The solution to the Feral Cat problem

A friend of mine that ran a cat rescue for 14 years, just talked to the City's head honcho that deals with the city pound and all the animal stuff. (licensing and whatnot too)

Anyhow. He said he finally found the solution for the feral cats.

EUTHANASIA.

He said that when they get complaints about feral cats, they look aorund and see if they are being fed by people. If they are, they confront the people feeding them, telling them they need to get rid of the cats. (City Bylaw states you can only have 2 animals -cat, dog- at one time) If they refuse, the city traps them, and euthanizes them.. THEN send the people the bill!

Just a few weeks ago someone got a $2000 bill for the euthanasia of 18 cats that they were just keeping fed! That's absolutely ridiculous!

The solution has always been the same. Ten years ago, now, and ten years in the future. SPAY AND NEUTER. Without them being able to reproduce, they will eventually die off. Raise money, spay and neuter the colony of ferals, and feed them until they pass on. It is the solution! Not killing them all! It absolutely blows my mind that people think that this is okay.


I was aiming for a TNR program a few months ago... but got sidetracked. I really think we need to go for one again.

Our city does not have a TNR program but many smaller groups within the city do and the City is happy to have the feral population managed without them dealing with it.

Hopefully if you can find a way to manage the feral population without city help, the City will back off happy to have things dealt with without them spending money.

...and this is why I refuse to call Animal Control when Animal Aide suggested it...

I can't say I'm surprised. Has the person who received the bill contacted the local paper, etc. to see if they are interested in the story? I know earlier in the year they were reporting on the shelters being full and euthanasia being the only option there.

London recently introduced TNR (I think)...you'd think St. Thomas would catch on too.

My friend tried introducing a TNR group last year around this time.. but it never really took off. She couldn't find enough people with interest in it to really do anything about it. And at that time she was President of the other rescue in town, and caring for 250 cats and 9000 sqft of property. Now she doesn't even live in St Thomas anymore.

I am not entirely sure who the person was. The City guy was just bragging about it to my friend yesterday at lunch. I could look into it, though. I haven't seen anything in the paper or hear of it at all until she told me.

Sometimes it is just all talk with politicians, they may have done it with one hoarder type situation who was feeding ferals and they think its a good idea until they sit down and talk about it and realise that catching all these ferals is not as easy as it sounds (plus they will have to hold them for the 72 hours to advertise them if they want to charge people the cost of euthanising so increased cages at animal control plus staffing costs, they will soon realise it just isnt worth the hassle). Oh and when the ACs start getting bit by ferals because the cages will have to be cleaned daily and fresh food and water provided...

In the first reading, my reaction was this was a mean cruelty of the authority to handle like this.
Saying the censured version.

But at second reading, and seeing also Icklemiss21 response, I realised this was probably dealing with a hoarder. Which is usually NOT the same as a volunteer trying to help ferales in the neighbourhood, even if doing it very amateurishly by giving mostly only food. Although sometimes they DID began as a well meaning volunteer.


Hoarders are also an enemy of the rescuers, ie not only to the citys authorities. Their cats are usually in bad shape, her often not really caring about them. Every time a hoarder quits by any reason, there are also a lot of cats for rescuers in all neighboring counties to try to save... Taking the ah so few and necessary places from the real homeless who need to be helped.
- This is in any case the picture in Sweden.


Look where I did come: In some cases an example of the pure evil.
But in other cases - superficially even similiar, it is very harsh doing, but perhaps necessary...

Which is which? I hope the Citys authorities did made a good investigation before it - well knowing the differences between the rescuer and the hoarder.