Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Pit Nutters That Purrrrrr

To begin, I do not use "outside" to describe a cat. I don't believe in cats being outside unless supervised. Cats have never stuck me as being capable of taking care of themselves outside. Therefore, I do not accept Trap, Neuter and Release (Abandon in my book) as a viable way to manage cats. I came across this article and wanted to pass it along, some excerpts and my comments.

http://www.westword.com/2009-11-19/news/fixers-feeders-and-the-strange-hidden-world-of-feral-cats/5

Animal-welfare activists have requested that the address be withheld; they say that revealing the location of a colony encourages people to dump unwanted cats there.

But people do know about feeding stations and colonies. This allows them to dump their cats knowing that the "crazy cat lady" will take care of it. It also means the punks know where to get cats for their perversions.

Working with RMACA, Des Marais and other volunteers are trying to reduce the kill rate by trapping ferals, spaying or neutering them, then returning them — in effect, transforming the entire colony from feral to sterile so that it will eventually die out on its own. But trap-neuter-return, or TNR, is a controversial solution, often unpopular with communities afflicted by the colonies.

Great in theory, doesn't work that way in real life. When will occur to these people that if they put food out there, cats will come? There will always be new ones. The perfect example of this was the Los Alamitos colony in LA that was 45 years old!!!! There recently was controversy because the cats were causing problems at a nearby day care center. Children were becoming sick from allergies to parasites. And it was traced back to the cats. So, to keep the Whinonettes off their backs, the city tried to work with the TNR people. When they started the count was 130 cats, a year later the count was 200. It never ends.


That appears to be the case at this apartment complex. Des Marais tracks down the tenant who invited her here, a man named Santos. He says things are getting worse by the day. He caught a neighbor shooting at the cats with a BB gun and asked him to stop.

"He said, 'Those aren't your cats,'" Santos recalls. "He told me to mind my own business."

Another tenant saw a coyote eating a cat. Cats have been found with their entrails hanging out. One was decapitated. Santos doesn't think all the mutilations are the work of coyotes. "People can be cruel," he says.

What an understatement, people can be cruel!!! I have seen worse than this in colonies. It changed my mind rather quickly that TNR is actually the ultimate cruelty. Where is a concern for quality of life?

It's a formidable task. Not only is there no magical place in the country for them to go, but feral cats are highly territorial. Relocating them requires keeping them confined for weeks until they get comfortable in new surroundings. Contrary to the myths about cats being able to fend for themselves — the same myths that have helped create the feral cat problem in the first place — a feral released in the country will try to find its way back to its colony and probably perish in the attempt.

Another myth about cats being territorial is that they will keep other cats from coming into their colony. THAT IS NOT TRUE, particularly when cats are altered. They do not sit at the feed station protecting it. That's why colonies never go away and TNR lies about this aspect. Now this conflicts with the Whino because he is now saying to relocate them. Who's right?

"Even people in the animal-welfare community think tame cats are one issue and feral cats are another, and they're not," she says. "Everything is connected. Tame is one end of the spectrum, feral is the other. But there's all sorts of shades of gray in between."

And who makes the decision as to whether a cat is truly feral or another domestic gone wild? Too many times I have seen a cat classified as feral come out of a trap friendly. Too many times I have seen cats in colonies who would greet you, rub against your leg, and want to leave with you. Those aren't feral, they shouldn't be left in those colonies. Think about this, imagine a kitten trying to survive outside long enough to become "feral". Yeah, right.

The effort to establish a grassroots TNR program in the city is enthusiastically endorsed by Doug Kelley, director of Denver's Municipal Animal Shelter. As an "open admission" operation, the shelter takes in every type of stray or homeless pet. Cats labeled as feral will be euthanized — but not before they've already taken up space and expense in feline housing that often operates near capacity.

Of course he supports it but not for the reasons you think. Otherwise all those cats would end up in the shelters and screw with the euthanasia numbers. Let the other fools pay for it, keep the cats out, and he looks more like hero.

Many of the volunteers in the TNR movement are violating the city's five-pet limit by virtue of the number of cats and kittens they are in the process of rescuing, fostering or otherwise housing; putting out food for a colony can result in further violations. Consequently, many feral-cat people tend to operate furtively, setting up feeding stations in alleys and hiding their work from the neighbors and animal-control officers. "We need an exemption for ferals," says Angelilli, who's been meeting with city councilmembers over proposed changes in local ordinances.

Wait a minute, the reason for the problem is too many cats per household, people being allowed to have that many and no licensing, no responsibility. And what about those who don't want the colonies around them for various reasons, medical, etc? We don't let dogs run around in colonies, why make exceptions for cats? That is not fair.

