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Sign petition to stop NJ cat hunt please!

post #1 of 28
Thread Starter 
post #2 of 28
Done! What a bunch of idjits!
post #3 of 28
OMG. that's horrendous!! I'm embarrassed to live here!!

We should be catching and fixing these cats...not killing them!!
post #4 of 28
Signed, i also sent the link to blaine and some of my friends to
post #5 of 28
Signed. What a bunch of clueless idiots!
post #6 of 28
I've signed, its disgusting. x
post #7 of 28
Thread Starter 
Thank you so much everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EVERY signature counts!!!!!
post #8 of 28
signed

They really aren't thinking to well about this. You know that you reduce the population by S/N much much better (and much kinder) than shooting the cats
post #9 of 28
I'm also concerned that they are going to wind up shooting peoples' pets. This just has disaster written all over it.
post #10 of 28
Signed!
I included a nice little rant, but that did not make it to the page, oh well.
post #11 of 28
How 'bout a petition asking these legislators when they will be ready to give up their green, insect-/weed-free, pesticide laden-lawns, cell phones and/or TVs enabled by power lines that destroy up to 60 million birds a year ?

Seems to me, it is man that has thrown nature out of balance, and now to fix it so we can have a clear conscience using our modern day, high tech conveniences, they say, eradicate the cats - too many of them, they kill birds. Well, if we added up all the wildlife killed by human engineered technical advances and insatiable need to ravage the environment, who would the number one killer be?
post #12 of 28
Quote:
Originally Posted by elayman View Post
How 'bout a petition asking these legislators when they will be ready to give up their green, insect-/weed-free, pesticide laden-lawns, cell phones and/or TVs enabled by power lines that destroy up to 60 million birds a year ?

Seems to me, it is man that has thrown nature out of balance, and now to fix it so we can have a clear conscience using our modern day, high tech conveniences, they say, eradicate the cats - too many of them, they kill birds. Well, if we added up all the wildlife killed by human engineered technical advances and insatiable need to ravage the environment, who would the number one killer be?
Mankind always screws things up.
Kill the big cats, and the wolves, now deer are overpoulated, no problem kill the deer!
Introduce a new animal! There is the ticket to win. I think of Hawaii, they brought in mongooses (mongeese?) to kill rats. Well, they dont hunt rats, but they have decimated the native bird population.
A bit of a rant, but jeeze, nature knows what to do, why can't humans acept that?
post #13 of 28
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trillcat View Post
I think of Hawaii, they brought in mongooses (mongeese?) to kill rats. Well, they dont hunt rats, but they have decimated the native bird population.
I know this is off topic, but the Mongoose does eat rodents including rats. The problem is that Mongoose hunt and forgage during the day and rats are mostly active at night when the Mongoose is sleeping.
Those folks didn't think about that before they imported the Mongoose to Hawaii.
They also didn't consider that the Mongoose will eat just about anything they can kill.
post #14 of 28
I signed it........
post #15 of 28
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trillcat View Post
Mankind always screws things up.
Kill the big cats, and the wolves, now deer are overpoulated, no problem kill the deer!
There is no simple answer for sure. If I shared a living space with bobcats, mountain lions, fox, coyotes and/or feral dogs and didn't believe shooting was the answer, I would definitely be concerned about them preying on outdoor cats as well as any feed I left out for the ferals being an attractant.
post #16 of 28
Thread Starter 
Well we keep our cats indoors for a reason. If there were predators about, it'd just be another reason for me to want to keep them inside.

Re: feral cats, fortunately in New Jersey, the biggest problem with cat food and TNR is attracting skunks, raccoons and bears. Elevated feeding stations with skirts (meaning they're raccoon-proof) and picking up food at night eliminates the problem.
post #17 of 28
Quote:
Originally Posted by elayman View Post
There is no simple answer for sure. If I shared a living space with bobcats, mountain lions, fox, coyotes and/or feral dogs and didn't believe shooting was the answer, I would definitely be concerned about them preying on outdoor cats as well as any feed I left out for the ferals being an attractant.
Keep the cats inside!
I did live in a rural area in the woods, I heard the cry of the coyotes, quite lound you little pups, the shrill sound of wild turkeys, they make quite a racket in the trees roosting, deer everywhere, racoons, possumn, ducks, geese, lots of muskrats, and once a cougar. It tracked me! My footsteps in the snow followed by big paw prints. That will make going outside for a smoke that much more intresting! Unfortunaly someone shot it.
I have lost track of where I was going with this,
carry on with the thread.
post #18 of 28
Thread Starter 


One last thought for elayman... No, there is no simple answer. But banning TNR by reclassifying cats as exotic animals is not it.
post #19 of 28
Laurie, THANK YOU for taking this to the next level! That's why I contacted you about this travesty in the first place. I sent my letter with recommendations on what to do about their feral cat problem directly via mail.

