Feral Cats on Campus

[zippy-kat]

Preface: This article was taken from the "Letters to the Editor" section of the campus newspaper. :mad: Names have been left out to protect the individuals.

DOGS CAN BE USED TO CONTROL FERAL CATS

Probably just as many students keep unauthorized dogs as cats in their living quarters. Probably just as many dogs as cats are no longer wanted when their owners graduate. I propose that the university take custody of one or two pairs of medium-sized to large (over 40 pounds) unwanted, student-owned dogs and release them in the cat colonies. Persons feeding cats will provide ample food for the dogs.
This is not a cat sanctuary (cats are just another part of the food chain). The dogs won't be a bad problem, they will be more like cat control. People may complain that dogs kill cats, but that's just the nature of things. Let's say we'll be left with only the strongest, fastest and smartest cats. Remember survival of the fittest?
After the cat population has been controlled, the dogs can be trapped, neutered and returned to campus.
Seriously, folks, if my proposal seems outrageous, then please reread ____1______'s, __________'s and _________'s remarks. Then ask yourself, "What's so special about cats?"
____1_______ is in error when she sees no middle ground between feeding the cats so well that each female produces eight kittens per year (2 litters x 4 kittens/litter) and starving them to death. There is a big physiological difference between starving to death and being reporductively inhibited by food storage. Cats, like many other mammals, adjust their reporductive effort to match food supply. If you are feeding even one fertile feral cat, even it is a member of a group of otherwise all-neutered cats, you are part of the feral cat problem.

_________
Ag & Horticulture, retired

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
re: the other articles...I didn't catch last weeks edition. I assume it can be found on the paper's website www.roundupnews.com

I WILL be writing a letter in response to this---just have to calm down first.... GRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[aly]

I can't even read the whole thing. I'm already in tears. I have no words to describe how horrendous that is.

[thelmalu99]

:( :( :(
I just can't believe it!

[AmberLee]

:mad: :eek: :confused: :( :mad: :mad:

Arghhh!! Sorry, I'm too angry, no words are available at this time.

{Perhaps someone led him to water, but couldn't make him think??? }

[zippy-kat]

That is a very good idea Spencer! I will check out Alley Cat Allies & PetFinder in just a bit (gotta run some errands).

I also want to see if the roundup will allow (outside) users to post responses. I don't even know if anyone here would be interested in writing to them...

But again, this is just one person's opinion it has not been passed by (or--GOD FORBID-- even introduced to) the administrators...

It angers me greatly that people can be that _____ (fill in the blank)!!!

I know several people who feed the cats. When I lived on campus, I fed a long-haired black (I assume--->) male. S/He was never tame enough to catch but s/he knew I'd set food out.

Having had my heart-ripped out by an irresponsible dog-owner, this really gets to me!!!! (I think most of you know the story of my kitty, Tom.)

I can understand not being a cat-person...but I can not understand the pig-headed answer that this writer was formulating!!! This is an on-going problem that begins with irresponsible ownership of an animal. I don't know where the exact answer lies, but turning a dog loose on the cat colonies IS NOT the answer. I'd also like to note that--in the author's plan--the dogs were released THEN neutered after they had destroyed the cat colony. :mad:

I'd hate to begin thinking about this person's solution to the homeless....

[michelene]

One answer is, 'What part of "Thou shalt not kill" don't you understand?"

[michelene]

Dear Spencer, there are many humans who do not deserve that status because they have not evolved sufficiently. And there are those of us who lack the courage to face them directly. Bless you and all those who face these people and risk all kinds of misery.

[thelmalu99]

I would suggest letting a few dogs loose on this guy to see how he likes it...:mad:

[zippy-kat]

Originally posted by tutone
I'm not about to pass judgement without being able to read the letters this person is referring to. It sounds to me like they are speaking tongue-in-cheek or using hyperbole to demonstrate how ridiculous the previous letters were. Without being able to see those letters it's hard to be certain what this person's true point is, but I doubt he is seriously advocating using dogs to kill feral cats. I tried the link but, like most of these sites, they seem to think they need my email address in order for me to read their articles. Since their privacy policy does not say "we will never give your email address to any spammers" I refuse to divulge it, so I will never know what started this discussion. Oh, well.

