conservation Congress proposed making feral cats an unprotected species, which would allow hunters to shoot them. ...

March 24, 2005

Reader's Alley
Helena Independent Record, MT
... Jonah Goldberg's opinion piece, March 18, "First, kill the cats," made the point that Wisconsin is justified if it allows hunting and killing of feral cats. ...

March 23, 2005

Guest view Author of cat proposal says idea is a worthy one
LaCrosse Tribune, WI
... family. The cat and animal lovers have stated they are "outraged" that I have made my proposal to the state concerning feral cats. I ...

March 22, 2005

Editorial: Conservation Congress proposal shines light on ...
The Tomah Journal - Tomah,WI,USA
... For years, the problem of cats devouring Wisconsin wildlife has been ignored. That suddenly changed when the Wisconsin Conservation ...

Editorials from Wisconsin newspapers
Duluth News Tribune - Duluth,MN,USA
... has studied the problem. He said cats, especially rural cats, kill millions of birds in Wisconsin every year. But even Temple is ...

Please pass the cat soup
Green Bay News Chronicle - Green Bay,WI,USA
... Mark Smith, a great hunter-trapper from LaCrosse, has asked that quizzical body called the Conservation Congress to recommend an open season on feral cats. ...

March 20, 2005

Letters to the editor for Sunday, March 20, 2005
LaCrosse Tribune, WI
[Scroll down to]
Cats, birds and the food chain
and
Both sides need to compromise

Tony Walter column: Dog-cat fight has more bark than bite
Green Bay Press Gazette, WI
... resident advisory board to the state Department of Natural Resources pass a rule to allow anyone with a small game license to shoot feral (wild) cats at anytime ...

Emotional attachments endanger nature at work
Houston Chronicle
... This week in Wisconsin, the debate concerns whether feral cats may be killed. The fast answer from cat lovers is an emphatic "no ...

March 19, 2005

Going rate for a cloned cat? Now only $32,000
Wisconsin State Journal - Madison,WI,USA
[Excerpts]
… Genetic Savings & Clone Inc. is having a sale on cloned cats.
The company, which has its laboratories in Waunakee's business park and bills itself as the only pet cloning company in the world, has reduced its price for a cloned cat from $50,000 to $32,000.
A banner headline on the company's Web page, "Cat Cloning Proves Popular!," announces the deal. …
…In addition to announcing its cloned cat sale, the company has started a new Web page to counter arguments against pet cloning being raised by such organizations as the American Anti-Vivisection Society, a group that campaigns against cruelty to animals. In its literature, the organization denounces pet cloning, arguing that it exacerbates pet overpopulation and misleads grieving pet lovers.
Carlson said the Web page is part of the company's campaign to counter the arguments of such groups and to fight a proposal to ban pet cloning in California, where the company has its headquarters. The law would ban the sale and transfer of cloned pets in the state.
Meanwhile, Carlson said, the company is on track to produce its first cloned pet dog at the Waunakee lab later this year. …

Joel McNally: Ridiculous cat hunt idea ought to be shot down
The Capital Times, WI
... The ballot proposal seeking the right to blow away cats defines "free roaming, feral, domestic cats" as "any domestic-type cat which is not under the owner's ...

March 18, 2005

Wisconsin in Catfight Over Wild Felines
FOX News - USA
... They're free-roaming felines called "feral cats (search)" because they live in the wild. And they're at the center of a major catfight in Wisconsin. ...

Opinions
Independent Record, MT
Wisconsin is considering allowing the hunting of cats. Not cougars or mountain lions or tigers on the loose, but puddy-tats: Sylvester the cat. Morris the cat. Garfield.

Your views - March 18
LaCrosse Tribune, WI
... t realize what skilled hunters they are when they turn wild, cats will not ... The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign released several reports about the financing of the ...

Board meetings headed for prime time
LaCrosse Tribune, WI
... goods and services, and debate over whether Wisconsin should raise the cigarette tax by $1 a pack. And Supervisor Don Bina even made a joke about hunting cats. ...

Wineke: Society's going down the toilet
Wisconsin State Journal, WI
... We're arguing about whether we ought to be shooting cats. ... So, we in Wisconsin are as nutty as anyone else and, I suppose, if we look around, we can find ...

[Same Goldberg article]
First, kill the cats
Helena Independent Record, MT
Jonah Goldberg: First, kill all the kitty cats
The Union Leader, NH
Killing bird-eating feral cats worth a try
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN

March 17, 2005

[Feral Cat Blog! Note: This article is placed on this page as well as Today's Items (March 17) on Feral Cats in the News ~ the Feral Cat Blog! due to its timing, mention of "The Wisconsin 'Study'", Wisconsin DNR Press Release in January 2004, and the ongoing Wisconsin Cats issue.]
Of Cats and Birds - Spring 2005
Chicago Wilderness Magazine
Think twice about letting your kitty outdoors. Native birds are easy prey for Felis catus.... One of the most often cited studies on bird kills by cats was done at the University of Wisconsin-Madison by John Coleman and Stanley Temple. ...

Hmmm ... ? Maybe Fluffy needs to visit Wisconsin?
Winston-Salem Journal, NC
... State Journal, Mark Smith's bizarre suggestion that it be open season on stray cats goes before hunters April 11 at the Wisconsin Conservation Congress spring ...

Hippos and crocs and cats, oh my!
Nashua Telegraph - Nashua,NH,USA
... Firefighter Mark Smith of La Crosse, Wis., is trying to pass legislation that would make stray cats an "unprotected species" legal to hunt by anyone with a ...
[Scrol down to]
There is no such cockiness amongst the feral cats of Wisconsin, where the strays may soon pay dearly for their appetite for wild birds.

Cat-hunting proposal has correct ecological basis
Daily Cardinal (subscription) - Madison,WI,USA
... why I understand the uproar concerning a proposition by Mark Smith, a member of Wisconsin's Conservation Congress that an open season on feral cats be declared ...

Fur is flying over cat proposal
Greenbay Press Gazette, WI

Goldberg: Enviros should give blessing to cat killing
Boulder Daily Camera (subscription), CO
[Same article as posted yesterday below, different source]

March 16, 2005

Feral cat plan inspires nonlethal alternatives
Shooting not acceptable, activists, experts say
Wausau Daily Herald, WI
Although the proposal has horrified cat lovers and animal activist groups, it has highlighted the need to better control the free-roaming cat population statewide.
"If anything, it focuses attention on the problem," said Donna Gilson, spokeswoman for the state Animal Health Division of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. "It's a problem in this state, and it's really a matter here of personal responsibility for pets."
Those who oppose shooting cats agree that killing free-roaming cats is not only inhumane but will not help control the cat population. And although they offer some alternatives, they agree that spaying and neutering cats is vital to controlling the free-roaming cat population.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, has written an open letter to Wisconsin residents voicing its opposition to the proposal.
The national organization promotes the spaying and neutering of all cats and supports legislation and mandates that require pet owners to be responsible.
"We honestly believe that this will be laughed out of the halls," said Teresa Chagrin, a PETA spokeswoman. "We support humane ways, and this obviously isn't one."
In April, the proposal will go before members of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress, which then will make a recommendation to the state Department of Natural Resources.

