Posted on 03/11/2008 2:31:40 AM PDT by 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.
What do you propose to do about it?
Please explain further....This is very interesting.
You could live trap a few at a time and take them to the vet to be spayed or nuetered. Most of them give you a discount if it is a stray. Our vet charges $22 if its a stray. We have taken strays to the vet and then turn them loose in their same area. I don’t suppose you care enough to actually spend a little money on them but it is our solution and it works beautifully.
I seem to recall the statement that strays and feral animals carry diseases, plain and simple. They can carry diseases that can jump to humans, but wild and or feral animals have always been notorious for being vectors of transmission of disease to domesticated animals.
Examples in dogs include distemper and parvo, in cats feline aids and others, and the list goes on and on.
Mark
I've never researched it, but I've seen what a single outdoor cat can do... We had a big orange tabby named "Josh" who was an amazing hunter. There would be dead birds or squirrels (and more than a few rabbits) on our front porch 4 or 5 times a week for about 7 months after we brought him home... Then it slowed way down to just one or two times a week. I never did really think much about it (I was about pretty young at the time) but I believe that he did put a real throttle on the critter population in the neighborhood. Oh, and it wasn't that he was forced to hunt. He ate more cat food than any cat I've ever owned. Plus, my grandfather spoiled him with tuna or a poached egg every morning!
Mark
Pests seem to fade away when cats are around. Pennies in a coke or beer can and shook keeps the canines at bay.
Never heard of a disease that ‘jumps’ to humans from cats.
There’s a guy like that in a town near me. He hoards all kinds of pets and has no clue how to handle the situation. So one day all his cats disappeared, I assume someone did the right and humane thing, but I have no clue.
Don’t forget aboutdogs....dogs can kill more birds than cats do. People dont’ talk about it because they are dog people...but I know alot of dogs that will attack birds every chance they get.....raccoons/snakes/possums, etc. steal their eggs....and bigger birds will eat smaller birds. I witnessed a hawk eating a pidgeon in my own back yard last year...it was still alive. Read my page for why bird population is down.
Cat bites and scratches can be extremely serious, especially in people with depressed immune systems. And what's the deal with keeping pregnant women away from litter boxes?
Mark
I've seen lots of dogs chase lots of birds... Never seen a dog catch a bird though.
You know, given your attitude, maybe we should just kill ALL wildlife. That way, no more little critter would suffer, since they'd all be dead already.
I'm done here with your arguments.
Mark
The problem with the chip is that they don’t all work with the same scanner. My neighbor lost her cat and when she reported the ID chip information she was told that the only place that used that particular chip in the area was the shelter where she adopted the cat and that unless the cat was returned there, it was useless.
Eventually they did find the cat over a year later, largely due to a persistent vet. The vet felt the chip when the new family brought her in and he contacted local shelters for the different scanners.
Any cat, dog, possum, raccoon, snake bit or scratch can put you in the hospital....birds can put you in the hospital from just having them around! (Airborne diseases and cleaning their cages).....I hope you don’t think otherwise and it’s just ‘cats’ that spread a disease. You can even get a disease from being in a room with a human! Honest! And pregnant woman and kids shouldn’t be touching ANY feces. A cat or dog that eats an infected rodent can transmit toxoplasmosis through their feces. And what dogs can’t resist eating cat feces. But, I read it’s very rare. BUT...did you know that cats suck the breath out of babies!!!! LOL!!!
I haven’t tried them that way.
Good Idea!
What is the difference between a northern zoo and a southern zoo?
Both have information on the cages but the southern zoo includes a recipe.
Yeah...just last night both my border collies ran up to me with crows in their mouths.
Well that sucks.
Thanks for the info.
Haha - thanks for the laugh to a ridiculous statement.... lol Equating a child with a wild animal... LOL
eeks!
BAWH! That’s great. :-)
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