That veterinarian in Texas that bow hunted a cat in her yard lost her license to practice along with her charges.
Then got a DWI a year later. Quite the downward spiral.
Posted on 10/28/2018 9:37:50 AM PDT by hiho hiho
Invasive species can be ruthless. Surprisingly, they can also be adorable.
When non-native plants, animals, and pathogens are introduced into a favorable new environment, they can sweep through the ecosystem and threaten the survival of the native flora and fauna. They also wreak havoc on the economy. From Burmese python to Asian carp, efforts to eradicate or control invasive species cost U.S. taxpayers an estimated $138 billion per year.
But in one notable case, humans have been happy to make an invasive species feel at home. We're talking about cats: one of the most prolific invasive species in history.
The National Wildlife Federation defines invasive species as any kind of living organism — an animal, plant, seeds, even bacteria or fungus — that is not native to an ecosystem and causes harm. It turns out that domesticated cats have no native range. Originally bred from wild cats and introduced to North America by European colonists, domesticated cats are now listed as one of the top 100 invasive species worldwide by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Domestic cats are directly responsible for the extinction of a number of animal species around the world, including 33 bird species. In the U.S., the popular pet is estimated to kill over 1 billion birds and over 6 billion other small animals every year. While the biggest threat are currently posed by feral cats — domesticated breeds that don't have an owner and aren't socialized to humans — even common house cats that are well cared for and fed will hunt and kill if let outside.
Cats also transmit diseases. In 2014, of the domestic animals that contracted rabies, which can then be spread to the local wildlife and humans, roughly 60 percent of them were cats.
Like nearly all invasive species, cats also have rapid rates of reproduction. Females can start breeding at just 6 months old and can breed every 4 months, producing up to 12 kittens every year. In just the last 40 years, the number of domestic cats across America has tripled. While it's difficult to get an accurate count of feral cats, estimates suggest that today there are at least 30 million of them roaming our streets and neighborhoods. An additional 40 million pet cats have regular access to the outdoors.
There are some simple and effective solutions to help minimize the harm domesticated cats pose to local wildlife. Spaying or neutering the pets helps keep the cat population under control. Keeping cats indoors will prevent them from preying on birds and other small animals in the area.
Ironically, one of the hazards some cats face in the wild comes from another invasive species. In Florida, non-native Burmese pythons, bred as exotic pets, got loose and multiplied in the Everglades; their population grew rapidly in the wake of Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Today, they number in the tens or even hundreds of thousands, and Burmese pythons are encroaching into suburban areas — where domesticated cats make easy prey.
Feral cats kill native species like lizards, birds, rabbits and other native species. People who feed feral cats are virtue signalers and should be shot in the ass with a b.b. gun.
“They kill birds too”
Only the stupid slow ones.
That veterinarian in Texas that bow hunted a cat in her yard lost her license to practice along with her charges.
Then got a DWI a year later. Quite the downward spiral.
The cat is not an invasive species. Is this a prelude to licensing cats?
Thank you. People say I am.
Yes, I had the same thought.
You mean rats with wings?
Anyone who would do something that evil truly deserves a similar death.
You've condemned millions of people to death because over history it's been done at least that many times for various reasons in various cultures. Would I do it? Of course not.
Not people I’d care to share the planet with. I’ve had many kittens over the years that died from awful diseases, fleas, cars, and feral dogs, and that still haunts me that I wasn’t able to prevent it from happening. To willfully murder tiny, helpless, healthy and loving little creatures is simply monstrous.
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Feral cats in our area are losing territory to the local bobcats. Something is going to occupy the ecological niche; I’d just as soon it be smaller than me. Cats are fine, Bobs are OK, but when the mountain lions move in, I’m going to start fighting back.
My first exposure to a crazy cat lady was back in the late 60’s when I was 5-6 years old. My grandmother took me to visit our neighbor up on the hill. When we pulled up to the house, there were hundreds of cats all over the place. She bought pick up loads of cat food at the feed store. After she died all those cats went feral and lived in the woods near our farm. It took decades to kill off all the damn wild cats. Eventually the coyotes and fox got them.
I have always been of the opinion that this woman is bat___ crazy. It's a shame that all those hours she spent hard at studying to get her DVM were wiped away by her heinous act. I can't believe a VETERINARIAN would shoot a helpless kitty with a freakin' BOW. She should be locked up to protect the public and all kitties.
That, too.
The cats got them hooked on smokes.
But... if a fox moves into the area both cats and rabbits start disappearing.
When we used to Rabbit hunt in the fall we would see bits and pieces of rabbit fur maybe a foot... And occasionally we would shoot a few out of the trees, the cats that is. They were drop offs & wild and they fed on the rabbits so we dropped them.
I saw a cat swallow a bird whole. It hid under a car and when a bird landed nearby it swooped in and all I saw were the tail feathers sticking out.
I live in rural Northern Nevada. My Imperial Rottweiler often dines on jackrabbits, cottontails, pigeons, and doves. But he does not bother the quail, instead, he enjoys watching them parading across the property.
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