Okay, kitty … make my day!
Spooner Advocate
Some will disagree. Smith, quoted by Associated Press this week, said he views feral cats as "an invasive species, plain and simple." Smith's proposal will be placed before the public April 11 at the Wisconsin ...

First, kill the cats
Town Hall - Washington,DC,USA
... Wisconsin is considering allowing residents to shoot feral cats in part because a respected study found that felines kill between 7.8 million and 217 million ...
[Feral Cat Blog! Note and Resource: Respected study??? By whom? What a range -- between 7.8 and 217 million! Oft-citing this study still doesn't make it true or credible! See Addressing “The Wisconsin Study” and many other articles.]
[Same Goldberg article also published in:]
National Review Online
Jewish World Review
Washington Post too!

Ed Culhane column: Don’t worry feline fans, earn-a-cat season won’t be reality any time soon
WISinfo
The inside joke in the state Department of Natural Resources these days is that the agency is getting ready to propose an earn-a-cat hunting season. Hee-hee.
It’s funny, you see, because “earn-a-buck” is one of the most unpopular deer hunting regulations ever enacted and you combine that with the hysterically unpopular “shoot the cats” proposal and …
It’s dark humor, I know, but you can’t blame the folks in the DNR. They take it on the chin all the time. They know they’ll get tarred and feathered for the cat proposal even though they had nothing to do with it.

Your views - March 16
[Scroll down to]
How do you know which cats to kill?
LaCrosse Tribune, WI
... Additionally, seldom do cats owned by thousands of rural homeowners wear collars when they ... strolling side-by-side across the back 40 with a feral feline, how ...

March 15, 2005

Cat's in the bag?
Minneapolis Star Tribune (subscription), MN
A Wisconsin proposal to declare wild or feral cats an unprotected species -- allowing them to be shot on sight -- has sparked, well, a cat fight. ...

March 14, 2005

Your views - March 14-15
LaCrosse Tribune, WI
... What is surprising is that people who claim to be cat lovers are so naive that they would rather have these feral cats starve or freeze to death over winter ...

Our view: Time to tame the rhetoric about the feral cat debate
LaCrosse Tribune, WI
By Tribune editorial staff. Things have been getting heated and emotional on the topic of feral cats and what to do about them. La ...

Milton woman finds humane way to keep feral felines in check
Janesville Gazette, WI
MILTON-Before she heads out to clean houses each day, Cherry McCutchan stops to feed a group of feral cats. "This ...

Opinion: Stephanie Turner: Conservation Congress out of touch, needs overhaul
A letter to the editor
The Capital Times, WI

March 13, 2005

Racine contingent bends a few ears
Journal Times Online, WI
[Excerpted]
… This was a get-acquainted session, a chance to extol the virtues and outline the concerns of Racine County residents and educate legislators on the challenges and opportunities hereabouts. …
Oh, yeah, this ought to rile them up. We see the Wisconsin Conservation Congress survey of state hunters is asking whether domestic feral cats should be defined as "unprotected species". What's in a name? Well, "protected species" are protected - you can't shoot them, except when the state says you can. Unprotected species are fair game, all year around. The Congress alleges that free roaming feral domestic cats kill 47 million to 139 million songbirds each year. So hunters are being asked if they want to hunt cats because they're hunting? Does this square with the outdoors' ethic notion that you eat what you kill? Or doesn't that apply to carp and cats? The results of the April 11 annual survey will be forwarded to the state Department of Natural Resources which considers the survey when making game law changes. This one's got it all - cat lovers; cat haters; People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals people; hunters and anti-hunters; bird lovers, editorial
writers - anyone else?

RYAN BAKKEN COLUMN: I tawt I taw small game I mean a puddy tat
Grand Forks Herald
Forty-nine percent of Americans are dog people, and 49 percent are cat people. The dog people usually don't like cats, and vice versa. Then, there's that very strange 2 percent who don't have a preference.
... We've allowed too many cat litters and too many feral cats roaming.". But she's not a cat apologist. "It's not that I'm advocating them eating birds.". ...

Your views
LaCrosse Tribune
Stoddard, Wis. A cat stalking wildlife is being a cat. When cat owners are not responsible for their cats, are they being human or humane? The solution is not to shoot the cat but to educate the public and hold them accountable.

Wisconsin: The Question of Whether to Trap Domestic Cats To Be Voted on April 11
Please attend the conservation congress meeting in your county April 11 and oppose Question 62 - Feral Cats!
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)

March 12, 2005

Too many cats cause too many problems
Canton Daily Ledger, IL
... Then I hear that the state of Wisconsin is proposing to allow hunters with a small game hunting license to kill cats that they see in the woods. ...

March 11, 2005

Editorial: Fond du Lac Reporter - Are feral cats an invasive species? A reasoned debate is now merited
wisinfo.com

Wausau - Cat proposal draws national heat
Wausau Daily Herald, WI
The Humane Society of the United States condemned Thursday a proposal to hunt free-roaming cats in Wisconsin. "Shooting and killing ...

Editorial: Hunting cats a foolish idea
The Capital Times, WI - Wisconsin's Progressive Newspaper!
... Teaching cat owners the smart reasons to keep their pets indoors and encouraging the growing efforts to capture and neuter feral cats are the best approaches. ...
The solution to the free-roaming cat problem is education, not an open season on uncollared felines.

Editorial: Hunting cats not the way to go in state
Janesville Gazette
[Excerpts]
Unchecked populations of feral cats are a problem in Wisconsin. No question about it.
Among the biggest ways they create trouble is by eating millions of songbirds. That carnage disrupts the food chain for wild animals who feed on the birds and reduces the enjoyment of those birds by humans. ...
Allowing the hunting of feral cats, however, is not the answer to the problem. ...
Reducing the wild cat population is a laudable and important goal. But the only humane and acceptable approach is to trap, neuter and release them. Those who truly care about the cats-and the songbirds they hunt-should do their part to make that happen.

Humane Society rips feral cat hunt
[Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)]
The Capital Times - Madison,WI,USA
[Excerpts]
The Humane Society called on the Conservation Congress on Thursday to dismiss "this blatantly cruel and unnecessary proposal" from the agenda, and instead work with animal shelters and humane societies to stem the flow of cats into the world.

