Posted on 03/06/2005 8:32:04 PM PST by esryle
MADISON, Wis. Hunter Mark Smith welcomes wild birds onto his property, but if he sees a cat, he thinks the "invasive" animal should be considered fair game.
The 48-year-old firefighter from La Crosse has proposed that hunters in Wisconsin make free-roaming domestic cats an "unprotected species" that could be shot at will by anyone with a small-game license.
Hunters will vote on the proposal on April 11th during hearings for the Wisconsin Conservation Congress across the state.
Smith's proposal has horrified cat lovers, but some see it as a way of stopping cats from killing wild birds.
Department of Natural Resources attorney Tim Andryk says the vote would simply be an advisory recommendation to state lawmakers.
He says that to have open season on roaming cats, laws that relate to abuse of domestic animals may have to be amended.
That stuff on a stick you thought was chicken at the local far eastern smorgasbord.
BTTT!!!!!!
Free roaming pigs, free roaming snakes, free roaming ferrets, and the list could go on and on....How about free roaming idiots? LOL
Was I laughing?
Posting clever means to kill someones pet is not the purpose of this web site. Go away.
Blow me.
Great pic.
You want to be a dead grizzly bear?
Never saw a cat yet that needed it's testicles to walk, climb, etc. Ditto for the uterus. Cutting off toe bones is a bit more radical, don't ya think?
Hey, you can come pee in my yard if you want to! It keeps the squirrels away! ;)
Exactly. We're bracing ourselves for a severe mouse problem, due to the unusual rain amounts here in CA. The last time we had this kind of rain, the mouse population exploded. Pebbles had the time of her life chasing down the little rascals. The mice were the size of my pinkie finger.
Just in my experience, feral cats can be a nuisance if they poop in your flower beds, or eat your song birds. However, they won't go nuts and attack you. Dogs can and will hurt you.
Hmm, don't look now but I think more help will be here any day now..........
...the other white meat.
I, too, feed sqirrels and birds at my home all year long. I have watched as neighborhood cats (some domestic, some feral) sneaked up on, caught, and then tortured these beautiful creatures to death.
Cats don't kill like most predators do. Most predators kill as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Cats, on the other hand, maim, cripple, torture, and play with their victims... putting them through agonizing minutes of horror and agony as the cat enjoys its gruesome game.
Cats are the Uday Husseins of the animal world, and I despise them more than I do Democrats. I also have adopted the practice of protecting my squirrels, chipmunks and chickadees from their wanton savagery.
;-/
Ditto. Well done.
;-/
I'm a little slow in responding, and I'm sorry for that.
Yes, I know that feral cats can be a problem. My standpoint is that I live in the country and have adopted a few strays and their offspring have taken them to the vet where they've all been neutered or spayed and given the necessary vaccinations. I lock my outside cats up at night, and let them out during the day. I have these cats a number of years and this worries me that some nutjob with a gun will roam around looking for prey and take a couple of shots at my cats. Lord help the poor fool that does and I would catch him.
I've had my share of stray cats (so far, no dogs) finding their way to my door. The ones I see are friendly and have no problem approaching me in a friendly manner, especially if I have food. I am so made at people who take it pets, change their minds, and then just dump them off in the country. I hope there is a special spot in eternity reserved just for them.
I have heard about the feral mink that were "freed" by the PETA whackos as well. A lot of them perish because they are incapable of fending for themselves and feeding themselves after a lifetime in captivity. Although you don't have to worry about a PETA nutcase shooting your animal, they have other twisted thoughts that are just about as dangerous.
Now, how about the wolf/coyote repopulation program? I hear of people's pets disappearing to the ever-increasing wolf and coyote population. One reader had a solution that he or she called the three S's; Shoot, Shovel, and Shutup.
Thanks for your post!
Well, fortunately...the animals that are dropped off on our doorsteps are already domesticated cats and dogs.
The problem lies when people just dump these critters in a field, and they don't find their way to people like us. Those turn wild and learn to live by the wits that they never knew they had.
And all it takes is one pregnancy (something that cats are really, really good at) and the next generation is basically feral.
Yes, this guy who wants to hunt them probably seems a little whacked out, but at this point in time, if it's a problem for a community, I don't see a problem with at least discussing the option of a feral cat hunt.
Vets that I've talked to think this "trap, neuter/spay and release" line of thinking is a waste of time and resources. These cats may not get preggers again, but they're wild and won't change their ways. They'll just end up as losers in the feral cat world and will have the snot beaten out of them because they "smell funny" as they're unable to release the correct hormones to signal mating. And really, in the Natural World, it's either mate, or fight & kill. It's pretty basic.
To me, my vet friends make a lot of sense.
So, I'll spend my time and dollars trying to stop humans from essentially doing the same to their offspring through outlets such as Planned Parenthood. Wisconsin women had over 10,000 abortions last year. That's the same amount of feral cats that are supposedly roaming around out there in my state. For me, which "population" to worry about preserving is an easy choice. :)
http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/policy/abortion/usa/ab-usa-wi.html
I see your point and agree that having feral cats run rampant is a problem and a potential threat to my domesticated outdoor cats as well. I think feral cats have their place in the chain of things, i.e., controlling the rodent population, but they take their toll on the desirable bird population that we take pride in feeding and providing water for throughout the winter. I guess I wouldn't have a problem with people hunting the truly feral cats that have overpopulated certain areas as long as they aren't hunting in my area without my knowledge and shoot at my cats.
That being said, I agree with you about the sanctity of human life and the casual attitutde people have about abortion. I wish that people would quit wasting their time in the pursuits of PETA and the Animal Liberation Front and start protecting their own species, don't you?
Regards!
"I wish that people would quit wasting their time in the pursuits of PETA and the Animal Liberation Front and start protecting their own species, don't you?"
From your keyboard to God's ear! :) I'll never understand the logic in worrying about a few dead critters, versus so many babies killed each year. :(
You don't want them? Give 'em to me! I'll raise them up. There's always room for a few more around our table. :)
Wanton cat killing is not a new idea; it has a history going back to16th century France where townspeople would burn cats alive in a sort of communal bonfire. It was considered a form of "entertainment," much like hunting is today.
The stupid persecution of cats survives to this day. In Ted Nugent's book "God, Guns and Rock 'n Roll," Nugent states that "sportsmen" were killing cats in the 1970's, and they somehow "knew instinctively" that feral dog and cat populations were at "epidemic proportions." Some of these cats and dogs, most likely, were considered pets at one time.
Domestic cats are not a threat to ecosystems, nor are they a serious threat to bird populations. Hunters are a much greater despoiler of ecosystems than cats will ever be. Hunters enjoy killing all sorts of animals: coyotes, foxes, rabbits, deer, elk, ducks, geese, cats . . . the list goes on and on. Entire ecosystems have been altered and damaged by hunting. Ranching too, has ruined tens of millions of acres in the Western United States. Ranchers can and will shoot a wide variety of wild animals for sport, fun, or whatever reasons they can conjur. Ranchers can and will shoot stray dogs whom they believe might harass their livetsock. Killing animals, apparently, is a preferred lifestyle for some people.
With hunters killing 150 million animals in the United States, and wounding countless more, wildlife killers should be pleased with their carnival of carnage. But no! Killing cats is on their menu of animals that need a good slaughtering . . . they wouldn't want to overlook a potential fun target.
I bet your father's neighborhood had plenty of mice and rats! A 2 legged one too.
He is lucky Bubonic plague was not an issue then, but it IS a problem in many places NOW.
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