Now the Germans want to kill all the stray cats because of the bird flu!!!!

[Kirsten]

This makes me so mad!!!! Not only mad, it makes me sick and furious!! :mad:

One cat - only one!!! - has been infected with the avian flu here in Germany, and now some idiots here demand that all the stray cats need to be shot!!!

Apparently it's the hunters who want that, and also the chairman of the poultry association of Lower Saxony (which is, btw, the federal state I live in).

The articles I found were in German, I post them for those here who can read German:

http://www.welt.de/data/2006/03/06/855718.html

http://www.orf.at/index.html?url=http%3A//www.orf.at/ticker/211190.html


That asshole chairman was quoted like this:
"Stray cats need to be shot. At this point, it is irresponsible to let the roam and spread the virus".

This is so sick and it makes me wanna puke!!! (I'm sorry for my language, but I feel so mad and helpless right now!)

Hopefully these sick bastards don't get want they want!

Kirsten

[elizabethann]

I knew that was coming....panic.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Oh NO !!!!!!!!!!!!! What an IDIOT !!!
THIS SO UNNECESSARY :mad: :(

[Kirsten]

I knew that was coming....panic.

Well, yes. And of course it's also an economical thing. Lower Saxony is the state with most poultry farms in Germany, so they probably only see the bucks they may lose. :mad:

They have already killed thousands of poultry in the affected areas, only because they may have picked up the virus. As it turned out, none of them had it, so all these lifes were wasted. It just makes me sick. :(

Kirsten

[Kirsten]

Unfortunately, to make things worse, two or three cats in Austria were diagnosed with H5N1 today. The cats live in a shelter, and obviously ate infected chicken. Apparently, they are still alive at this point.

Kirsten

[Catty1]

Through your website, and other organizations, I hope a heartfelt and furious fight is being put up!

It is hard to think of constructive solutions when everyone is in a panic. What are the animal rights people suggesting, and others?

I hope calmer heads prevail!

hugs
Catty1

[Kirsten]

It is hard to think of constructive solutions when everyone is in a panic. What are the animal rights people suggesting, and others?

I'm planning to find out. Maybe if it really comes to this, it would make sense to start a petition?

Kirsten

[Sonia59]

Why do they want to kill all the stray cats :confused: ?? They won't kill all the wild birds :confused:

[kimlovescats]

This is very sad, and VERY scary!!! :(

[Laura's Babies]

PANIC TIME!

Kill the BIRDS, not the CATS!

[K & L]

I've been having this same fear for our park cats. I sure hope it doesn't come to this drastic measure anywhere!

[smokey the elder]

Hello?? It's BIRD flu, not CAT flu!! Duh!

[catmandu]

I Am Vulnerable As Well,as They Might Think That The Porch Cats Are My Cats,and That I Am An Irrepsonsible Guardian That Lets His Cats Roam Free.
And That Would Impact On My Found Cats As By Law I Have Far Too Many.
This Are Going To Be Scary Times For Stray Cats.

[barncat]

Not that talking sense often stops panic, but you might remind those panicing about the birdflu that when the Black Plague hit, stray and pet cats were killed to prevent the spread and ALMOST CERTAINLY THIS MADE THE SPREAD WORSE!!!!!

Strays kill the sick birds, preventing them from spreading the disease, just as cats killed the rats that harbored the infected fleas. Yes, cats may get the disease (though they may well not die of it as each species reacts differently) but they very well could prevent the disease from spreading to the poultry farms as they presumeably will not fly over the fences and share food leave droppings to infect the flocks as infected crows or sparrows easily could...unless some predator (like a cat!) killed the sick bird and kept it from going for an easy food source.

Hope this logic gives you some arguement that they can understand.... like the stray cat may just be SAVING them MONEY and perhaps their lives.

[jenluckenbach]

To me it sounds like just another reason to destroy stray cats. :( Just like the recent petition here in the USA to allow hunters to shoot any cat seen out of doors. Thankfully that was overthrown and hopefully the areas where bird flu is causing the most panic will also realize that it is totally unnecessary.

[icedtea]

OMG!!!! like OMG!! IDIOTS! This could be one of them "idiots" threads. i bet them peoplethat said that have never owned a cat, otherwise they wouldnt be so cruel. is it the kitties fault that their owners let them go?yell at the people! :eek: :mad:

[kb2yjx]

Kristen!! Thank you for keeping us up to date on the goings on!!! This is NOT good!!! Sandra

[Kirsten]

Strays kill the sick birds, preventing them from spreading the disease, just as cats killed the rats that harbored the infected fleas.

THAT is a very good point! We would probably get a terrible rat and mice plague when the cats are missing, and once again, nature would get out of balance.

It's such a shame and I really don't understand it: Why the cats? :( I don't want the birds being killed, either. Well, and obviously other mammals like foxes and martens are also considered to be prone to the virus, as the dead ones here are also tested for H5N1.

Maybe it's just like Jen said: just another reason to destroy stray cats. :(

Kirsten