Asked about the Humane Society's request to dismiss the idea, Conservation Congress Chairman Steve Oestreicher said: "That's not going to happen."
He stressed that the question before the Conservation Congress is not a plan to go out and shoot cats. It asks whether the congress wants the state Department of Natural Resources to take steps to define free-roaming feral domestic cats as an unprotected species.
Even if the DNR did that, however, it would still take an act of the Legislature to permit the hunting of cats. The whole process would take at least two years. Here's how it could unfold:
If the people who attend the statewide meetings of the congress approve the proposal this spring, it would have to go back to the DNR, which could either drop the plan or send it back to the 2006 spring congress meetings for more input on whether feral cats should be reclassified as unprotected or declared a nuisance, Oestreicher explained.
If voters at the Conservation Congress meetings approved that, the Natural Resources Board would still have to approve a rule-making process that would involve public hearings. Following that, if the Natural Resources Board approved the proposal, it would go before the state Legislature for review.
So nothing immediate would happen. The earliest a change could occur is 2007, if then.
"Once folks find out the complete information, they are much more comfortable," Oestreicher said. "We are not asking for a hunting season, merely seeking citizen input."

The Humane Society of the United States has condemned a Wisconsin proposal that could lead to the hunting of feral cats.

Opinion: Pursue options instead of killing feral cats
Daily Cardinal (subscription), WI
[from a student]
... the case. Instead, Mark Smith, a firefighter from La Crosse, is proposing that hunters be allowed to shoot feral cats. Rather than ...
[Excerpt]
We must recognize the selfish and inhumane intent behind this proposal and reject it.

March 10, 2005

Opinion Cat hunting
isn't answer
to bird kills
Wausau Daily Herald, WI
Not since the Department of Natural Resources first proposed hunting the state symbol of peace has the agency opened a debate certain to get as ugly as this one.
First let us say that no one is in favor of gunning down cats. Well, OK, some people are. But nothing's going to change them. Most are happy just buying those "What to do with a dead cat" calendars.
More to the point, the Conservation Congress is addressing a legitimate issue - perhaps in terms and methods distasteful to a lot of folks, but legitimate nonetheless.
It will be impossible to divorce emotion from this discussion - witness the debate over the mourning dove hunt - but let us try.
Ground-nesting birds and other animals native to Wisconsin are disappearing. Cats are the primary suspects. Something must be done.
"They're just super predators," said Allen Opall, a Marathon County Conservation Congress member. "They're hunters - that's what they do. They go after anything they can bring down."
Shooting the animals should be a last resort. A far more effective and palatable solution is to prevent the cats from killing in the first place.

Editorial: Marshfield News Herald - Feral cats are a people problem
wisinfo.com

Cat-hunt plan has promoter in cross hairs
Journal Sentinel - Milwaukee,WI,USA
... When Smith organized the Conservation Congress ballot question, he cited Temple's research that estimated outdoor cats in Wisconsin kill 7.8 million to 219 ...

Humane Society blasts proposal to shoot stray cats
[ Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) ]
Milwaukee Minneapolis Star Tribune (subscription) - MN,USA
... Frustrated with feral cats that prowl around his home bird feeder, asked the Wisconsin Conservation Congress to put his proposal before people at its hearings ...

Fair Game? Hunter Talks About Cat Proposal
WQOW - Eau Claire,WI,USA
... That's during the Wisconsin Conservation Congress hearings ... up for a vote: Do you favor the DNR taking steps to define free-roaming feral domestic cats and list ...
[Excerpts]
A La Crosse hunter says good intentions are turning into a media circus. He says the real issue he wants to get across is being misunderstood.
You can watch the interview with Mark Smith next weekend on Northland Adventures on WQOW-18. The episode will air after News 18 at 10:00 on March 20th.

GROUP'S ALTERNATIVE TO CAT HUNT
[Marathon County Humane Society]
WAOW, WI
THE SHELTER ALSO PROVIDES TIPS AND FOOD TO HELP CATCH THE ANIMAL-AND THEY DEAL WITH THE CATS AFTER THEY'RE CAUGHT, BY ASSESSING WHETHER THEY'RE FERAL. ...

Cat hunt sponsor getting death threats
LaCrosse Tribune, WI
A La Crosse man who wants the state to permit hunters to kill stray cats said he has received a wave of angry reaction to the proposal, including at least two ...

Pat Durkin column: Conservation Congress has power, but neglects real issues
Green Bay Press-Gazette
[Excerpt]
After all, science-based conservation laws supported by well-read advocates seldom get voters excited. However, if the Wisconsin Conservation Congress ever mobilized its 350-plus delegates and supporters to harass politicians on behalf of the public’s waterways, that would be a story.
Why? Because the Conservation Congress is legislatively sanctioned to be the public’s adviser to the Natural Resources Board. This citizens organization holds hearings and takes votes every April. And politicians — bless their hearts — can read vote totals.
Unfortunately, the Congress seldom deploys its state-sanctioned clout for anything significant, unless you consider non-stop nattering about deer-herd estimates a vital endeavor. Anytime lawmakers consider a rational move for deer management — such as just shutting up — the Congress waves its votes to scare them straight.
That might explain why legislators have helped mismanage Wisconsin’s deer and forest ecology since before World War II. With a half-century record for championing the trivial and ignoring the crucial, the Conservation Congress leaves true conservation work to groups that lawmakers ruthlessly disregard.
But if you’re seeking an outfit that consistently makes loud, short-lived news, never overlook the Conservation Congress. Despite all the potential good it holds for Wisconsin’s outdoors community, the Congress regularly humiliates itself over stupid stuff — often in its advisory questions at the April hearings. This year’s nationwide newsmaker is Advisory Question 62, which asks the DNR to support hunts for feral cats.

March 9, 2005

Cat hunt idea won't have 9 lives
La Crosse Tribune, WI

Free-ranging cats could become game
Wausau Daily Herald, WI
... Feral cats are the wild offspring of domesticated cats. ... "There are lots of (feral cats). But you can't tell what's feral and what's not. ...

Proposal to gun down roaming felines outrages area cat lovers
Milwaukee Freeman Newspapers, WI
... look at the animal and make the determination," she said. "I think there are better solutions than being able to shoot feral cats.".

Letters from readers
Minneapolis Star Tribune (subscription), MN
... a shotgun under a bird feeder in a suburban area, but I know many farmers and rural dwellers who would be amazed to learn it is illegal to shoot feral cats. ...

March 8, 2005

CONTROVERSY HEATS UP OVER PROPOSED CAT HUNT
WAOW - Wausau,WI,USA
[Excerpt]
WE'VE FIELDED DOZENS OF CALLS FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE EITHER FOR OUR AGAINST THE IDEA OF A CAT HUNT.
MANY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WHETHER HUNTING CATS WILL BECOME LAW.
ACCORDING TO THE D-N-R, AT THIS POINT THE DEPARTMENT HAS NO AUTHORITY OVER THE HUNTING OF FERAL OR "WILD" CATS.
WISCONSIN'S CONSERVATION CONGRESS> PLANS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE DURING ITS MEETING IN APRIL.
THEIR FINDINGS WILL BE SHARED WITH THE D-N-R AND STATE LAWMAKERS.
A BIG PART OF THE DISCUSSION WILL INCLUDE THE AFFECTS FERAL CATS HAVE ON THE ENVIRONMENT.
WILDLIFE EXPERTS SAY 47 TO 139 MILLION SONGBIRDS ARE KILLED BY THE CATS IN THE STATE EACH YEAR, ALONG WITH OTHER SMALL ANIMALS.

