Feral cats deserving of care
As a person who was involved in a caring for a feral cat colony in Massachusetts for more than 15 years, I have something to say about Page Williams’ extremely negative letter about the feral cat colony at the Washingtion County Fairgrounds that appeared in the Jan. 15 edition.
The trap/neuter/release programs we established there were very successful. Such programs are in place across this country and around the world, and are a more effective and humane way of dealing with feral cat colonies. The primary aim is to prevent such populations from reproducing.
Establishing and maintaining a colony is not easy. It requires a group of dedicated, responsible feeders and caregivers. It is always a labor of love. Williams’ letter portrays it as “misplaced altruism” and “a refusal by some folks to be confused by the facts.” I am not suggesting Williams’ stated concerns are totally without merit, but instead a typical attempt to resort to fearmongering about the possibility of the cats causing health issues. People have no need to fear being confronted by feral cats, because they want to avoid people.
Feral cat colonies don’t come out of the blue. Their genesis can be traced back to people who permitted their cats to endlessly reproduce, gave their kittens to equally irresponsible people, or simply dumped them somewhere. Stray and feral cats exist because uncaring or irresponsible did not have their cats spayed or neutered. This is the heart of the problem and the one we must all work on. Forbidding people from feeding them is a reprehensible idea.
Surely the Fairgrounds can come to a satisfactory agreement with the cat feeders that will allow the cats to live there in peace and respect property rights as well the rights of the humans to express their love and kindness for the cats.
J. Lee Bruno
Washington