Keeping your cat INSIDE or NOT?

Question

http://www.lexisone.com/news/ap/ap041205h.html

READ the article folks!

Feline lovers holding pictures of cats, clutching stuffed animals and wearing whiskers faced-off against hundreds of hunters at meetings around Wisconsin to voice their opinion on whether to legalize cat hunting. Residents in 72 counties were asked whether free-roaming cats ,including any domestic cat that isn't under the owner's direct control or any cat without a collar -- should be listed as an unprotected species. If listed as so, the cats could be hunted. The proposal was one of several dozen included in a spring vote on hunting and fishing issues held by the Wisconsin Conservation Congress. The results, only advisory, get forwarded to the state Natural Resources Board.
Statewide results were expected Tuesday.
La Crosse firefighter Mark Smith, 48, helped spearhead the cat-hunting proposal. He wants Wisconsin to declare free-roaming wild cats an unprotected species, just like skunks or gophers. Anyone with a small-game license could shoot the cats at will.

At least two other upper Midwestern states, South Dakota and Minnesota, allow wild cats to be shot -- and have for decades. Minnesota defines a wild, or feral, cat as one with no collar that does not show friendly behavior, said Kevin Kyle with that state's Department of Natural Resources.
Every year in Wisconsin alone, an estimated 2 million wild cats kill 47 million to 139 million songbirds, according to state officials. Despite the astounding numbers, Smith's plan has been met with fierce opposition from cat lovers.
Critics of Smith's idea organized Wisconsin Cat-Action Team and developed a Web site -- dontshootthecat.com. Some argue it is better to trap wild cats, spay or neuter them, before releasing them. In Madison, about 1,200 people attended the Monday evening meeting at the Alliant Center -- more than the 250 or so in a typical year, but less than the 3,000 or so who took part in a debate in 2000 over whether to allow hunters to shoot mourning doves.

One of the attendees was Katy Francis, who wore cat ears, whiskers, a cat nose and a sign that read, ``Too Cute to Kill.'' For Francis, ``The cat hunting thing brought me out because it was very extreme.''

------ Copyright 2005 The Associated Press

Every year in Wisconsin alone, an estimated 2 million wild cats kill 47 million to 139 million songbirds

That's enough for ME want to go shoot 'em!!!

What is it with you cat people? Do you NOT realize how utterly destructive your "cute" cats are??

Some argue it is better to trap wild cats, spay or neuter them, before releasing them.
RELEASING THEM WHERE??? Back into the woods? TO KILL more small woodland creatures? SHOOT THEM ALL!!!!!!!!!

seattle, so you think that people AREN'T out there killing cats? What do you do now with these 9 million plus feral wild serial killling cats?

Feral cats are not natural part of the enviroment. They are there because we PUT them there. They are disrupting the natural ecosystem and balance. It is NOT acceptable to say, oh they only kill a few birds and "there are enough tweety birds to go around" NO, WRONG. This is not a unique problem. Look at Australia and their rabbit and cane toad infestation. And that is what this is, a FELINE INFESTATION. Wild cats are vermin and should be dealt accordingly.

Answer 1

One decision every cat owner must make is whether or not their feline friend will be allowed outdoors. Many people feel that keeping their kitties indoors deprives them of a full life. However, one must consider that the average life span of a totally outdoor cat is about a year and a half, while a totally indoor cat is expected to live upwards of 15 years.

Aside from the obvious dangers of car fan belts and tires, toxic plants, dogs and cruel people, there are many hidden dangers to cats allowed outdoors. Life-threatening dangers include:

* Diseases for which we currently do not have vaccines for (Feline Aids),
or vaccines that are not reliably effective
(Feline Leukemia, Feline Infectious Peritonitis).

* Heartworm. Yes, it is true that a cat can get heartworm, through mosquito bites. Shorthairs are at higher risk than longhairs.

* Antifreeze. Its sweet taste is irresistible to cats, and a cat who has walked through a small pool of antifreeze and cleans its paws has ingested a fatal dose.

* Skin cancer. Light colored kitties (especially white) are at risk for skin cancer of the ears due to exposure to direct sunlight.

* Hanging/choking. Those neat little cat collars which do not provide breakaway or stretch releases have killed many a cat.

* Fighting among outdoor kitties not only spreads disease, it can result in painful abscesses which require medical attention (an untreated abscess can kill a cat). Unaltered tom cats are prime candidates for such fighting, not to mention they will impregnate any and all receptive females they come upon.

* Toxoplasmosis. A single celled organism that cats can ingest while eating prey that has been exposed. Not only can it kill a cat, it is contagious to people and can result in severe birth defects to human babies whose mothers are exposed during pregnancy. Wearing rubber gloves while handling litter pan duties and gardening is highly recommended for pregnant women. Finding another home for your cherished pet is NOT necessary.

