Is it moral to shoot stray cats?

[melensdad]

OK here are the facts.

• I live waaaay out in the country, shooting pests is perfectly legal.
• Cats are NOT a native predator in this area.
• The native birds, squirrels, etc are easy pray for cats and the cats are killing the natural species.
• The balance of nature is being thrown off by stray cats and it is even affecting plant species.

So is it moral to shoot the stray/feral cats?

If not, why not?

 

[Delphinus85]

I think it depends. You can miss and seriously wound the animal and it will starve to death. That certainly isn’t the best idea. I also lived waaaaaaaaaaaaay out in the country, and we get strays. The best option is to get a small animal (humane) box trap, bait it with tuna, and you can catch cats with that, then take them to the humane society, and they will destroy them humanely.

I don’t think it’s an immoral act, but it’s not that kind if you miss and wound the animal.

 

[TraditionalCath]

wrong. the humane society’s will only destroy an animal if it is deemed unfit for adoption. thankfully, alot of shelters are finally adopting a no kill policy. i don’t think anyone should kill an animal.
not unless it is wounding you and your in fear for your life. a stray cat had the unfortunate happenstance of being dumped off or it grew up wild. its not the fault of the cat now is it? no. i am an animal activist. so i feel it is wrong to shoot an animal unless you have to. its excessive. do what she suggests, and take the animal after using a humane cat trap to take it to the spca.

 

[melensdad]

You can miss and seriously wound the animal. . .

I can hit a tennis ball size target at 500 yards.

I get no pleasure out of killing a cat (or any other animal). But they have effectively become the “top of the food chain” and are having a devastating effect on the wildlife. The pheasant population has plummeted. The woodcocks are all but gone. Even squirrels are not very common in the woods and that will affect many trees over the long run.

wrong. the humane society’s will only destroy an animal if it is deemed unfit for adoption. thankfully, alot of shelters are finally adopting a no kill policy. i don’t think anyone should kill an animal.
not unless it is wounding you and your in fear for your life. a stray cat had the unfortunate happenstance of being dumped off or it grew up wild. its not the fault of the cat now is it? no. i am an animal activist. so i feel it is wrong to shoot an animal unless you have to. its excessive. do what she suggests, and take the animal after using a humane cat trap to take it to the spca.

I understand your point of view as an animal activist. But I asked if it was moral.

I know of no county animal shelter that would take a feral cat that cannot even be approached by a human and keep it alive. These cats are nature hardened, they are not the sweet little tabby cats we keep in our homes.

Realize also that if these cats are not destroyed then we are valuing their lives above the lives of the native species. Which animal has more rights, those native animals that live in the wild habitat, or those that are not native and are destroying it?

 

[CarrieH]

I don’t think it’s immoral, but I wouldn’t do it myself unless the cats were harming me or my property, or unless they appeared to be diseased. I’m a devoted lover of the domesticated cat (my two are sitting here as I type this!), but I know how obnoxious feral cats can be.

 

[nichjake]

As much as I hate the idea of shooting the cats I don’t think it would be immoral unless theres the possibility of it being someones pet that had gotten outside or something like that. If they’re feral then I don’t think they should be seen as any different than other pest species and in that case the native species welfare should take precidence over the invading species. As for me I wouldn’t do it because I can’t even bring myself to squish a spider even though terribly afraid of them…let alone shoot a cat

 

[Holly3278]

wrong. the humane society’s will only destroy an animal if it is deemed unfit for adoption. thankfully, alot of shelters are finally adopting a no kill policy. i don’t think anyone should kill an animal.
not unless it is wounding you and your in fear for your life. a stray cat had the unfortunate happenstance of being dumped off or it grew up wild. its not the fault of the cat now is it? no. i am an animal activist. so i feel it is wrong to shoot an animal unless you have to. its excessive. do what she suggests, and take the animal after using a humane cat trap to take it to the spca.

I totally agree with you. I also feel that the shooting of stray cats is wrong.

 

[Dale_M]

So is it moral to shoot the stray/feral cats?

If not, why not?

It depends on where you live. In all states, except South Dakota and Minnesota, it is illegal to shoot feral cats. I’m not sure about other nations.

 

[Sheeniac]

I think it’s a dreadful thing, being a cat lover. I can’t imagine St. Francis would be happy. However, I do understand your reasoning.