Some years back, I read an article about a small island somewhere in Europe, can't remember where now, where they had a huge feral cat problem. Many "options" were discussed about how to handle it, but a rescue group from Greece became victorious when the community voted to TNR. It was a large undertaking, and vets came from all over to volunteer their time. All the cats were neutered and then years later, the island folk had to recruit more cats that weren't because the rodent population had exploded. The few cats left couldn't keep up with the population- so they recruited cats from the mainland. It's a vicious cycle that PEOPLE have created. It is not the cats fault that the owners haven't been responsible cat caregivers- yet the cats become the blame.

Let's hope that all this letter-writing and petition signing will make a difference for the cats on death row now.
post #20 of 28
Quote:
Originally Posted by LDG View Post


One last thought for elayman... No, there is no simple answer. But banning TNR by reclassifying cats as exotic animals is not it.
Oh, I couldn't agree more that TNR is vital, especially when coupled with vaccination for rabies and distemper. It eliminates a source of food for mostly carnivorous coyotes and all other top-of-the-foodchain predators. If these super predators can then be reduced through whatever means (poisoning, shooting and trapping....) red foxes, skunks AND managed feral cat colonies can more easily move in. Feral cats are a reality (for now) and from everything I've read culling, relocating or doing nothing is not nearly as effective as dedicated management, not to mention EXTREMELY INHUMANE. . Although in cases where there is no other choice, relocation may be a viable option.

"In areas with coyotes, the cats stand a better chance if they have access to a shed or similar structure with several small openings that they can run in for safety. You may also consider building a fenced area for the cats."

http://www.alleycat.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=334

I think this all started because the coyote population is increasing steadily in the Midwest (where I live) and also across the country moving scarily closer to suburban edges and cities. Depending on prey availability, they take up residence scouring the neighborhood in search of food. I've personally known several well-meaning but uneducated owners who have "allowed" their cats (even declawed) to get out only to meet such an end. It's that combination of ignorance, heartlessness and cruelty that makes me so sick.

Sorry if a previous post was taken the wrong way or for any other misunderstandings.
post #21 of 28
Done! I am praying this will not happen!
post #22 of 28
I signed!
post #23 of 28
Thread Starter 
MA, I didn't start the petition, just found it while researching the issue.

In fact, we have a very detailed and really well researched response written (of course, like my posts, it's way too long LOL). Should be in the mail tomorrow. When we're sure it's been delivered, it'll go up on the StrayPetAdvocacy website - I'll post a link here.

There are far too many legal problems for cat hunting to become legal - they won't be able to reclassify cats, but all the letters, calls, e-mails and petitions help speak to the need for the Dept of Environmental Protection to work with the Dept of Health and Seniors (which oversees animal control), and will go a loooooong way to helping prevent a ban of TNR in the state.

Again - thank you to everyone who has signed the petition or contacted the State in some way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
post #24 of 28
I signed and sent it to the people involved in TNR here in South Jersey.

I did kind of go on a rant... but couldnt help myself.

And I thought "The Jersey Shore" was a major embarrassment -nothing compares to this.
post #25 of 28
I don't think this ever could happen, there would be a huge protest by most citizens in New Jersey (I trust !!! ). They probably just aren't aware of any such idea yet. Plus it would be a massive drain on local police forces spending all their time on animal welfare cases because peoples' pets would be getting shot instead of actual crimes, like, say....homicides, drugs, rapes, domestic violence, gang activity, little stuff like that...

I even looked up the Fish and Game Council meetings of NJ for a closer look at the sponsors of this ridiculous idea. According to the minutes, it is all about the number of animals that can be killed (deer, what not) and who gets the lottery for permits...now they want to add cats to those numbers. These people are so desensitized to the suffering of other creatures it is appalling.


It is said humans are the superior species because they can tell what's right from wrong. But their intent to choose to do the wrong thing makes them inferior to all those who do not.

So maybe animals are higher than us after all.
post #26 of 28
Thread Starter 
To read about this particular issue, you have to go all the way back to 2007, the minutes of May... discussion on free-ranging cats started earlier. You can see who pushed through the Resolution here: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2...gc05-08-07.pdf

And read about him here:
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/artic...-shooting-cats

And note he's been appointed to the ad hoc working committee of the NJ Endangered Species and Non-game Committee to REVIEW their position on TNR and feral cats, here: http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/pdf...ac11-30-09.pdf
post #27 of 28
OMG I wasn't able to sign the petition, it is already closed
post #28 of 28
Thread Starter 
That's OK. The reclassification of cats is now not an issue of allowing ferals to be hunted. It's a political tug-of-war between the Dept. of Health (which is responsible for animal control) and some propoganda-minded individuals in the Fish & Game Council (part of the Dept of Fish & Wildlife) over the future of TNR programs in the State. They're currently allowed, and many townships have them. The Fish & Game Council wants that to stop, but they have little support.
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