As if that is not enough food for thought, consider our wildlife. Cats kill many songbirds each year, plus rabbits, squirrels, mice, chipmunks, reptiles, etc. Most areas are not overrun with these creatures, and cats are not performing a necessary service by killing them.

Being neat creatures, cats bury their feces. It's not a lot of fun to be digging in your garden and get a handful of that! Not to mention that kitty excrement is not an effective fertilizer, or that your neighbor will probably not see the humor of their gardens being dug up and destroyed...

Non-life threatening things outdoor cats are exposed to can serve to make our human lives miserable also. Fleas, ticks and mites would just as soon bite you as they would the family pet, and getting them out of your home is expensive and time-consuming. These parasites can also carry life-threatening diseases. Kitties who come inside with motor oil or used chewing gum on their bodies and sit on your antique sofas cause quite a stir, also. Ringworm is sometimes contracted by a cat while outdoors digging in the dirt; this fungus is very contagious to humans.

Cats do not observe property lines by any means. To them, a fence is something to climb on, not a barrier. Your neighbor may not have a problem shooting, trapping or poisoning your family pet.

There are so many obvious benefits to keeping your cat indoors. Indoor cats are no lazier or less happy than their outdoor counterparts. Provide a window perch for them, put out a bird feeder for entertainment. There are so many toys available for cats now, both the interactive kind (a stick with a string with something fun on the end), and the toys that do not require human intervention. Avoid toys which have small parts that can come off and cause choking or gastrointestinal problems. A paper grocery bag will provide hours of entertainment for your kitty. A scratching post of some kind is a necessity.

An indoor/outdoor cat can easily be made a totally indoor cat with perseverance on your part. They may resent their confinement for a short time, but they will adjust. Another option is a safe outdoor enclosure. It must be carefully constructed, as you need to keep other animals OUT, as well as your cat in. Screen porches work well, too, just be sure to give the kitty some way to get back into your house if they need to.

Many cats live their entire lives without ever setting foot on grass. The difference in their life expectancy as well as quality of life speaks for itself.

Answer 2

I'd like to comment on a few things you have mentioned:

"Every year in Wisconsin alone, an estimated 2 million wild cats kill 47 million to 139 million songbirds"

Do the math, this means that 1 feral cat kills between 23 to 69 birds A YEAR, which averages to 1 bird every two weeks to 5 days. This isn't exactly what I'd call "serial killer" behaviour, more like "survival"

" That's enough for ME want to go shoot 'em!!! "

So, you would like to shoot them because they kill one bird every week. What about the fact that these animals are living in the wild, there is a balance. Trap, sterilise and release is the only way to slowly change their numbers in the wild.


What is it with you cat people? Do you NOT realize how utterly destructive your "cute" cats are??

If a cat is feral, it is quite capable of surviving in the wild, and is completely unlike our "pets" in temprament. You CANNOT take a feral cat and domesticate it - so don't even bother comparing feral cats to our "cute" cats - they are not the same thing. I'm not actually sure what you are on about here - my "cute" cats are not utterly destructive, and neither are feral cats - in fact, they keep the vermin population down in rural areas, as well as in shopping complexes etc - feel like some black plague with your take out?? kill all the feral cats.


2 hours ago
Some argue it is better to trap wild cats, spay or neuter them, before releasing them.
RELEASING THEM WHERE??? Back into the woods? TO KILL more small woodland creatures? SHOOT THEM ALL!!!!!!!!!

How bout you go out and shoot every woodland creature that kills another woodland creature for food. Cats have come from the wild and were domesticated by us, they have not changed at all, unlike dogs, who would now struggle to live in the wild. Cats can survive quite easily in the wild, and once they have returned, they are techincally "a small woodland creature"

Take a step back, take a deep breath, and see that the only thing that is wrong with feral cats is that there are too many, and those are only resulting from uncaring owners who abandon or don't sterilise their pets. They are not murderous killers out to destroy the songbird population - but are just finding food. Trust me, there are enough tweetie birds to go around, and those that get caught, deserve to get eaten, they've got wings, and if a cat can get them, they don't deserve to be paddling about the gene pool.

By the way, ever thought of the amount of woodland creatures whose lives were terminated so that your suburb could be developed - betcha its a crap load more than 69 a year...

should we shoot you?

Answer 3

Inside only all the time unless on a leash. Way to many bad things happen to cats outside. Poison, dogs, hunters, kids, wild animals, cars, ets... Also the average lifespan for an outside cat is about 5 years, while an inside cat can live up to 20.

Answer 4

That proposal failed:

Conservation Congress Drops Feral Cat Proposal

Madison, WI, May 13th, 2005 – Wisconsin’s “Cat-Hunting” proposal has been defeated!