Open Season on Cats in Wisconsin?
Reuters - USA
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A proposal that would allow hunters in Wisconsin to shoot and kill feral cats is causing, well, a hissy fit.
"It's entirely cruel behavior to have an open season on cats. Just because a cat doesn't have a collar doesn't mean a cat has no owners," said Jessica Frohman, community outreach and policy coordinator for Alley Cat Allies, a group which espouses no-kill methods of controlling wild felines.
Opposition is coming in "from all over the country ... surprise, shock, horror," added Adam Bauknecht who along with others has put up a Wisconsin-based Web site calling attention to the issue.
The site -- http://www.dontshootthecat.com -- drew 35,000 hits on Monday alone and has received more than 800 e-mails since it was activated three days ago, Bauknecht told Reuters on Tuesday. ...

Anger and Action Over Idea to Allow Cat Hunting
WDJT, WI
... endangered. They cite a University of Wisconsin-Madison study showing as many as 219 million birds killed each year by feral cats. "They ...

Fur flies over cat hunting proposal
9NEWS.com, CO
... Supporters say stray or feral cats have become a nuisance in some parts of Wisconsin, and that hunting them would help protect the state's wild bird population ...

Open season, nine times over
Minneapolis Star Tribune (subscription), MN
... In addition to the 77.6 million cats owned in the United States, the estimate for the number of feral cats -- cats that were domesticated but are living ...

Cat Hunting
WSAW, WI
It might sound far fetched, but there are some people in Wisconsin who think stray cats should be fair game. Supporters of a proposal ...

Feral Cat Hunting
WMTV, WI
A La Crosse Firefighter has proposed the state re–categorize free–roaming domestic cats as an unprotected specis, which would allow anyone with a small ...

March 7, 2005

Cat Hunting
WSAW - Wausau,WI,USA
... hunting? It might sound far fetched, but there are some people in Wisconsin who think stray cats should be fair game. Supporters ...
[Excerpt]
The Marathon County Humane Society says stray cats are a major nuisance and they encourage cat owners to keep close track of their pets.
"Don't let them outside to breed and breed onto others. Keep them indoors, keep them healthy, have them be your house pet," said Heather Marincel of the Marathon County Humane Society.
Marincel says all pets in Wisconsin have to either be on a leash or behind a fence even if they're on their owner’s property.

Should Wisconsin Allow Feral Cat Season?
WMTV - Madison,WI,USA
[Excerpts]
Dane County: What is the best way to deal with the feral cat problem in Wisconsin? That's a question being asked of animal lovers, wildlife ecologists, and now hunters.
The Conservation Congress is considering a proposal to hunt wild cats.
A group called Friends of Ferals is working with the Dane County Humane Society to take care of them until they have a new home. ...
The captured cats are just the tip of the feral iceberg. UW Wildlife Ecology Professor Stanley Temple says his 1995 study conservatively estimates there are 1.4 million feral cats in Wisconsin. ...
... Temple doesn't advocate hunting cats, so he says there's only one solution left. "Simply put a fence around so those cats don't get access to wildlife habitat."

Feral Cat Hunting
WMTV, WI
A La Crosse Firefighter has proposed the state re–categorize free–roaming domestic cats as an unprotected specis, which would allow anyone with a small ...

[This AP story has been picked up throughout the U.S.]
Hunter Wants Open Season On Domestic Cats
Hawaii Channel.com, HI
The Wisconsin hunter and firefighter wants stray cats classified as an "unprotected species" that could be shot by anyone with a small-game license. ...

March 6, 2005

DNR Killers want a hunting season on cats and will use their tax supported lobby group to get it
GreenConsciousness.org Weblog

Catnipped - Sunday, March 06, 2005 - on the Invasive Species Weblog

Hunting proposal targets roaming cats
LaCrosse Tribune, WI
... County Veterinary Medical Association and founder of Dane County Friends of Ferals, a group that has trapped and neutered nearly 6,000 feral cats since 2001 ...

Proposal would make feral cats fair game
Wisconsin State Journal, WI

February 11, 2005

Food for thought: Deer management questions likely to stir strong debate
By Paul Smith
[Excerpt]
The group is also seeking input on feral cats, a significant predator of wildlife. Studies in Wisconsin show free roaming feral domestic cats kill millions of small mammals, song and game birds. According to the congress, 47 million to 139 million songbirds are killed each year by free roaming feral domestic cats. In addition, the cats are not a native species in Wisconsin.
At present free roaming feral domestic cats are not defined as a protected or unprotected species. Unprotected species can be hunted year-round in Wisconsin. The congress asks if the DNR should define free roaming feral domestic cats as an unprotected species.
Journal Times Online, WI

Petition and Poll

[Still need to attend hearings and write, call, e-mail when appropriate]
Petition - Keep Domestic Cats in Wisconsin From Being Fair Game
The Petition Site [submitted about March 9, 2005]

[Unscientific, a "for what it's worth"]
Poll - Vote: Should hunters be allowed to shoot feral cats?
MSNBC.MSN.com [March 9, 2005]
Scroll down to "Tell Us What You Think" and click on the "Vote" link.
From the news article: Open season on cats in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin Animal Organizations - Statements
[in addition to those under Take ACTION!]

HAWS speaks out on the proposal to shoot cats in Wisconsin. [March 12, 2005 on website]
[Humane Animal Welfare Society, Waukesha County, Waukesha, Wisconsin]
[Excerpt]
HAWS has knowledgeable, trained personnel to help Waukesha County manage cats – including owned, feral, unwanted and free-roaming. From our Spay and Neuter Clinic to our trap-rental program to our emergency response teams, counselors trained in cat behavior and wildlife experts, we can help individual residents as well as Animal Control Officers with issues regarding domestic animals.
Tackling the cat overpopulation in Wisconsin and beyond will require long-term, humane solutions and the cooperation of both public and private interests. HAWS is prepared to deliver programs to lead the effort here in Waukesha County.

The Wisconsin Humane Society, along with other concerned individuals and animal welfare groups, encourage you to contact your legislator and the DNR if you are troubled that free roaming cats could lose their protected status, allowing them to be shot by hunters.
Don't Shoot the Cat

Dane County Humane Society (WI) [March 10, 2005 posted on website]
Position Statement for Free Roaming Feral Domestic Cats

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
[WI DNR]
http://dnr.wi.gov/

Spring wildlife and fish rules hearings April 11
[Excerpts]
The hearings are held annually in every county of the state on the second Monday of April, which this year is April 11, to gauge public opinion on proposed changes to rules pertaining to fish and wildlife in Wisconsin. The hearings all begin at 7 p.m.
The second part of the hearing will be the DNR’s proposed fish and wildlife rule changes affecting the management of fish and wildlife in Wisconsin. There is no age or residency requirement to vote on any of the questions in the spring hearing questionnaire.
Questions will be grouped into two categories: those of statewide significance and those with mainly local impact. Only those rule proposals identified as statewide in nature will be voted on in all counties. Local rule changes will be presented only in affected counties unless someone in the audience in an unaffected county requests a vote on a local rule change. This system moves the hearings along more quickly while still allowing a resident of one area to vote on an issue affecting a favorite lake or wildlife area in another part of the state.
People may testify for the record on any of the proposals. The portion of the hearing concerning DNR rule proposals will be conducted by an authorized DNR hearing examiner, usually a conservation warden.

