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JFK Feral Cats Still in Peril

June 24, 2008, 2:58PM MT

By Jennifer S Hayes

Your call can help make a difference.

Your call can help make a difference.

Despite the offers of assistance and multiple protests, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have once again begun capturing the feral cats living at John F. Kennedy Airport, many of whom are thought to be the offspring of traveler’s pets who had escaped. It is estimated that there are anywhere from 300 to 500 cats now living on the 5,000 acre property.

Officials at the Port Authority state that the cats may be hazardous to aircraft and would not comment other than releasing a letter from A. Harvey DeGraw, Manager of Safety and Standards from the Federal Aviation Administration Airports Division Eastern Region, which stated, “A Feral Cat Colony in the airport environment is not acceptable and needs to be removed prior to an incident happening and not after the fact.”

Animal welfare organizations disagree and state that TNR (trap, neuter, and return) would be a more effective and humane method of population control. They state that because the cats are not socialized, any that are trapped by the Port Authority will have no chance at adoption and will therefore be killed.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

• Please help. Take a few moments out of your day to call New York State Governor David Patterson at 518-474-8390. In all likelihood you will speak with a staff member. Please be courteous, prepared to give your name and address, and note if you are a constituent. Request the immediate halt to the roundup of cats by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey at JFK Airport and ask that they instead choose to utilize the more humane method of trap, neuter, and release. Following your call, please reiterate your point with an e-mail.

• For more about how you can take action on behalf of the animals of New York, please join the Best Friends Network New York community.

For more information:

• Airport Cat Roundups Resume, as Do Protests
• Death trap at JFK - for wild cats
• Best Friends Feral Cat Program Community
• Feral Cat Resources
• New York City Feral Cat Council (NYCFCC)
• New York City Feral Cat Initiative

Posted by Jennifer Hayes, Best Friends Staff
Photo credit: taken by Jennifer Hayes.

Comments

Posted October 06, 2008, 12:20AM by SNIPNYC

The communities which surround JFK are the problem. There is no TNR and these communities host thousands. Rescue organizations should focus on the surrounding communities, which would decrease the numbers which find their way onto the airport.

Posted June 25, 2008, 6:9PM by Spax

Why on earth can't the airport authorities work with local cat groups?!
We just wrote our comments to the NY governor. Please write, we all pay a good chunk of airport tax whenever we fly to JFK!
Just when you think you've heard it all, there comes the 'new threat': feral cats as danger to aviation. That takes the crown of stupidity in trying to blame the cats.
Andrea

Posted July 26, 2008, 2:17AM by TNRdoesNotWork

http://www.tnrrealitycheck.com/

Cats are on record 16 times as being involved in strikes with aircraft across the country.

And, the cat food attracts seagulls, geese and other flock birds that can be a huge threat to aircraft that is taking off, landing or taxiing.

Posted August 06, 2008, 4:55PM by Spax

Never mind that the cats are in the cargo area where no airplane is ever going to fly.