There are feral cat groups, which trap the cats and spay/neuter them. Yes, they release them back - feral cats tend to be completely unadoptable as you probably know. But, it ends the cycle of reproduction. I feel funny as a Catholic saying that!

 

[vz71]

wrong. the humane society’s will only destroy an animal if it is deemed unfit for adoption. thankfully, alot of shelters are finally adopting a no kill policy. i don’t think anyone should kill an animal.
not unless it is wounding you and your in fear for your life. a stray cat had the unfortunate happenstance of being dumped off or it grew up wild. its not the fault of the cat now is it? no. i am an animal activist. so i feel it is wrong to shoot an animal unless you have to. its excessive. do what she suggests, and take the animal after using a humane cat trap to take it to the spca.

It is wrong to kill the cat, but it is not wrong to trap it and take it to an organization that will kill it?

Remember something, feral animals are not fit for adoption.

 

[cockatoo]

It is illegal to shoot strays in most states. Only one I know of has adopted a law making it legal and it is Minnesota(i think). It is better to take it to a humane society where it is more likely to be killed humanely(but if you are in a rural area it may not be humane), or even better find out if there is a spay and save program that spays and neuters cats and releases them. They don’t always release them where they got them.

Traditionalcath:

This situation is in the country, probably a very rural area. Shelters in rural areas fill up fast, are underfunded and can not adopt a no kill program. Feral cats would wait a couple days to be put down because of required holding time(make sure they aren’t owned), which makes lives shorter of those animals released by owner. Also rural and underfunded shelters use 2 inhumane proccesses there is one shot that is done painfully I am not quite sure how and is not an overdosed on anesthetics which is what they are supposed to do the other is gasing.

 

[Matas]

In my opinion, shooting feral cats would be immoral if the shooter:

1. Was taking pleasure in the act. I believe that taking life purely for the “fun” of splattering some poor critter is grossly disordered.
2. Was breaking the law. Shooting feral cats is against the law in many, but not all, places.
3. Was shooting a cat that the shooter knew was someone’s pet, i.e. property.

No one wants to kill “kitty.” I love my pet cats, and have always had a few pet cats around. But I also love our native song birds. Who cares for them? Aren’t we stewards of God’s creatures? Consider that releasing cats into the wild where they can survive and multiply might also be a disordered act that needs correcting. I see no problem with supressing a feral cat population that has gone out of control.

 

[otjm]

Shoot straight.

Or else import some coyotes; they make lunch out of cats.

Feral cats are a bit of an oxymoron; they are a pet gone wild but are generally not equipted to live in the wild. They can carry diseases, will do serious damamge to the small bird population, generally do not have much of a length of life due to other predators, diseases and injury. they also can be troublesome to anyone who has domesticated cats which are outside cats.

If you can deal with the issue without making a scene of it, I for one will not tell you it is morally wrong. At best it seems to be morally neutral, but emotionally charged with some people.

And most of the ones I have met who are emotionally charged about it tend to not necessarily speak about it in calm tones…

 

[TraditionalCath]

It is wrong to kill the cat, but it is not wrong to trap it and take it to an organization that will kill it?

Remember something, feral animals are not fit for adoption.

this is why it is always good to find a shelter that has a no kill policy.
unfortunately, your correct. there are feral cats that are not fit for adoption. in cases like this, it is up to the shelter to do what they feel is necessary for the animal.

 

[Zooey]

I think it’s a dreadful thing, being a cat lover. I can’t imagine St. Francis would be happy. However, I do understand your reasoning.

There are feral cat groups, which trap the cats and spay/neuter them. Yes, they release them back - feral cats tend to be completely unadoptable as you probably know. But, it ends the cycle of reproduction. I feel funny as a Catholic saying that!

This the best thing for truly feral cats.
And remember that, when you kill a feral cat, she may have a litter of kittens who will starve without her. (Or be eaten by other animals). Better to trap them, & spay/neuter or humanely put down.
The most likely reason for a decrease in small wildlife in a rural area is NOT feral cats; it is coyotes. (No, you don’t always see them. In fact its rare that you do).

