Feline Fix

I thought I'd post this update on the feral cat issue. Last night, in each of Wisconsin's 72 counties, an advisory vote was held in the Conservation Congress on the issue of hunting feral cats. The results were mixed. It brought out extremists on both sides of the issue, as well as those with more moderate, rational views.

For Maryanne's benefit, here are some highlights:

"The cat hunting thing brought me out because it was very extreme," said Katy Francis of Madison, who wore cat ears, whiskers, a cat nose and a sign that said, "Too Cute to Kill."

Julie Stensrud of Madison said it boggles her mind that a human being could shoot a cat. She cried as she talked about how much she loves her own cat, causing some audience members to groan.

I love my cat, too. And yes, cat's are cute. But there's a distinction between your friendly house cat, the farmer's barn cat, and the feral cat that's carrying rabies and swiping songbirds off your bird feeder. I agree that something needs to be done about feral cats; population and disease aren't the only problems they cause, though. Trapping them for neutering and vaccination isn't doing enough. Hunting may not be the right answer, but ignoring the problem just because there's a bunch of cat lovers isn't the answer, either.