by Pezulu » Thu Dec 29, 2011 12:19 pm
I have to agree with BV on this one.
Feral cats are not African Wild Cats, but domesticated cats gone wild.
They hunt and kill anything they can, and much like domestic cats, they don't always eat what they kill.
Feral cats also breed like rabbits, with one female able to produce up to 8 kittens per litter 3 times a year.
The kittens in turn are able to breed in 6 months, so it is a vicious circle.
We had a problem with feral cats entering our complex and causing havoc. It went so far that we banned residents from keeping cats, in the hope that no cats in the complex would deter feral cats from entering wanting to mate, fight or whatever. That did not help.
Putting out cat traps also did not help much. One of two cats were caught, but they seem to be able to learn.
In the end we started using a silenced .22 which was the only effective way to get rid of the problem.
A visit from the SPCA almost turned nasty, but when we asked them to come up with an alternative they were unable to, and finally conceded that what we were doing was the best in the circumstances.
Having 20+ feral cats roaming the complex at night was no fun for anyone. We could not leave our windows open for fear of the cats entering our homes and spraying/musking against curtains, furniture and what not.
They were also a threat to young children, as they would run off when an adult approached, but would stand their ground when children approached.
The culling of the feral cats was done at night, when most residents were asleep. None of the cats culled was wounded, and they were disposed of properly.
Cats turn feral because of humans that don't care for their unwanted pets. As such, WE are to blame.
A kitten in the pet shop window is cute, until it grows and becomes a responsibility that nobody wants. Not everybody likes cats, as much as not everyone liking dogs...
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