Conservation Congress Advisory Questions
As part of the evening’s agenda, the Wisconsin Conservation Congress will present resolutions created by Congress committees for votes. Results of the votes are presented to the DNR in the form of advisories indicating the support that a resolution may or may not have among the people attending the meeting. Frequently, but not always, a successful resolution may appear as a proposed rule presented in the DNR portion of the meeting a year or two later.
The Wisconsin Conservation Congress will seek public input on 31 advisory questions in 2005 on a range of topics some of which include:
* Defining feral cats as an unprotected species

The public has the opportunity during this portion of the hearings to suggest fish and wildlife rules changes they would like the Conservation Congress to propose to the NRB in the future. This resolution process has also changed and anyone submitting resolutions must submit two copies of their resolution on typed or printed 8 1/2 by 11 white paper. This change was approved by the Congress to allow easy reproduction and distribution to the Congress delegates.
The complete 2005 Annual Spring Fish and Wildlife Rules Hearing questionnaire and list of meeting locations are available on the DNR Web site.
Written comments on any of the DNR proposed rule changes will be accepted if postmarked by April 18, 2005. Written comments on fisheries rule changes should be addressed to Steve Hewitt, Bureau of Fisheries Management and Habitat Protection, PO Box 7921, Madison WI, 53707-7921; comments on wildlife rule changes will be accepted if postmarked by April 12, 2005 should be addressed to Kurt Thiede, Bureau of Wildlife Management, PO Box 7921, Madison WI 53707-7921.
Written comments are not counted as votes but are presented to the Natural Resources Board along with the vote totals from those attending the meetings. Both the hearing votes and the written comments are only advisory to the NRB. The board must then vote on the proposals separately. If approved, there is then a review period during which the legislature could decide to take up and possibly act on any proposed rule changes.
The hearings will be held on Monday, April 11, 2005 at 7 p.m. in each county:

Spring Hearing Notice
At 7:00 PM, Monday, April 11, 2005, the Wisconsin Conservation Congress for each county will hold its' election of delegates. Upon completion of the delegate election, the joint Spring Hearing/Conservation Congress meeting will convene to take comments on the attached issues.
The process for the Spring Hearing/Conservation Congress meeting is in response to public comments to shorten the hearings and limit questions to those issues of statewide concern, but still allow discussion of local issues in the parts of the state that are impacted by those changes.
Questions identified as statewide wildlife rule changes will be addressed first. Wildlife rule changes identified as local will then be discussed in the counties identified as impacted or in those counties where a member of the public in attendance brings it up for discussion and comments. This procedure should eliminate discussion and voting on rule changes that are of little or no interest in many parts of the state.
Everyone will be given an opportunity to comment on the questions, but you will be limited to a maximum of three (3) minutes for each question that you wish to discuss. If comments become repetitive the hearing officer may limit comments to issues not previously presented. No argument or rebuttal will be allowed on DNR rule proposals.
Written comments on all DNR rule proposals will be accepted until the end of the comment period in the hearing notice.
Your cooperation with this process will be appreciated and will help this hearing and meeting run smoothly.

Spring Hearing Meeting Locations


Wisconsin State Statutes
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/stats.html

2003-04 Statutes Index

2003-04 Statutes Table of Contents


Hunting in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Population in 2000: 5,363,675
U.S. Census Bureau

Wildlife-Associated Recreation Participants in Wisconsin-2001
(16 years and older)
Hunters: 660 thousand
Anglers: 1.4 million
Wildlife Watchers: 2.1 million (residing in Wisconsin)
U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of Commerce, U. S. Census Bureau. 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation - Wisconsin.


Today's Items on Feral Cats in the News ~ the Feral Cat Blog!

Monday, March 7, 2005

Court of Appeals of North Carolina
Justice for Animals, Inc. v. Lenoir County SPCA, Inc.
North Carolina
2005 WL 221226 (N.C. 2005)
Summary: Non-profit organization brought a claim against a private, non-governmental animal control facility for violating a statute. The claim challenged the animal control facility's practice of euthanizing feral cats without holding them for 72 hours. The animal control facilities only method for determining if a cat was feral consisted of poking the animal with a pen. If the animal acted aggressively it was deemed to be feral and euthanized. The trial court granted the animal control facility's motion for dismissal. On appeal, the Court reversed the trial court's dismissal and remanded for further proceedings.
AnimalLaw.info

Volunteers Hope Feral Cat Colony Will Die Off [...eventually die off]
WCCO - Minneapolis,MN,USA
(AP) Volunteers hope a group of feral cats in southeastern Minnesota will eventually die off.
The colony of about 60 cats lives on a former dairy farm near Oronoco. …
The group Camp Companion spayed or neutered 230 cats last year. Organizers this year hope to boost that number to around 500 on a $25,000 budget.

News from around Minnesota
Pioneer Press - St. Paul,MN,USA
... ORONOCO, Minn. (AP) - Volunteers hope a group of feral cats will eventually die off after they trapped, spayed and neutered about 15 cats from the colony and ...

Unwanted cats cruelly dumped at 'sanctuary'
KITTENS and unwanted cats are being cruelly dumped outside a former RSPCA animal refuge in Leeds weeks after it closed down.
Leeds Today - Leeds,UK
... Richard Wray, 58, devotes his life to saving abandoned cats and kittens and to finding them homes, and to capturing feral cats and having them neutered or ...

No Kill Solutions Conference
March 25-27, 2005
San Diego, California
LAST DAY TO REGISTER IS MARCH 15
Nathan J. Winograd
No Kill Solutions
www.nokillsolutions.com

Castration-a-thon of town's tom cats
The Ashburton Guardian, New Zealand
By Sue Newman. There would have been be fewer howling tom cats in the neighbourhood on Friday night, thanks to the efforts of Ashburton vet Dr Gabrielle Olson. ...

[The Wisconsin DNR "feral cat hunting" story was first published and posted on Feral Cats in the News ~ the Feral Cat Blog! on February 11.]
Feral Cat Hunting
WMTV, WI
A La Crosse Firefighter has proposed the state re–categorize free–roaming domestic cats as an unprotected specis, which would allow anyone with a small ...

Hunter Wants Open Season On Domestic Cats
Hawaii Channel.com, HI
The Wisconsin hunter and firefighter wants stray cats classified as an "unprotected species" that could be shot by anyone with a small-game license. ...
[This AP story has been picked up throughout the U.S.]

