Cats

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by RedJoker

Correct. There are birds in our area that have been brought here by humans (years ago) that are being fed at these feeders. Much like food out for feral cats (brought here years ago) are feeding native raccoons, squirrels, skunks, and opposums.

Well ya can learn something new every day. I have heard of non native wild fish being transplanted by humans ( thankfully the practice of which is now illegal in most states) but not birds. We are talking wild birds correct? . Interesting. Although it should be noted that an invasive wild species (even if introduced by humans) is not really the same thing as domesticated species turned feral and (could but often may not have) the same level of negative environmental impacts. But I take your point, as I said no easy answers .

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by AmericanEagle

I am a bit surprised by what it seems like cat haters here, calling for the destruction of feral cats. What about roaming dogs? Or dogs on leashes, where the owner thinks it is ok for their dog to take a huge dump on my lawn, then walk away like nothing happened.

Not me I love cats.... I don't own any or feed any....... but I loved having Kitty Kitty come stay the night in the garage . Ya she knocked over a whole stack of scaffolding frames when she jumped up into the trusses but she sure was cute. I desperately wanted to pull the three porcupine quills out of her, but she declined

[RedJoker]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Well ya can learn something new every day. I have heard of non native wild fish being transplanted by humans ( thankfully the practice of which is now illegal in most states) but not birds. We are talking wild birds correct? . Interesting. Although it should be noted that an invasive wild species (even if introduced by humans) is not really the same thing as domesticated species turned feral and (could but often may not have) the same level of negative environmental impacts

Yup, pigeons & starlings are good examples of animals that started as pets but now have a huge negative environmental impact. Again, I'm not saying the existence of feral cats is wonderful, I'm saying they are just one of many species that we humans have screwed up by being irresponsible.

I think we are actually in agreement.

[Captain Jim]

We are dedicated cat people. I always thought I was a dog person until that day in 1982... we were picking up our two Old English Sheepdogs from being groomed, and they had a box of kittens in there. The woman said to our then 10 year old daughter, "If your Daddy says it's OK, you can have one of those kitties for free!"

Eight years later, that feline outlived the dogs and became my responsibility to feed when our daughter went off to college. I was hooked. Four years later, our daughter said, "Well, time for me to take my cat back."

"Get your own cat - this girl is mine!" I couldn't believe I said that.

Seven years later, that little furry girl traveled with us in our motorhome to our daughter's wedding.

Broke my heart when that furry girl's time came. I said, "Never again." It just hurt too much.

Then, something special happened: a large gray cat came to our house and wouldn't leave. She followed me to work. She was waiting for me on the deck when I got home. Our daughter said, "She knows you have a hole in your heart that only another cat can fill."

That furry girl (Molly) became an official part of our family the next year. Our daughter was right. I wound up writing a book about our travels with that wonderful cat...

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/27714



And now, we are 9 years into more travels and the company of little Isabella...



She was a shelter rescue - found in a field after Hurricane Dolly hit our home area in 2008. Frankly, she was a sickly little thing... I didn't think she'd make it, but my wife said, "She needs us!" As you can see from the photo above, she has thrived. Great traveler; she also walks on a leash... sweetest disposition ever. She may have been feral; we don't know. She does not "roam"... if she is outside, she is on a leash, and usually I am on the other end of that leash.

I know we can't save them all. But, we can change the life of one furry girl, just as she has enriched ours. We donate regularly to our local shelter to help what they do for those who haven't found a forever home.

Captain Jim

[RP]

Originally Posted by RedJoker

Yup, pigeons & starlings are good examples of animals that started as pets but now have a huge negative environmental impact. Again, I'm not saying the existence of feral cats is wonderful, I'm saying they are just one of many species that we humans have screwed up by being irresponsible.

I think we are actually in agreement.

Actually...Eugene Schieffelin (29 January 1827, New York, N.Y.— 15 August 1906, Newport, Rhode Island) belonged to the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society and the New York Zoological Society. He was responsible for introducing the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) to North America.