I understand your frustration, but unless the cat is a danger to you, your family, and/or the family pets, I think it is wrong to shoot them. (I know it is illegal, an ethical concern in & of itself).
Mind you, if a feral one were menacing my cat, I know what I would do…One more reason I keep her strictly in the house!

It is wrong to kill the cat, but it is not wrong to trap it and take it to an organization that will kill it?

Remember something, feral animals are not fit for adoption.

But the humane society will kill the cat painlessly. It will simply go to sleep & not wake up. Being shot is NOT a good way to go. (Trust me: I have dressed bullet wounds.)
Most feral cats reproduce because no one has taken the responsibility for having unwanted animals put down peacefully. They don’t want to pay, so they dump animals out in the country to starve. That is really immoral…Especially since the truth is, that every humane society I know of, will ask for a donation for spay/neuter of animals. The amount is nominal, not what you would pay a private vet. (Who is probably the one doing the surgery for the organization.

I also want to point out that, studies have been done by humane groups here & abroad, where the stomach contents of feral cats who have been put down are analyzed, and cats very rarely have been found to have eaten birds. Even squirrels are rare. The most common food items found are: insects; field mice; rats; & parts of other pests like woodchucks.
I have had cats all my life, & lived around cat owners–hundreds of cats, & I have only known of two in the entire lot who have killed birds. In both cases the most common bird killed is the barn swallow. If you have never had these guys bombard you, you are lucky. (I have gotten so fed up with them, I have killed the stupid birds myself, not waited for a cat). They are a menace, & what makes them a menace makes them prey for cats…
(I did once have a poodle who delighted in killing robins. But we are talking cats).

 

[pyropam]

Too many people thinking of the poor animals (cats) instead of the poor people and environment. (Only my opinion).

These animals, more often than not, carry rabies. Shooting them is not immoral. Make sure you handle the carcasses with care and gloved hands. The blood alone could infect you with this disease.

They are also causing the risk for all the other animals in the area, both tame and wild to increase.

We had a terrible problem here, and a local neighbor was kind enough to do the job for us. We had more than 30 cats running around our small neighborhood. The young ones were starving and the older ones were mean.

Good luck with the problem.

 

[Leopard]

…These animals, more often than not, carry rabies…

While the incidence of rabies in feral cats is greater than zero, I am not aware of any region in which the incidence of rabies is “more often than not”, which would be greater than 50%.

 

[Kitty_Chan]

This the best thing for truly feral cats.
And remember that, when you kill a feral cat, she may have a litter of kittens who will starve without her. (Or be eaten by other animals). Better to trap them, & spay/neuter or humanely put down.
The most likely reason for a decrease in small wildlife in a rural area is NOT feral cats; it is coyotes. (No, you don’t always see them. In fact its rare that you do).

I understand your frustration, but unless the cat is a danger to you, your family, and/or the family pets, I think it is wrong to shoot them. (I know it is illegal, an ethical concern in & of itself).
Mind you, if a feral one were menacing my cat, I know what I would do…One more reason I keep her strictly in the house!

But the humane society will kill the cat painlessly. It will simply go to sleep & not wake up. Being shot is NOT a good way to go. (Trust me: I have dressed bullet wounds.)
Most feral cats reproduce because no one has taken the responsibility for having unwanted animals put down peacefully. They don’t want to pay, so they dump animals out in the country to starve. That is really immoral…Especially since the truth is, that every humane society I know of, will ask for a donation for spay/neuter of animals. The amount is nominal, not what you would pay a private vet. (Who is probably the one doing the surgery for the organization.

I also want to point out that, studies have been done by humane groups here & abroad, where the stomach contents of feral cats who have been put down are analyzed, and cats very rarely have been found to have eaten birds. Even squirrels are rare. The most common food items found are: insects; field mice; rats; & parts of other pests like woodchucks.
I have had cats all my life, & lived around cat owners–hundreds of cats, & I have only known of two in the entire lot who have killed birds. In both cases the most common bird killed is the barn swallow. If you have never had these guys bombard you, you are lucky. (I have gotten so fed up with them, I have killed the stupid birds myself, not waited for a cat). They are a menace, & what makes them a menace makes them prey for cats…
(I did once have a poodle who delighted in killing robins. But we are talking cats).

I agree, spay/neuter is the real answer in all of this. Why doesnt the op speak to their humane society closest to them and discuss solutions?

