Feral cats are killing machines

I read the Herald article on the Trap-Neuter-Release program here in Manatee County recently. Like almost everything in life there are two sides to every feel-good story.

The American Bird Conservancy and the Wildlife Society paint a far different story of the impact these feral/wild/free roaming cats have on the environment. They estimate that cats kill 1.4 billion to 3.7 billion birds a year in the U.S. alone. Cats are killing machines and left outside can decimate local bird, squirrel, rabbit, and snake populations.

My own experience recently seems to bear out what these organizations are reporting. A stray cat, left ear tip cut off indicating it had been neutered, arrived at my property four months ago. I began feeding him twice every day. It doesn’t seem to make any difference that he has a full stomach. He continues to hunt and kill birds and other wildlife on a daily basis.

I have, over the years, had several cats that arrived at my home looking hungry and abandoned. All of them, after a few meals, were able to be petted and brought inside to become household pets. He is not such a cat. He will always be wild and continue to hunt. Looking for more food or just for the fun of killing.

Unfortunately, article never mentioned the down side of this TNR program. I think that it should have.

This story was originally published May 24, 2016 at 11:46 AM with the headline "Feral cats are killing machines."