Cat Bounty in Randolph, Iowa

KPTM Fox42 ^ | March 11, 2008 | staff reporter

[Daffynition]

Randolph, Iowa (KPTM) - An Iowa mayor takes extreme measures to get wild cats off the streets.

It's a plan that's drawing a lot of criticism.

It's usually quiet on Main Street in Randolph, Iowa.

But, drive a few blocks north and west and it's not long before you see one stray cat after another.

"There's been a cat problem in this town for 11 years," says Randolph resident Sam Lupo.

Lupo says he owns two cats, the rest of the two or three random cats running around in the yard are strays.

"They're not wanted around here, they run around become a nuisance, get into trash and tear it up," says Lupo.

After several complaints Randolph city leaders are now asking for help.

The mayor's plan, is to put a bounty on all cats, so if you can lure one to you and catch it, it'll earn you five bucks.

Any stray cat or dog that doesn't have tags or a collar will be taken to a Sidney vet and put down.

"Either people keep their cats in or like dogs, if they keep 'em under control we shouldn't have a problem, it's just the stray ones and cats propagate quite frequently," says Randolph city councilman Allen Wendland.

Chasidy Wederquist calls the plan ridiculous.

"As a person who likes animals I don't think a bounty is the best thing for them to do."

She agrees there's a cat problem, but says killing them is not the answer.

"I think the county here should get something here, get a (animal control) department like Omaha and Council Bluffs," says Wederquist.

Dozens more agree.

Outraged community members vented their disgust on the city's community web site, calling the bounty inhumane and a danger to family pets.

City leaders disagree.

"There's not much of a bounty on 'em to where people are gonna make a lot of money on it," says Wendland.

If the city can identify the animal as a pet, it will be returned to the owner.

But, the big concern some people have, you won't be able to tell if it's someone's pet or not.

Even some animal rescue groups are scared people will take pets, pull off their collars just so they can get the money.

The city council meeting in Randolph is Thursday.

You can vent your concerns there. Councilman Wendland says no one has called him to complain and he says no cats have been turned in so far.

[Knitebane]

Yeah....I can see a cat kill a goose....LOL Aint’ gonna happen.

You need to get out more.

[Lurker]

Do you know what the term "feral" means? Feral means wild

No it doesn't. "Feral: Having become wild from a state of cultivation or domestication".

You should of got it fixed before you release it....and release to a familiar area for it.

In my jurisdiction it is illegal to 'release' any house pet so it can 'roam free'. One can be fined several hundred dollars for repeated violations of this ordnance.

And if you are really human....feed it.

Also illegal in my jurisdiction.

Feral cats spread disease. They're dangerous. They're destructive to wildlife.

They should be trapped, rehabilitated when possible (which is rare), or humanely euthanized where this isn't possible.

People who feed feral cats are a huge part of the problem. Were you my neighbor I'd report you every time I saw you put food out for them.

L

[hiredhand]

I'm not big, and never will be. I'm genetically predisposed to keep a slender build and will never be "big". At 44, and after 25 years of marriage to a superb cook, I haven't gained weight since I was 17.

I'm also a Veteran, a network engineer, hold a degree in telecommunications, numerous professional technical certificates, as well as being a school principal. My wife holds a bachelor's degree in neuroscience nursing. One son is currently dual enrolled in his senior year of high school as well as first year college. My 14 yr old daughter started and operates a profitable soap company, as well as being a well known and successful dairy goat breeder here in our state, and the 13 year old owns a custom outdoor furniture business. We're not "hillbillies" or "hicks", and I can assure you that either of my sons will absolutely wreck your world on a chessboard.

You've obviously never had a feral cat problem. Varmint cartridges are quite effective at reducing a feral cat population. It's a quick death.

Don't stoop to insults, and don't get personal with me. I wasn't directing my comments at you, and after looking at your about page, I understand why you're offended. I can assure you that shooting cats with the .223 Remington is neither cruel nor unusual...certainly not compared to the results of the last overpopulation issue I had to deal with...courtesy of neighbors who let them breed...didn't vaccinate, neuter, or spay. My children were quite young at the time, and they reported sick and dying cats and kittens. Two of them were in tears as they recounted what they had seen, and still have bad memories of it today even as teenagers. It was a very sad sight indeed, and left us quite heartbroken and troubled that people could neglect domesticated animals to such a degree.

So if you want to be offended and insult somebody, direct your pointless drivel at my neighbors.

I have friends that are like you (believe it or not!). You and my friends live in a bit of a "bubble". It's an "invented" world. You'll criticize me for doing unpleasant, but necessary things which evoke emotion, and interpersonal conflict because for some reason, you lack the ability to handle these things yourself. You think certain things are always going to be done by "somebody else". But when somebody is breaking into your house at 2:00 A.M. you will silently hope for somebody like me to show up. Or when some gang-banger approaches you and wants money, sex, or your life, you'll hope for somebody like me. Or when a rabid dog is in your yard, running into trees and fighting with the bushes, you'll hope for somebody like me. When you accidentally hit an animal on the road with your car, and it's trying to get up to run, but can't because it's broken and battered and suffering, you'll wish for somebody like me. Because people like me possess the necessary courage and fortitude to just admit that the world is the way it is and that there are only a limited number of ways to deal with certain situations appropriately. I'm pretty sure that secretly, you're grateful for people like me, even though you're likely to spew more venom my way after this and never admit it here.

So don't criticize. Just be glad that people such as myself are here for "you", and that we understand that you're just a little confused when it comes to differentiating us from the bad-guys.

[hiredhand]

Yeah....I can see a cat kill a goose....LOL Aint’ gonna happen. Even a chicken. Maybe a chick. Dogs/wolves/badger/coyotes.....they kill your chickens and geese.....not cats. You take the heartless easy route. It’s your (lack of) conscience and God won’t forget.

Er...actually... we killed a feral cat here back in 2003 that weighed in at 43 lbs. It was highly suspect that he was responsible for killing chickens and Guineas due to the pattern of destruction...not to mention he was observed dining on their remains. So he either killed them, or took the carcass from whatever did. Either way, that's one b-a-d cat. The pattern simply didn't match that of Fox, Weasel, Opossum, or Coyotes....all of which we have problems with here.

[Fawn]

Do you know what the term "feral" means? Feral means wild

I didn't say that genius.

In alot of towns, it's ILLEGAL to kill wildlife. Like my town. And in MANY towns it's legal to have your own cat colony.....DO you get that upset with raccoons, possums or diseased carrying birds (they bring hundreds of diseases to your yard)? Feral cats DON't spread disease....it's a lie. Your life must be a living hell if you would turn in a woman for feeding a hungry cat. HAve you no conscience or sense of humanity?

[Fawn]

I'm not big, and never will be

Well...duh.

Too bad you missed a great oppotunity to show your kids compassion and how to treat animals. You could of helped your neighbor get those cats fixed....showed your kids how to handle a situation like that correctly....humanely...what a truly kind person would do...but instead they will grown up watching daddy blow away a cats with a 22 because they were on daddy's yard. VERY nice job.
And a 22 is not going to kill a cat...it will maim it. Ive seen them walk around with bullets in them....

[Fawn]

By the way I carry my own guns...

[Fawn]

By the way I carry my own guns...

[Fawn]

A 43 lb cat huh? That speaks for itself.

[B Knotts]

It is a form of cruelty to keep cats inside all the time

You gotta be kidding. In my neck of the woods, keeping a cat outside is a quick way of being minus a cat. Sometimes people drop off cats and dogs they don't want in the area. They don't stick around long before they get eaten by larger critters.

[Fawn]

You’re right....they will be safe inside....and so would you if you never left your house.

[ErnBatavia]

dig in and crap in our flower beds

In our previous home, I took great pride in the front lawn, and it would always tick me off that the cats would scratch out a hole, and then download next to it...not in it.

[Fawn]

I get ticked at birds who poop on my car. Did you kill the cat?

[Lurker]

And in MANY towns it's legal to have your own cat colony.....

Name two.

Feral cats DON't spread disease....it's a lie.

Then my veteranarian is a liar. Where did you get your veteranary degree?

From the Rocky Mountain Alley Cat Alliance website:

Large, unmanaged feral cat colonies are particularly susceptible to the spread of disease. The combination of poor nutrition coupled with the physical stress of pregnancy and nursing, and blood contact between breeding or fighting males make these cats vulnerable to parasites, bacteria, and viral infections.

Feral cats do decimate wild bird populations. From the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation website:

Domestic cats are not a part of natural ecosystem. A single individual free-ranging cat may kill 100 or more birds and mammals per year. Scientists in Wisconsin estimate that cats kill at least 7.8 million birds per year in that state alone. Even cats with bells on their collars kill birds and small mammals

Also this:

NEVER intentionally release cats into the wild. Abandoning cats is inhumane, harms our native wildlife, and is against state law

HAve you no conscience or sense of humanity?

Your conscience is considerably different from mine. Deliberately breaking State and local laws, knowingly contributing to the spread of dangerous parasites and diseases, and allowing protected song bird species to be slaughtered needlessly would bother my conscience. Apparently you have no problem with it. I'd say you're the one who needs a conscience tune up.

L

[Fawn]

Please....you post all that drivel and unproven crap from teh bird society? And from Wisconsin yet? LOL!! Read my page to learn why birds are gone. And go to http://www.alleycat.org/ to learn the truth about homeless cats.
Registered Cat colonies have all the cats fixed which blows your one paragraph to hell. And songbirds carry and leave disaese in your lawn....IF cats were actually killing these birds, they'd be doing humans a favor.

[HereInTheHeartland]

“First, I like cats.
Me too. Lightly braised in butter.”

Cat meat needs to age properly to taste good. The best way is to age them in a cool dark setting, a garage works well.

[Fawn]

It’s sad to know there are barbarians in here....

[hiredhand]

Actually...in truth, my neighbors narrowly escaped the wrath of the law here in our county because my kids were trying to rescue sick kittens and were injured by the cats in the process. Feral cats are NOT friendly, and two of my children were bitten, and one was badly scratched. So I took them to the ER and the doc there called the Sheriff's Dept. (Animal Control). The deputies euthanized most of them with department issued Glock .40s. I cleaned up the rest later when they came to my house because the neighbors stopped feeding them after the encounter with the Deputies. The Deputies also went down a list of criminal charges for having that many cats, and for the poor condition that they were in. The ER doc also ran down a list of diseases carried and transferred by feral cats, none of which meant anything to me, but meant a LOT to my wife, and the kids had to get a couple of shots.

You didn't read my posting at #28. One of the first things I said was that 22 rimfire was a poor killer on cats.

A 22 rimfire mostly wounds. But the .223 Remington tears them to shreds! The hydraulic shock is roughly equal to "about" 1200 Ft/Lbs of energy transfer and it's very lethal and fast.

You could save yourself a lot of personal anguish by avoiding threads like this in the future. You're not going to stop believing that animals have "rights", and we're not going to stop blasting feral cats to pieces. So this is a rather pointless conversation.

[hiredhand]

“First, I like cats.
Me too. Lightly braised in butter.”

Cat. The OTHER white meat!

:-)

[hiredhand]

"By the way I carry my own guns..."

I wouldn't expect that you carried somebody else's. :-)