Link: Feral and Outdoor Cats Being Euthanized?

"Authors of the academic-leaning tome Cat Wars criticize the common practice of trapping, spaying, and releasing unowned cats and write that "we need to act on all fronts to stem the tide." While there is no silver bullet to the problem of too many cats, all avenues should be explored, including euthanizing cats that public health or wildlife officials deem problematic, the authors note."

Continue reading from nationalgeographic.com.

Dr. Hehn's Take

This controversial book suggests that feral and outdoor domestic cats are endangering wildlife, killing birds and other animals by the BILLIONS. The Humane Society  refutes this claim in that the book also says that "It is abundantly clear that free-ranging cats are not the primary threat to the future of birds and other wildlife.”

There must be a solution to preserving wildlife and controlling cat populations, with an example being the partnership of the Audubon Society of Portland and Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon to "humanely reduce the impact of cats on wildlife." Trap and release programs help to control the population, and more people keeping their cats indoors and having them spayed and neutered helps to combat the impact. I just never imagined that stray and outdoor cats posed such a risk.

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