I, too, didn't want junk in my hotmail account (the one I use most frequently)--I will, however, go back and sign in through my school account.

Will post what I find...

[zippy-kat]

The edition with the letter that apparently 'started it all' is not online any longer. And before I begin, here is the Privacy Policy (http://roundupnews.com/global_user_elements/privacyPolicy/privacyPolicy.html) but I DID NOT read it (just used a different email account).

Ok, I have arranged the letters in the order that they appeared; I have also given links, but I'm not sure that they will work since you have to be logged-in:rolleyes:

Feral cats need to be picked up and euthanized

I am incensed about the letter to the editor in the Jan. 31, 2002 issue of the Round Up. Some months ago, I wrote in about the feral cat population on campus. At that time, many were feeding these unwanted and starving cats that had been abandoned here. Mrs. Tillett, if you are so concerned about these feral animals, then get your traps, come down here, trap and euthanize them. Euthanasia is a far more humane thing to do than starving them to death.

No one should be forced to stand by and watch animals starve to death and be told to do nothing. And anyone who truly loves animals could never advocate starvation as a means of animal control. That is cruel and ignorant. I encourage everyone to continue to feed these animals until whoever is responsible for removing them does their job. These animals will continue to breed whether they are fed or not. Feeding is not the problem here and your steadfast refusal to see the real problem doesn't surprise me.

Students bring these animals here and abandon them here. They KNOW it is not allowed. Inspections of dorms and assessment of fines (i.e., enforcement of current rules governing dorms), and confiscation of animals before they are dumped and forced to become feral, now there's a novel solution. Graduation would not be allowed until the fines are paid . . . no excuses . . . no forgiveness. And of course, we can't expect those who are in charge of these dorms to actually do their jobs or the perks they get to manage the dorms, now could we?

This is not a bird sanctuary (they are just another part of the food chain), but this is the only home these feral cats have. They didn't ask to be brought here and abandoned. It's easy to blame the animal for his own condition instead of focusing on the real culprits. Do your job and round up these cats for euthanasia, do something about keeping cats and other pets out of the dorms, or shut up about the birds.

(name)
NMSU LIBRARY
Link (http://roundupnews.com/main.cfm/include/detail/storyid/175521.html)

This same person also wrote this letter:
Lack of enforcement real root of feral cat problem

BlankWell, this just does not suprise me. Yet another proposed column that does not address the real issue. Everybody writes and dances all around the real issue without giving it a mention. The real problem is not spay/neuter ... or feeding the animals ... or vaccinations ... or starving the cats to death in order to control breeding ... or rounding them up and euthanizing them. There are excellent points being made, but they still do not address the real problem. That problem being lack of enforcement of the rules governing animals in the dorms.
You can do all the fancy stuff you want to out in the world regarding feral populations. But there is not here ... and here is what we are concerned with. There will always be more potentially feral cats on this campus to take the place of those not breeding. Simply telling someone to get rid of an animal found in the dorm only dooms that cat to being a resident of a feral colony. When telling someone to get an animal out of the dorm, the violator should be required to present a receipt for that animal from animal control or the animal shelter or a person who will be responsible for that animal off campus to ensure that the animal was simply not dumped outside. That paperwork should be followed up with a phone call by the person who told them to get rid of it to the people/institution who accepted the animal. In addition, to enforce the rules, there should be consequences for violations (i.e., fines, just like vehicle laws). There are no consequences here.
Students are not here to have bonding experiences with pets that they didn't have at home. They are here to get an education. Pets have no place in the dorms. If students absolutely have to have an animal in their life, then they should either move back home or move off campus. But I can tell you this. There are very few places off campus that will allow pets. There are rules everywhere. And those rules are put in place for the benefit of everyone in order to maintain an orderly society. If you don't like the rules, either work to change them or obey them as they are, but give violations of the rules measurable consequences.