Shady clawed her way into Hueneme's hearts
Ventura County Star (subscription), CA
... In fact, cat experts tell us that felines forced to fend for themselves never really warm up to human beings again. Suitcase No. ...

Rabies in South Hall County
Access North Georgia, GA
... Please note that some of the above mentioned rabies clinic events also include flea dips for dogs and puppies (3 months and up). No cats please.

Governor to neuter dog at Humand Society clinic
Access North Georgia, GA
... The Humane Society estimates that between three (m) million and four (m) million unwanted cats and dogs are euthanized each year in the United States. ...

Coast Lines
Santa Cruz Sentinel, CA
... The Why Spay and Neuter Essay Contest is open to all high school students in Watsonville, and is themed in honor of Watsonville’s new mandatory spay/neuter ...

Sunday, March 6, 2005

Kingfield water is hot topic Worried residents seek data about ...
Central Maine Morning Sentinel, ME
... A request for a raise for the animal control officer to stem the rising numbers of stray cats also caught the spotlight Saturday when Selectman Heather Moody ...

Fundraiser offers new leash on life
NorthernLife.ca, Canada
... With so many abused, abandoned and stray cats and dogs, there’s no alternative except for many of them to be put down. But the ...

Bengal cats mix mild with wild
Orlando Sentinel (subscription), FL
The felines have Asian leopard-cat ancestors, but are bred to be pleasantly domestic and fun-loving. By Nancy N. Glick | Special to the Sentinel. ...

Be pet-wise in picking your partner
Daytona Beach News-Journal, FL
... important question. When I met my lovely wife, Beverly, I was pet-less and she had a cat. Prior to Beverly, I tolerated felines. I didn ...

How much for that calico? Shelter opens mall branch
Greensboro News Record, NC
... paw ... err, on-hand. So, will just the cutest canines and felines be brought to the mall? “All animals are cute,” Williams said. ...

Some entertaining animal antics
Press Telegram.com, CA
'Cat Poems' by Dave Crawley/illustrated by Tamara Petrosino (WordSong/Boyds Mills Press, $15.95, third-grade level). ISBN: 1590782879.
Cat lovers will enjoy this series of poems devoted to the occasionally lovable, more often contrary, felines that share our lives.
The author clearly understands cats, who in my mind are much like teenagers: They like to sleep late, are picky about food, share affection at the oddest moments and then bristle with disdain at imagined slights. Petrosino's illustrations have a glint of humor, much like the eyes of a cat who has successfully manipulated its owner. Again.

Dog owners may be hit with extra $2 fee
Nashua Telegraph, NH
... Interestingly, three times more cats than dogs use the program. Thus, dog owners are already subsidizing cat owners. Now I do not ...

Bill to ban sale of cats, dogs for food dies in the House
Honolulu Advertiser, HI
By Derrick DePledge. The state House decided yesterday to shelve a bill that would have made it a felony to kill or sell dogs and cats for food. ...

America Kicks Travel Log: Day Five, Here Comes the Sun
3rd Degree, TX
... There are loads of feral cats around here and they all come out to watch people eat breakfast. A few locals even come out and feed them. ...

Retrain cats to eliminate 'war zone'
Orlando Sentinel (subscription), FL
Buffy was almost feral at first, but she has transformed into one of the most affectionate pets I've ever ... The problem is, my other two cats are afraid of Buffy ...

Pet licensing program stalls
Daytona Beach News-Journal, FL
... A study conducted there found $76,000 in rebates over three years went to eight members of a feral cat advocate group to sterilize 3,000 cats. ...

Myths and truths about cats
The Wichita Eagle, KS
... Dummies," cats, more than any other domesticated animal, keep their wildness about them, slipping back and forth across the line that separates the feral from ...

Hunting proposal targets roaming cats
LaCrosse Tribune, WI
... County Veterinary Medical Association and founder of Dane County Friends of Ferals, a group that has trapped and neutered nearly 6,000 feral cats since 2001 ...
Proposal would make feral cats fair game
Wisconsin State Journal, WI

The pitter-patter of little paws
Inside Bay Area, CA
... And if you can't handle them at all, they may be feral, and will require ... the meantime, you can make a difference by helping save the lives of cats and kittens ...

Carnival of the Cats
[Posted weekly on Sundays by 6pm Central]

Saturday, March 5, 2005

More time given to remove feral cats (New Windsor, New York]
Times Herald-Record, NY
The town has granted more time for dealing with a feral cat problem, now that a local animal rescue group has stepped in to help.
Furever Animals, a Montgomery-based animal rescue group, offered to catch the cats and find homes for them.

LIFE ON THE STREETS
The Free Lance-Star, VA
Feral cats get second chance in the Fredericksburg area through the efforts of the Rappahannock Humane Society. ...
... "Many people feed the cats, but they don't want to spay and neuter them," she said. ... Its goal is to spay, neuter and relocate stray cats to safety. ...

Volunteers care for a cat colony by neutering and releasing them
Pioneer Press, MN
... The spay-and-release approach is a creative way to address an epidemic of feral cats across the state and the country. An estimated ...
... said Laura Johnson of Shoreview, who in November formed SCRAM - Stray Cat Rescue Associates of Minnesota - an eight-volunteer organization to save cats. ...
[This article was originally published and posted on Feral Cats in the News last week.]
Volunteers care for a cat colony by neutering and releasing them
Grand Forks Herald, ND
Volunteers care for a cat colony by neutering and releasing them
Duluth News Tribune, MN

Controlling the Cat Population
Washington Post
... Alley Cat Allies, in conjunction with the DC Department of Health, spayed, neutered and vaccinated more than 500 cats -- 200 pets and 300 stray and feral cats. ...

Community Bulletin Board
Winston-Salem Journal, NC
... Cats and ferrets must be in carriers and dogs must be on leashes. The clinic is sponsored by Forgotten Felines of Forsyth, a nonprofit feral-cat group. ...

Wily Coyotes
Ames Daily Tribune, IA
... Actually, you might say coyotes help bird populations. One of their favorite snacks are feral cats. Studies show that in areas where ...

NAU science attracting women
Arizona Daily Sun, AZ
... Meiers is studying the reproductive system of cats, of which little is known ... For example, it could be applied to endangered species, feral feline populations ...

Humane Society seeks foster parents [Wayne County, New York]
Finger Lakes Times, NY
... County House Road handles about 1,500 animals a year, normally 50 cats and 25 ... The county has a huge feral cat population, Davis said, which puts pressure on ...

City’s Neuter Now helps pet owners
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, HI
... claim as their own. The Hawaiian Humane Society provides free sterilization service to feral cats. Visit Other Programs and Services ...

Kitty colony dips at Donut Depot
Akron Beacon Journal, OH
... Schrader. The same cannot be said for the Mogadore stray cats. ``Where they went, who has them, I don't know,'' said Schrader. Legions ...

LIFE ON THE STREETS
The Free Lance-Star, VA
... or tsunamis. Stray cats are the victims of humans, who adopt and breed them as pets, then turn them out into the streets to die. ...

