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<DIV>< --089e0158c3cef3f63f04ea340cfb Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 I am a huge advocate of keeping cats indoors, both as a veterinarian who sees what happens to cats that go outdoors...and as a wildlife rehabilitator that admits countless birds and small mammals that are killed or maimed each year. ALL of the ones I get are from household cats that are allowed outside by their owners. Many of the people who bring birds to me are repeat offenders and had them brought home by their own cat...yet they refuse to believe they are a part of the problem. I sugarcoat that issue no longer, the owners know when they leave that they are part of the problem. I personally try to talk with every person who walks into my exam room with a cat, in hopes I can convince them to keep it indoors. I have a cat, which was previously dumped on my property and lived wild for a year before I managed to nab it. It is a content 100% indoor cat now. Hans is 100% on target with the points about many people considering cats as disposable items that they can dump..that disgusts me to the nth degree when people do that. I do my part to educate people , encourage spaying and neutering, but the education on the issue needs to be massive and targeted. Very frustrating for all involved, but it's not the fault of the cats..the blame lies squarely on the shoulders off irresponsible pet owners. Not sure how many of you have seen this study, it's 16 pgs but well worth the read. http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/Cats/pdf/impacts_of_free_ranging_domestic_cats.pdf Helene ps, I am also on a committee that includes my org ( Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre), the ecology action centre, bird studies canada etc....that is trying to help address this issue. Helene Van Doninck DVM Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre RR#1 Brookfield NS B0N1C0 902-893-0253 birdvet@hotmail.com www.cwrc.net Find us on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cobequid-Wildlife-Rehabilitation-Centre/134671693239334> and Twitter <https://twitter.com/CobequiWildlife> On Sat, Nov 2, 2013 at 12:25 PM, Hans Toom <htoom@hfx.eastlink.ca> wrote: > All, > > I have been on this forum for 14 years and have endured the anti-cat and > anti-dog manias in silence. They occur from time to time fostered by > insensitive and ignorant people who have no understanding of the problems. > I've also awaited an intelligent response to this issue and it finally came > from Ian Woodman. Thank you, Ian. > > The article in discussion is titled, "Quantifying Human-related Mortality > of Birds in Canada". Place the emphasis on, "*Human-related*". Like so > many things we witness on media, facts are taken out of context to fit an > agenda. This is clearly the case with Mr. "All cats found in the wild or > loose should be killed". I expect Mr. "All cats found in the wild or loose > should be killed" also means we should be gunning down loose dogs. > > Feral cats have a life expectancy estimated at 3-4 years whereas an indoor > cat can live a long and happy life for up to 20 years. Clearly if education > of cat owners can show success then house cats will cease to be a major > problem. Feral cats will die off naturally in time if their numbers are not > replenished and they are captured and neutered. The problem is > replenishment of the feral cat population by irresponsible people aka > monsters. These are students who have cats as pets during a semester > because they are so cute but when they leave for home during the break or > at the conclusion of their studies the cat is redundant so it gets dumped > in a field or left to die slowly in an abandoned apartment. The home owner > discovers to her horror that cats scratch furniture so out it goes into a > local wood to fend for itself. The couple that wants to go on a holiday in > their motorhome can't find a home for their cats so out go the cats to > try and survive as feral cats. This new supply of abandoned cats comes from > numerous sources and continues to replenish the population of feral cats. > It is probable that more birds are killed naturally by avian predators such > as raptors and corvids, snakes, lizards and squirrels, especially during > nesting time when entire broods are wiped out. The mass die offs of birds > during migration should also be quantified and compared to human-related > mortality of birds to put things into a balanced perspective. > Unfortunately, a balanced perspective will compromise the agenda. Humans > are the problem and have always been the problem, not cats. > > I have an empathy and respect for all living things including cats. Indeed > I have three cats, all rescued as kittens(see monsters above). They don't > go out and never want to go out. It's a myth that cats need to roam. > > Please provide humane solutions to the cat problem not suggesting > a genocide of cats like during the Black Death even though the cats were > innocent of spreading the plague. > > > Hans > > > ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ > Hans Toom > Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada > http://www.hanstoom.com/ > --089e0158c3cef3f63f04ea340cfb Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div><div><div><div><div>I am a huge advocate of keeping c= ats indoors, both as a veterinarian who sees what happens to cats that go o= utdoors...and as a wildlife rehabilitator that admits countless birds and s= mall mammals that are killed or maimed each year. ALL of the ones I get are= from household cats that are allowed outside by their owners. Many of the = people who bring birds to me are repeat offenders and had them brought home= by their own cat...yet they refuse to believe they are a part of the probl= em. I sugarcoat that issue no longer, the owners know when they leave that = they are part of the problem. I personally try to talk with every person wh= o walks into my exam room with a cat, in hopes I can convince them to keep = it indoors. I have a cat, which was previously dumped on my property and li= ved wild for a year before I managed to nab it. It is a content 100% indoor= cat now. <br> <br></div>Hans is 100% on target with the points about many people consider= ing cats as disposable items that they can dump..that disgusts me to the nt= h degree when people do that. <br><br></div>I do my part to educate people = , encourage spaying and neutering, but the education on the issue needs to = be massive and targeted. Very frustrating for all involved, but it's no=