It is a moral thing, we are to take care of those God gave us to care for, which includes His animals. It is societys attitudes and laziness that creates excess pet populations. Just shooting them may solve the immediate problem, but it does nothing for the long term.

And if one tries to say although true that they are “just” wild cats and not the soft ones on your lap. Then how does that wash for a cougar a real wild cat. may as well shoot it as it eats livestock.

Even our humane society was founded for animals and humans to begin with, before it split into different groups.

 

[Newbie2]

Too many people thinking of the poor animals (cats) instead of the poor people and environment. (Only my opinion).

These animals, more often than not, carry rabies. Shooting them is not immoral. Make sure you handle the carcasses with care and gloved hands. The blood alone could infect you with this disease.

They are also causing the risk for all the other animals in the area, both tame and wild to increase.

We had a terrible problem here, and a local neighbor was kind enough to do the job for us. We had more than 30 cats running around our small neighborhood. The young ones were starving and the older ones were mean.

Good luck with the problem.

Um…no.

The incidence of rabies in feral cats is quite low, actually…and Rabies is transmitted via the saliva, not the blood, and it has to enter through broken skin.

But, that’s good advice about handling dead animals in general.

One thing that hasn’t been mentioned is the incidence of infectious diseases (infectious to cats) in feral cats: Feline Leukemia, Feline Immunodeficiency virus, Feline Infectious Peritonitis being among the most serious.

Shelters that take in cats that test positive for these diseases usually euthanize them, as they are likely to die a nasty death from these diseases. Not to mention that truly feral cats are rarely adoptable, and many times escape from the household that adopts them.

“No-kill” shelters aren’t always the answer, as they only have so much room…in our area they are able to take on adoptees only rarely; more often than not they’re full.

Back to the OP; it depends on the situation if it’s a moral choice or not. It’s difficult from a distance to tell if a cat is diseased or not, believe me, sometimes cats look and act perfectly normal until their Leukemia, FIV or FIP test comes back positive.

As far a being preditory to birds, that would seem to be more of a problem in suburban settings than out in the sticks; it’s a lot easier to catch ground animals than birds.

 

[melensdad]

I agree, spay/neuter is the real answer in all of this. Why doesnt the op speak to their humane society closest to them and discuss solutions?

It is a moral thing, we are to take care of those God gave us to care for, which includes His animals. It is societys attitudes and laziness that creates excess pet populations. Just shooting them may solve the immediate problem, but it does nothing for the long term.

And if one tries to say although true that they are “just” wild cats and not the soft ones on your lap. Then how does that wash for a cougar a real wild cat. may as well shoot it as it eats livestock.

Even our humane society was founded for animals and humans to begin with, before it split into different groups.

We have all sorts of feral cat out here in the area. There was a family out here, about a mile down the road, they had a dozen or more “porch cats” but they moved 3 or 4 years ago. The cats stayed and multiplied. They now roam the woods and fields. These cats are unapproachable. They hiss and snarl if you get within 10 or 20 feet of them. They have destroyed the pheasant and cardinal populations on my property and the surrounding land as well. I don’t know how many there are, but they are very commonly seen. I’d guess dozens on the few hundred acres that surround us.

We don’t have a shelter that will turn these wild cats into pets, but they will kill them if I catch them. But there is the rub, they still kill them. And a trap costs a lot more money than a bullet, or even a lot more than a whole box of bullets, or even a lot more than several boxes of bullets.

My concern is for the birds and other natural animals. The bluebirds are all gone. The cardinals are very rare. The pheasants are absolutely gone as are the woodcocks. Basically any ground dwelling bird is dead. Low nesting birds like the bluebird are also dead. Our once flourishing cardinal population is now minimal, and the sad thing is we planted much of our land to attract cardinals and other songbirds. So our plants lure the cardinals in and the cats kill them.

I don’t understand why a high velocity bullet is LESS HUMANE than catching a cat in a trap, ripping it out of its environment, taking it to a strange place where people in heavy leather gloves will hold it down while they inject it with poison. Help me with that.

I also don’t understand how I can be expected to catch and pay for the neutering and care of all these cats, then release them to do a couple more years of environmental damage to the birds, squirrels, etc. Heck about 1/2 the time the cats kill these the native species and then they don’t even eat them. What is up with that?