Deseret News | Group strives to reduce number of feral cats in Salt Lake

Reader comments
Group strives to reduce number of feral cats in Salt Lake

Dumb idea | 9:17 a.m. Oct. 16, 2009

Feral cats spread disease to other cats, they kill songbirds, and they create a nuisance and potential health hazard to humans (you parents and pregnant women should Google "toxoplasmosis" before you dig in your garden or let your kids play in your sandbox).

They should be euthanized. Letting them live in colonies, even after neutering, doesn't solve the problem; it just makes people feel better about themselves.

If some ditzy rich animal-lovers want to waste their money on a silly project like this, then I can't stop them. But any feral cats who frequent my yard will be live-trapped and taken to the county animal shelter, where they will be put down.

Retrun makes no sense | 10:42 a.m. Oct. 16, 2009

Cats are an invasive species. They are wreaking havoc on the native wildlife. Returning them to the wild after trapping is illegal under Federal and State laws designed to protect native wildlife.

hurricanebetty | 3:00 p.m. Oct. 16, 2009

Trap Neuter Return (TNR) works. Trap-and-kill is an old, inefficient method as unfixed cats fill the vacancy, continue to breed, causing an endless cycle. The idea is to get to stop the breeding which alleviates the problem immensely. Fixed cats are less of a nuisance, with no howling, fighting, spraying or roaming. Less cats are in the area, which makes less issues with other wildlife. TNR works and make sense!

Comments continue below

Feral Friend | 3:55 p.m. Oct. 16, 2009

Every feral cat is a result of a poor or cruel human choice - usually to abandon a (usually unaltered) cat. Cats left to fend for themselves become feral - they are not a separate species.

Every feral cat can be traced back to a "pet" cat, and has paid the price for human cruelty and neglect.

People who don't like feral cats should be some of the strongest supporters of spay/neuter programs, ensuring there are fewer cats born to face the risk of being dumped/abandoned.

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