(name)
NMSU LIBRARY
Link (http://roundupnews.com/main.cfm/include/detail/storyid/180957.html)

Finally,
Feral cat problem has easy solution

New Mexico State University can eliminate its feral cat problem — and turn a profit at the same time. How, you ask? After trapping these abandoned pets, they can be sold to animal research facilities. Or, in the spirit of saving money otherwise used in the purchase of animals for research, NMSU can donate the cats to the Department of Agriculture. If the Ag Department can give us a cow with a "window" in it, why can't they give us a cat with a window, too? And think of the other advantages: the northeast side of Breland Hall won't smell like a giant litter box; professors who spend money on cat food will now have money for human charities; and students residing at Vista Del Monte won't feel as guilty abandoning animals that they did not think much about when adopting because they'll be helping the university. Moreover, the absence of cats on campus will encourage squirrels to make NMSU their home and who doesn't like squirrels?

(name)
GRADUATE
RHETORIC
Link (http://roundupnews.com/main.cfm/include/detail/storyid/180955.html)

If you've stuck with it this far, I'll note that I changed my original post. The omitted names are now numbered so you know which letter the blank referred to--please note not all blanks are numbered b/c not all of the letters were online.

[sirocco]

Let's say we'll be left with only the strongest, fastest and smartest cats.


Sorry, but this made me just sick. Agree with you completely, Chuck, this is fascist Darwinism, and you never know what comes next...

Can't say anymore, it's too sad.

Nita

[Gio]

Things like this make my blood boil. It made me think of a letter written to the editor of one of those free daily papers.

Recently the amount of fines to dog owners who do not clean after their dogs on the street have been increased. People who don't have a scooper with them can also be fined. I have nothing against this decision since I think it's only fair that people clean up. But this BIG IDIOT in his letter said that he did not think it was enought he would put the owners in prison but worst of all he believes that the dogs should be put down!

I'm sorry if I have gone off track a bit here but my point is why should always be the animals who pay for human mistakes? :o :o

And besides, what harm do these cats do anyway?

[K & L]

OH, this is an extremely sore subject for me! My husband & I maintain 2 feral colonies. We TNR and then go feed and water twice a day. If one is injured, we trap and take for vet care. All our 15 cats were at one time a feral. We've cared for over 90 ferals now. AHHHHHHH I hate reading that!

Here's another site that may be able to help with this:
http://www.azcats.org/

[wolflady]

Originally posted by K & L
OH, this is an extremely sore subject for me! My husband & I maintain 2 feral colonies. We TNR and then go feed and water twice a day. If one is injured, we trap and take for vet care. All our 15 cats were at one time a feral. We've cared for over 90 ferals now. AHHHHHHH I hate reading that!

Here's another site that may be able to help with this:
http://www.azcats.org/

Oh, I have to agree with you K&L. I also participate in a TNR program where I live...and all the ferals are trapped, neutered/spayed and released. If they are young enough, or have a personality that there is a chance to socialize them with people...we keep them and bring them to our no-kill rescue shelter (www.towncats.org).
It really does make my blood boil when people are suggesting things such as euthanasia or selling to research facilities as a way to curb the problem...when in actuality it's People who cause the problem in the first place. If it weren't for people, we wouldn't have endangered or extinct species, or any of the problems in nature that we do have today. TNR is really the only humane way to control feral colonies. I don't see the justice in euthanizing a perfectly healthy cat because of it's circumstance due to a negletful person. The way I see it, they (the cats) didn't have a choice...

I do agree that if this is such a big deal to the school and the people there, that necessary repurcussions to the violation of rules should be taken! It sounds like there are a lot of close minded and ignorant people there who don't like animals, and that is sad. I really think TNR would be a benefit to the campus community as well as stricter punishment for the violation of rules. Definitely contact Ally Cat Allies as they may be able to suggest a rescue group or some group involved in TNR that may be able to help. Sorry to get up on the soapbox, but this is something that hits a sore spot...and people's negligence really ticks me off sometimes!!

[K & L]

Hear! Hear!

[NoahsMommy]

The person (I use this lightly when refering to the authors of these letters) that is reffering to the "problem not discussed" is maybe a little correct in that they should have address that issue a while ago. But.....to act in such a barbaric manner. I mean, I'm conservative by far, but to propose such hate and disregard for life.....it's discusting. Idiots!! :mad: :mad: :mad:

[NoahsMommy]

Um...no need to be rude....goodness. :eek: