Feral cats once again find themselves in the eye of a maelstrom!
In Cape May, New Jersey there has been a
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program for over ten years. The program has been successful in bringing down the number of feral cats but that’s not enough for agencies like the US Fish & Wildlife Service, where homeless cats are considered among the most menacing threats to national security. In this case, it’s the piping plover - a ground nesting bird on the endangered list that seems to be causing the greatest ruckus in the lynch mob against the cats. Unfortunately the cats of Cape May didn’t get the memo that this is a bird watcher’s Mecca. Their very existence is a sin and the federal government is doing its best to see the offenders get the maximum punishment available!
Actually according to the
US Fish & Wildlife both feral cats and Norway rats are serious threats to the life, liberty and freedom of birds edging towards extinction. Cats are also on the short list of usual suspects in the recent killing of three endangered birds. No DNA has been found in conjunction with the case, but the feds are chomping to put the death knell on the cats. But they would never cop to that – it’s more a trap and remove program. Removed from Earth!
The federal government is also threatening to not give Cape May the funds for beach replenishment. This is the lifeblood for coastal towns that are being eroded at an alarming rate. Follow this thought for a second: the federal government is withholding funds to replenish a beach, which is not just beneficial to the birds (beach management programs are being touted for the population spike in plovers), it’s also essential for downtown to not become beachfront property. So if the local officials don’t kowtow to the federal government they’ll also be punished by not getting the sand they need to have a beach. The beach where the piping plovers nest!
There has been a lot of media coverage on the whole endeavor where pitting
the cats vs. the birds is fodder for shortsighted speculation. There was to be a decision made on February 19th by the City Council but they were unable come to a viable solution.
Click here to read a follow up from the meeting.
Alley Cat Allies has been a driving force to save the ferals from a certain fate! They need your help to save the ferals from Cape Fear!
Now what organization is dedicated to the humane attrition of Scandinavian rodents?
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Support Cape May’s TNR programRead how to talk to your local officials about TNR Feral Cat ResourcesJoin the Best Friends Feral Cat Community on the Network!by Denise LeBeau, Best Friends Networkimage by Clay Myers of security breach!