IShooting feral cats?? Yikes! . . .
I am an a proponent of TNR - Trap/Neuter/Return.
. . .
TNR works. Many communities have set these programs with a reduction in feral cat populations. The animals are trapped, neutered, vaccinated, released into their habitat where they are found and fed by volunteers on a regular schedule.
I live MILES outside of any town or city.
I moved out to this land about 13 years ago, it was common to walk the property and accidently scare up a pheasant or some other wild animal. Now it is impossible to find many of these once common animals. And I really mean it is impossible to find them! The cats have been around for about 6 years and they have been on their own for about 3 years. They clearly survived and are thriving. The detriment is that the eco-system has suffered tremendously. If we were talking about native bobcats, then I would not even have started this thread. But in the wild bobcats* (which do not exist here) *are few and far between in their native habitats. They are not like these feral cats that exist in much higher numbers per acre while bobcats are measured in density per square mile.
Despite all the evidence given to show that TRAP/NEUTER/RELEASE does not work, destroys the environment and is bad stewardship and probably immoral, people cling to it as the more humane solution. TNR studies have shown that the cat populations can exist for up to 7 years after they are rereleased. That is simply not tolerable as the wildlife has already suffered enough.
I think because they think these “kitty cats” are just like “Garfield” the cartoon cat? These are wild mean nasty little cats. I’m sorry they are not in good homes being loved, but they will never exist in a home. I’m sorry they are in the situation they are in. But I didn’t create this problem and now am stuck with it.
It really is a shame that we can’t dump a load of buckshot into the behinds of the irresponsible former owners of these cats, but that is not possible either.
What we have is a bad situation and we have to figure a reasonable solution. These cat, if left unchecked, will continue to destroy the natural habitat. If captured and released, they will do the same. The morality of putting the cats back into the wild is dubious. Clearly it violates the bad stewardship beliefs of the Church.