Animal Protection

Update on Wisconsin Feral Cat Issue

Although a majority of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress supported reclassifying feral cats as an unprotected species, the Chairman of their Congress Executive Committee decided to override their vote and NOT forward a recommendation on this issue to the Natural Resources Board. Chair Steve Oestreicher made his decision based not only on Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle’s comment that he would veto any legislation that came to his desk in favor of reclassification, but also on the overwhelming negative responses they received from across the nation.

We applaud the tough stand Mr. Oestreicher and Governor Doyle took on this issue. Thanks to the action of American Humane consituents and that of other concerned citizens, Wisconsin has recognized that randomly shooting feral cats will not solve the issue of how to effectively control feral cat colonies.

American Humane hopes that the great state of Wisconsin will work with animal welfare organizations to promote spay-neuter programs and the microchipping and tagging of cats, and will encourage pet owners about the benefits of keeping cats indoors.

Background

The American Humane Association recognizes the effects on some native species, such as birds, that are associated with feral cats. However, allowing hunters to kill any uncollared cat does not solve the problem. There is a high risk of hunters shooting cats that have been microchipped or lost their collars but are still beloved family pets. There is also no guarantee that the animal will die quickly from the gunshot wound or at all and may suffer greatly. Allowing hunters to kill any uncollared cat will not save native bird populations and will endanger domesticated cats as well as feral ones.

The feral cat problem is a human one not a feline one. Persons that abandon or dump cats and kittens, refuse to spay and neuter their outside cats, and do not take the necessary precautions to tag and vaccinate their pet, create a problem that communities and animal shelters must address. Deciding to shoot free-roaming cats does not address the human issue of neglect and irresponsibility.

There are humane alternatives to shooting a free-roaming cat.