Comments about ‘BYU professor wants to track feral cats on campus’

This seems like a rather obvious case of students feeding the feral cats because they like them and because they don't want to or can't have pets of their own. For the sake of the cats, it shouldn't be going on. Take it from someone who spent several hundred dollars rescuing cats from a situation like this at a large apartment complex. You aren't doing them any favors by feeding them and showing them affection. You are being selfish because it is going to lead to the cats getting destroyed. Unless, of course, some of you band together to find them permanent homes.

Feral cats are an invasive species. Their negative impacts on native wildlife have been well-documented. Only one thing is acceptable: trap-and-kill.

Shoot the darned things. They decimate songbird populations. If no one will take them in and take care of them, get rid of them. The cost of a few good quality pellet rifles will be considerably less than this 'so called intellectual' watching the habits of alley cats.

Attentive is the the only one on here who makes any sense. I have been involved in Trap/Neuter/Return for years. If the students are going to band together and take care of them, then great. If they are going to be doomed to death at the animal shelter then leave them alone. Get them fixed and vaccinated and release them back. Allie Cat Allies would probably come to BYU to educate the students as well as the general public about caring for feral cats. If Dektol wants to shoot them then he can go to jail-shows perfectly the uneducated mindset as well as that of Corn Dog.

Feral cats exist because of human neglect. If you want to be humane please be educated and learn about TNR (Trap, nueter, and return). To use animals for an experiment and then euthanize them when they serve no further purpose means that we are no better than those that use animals and/or people as objects to further their own means. I would hope that most Universities, especially a Christian one, would see a good reason to not only educate their students but teach them the highest standard of humanity. Please be educated and treat them with the most upmost care.

This sounds like an interesting study. More quality research definitely needs to be done on feral cats and TNR. If you really support TNR (or are against it), than you should support such research. Currently, research in support of TNR (like on the Allie Cat Allies website) is inconclusive at its best
While I agree the cats should not be re-released after the study, perhaps it would be good PR to allow concerned people to adopt them provided that they demonstrate they can properly care for them (off campus). Many feral cats are more tamable than they are given credit for.

TNR is the only answer.

PEOPLE are the reason there are species of birds in trouble. Check out the Animal Law Committee Spring 2008 Newsletter for a plethora of sources.

Get the colony sterilized and let the students enjoy them. Killing the cats won't work. More cats will be dropped off and reproduce.

It does sound like an interesting research project as long as no one, including the cats, gets hurt.

Please change this ordinance as it is generally not an effective control of cat populations. Or, consider an exception to the city ordinance in the case of this study and once the study has been completed, address the issue again. Encourage Professor Smith to extend his study to look at the effectiveness of trap-neuter-return(TNR) programs in the control of feral cat populations by instead of turning the catss over to animal control after retrieving the collars, conducting a TNR program as a part of a scientific study. Both sides of the argument need some credible data. It has been my experience that TNR is effective. Additionally, habitat destruction is the greatest cause of wildlife / songbird decline. TNR reduces the number of cats in an area, which in turn will reduce the cats effect on the songbird population.

These cats have been brought there by students and fed by them, most likely. TNR is the only compassionate response and what I would expect from a GOD associated school. Please live up to your responsibility as a school driven by the teachings of Christ and use humane measures for these animals. You are to be the protector of nature, not killer.