In 1890, he released 60 starlings into New York City’s Central Park. He did the same with another 40 birds in 1891. Schieffelin wanted to introduce all the birds mentioned in the plays of William Shakespeare to North America. He may have also been trying to control the same pests that had been annoying him thirty years earlier, when he sponsored the introduction of the house sparrow to North America.

European starlings were not native to North America. Schieffelin imported the starlings from England. Scientists estimate that descendants from those two original released flocks now number at more than 200 million residing in the United States.

The starlings' wildly successful spread has come at the expense of many native birds that compete with the starling for nest holes in trees. The starlings have also had negative impact on the US economy and ecosystem.

[Brucebubs]

Wonderful post Captain Jim .... no need to tell you Isabella is one beautiful cat too!

[Gitfiddlemann]

Great thread.

Our daughter is a pre-vet student, works at a Vet clinic, volunteers at the SPCA and is the feral cat leader for a rescue shelter.

In the past two years she (just herself not including the other shelter workers) has trapped, rescued, recovered, fostered and found "forever" homes for 250 cats (mostly kittens).

Fazool: Your daughter is an angel...

When we moved into our current home, over 30 years ago, it had a small barn in the back of the property. And with it, a pregnant barn cat. That was the start of our cat adventure.
Over the years, we reached a high of 11 cats at one time, then down to 2, and now currently 5. All of them came to us either via shelter, or they just found us as strays.
I recall every single one of them, and all their names, because their personalities were/are all so unique.
One memorable feline (Peanut Butter) ended up in our driveway one winter day, with a bleeding leg and beat up face. We thought he was an elderly cat, but after our vet cleaned him up, she pegged his age at no more than 2 years old. What a mess. But he turned out to be just the best cat. Kind and affectionate. A real neck wrapper, and a big one at that. I really bonded with that cat, and many years later, when he succumbed to an illness and passed (in my arms), it was one of the saddest moments of my life. You get so attached to them.

“What greater gift than the love of a cat.”
― Charles Dickens

[Mr. Jelly]

Here in the mid-west come fall mice like to get into peoples homes to get away from the cold. But not us cat lovers :-)

[Otterhound]

Originally Posted by RedJoker

Yup, pigeons & starlings are good examples of animals that started as pets but now have a huge negative environmental impact. Again, I'm not saying the existence of feral cats is wonderful, I'm saying they are just one of many species that we humans have screwed up by being irresponsible.

I think we are actually in agreement.

Starlings were brought in to control Japanese Beetles .
The English Sparrow was a huge mistake for indigenous species .

[RedJoker]

Originally Posted by Otterhound

Starlings were brought in to control Japanese Beetles .
The English Sparrow was a huge mistake for indigenous species .

Hmm, I've never heard the Japanese beetle part. I only knew what RP wrote. Interesting!

[catdaddy]

Fifteen years ago my wife and I moved to a rural area. At that time we brought four house cats with us. To our dismay we soon discovered that our closest "neighbor" had been feeding feral and stray cats in the area for many years. Unfortunately this neighbor had also irresponsibly enabled an uncontrolled breeding pool of felines in the area.

Shortly after we had settled into our new home my wife and I began trapping cats that came onto our property. We trapped over 40 animals in the first 6 months. We payed for each to be neutered/spayed and given their basic immunizations. We found homes for some and adopted the remaining cats ourselves. Initially we were caretakers for 27 cats. We also ended up rescuing and adopting 3 dogs from abusive homes in the area.

Apparently our continued trapping and neutering work has been successful. We've only had to trap 2 cats in the last several years, and we haven't had a new "addition" to our home for about 5 years now. After 15 years of mixed portions of joy and heartbreak we are down to 10 cats and 1 dog. Almost all of them are now getting to be senior citizens. But as a senior citizen myself I'm faced with the dilemma of being aware that I won't be able to continue this kind of work forever.

[Long Jon]

Molly , test cat for my new Flickr account

[ThermiteTermite]

I'm sure Molly is cute.

[Long Jon]

Now I'm gettin somewhere , had to cut her down to size...

[BrunoBlack]

Originally Posted by Long Jon

Now I'm gettin somewhere , had to cut her down to size...

Molly looks a bit ticked off!