Homeless animals await new families
MetroWest Daily News, MA
Purr-fect Cat's felines can be viewed for adoption by appointment. The cats have been vaccinated ...

Trapper of cats could face jail
Syracuse Post Standard, NY
... Harry Lottermoser, of 7070 Red Sea Drive, had admitted trapping a cat in his yard because cats were damaging his new landscaping. ...

Cat dissection teaches students appreciation, understanding for ...
Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, IA
... He always orders the cats from Ward's Biology, a company that contracts with animal shelters nationwide. ... The cost: $264 for 10 cats. ...

Cats need play, posts, high places to hide in
Providence Journal (subscription), RI
... But an important question for cat lovers to ask is whether they are also a place of refuge and comfort to our cats, who share that living space with us. ...

Daycare and Rescue Operation Goes to the Downtown Dogs, and Cats
LA Downtown News Online, CA
... Melanie, who ran a similar foundation in Chicago that offered community education and a no- or low-cost spay and neuter program, was the mastermind behind Bark ...

Friday, March 4, 2005

Strays on a short leash
In-Forum (subscription), ND
... Cats seem to have it the hardest because many brought to the pound are feral or injured and no one will adopt them, Johnson said. ...

Voluntary matters
Danvers Herald, MA
... They have also placed more than 12,000 cats and kittens since 1992 and spayed/neutered more than 5,000 feral cats since 1992 as part of their feral program. ...

Designing Big Rivers future
Mendocino Beacon, CA
... He said feral cats are probably the worst invasive species in the area. The management plan could eventually contain measures for invasive animals, he said. ...

Colette P. Fox - cfox@kgmb9.com
KGMB9, HI
... was the final deadline for the "Sylvester Foundation" to move its stray and sick ... She's relocated about 100 cats to a new temporary shelter -- built on donated ...

Shelter 'Drained' By Influx Of Sick Cats
news4colorado.com, CO
LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4) Longmont Humane Society officials said they are strapped trying to care for dozens of sick cats. The animals ...

Dacono woman free to go home
Boulder Daily Camera (subscription), CO
... 72 hours under suicide watch, a Dacono resident and employee of a Boulder Albertsons who was recently reported for hoarding dozens of diseased cats was allowed ...

Trip's back at the keyboard (or atop it)
Green Bay News Chronicle, WI
... Cats, if you don't know, like height. I guess it's inbred from being built low to the ground, which is where I spend most of my time. ... Yes, I e-mail other cats. ...

Responsible owners shouldn't let cats roam
Vancouver Province (subscription), Canada
... litter box? Keep control of your cats in the same manner as we dog owners do. Treat cats and dogs the same way by licensing them.

Judge's sentence needs to require repayment for care
Munster Times, IN
... It costs more tax dollars to euthanize dogs than to spay or neuter and adopt them out. It's in everyone's interest to stand up for animals in your community.

“Care for Cats” program needs your help!
Bend.com, OR
... which offers male cat neutering for $20. The SNIP Clinic in Prineville offers $30 spay/neuter services for dogs and cats year round. ...

Cat bylaw not in city's budget - yet
Halifax Herald (subscription) - Halifax,Nova Scotia,Canada
... cat bylaw?" said Coun. Sue Uteck (Northwest Arm-South End). Meanwhile, a Dartmouth councillor thinks the city can make money by tapping into the dog-licensing ...

Friday Cat Blogging
(do a google.com search for "friday cat blogging" 2005 or variation)

"Photos of Cats, Dogs, Spiders and ?" weekly on Friday Ark at The Modulator

Thursday, March 3, 2005

The Desert-Mountain Times
The Desert-Mountain Times, TX
... Jeff Davis County – The Jeff Davis County Humane Society will start a feral cat control program to trap and neuter feral cats in Jeff Davis County and return ...

Kakaako cat population under control
KHON2, HI
Feral cats at Kakaako Waterfront Park have been an issue for several years. An effort aimed at reducing the cat population under ...

Effort to rescue cats draws 120; help on the way
The Decatur Daily, AL
By Paul Huggins. A June 2003 article about Terry Allen's mission to help feed and foster stray cats was meant to garner financial help or find them new homes. ...

Here, kitty-kitty
Mt. Carmel Daily Republican Register, IL
By Laura Easter - Register News Editor. The Mt. Carmel City Council is seeking public input on designing an ordinance to deal with stray cats in the city. ...

Police investigating possible cat poisoning
Medford Transcript, MA
... night, you can actually hear small animals like cats being attacked ... position's responsibilities include enforcing the leash law, monitoring stray animals and ...

Officials OK $250K more for animal shelter
Shoreline Times, CT
Guilford's stray cats, wandering dogs, wild raccoons and vagrant squirrels will soon have a new place to call home - sort of. Since ...

McNelis reflects on N. Hornell budget: Life-long resident won't seek fourth term as trustee
Hornell Evening Tribune, NY
McNelis does not feel strongly about installing a cat control officer in the village's 2005 budget, saying residents with concerns about cats should work out their problems with their neighbors and police officer Marcus Smith.
"Installing a cat control officer was never factored in our budget before," McNelis said. "If there's an issue with a neighborhood cat, you can make a formal complaint to (Smith) and he'll handle it. From there, the resident can pick their animal up from the humane society. That's what we stated in our cat and dog laws that went into place at the beginning of January. However, installing the cat officer is really up to the people. If they want to pay $3,000 or $4,000, then so be it. They key to solving many problems that might exist is communication with your fellow neighbor."
Mayor Stephen Terry said the village's total budget for 2004 was approximately $320,000, which could increase from one to one and one-half percent if a cat control officer is installed in the budget. Terry recently expressed concern about the number of stray cats in the village damaging residents' properties. Cleveland Avenue resident Jack Graham filed the first cat complaint on Feb. 14, stating neighbors' cats were constantly urinating on and damaging his property.

Cats Arrest Rat Problem At Police Station
Cat Patrol Secures Wilshire Division
NBC4.TV, CA
... "They keep the rats away and keep the pigeons away.". Carr said the eager felines have earned their stripes. The rats are no longer Public Nuisance No. ...

SPCA puts down 37 cats rescued from Town of Tonawanda home
Tonawanda News, NY
The SPCA had to put down about 37 cats it rescued Friday from a Town of Tonawanda home where an elderly man was hoarding some 70 felines. ...

Feline helps save Nashua owners’ lives
Nashua Telegraph, NH
NASHUA - When Sharon Kehoe left the hospital, the doctor told her to make sure she patted her cats, Stanley and Spanky, and took them out to dinner. ...

PRAR celebrates three years of dedicated service
Ruralnorthwest.com, ID
... Meanwhile, the grant money came through and the PRAR started promoting spay and neuter. ... So please be kind, spay and neuter your pets. ...

City Responds To Concerns
Fredericksburg Standard, TX
... What PAWS seeks to do, she said, is address the issues of animal cruelty and overpopulation by education and spay/neuter programs. ...