WisconsinCAT is delighted to report that the Conservation Congress has decided to drop Q62, the now infamous “cat-hunting” proposal, from further consideration before its body. They apparently have no intention of passing this on to the Natural Resources Board, the policy-setting body of the Wisconsin DNR. This means that Q62 is a dead proposal and will see no future action by either the DNR or our State Legislature.


WisconsinCAT wishes to extend its congratulations and gratitude to countless individuals and organizations that played a role in defeating this irresponsible policy.

The defeat of Q62 does not mean that Wisconsin’s free-roaming cat problem is resolved, nor does it mean an end to the DSTC campaign. There is no question that too many unfixed cats wander outdoors in Wisconsin and the results are obvious. Humane societies euthanize thousands of healthy cats on an annual basis as a result. We have the power to change this if we choose to.

Please join us at the Wisconsin’s first-ever “Feral Forum” to be held at Monona Terrace Convention Center on June 25th where concerned groups and citizens will come together as a state and develop effective and humane strategies for dealing with free-roaming cats in our state. Alley Cat Allies has been invited to play a special role at the forum. They are a nationally recognized leader in the area of feral cats, Trap-Neuter-Return programs, and community animal-control and we welcome their support of our efforts.

Stay tuned in to our website at dontshootthecat.com for details regarding the death of Q62, information regarding the upcoming Feral Forum, and other information regarding the future of Wisconsin’s cats.

For more information, please contact: Ted O’Donnell with WisconsinCAT (608.209.5527)

Answer 5

people are killing cats - legally or not...

the most common thing isnt outright killing BUT taking an offending cat from the neighbourhood and dumping it far away.. (because if they took it to the shelter which would be legal - the owner might recover it) so people take them and dump them far away....

farmers routinely shoot cats who were dropped on their property - contrary to popular beleif that city folk have about farms - which seems to be that cats are happy on farms and farmers always want more cats - in truth THEY DONT!!!! so when a city person drops a cat they no longer want on the farm it is often shot - if not killed by the resident cats
plus farmers often "dispose" of unwanted kittens on their own

in cities at nights people often play games intending to hit cats with their cars

anyhow - obviously in the long run cats are safer indoors - IF an owner REALLY wants their cat out they can simply build a cat run with 2x4's and chicken wire - I had one built for me when I was in the city - my cats had window access and could go out when they wanted

Answer 6

Okay, here goes....a little tough love....

Why do all you guys even respond to her? If you ignore her, she will go away....look at her pathetic history. She likes to go on the cat board and bait cat lovers with her stupid crap and wrong information about how to sell cats to Chinese restaurants and leave antifreeze out for stray cats. She HATES cats, and will do anything to kill each and every cat in the world if she had the chance. Obisously, she needs to get a job and stop her obsession with cat killing.

Here's a suggestion, why don't you guys go on the dog board and start saying all sorts of **** about how bad German Shepherds are, and how they should all be killed because of their tendency for violence. She loves German Shepherds, they can do no wrong in their book. LOL. Except kill small children. Her ignorancy is laughable.

She wouldn't care though,she would enjoy the attention.

But, at least you are getting 2 points out of answering her cat-hating questions. What the 2 points will get you is beyond me, but you still get them.
Source(s):

Oh my god, just look at her history, it all speaks for itself. If she hates cats so much, IMO, she spends a little too much time on the cat boards. Can we say, GET A LIFE????

By the way, did you know cats were worshipped in Ancient Egypt? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/cats_in_anc...

Also, read down in this article about German Shepherds and their history of violence:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/dog_attack#...

Answer 7

YOU are the only vermin here..... if you claim cats kill too many birds than why aren't you an advocate to get rid of skyscrapers?? they kill hundreds of thousands of migrating birds of all species every year far more than cats do...

I can tell that you are american.... typical kill all attitude. You and people like you are the reason Canadians look down on your country. Killing everything as a solution to every problem is idiotic and ignorant. No wonder you get bombed.....

Answer 8

You're a friggin' whack job! You're one of those ranting ultra-conservative fanatics that like to go off on folks who aren't so shallow & narrow minded. I think we should propose a bill to hunt down all the stupid, moronic humans with nothing better to do then worry about feral cats. You'd be the first idiot I'd put in my scope. Get a life MORON!

Answer 9

this can be prevented theres a collar that has a bell to keep birds safe dont kill cats they arent vermin no cat is what they should do is take them to an animal shelter DON'T shoot them all they are good

Answer 10

Mine are inside cats and have never set foot in a garden, so they do not kill anything and they do not poop or pee in people's gardens, so in that case my cats are not a pest to anyone, and if people don't like cats then don't come to my house. That article is as despicable as people suggesting we shoot kids in the street because they are not with an adult, people love their pets and they bring comfort to people, so I think that people that shoot cats are murderers.