Advice pleease!

Okay, I'm not very enlightened when it comes to saving ferals, but I know that I will do everything I can to save them, and help them. I am 100% for spaying/neutering and helping to get tame them a bit, and find them a great home. That is exactly why I am posting.


I don't have a single clue how I can help these cats, but I do know that a bunch of cats will be euthanized if something isn't done, and so I'm asking you guys to at least give me some kind of direction because I am absolutely lost.

Let me link the article! Any advice on how to help will be GREATLY appreciated!


http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sport...orts-headlines

Boy does that make my stomach turn!!!

This has become and incredibly hot topic of debate in Florida.

www.alleycat.org has an info piece or fact sheet that mentions that over 60 studies have been conducted & written up on how cats are opportunistic feeders and have not impacted local populations of birds and other wildlife.

OF COURSE everyone spoke up in favor of getting the feral population under control! Even all of us would agree with that! The question, of course, is HOW.

What needs to happen is these studies need to be gotten to people who are managing the feral cat colonies (and thus fighting on their behalf in local Florida politics.)

I would contact those websites that have research and tell them what you're looking for. These are sites that have people that might help and might know where these studies exist:

www.feralcat.com
www.alleycat.org
www.messybeast.com
http://member.nsalamerica.org/site/PageServer This one is the North Shore Animal League - they have sponsored a number of studes through Animal People, and sponsor SpayUSA.
http://www.animalpeoplenews.org/indexEXP.html This is the Animal People newsletter, but this link should lead to a page that has "contact us" down at the bottom. These people may know where to find the published research needed to make the case in favor of the ferals.

I think as many people as possible should contact these organizations with the same question - it can only help stress the importance of the issue!

Thanks for bringing this to our attention!!!! AAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH

HUNTING PERMITS for ferals? I seriously can't believe anyone would ever even propose that!

Go to this link. Karen has tips for how to help feral cats in pounds/shelters. Good luck with the task.
http://www.clickertraining.com/train...tem=shelters_s

Cynthia - these aren't cats in shelters! Florida is pondering what to do about their terrible feral cat problem, and many residents are raising heck about the endangered species problem - and trying to blame the cats for it, not the rapid growth of the population taking over the land those animals populate...

Here's the artice to which the link leads:

Agency wants cats off public lands (Orlando Sentinel)

By Don Wilson | Sentinel Outdoors Writer
Posted March 27, 2003


Florida wildlife officials are proposing a tough policy of ridding public hunting areas of feral cats and also cracking down on feral cat shelters anywhere near threatened or endangered species of wildlife.

At the same time, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's wildlife chief intends to send a strong message to local governments to get their feral cat populations under control.

And Wildlife Division Director Frank Montalbano wants a program to educate domestic cat owners of their responsibilities for keeping their animals under direct control when outdoors.

The aim is to end the killings of millions of small mammals and birds by these cats.

"We estimate there are 5.3 million feral and free-ranging domestic cats in the state," he said.

The proposals are still in the rough-draft stage and must be approved by the full commission when it meets in May.

"We're going to take an aggressive policy to eliminating the feral cat impact on lands this agency manages," Montalbano said. "Those cats roaming free on the commission's wildlife management areas will be taken into captive management or euthanized. It's going to be a hard pill to swallow for a lot of people."

He said one person asked about creating a feral cat hunting season on the management areas, a suggestion Montalbano labeled absurd.

Montalbano also said he wants to eliminate controlled populations of neutered feral cats near colonies of endangered animals.

"We may have to get involved in euthanasia in situations where corporations are maintaining colonies of feral cats near populations of native endangered species," he said. Montalbano was referring to group of wild cats kept by condominium owners on Key Largo, home of the Key Largo Wood rat.

He said the proposed policy would "let local governments know they are responsible for controlling domestic animals. But part of the policy would be to send a more clear message to local governments' responsibilities for controlling free-range cats including colonies of feral cats within their boundaries, he said.

Montalbano's comments came at the end of the first day of a three-day commission meeting in Tallahassee. He said only eight or 10 people spoke -- all in favor of eliminating the feral cat problem.

Don Wilson can be reached at [email protected].

Okay,


I have sent out quite a few emails to people from the links you provided me with LDG! Thank you! I haven't heard back from anyone yet, but I will keep you updated on what-if anything is going to happen to save these poor cats.


I am PRAYING that someone will help me in stepping forward to put a stop to the people wanting to slaughter these precious beings.

Yeah - me too Cassie. I haven't heard back yet either.

Sigh, I have yet to get any kind of response.

FL needs to get these animals into SAFE homes if they want them removed from their homes. I wish I knew people to send email/snails to about this situation. Will keep them in my prayers -- He created them, so He will always love them, too.

Got this e-mail yesterday:

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Florida Fish and Wildlife Proposal to Eliminate TNR and Cat Colonies
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2003 11:07:37 -0700
From: "Mary Mckenzie" <[email protected]>

I don't know if you are aware of the situation we are facing in Florida - - - - -

On March 26, 2003 the Fish Wild Life Commission (FWC) met for 3 days in Tallahassee. We in Florida have a monumental job ahead of us is we are going to prevent FWC from instituting a program to eliminate feral cats. We need to rally as many people in Florida a possible to attend the meeting and speak for the cats.

Three attachments are included. (1) The letter Kathleen Harer received from Bradley J Gruver, Acting Chief of the Bureau of Wildlife Diversity Conservation (2) a copy of the press release from the March meeting (3) A flyer developed by one of our members.

It is clear from a document prepared by The Feral Cat Issue Team that the input they received was from those biased against TNR as you can see from the tenor of the information.

If any of you or your groups have information that disputes their claims that TNR is not effective or if you are as incensed as I am that they would propose eliminating feral cats by euthanizing them, please write:

Bradley J. Gurver, Acting Chief
Bureau of Wildlife Diversity Conservation
620 South Meridian St
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600
If you are a Florida resident, try to attend the May 28 - 30 meeting in Kissimmee. Go to their website
www.floridaconservation.org to look for the meetings agenda.

Please help us stop this movement by FWC.

Thank You

Mary McKenzie
Space Coast Feline Network

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