Feral cats, endangered birds each have defenders [Animal rights activists battle each other]

New York Newsday ^ | April 7, 2008 | PATRICK WHITTLE

[Fawn]

What’s more important to you? People or birds?

[grjr21]

Maybe we need to eradicate dogs then...

Sure ... If they're feral  and of course an owner of a pet is responsible for that pet  wether it's a dog ,cat ,bird or mouse. 

[Fawn]

NO....not feral dogs...but ALL dogs since they are hurting people....you care about people right? Did you see the stats on people getting hurt by your average pet dog????
You want to kill all feral cats because you think they are hurting birds...so I’m sure you will want to kill all the dogs because they are hurting people....unless you’re a cat hating hypocrit.

[AnAmericanMother]

I still look with disbelief on my second dog, 18 months old, and say, "YOU passed Canine Good Citizen? The judges must have been bribed!"

She starts her first agility training class tonight. She's been doing retriever training since she was 6 months old.

Even my older dog, who is half show and half field bred, needed a job - regular training and competition made a much better dog of her. For this new one, who is almost pure field bred from VERY hot bloodlines (Lean Mac x Gator Point x an Honest Abe bitch x a Franklin/Kerrybrook dual purpose dog who wandered in somehow) it's an absolute essential. Satan finds work for idle paws to do . . .

[CDHart]

That actually sounds like a good idea. I wonder why they haven't thought of it?

Carolyn

[Darnright]

Fawn, you're a conservative and you love animals. Surely you don't think having colonies of feral cats is a good thing.

A cat that runs loose has an average life span of only 3 years, while a housecat will easily reach its 20’s.

That said, cats do kill birds and other wildlife. I know it drives you nuts to see people talk about killing kitties indiscriminately, but don't you think cats need to be housepets, kept responsibly?

[Fawn]

The 'ideal' would be for all cats/dogs/people to have a house and a yard all their own, safe and sound. But life is not full of ideals. I don't even have my own yard! :)
That being said, why do you think it's ok to kill them when they statistically only have a short lifespan? Truth is, when colonies are fed and watched, their life span is longer (I have some and know some cats in colonies way over 10 years old now). WOuld you feel the same about a person who's life span has been shortened due to disease or because it will live in poverty and statistically will have a short life span? I guess NO...because it's people....so why adjust your common sense for a cat?

I am happy that many counties now.. are requiring cats and dogs to be fixed or pay a fine. PAlm Beach county started it April 1. I intend to blow anyone in that has an unfixed cat. I think that will help in the long run ....hope more counties get on board.

[Charlespg]

What’s more important to you? People or birds ?

Strawman argument.
The discussion is over feral cats,not about people vs birds

and people come first over animals..always

[Fawn]

and people come first over animals..always

OK..then you agree that dogs must be destroyed for the good of people.

[Charlespg]

Holy cow!
Was that whats left of your bed? LOL

[READINABLUESTATE]

What’s more important to you? People or birds?

Hi Fawn. I was feeling left out, so.........What’s more important to you? People or an invasive species such as feral domesticated cats? :)

[AnAmericanMother]

Actually, that used to be a box of kleenex.

Ruby the Egregious has a thing about kleenex boxes. She pounces on them and tears them to itty bitty bits. And eats a good part of the bits (which of course makes what you find in the yard look quite strange.)

She could not care LESS about being caught. "Hi! I'm having LOADS of fun! Want to join me?" She even posed for her picture.

[Fawn]

Invasive species are not harming people....dogs do. You agree that dogs must be erradicated for the good of the people?

[Charlespg]

She could not care LESS about being caught. "Hi! I'm having LOADS of fun! Want to join me?" She even posed for her picture.

Yea that sounds like a lab
I had a dog that was half black lab/half giant schnauzer and thought that all hands were for petting,LOL

[AnAmericanMother]

LOL . . . and all faces are for licking . . . .

My trainer also told me that the descendants of Ruby's maternal grandfather are all obsessive-compulsive lickers.

She certainly is. She will give you the 'full facial' at every opportunity.

My husband bought a doormat for me for Christmas, it says:

BEWARE

DOG CAN'T HOLD ITS LICKER

[Darnright]

I don't want to see them killed, ideally. However, I think animal control should trap them, sterilize them, and offer them for adoption. IF there are no homes, being a realist, I understand that overburdened animal shelters do have to euthanize unadoptable cats, and dogs, for that matter.

Left to their own devices, they face predators, automobiles, fatal, highly contagious diseases and cruel people. They act as a reservoir for rabies, which is fatal to all mammals, including us. They do have a negative effect on the small wildlife in their area. They need human intervention.

I don't want to see packs of dogs running and killing deer. Game wardens are required to shoot strays that harass wildlife. At some point, laws may be passed to require the wardens to eliminate feral cats as well.

[Fawn]

Sounds like they need to require people to spay/nueter cats in your county too. It all starts with people being responsible.

[Darnright]

>It all starts with people being responsible.<

Isn’t that the truth!

[VermiciousKnid]

Darnright,

I wasn’t going to get into this discussion because oftentimes people get a little batty over the cat/bird debate (almost as batty as the circumcision/no circumcision threads; I consider THEM actual entertainment).

However (and I know this is anectodal, but hey...I figure if everyone else is doing it...), it’s been my long experience that that old saw about how outdoor cats only live to be 3 years old is...well...nonsense.

The first kitten I ever got was born to two cats who were what we USED to call “wild,” but now I guess is “feral”. She was a thoroughly outdoor cat — a stone cold killer of big old water rats who only came inside when she dang well wanted to, and lived to be 23 years old. In fact, all my cats have been outdoor cats and NONE of them have died at anything but a ripe old age. One of my current ones is nearing 20 right now. She’s got arthritis, and doesn’t kill any mice anymore, but she’s still kicking, and still goes outside every day.

It’s not like I live in the country, either — I was born and raised in NYC and now live on Long Island.

And thus endeth the anecdote of the day.

Best regards to you,

[VermiciousKnid]

Oh! And in the interest of honesty, I will admit that I myself am not a fan of our winged friends (in actuality, I’m a little scared of birds and the thought of one of them flying at me really REALLY creeps me out — don’t know why).

Oddly enough, my cats don’t seem to be all that interested in them; they prefer rodents. My neighbors regularly thank me, as NO ONE has a rodent problem, even though we are near the Long Island Sound.