Dog impounded in biting case
Newszap Florida, FL
... saying they're euthanizing twice as many cats, even though the city has an arrangement with veterinarian Kenneth Keene to spay or neuter adoptable animals ...

Tehachapi News
Tehachapi News, CA
[Scroll down to]
Supervisor Don Maben
Don Maben, Kern County 2nd District Supervisor, has actively sought information to solve the overpopulation of animals within the district through his Partnership for Animals program.
He said his district has looked at all government entities that deal with animal control to see how the district can improve the situation.
Through his research, Maben has concluded that spay and neuter is the key element. He said Las Vegas, a city that has experienced extreme population growth, has maintained the same animal numbers in their shelters for the past 12 years due to a strong emphasis on spay and neuter.
“Before you dump an animal, you need to see if you can get it a home,” he said. “Don’t dump a harmless animal in the wild.”
Maben said the county is seeking the service of some professional animal control groups to look at their program and see what can be done to improve it.

Supes ignore pet overpopulation
Modesto Bee, CA
... The Neuter Scooter needs to be taken out on weekends to provide low-cost spay and neuter options. I don't agree that we should pay ...

Wednesday, March 2, 2005

Feral cats are not similar to strays
Corning Leader - Corning,NY,USA
... nationally recognized humane organizations, including Alley Cat Allies, the most humane thing to do for a feral cat colony is to trap, neuter and return them. ...

Cats found dead in Dacono
Longmont Daily Times-Call - Longmont,CO,USA
... well. Beginning last month, volunteers and police began feeding the feral cats to congregate them in one area to be trapped. The ...
[Excerpts]
DACONO — Eleven suspected poisoned cats have turned up dead near a feeding site city officials were using to battle a feral cat problem. …
… The city is working with nonprofit groups who spay and neuter the feral cats by trapping them and then performing the surgery onsite in a bus. Sick cats will be euthanized. Healthy ones will be released back into the city after they have recovered. …
…Officials believe the poisoning is unrelated to another Dacono cat story capturing headlines in recent days. … [emphasis added ~B]

Foster homes for cats
Shirley Oracle, MA
AREA -- Local nonprofit cat rescue group is looking for loving homes to foster cats and kittens for a minimum eight-week commitment in the towns of Bolton ...

The Truth about Cats
KARE, MN
... There are 78 million cats in US households versus 65 million dogs. ... Despite their soaring popularity, one myth persists, that cats are aloof and independent. ...
[Selected excerpt]
"They are our teachers. They are our healers," says Dr. Fox, "And if you want to wax a little spiritual, I would say that the highest purpose for animals on earth is to help us to become more human."

Cats Rounded Up At Run-Down House
news4colorado.com, CO
Police in the small Weld County town of Dacono spent the day Tuesday trying to round up cats from a run-down house, CBS4 News reports. ...

Seizures prompt suicide threat
Longmont Daily Times-Call, CO
DEL CAMINO — A Dacono woman distraught over the confiscation of dozens of her diseased cats was taken into protective custody Monday afternoon after she ...

Animal shelter opens today
Victorville Daily Press, CA
... dispute over rates. Residents of Apple Valley will, for the time being, pay only $10 for dropping off stray dogs and cats. The town ...

Group feeds, finds homes for Barnegatâ s dock cats
Press of Atlantic City, NJ
BARNEGAT TOWNSHIP - Tuesday afternoon was cold and wet and rainy, the kind of afternoon animal lovers like to spend hunkered down with their loved ones and their pets in front of the fireplace.

Setting limits on pets
Macon Telegraph - Macon,GA,USA
... does not support the three dog/three cat limit. Why have a limit at all, she asks. Pet proponents are correct when they attack this ordinance for being unfair ...
The debate over a countywide animal control ordinance in Houston County has struck a nerve with pet owners, breeders and rescue organizations.

Pets are waiting for good home
Braintree Forum, MA
[Excerpts]
Many years ago, I had occasion to visit a home for aged cats located in Connecticut. …
… I was struck by the resemblance to old people left to languish in a nursing home with the same sad, vacant stare of the unwanted. …
… Remember, folks, that a wonderful, anxious pet is waiting at a shelter for a good home and a kindhearted person to love. It could be you. …

Victor Industries Issues Update On Diagnostic Cat Litter
PrimeZone (press release), CA
... a cat litter designed to detect the onset of FUS ( Feline Urinary Syndrome ), a potentially lethal urinary tract disorder which affects 30% of all cats in the ...

Johnston police search for cat killer
DesMoinesRegister.com, IA
... There is no known motive for the hanging, though Aswegan said someone called the police department in January complaining about Trueblood's cats running at ...

Tuesday, March 1, 2005

Fund-raiser knows how to launch pet project
[Operation PetFix, Operation CatFix, Cleveland, Ohio]
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH
Timy Sullivan is chasing a dream - a world where no scrawny stray cats and dogs scrounge for food and reproduce unabated, and no shelters kill pets to make ...

Rabies season is here
WVEC.com (subscription), VA
... Do not feed stray dogs or cats, or any wild animal. ... AVOID CONTACT BETWEEN YOURSELF (OR YOUR PETS) AND WILD ANIMALS OR STRAY DOGS AND CATS. ...

Ex-Beatle's Wife Calls for Pet Fur Trade Ban
Reuters
... Animal rights activists estimate that 2 million cats and dogs are killed in Asia each year for their fur which is imported into Europe under false labels ...

Dogs (and Cats) Find Heaven in New York
Columbia Daily Spectator, NY
... In 2003, the city was euthanizing close to 150 dogs and cats per day; at the beginning of this year, Animal Control was still euthanizing close to 40 daily ...

Council open on shelter situation
[Oakland Animal Services, California]
Montclarion, CA
... Suggestions given by public speakers included removing the shelter from the auspices of the police department, adopting a citywide spay/neuter law and changing ...

Judge Judy Named International Spokesperson for North Shore Animal League...
Yahoo News (press release) - USA
The 2005 Tour for Life Crosses North American Borders and the Atlantic Ocean to Find Homes for Shelter Dogs and Cats
... Nylabone(R) Products. North Shore Animal League America is the world's largest no-kill pet rescue and adoption organization. Since 1944 ...
[Excerpts]
North Shore Animal League America, North Shore Animal League International, and Judge Judy Sheindlin announce the first-ever global Tour for Life. Throughout April 2005, the League's mobile adoption vehicles will be dispatched to work with more than 300 shelters in the US, the UK, and Canada in order to help save the lives of all their dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens. The goal of Tour for Life is to spotlight animal shelters as the best places to adopt and make the public aware that shelter dogs and cats are wonderful lifetime companions.
Tour for Life 2005 kicks off in Los Angeles on Friday, April 1, 2005 with Judge Judy presiding over the opening ceremony. A simultaneous global kick- off event will take place in Glasgow, Scotland.
As international spokesperson, Judge Judy will deliver the message: "Adopt a shelter pet and make a friend for life" through television, radio, billboards, and print media in North America and the UK.