Kelley would rather not see his office embroiled in neighborhood complaints about feral cats, but they keep coming. "If somebody really pushes, then we have to take some sort of action, and we'll contact Neighborhood Inspection Services," he says of the city agency that handles such matters. "It's a fine line between being a responsible person who helps take care of a colony and being a hoarder. We've certainly been on properties where well-meaning people have a hundred-plus cats. Then it becomes a health and safety issue."

Ah, now we are getting to the gist of it. I do believe that much of the TNR movement is nothing more than giving hoarders a way out. I think of it as a type of hoarding. Letting the great outdoor be your kennel.

"Sometimes it's hard to tell a feral cat from one that's very unsocialized or one that's just nasty," Kelley explains. "What we're calling feral cats aren't always feral cats."

And that is the moral and ethical side of the issue. As I said imagine a kitten outside surviving on it's own long enough to become truly feral.

"We have people who are considered caretakers, who are feeding the cats but not fixing them," Aubart says. "They get overwhelmed, and they have to choose between feeding and fixing. They choose feeding, of course. But all that does is make it so that you have to feed more."

Thus, the biggest problem of TNR. And if you provide food, then they will reproduce.

No, I don't want them killed. I want them fixed. I want these types of people to put ALL their efforts behind spay/neuter. I want these people to realize that they really aren't doing these cats a big favor, they are just prolonging the suffering. I want these people to realize that they are putting owned cats in danger, they cross streets, etc. coming to a food station. Not all the cats in a colony were dumped, the food and the colony attract cats that have a home. There needs to be regulations, policies, oversight for these TNR colonies to make sure they do what they intend to do.
Look at cats outside. Most of the time they looked terrified. Would you want your cat to live that way? Only if you would be willing to put your dearly beloved cat in a colony should you support this treatment of cats. These cats can be brought in from the cold via cat enclosures. TNR is the lazy way out, the cheap way out. It requires less of the caregiver but puts more on the cats and the neighborhood.
I recommend http://www.tnrrealitycheck.com/ to those thinking of engaging in TNR. There's more to the story. Cats are a non native species and we are all familiar with what a predatory non native species can do to the native species. Plus cats in areas such as LA attract coyotes. These coyotes feed on people's pets as well. Is it right to sacrifice one life for another? Is it right for cats to take prey from coyotes, birds, etc. in the wild? And cats don't kill just to eat, they kill for fun. That's what makes them dangerous to native species, the prey and those that prey. California hasn't had canine rabies in years but there is feline rabies every year. What about diseases carried by cats? The children in Los Alamitos who had allergies, those who ended up with tapeworms. Cats are mobile, meaning fences don't stop them. They go into people's yards, leave their little gifts. And they carry fleas, fleas that can carry plagues, plagues that have wiped out thousands of lives.
Can you see the mentality between the pit nutters and the TNR "No Kill'ers"? Ain't a lot of difference is there?

15 comments:

Sharlene LovesAPBT said...

I am laughing at the title, But really you are right. I have four cats, three are from running wild in my neighborhoods. One is from a colony that a kid with a bleeding heart rescued. Another showed up in my daughters arms, the other was from a vet clinic and she reminded me of my first cat. And the other I rescued from being so fat you couldn't see her front paws. And funny enough I don't like cats. But I also think hey, I am taking them off the street fixing them and creating some quality of life for them, and when they perch beside me on the sofa, well that is really nice. But that isn't the case, there are all sorts of people that think it is OK not to "fix" their cat and let them reproduce like crazy. Like in my other posts legislation and proper enforcement is key, wouldn't you pay more for licensing so that enforcement is paid for! I sure would.

HonestyHelps said...

I would like to think that TNR can be done in certain areas but when I think about it, it really can't be done to the quality of life the cats deserve.

We had barn cats, they didn't really seek our attention but neither were they feral. If they need attention for an injury or were deathly sick, then they were seen about. What about such in these colonies? We all know that you will only be able to trap a cat once unless it is one stupid cat. So this means they can't get vaccinations, especially rabies, they get no more medical treatment after being neutered. As someone who loves cats, I can't live with that and can't understand anyone else who can live with the thought of these cats living in fear all the time.

Yet these types fight licensing of cats when it might bring about more of a feeling of responsibility from cat owners. Look at licensing of dogs and how their numbers are decreasing in shelters while the cats are increasing dramatically. One difference is dogs are supposed to be licensed. Southern CA has some cat licensing but not near as much as they need. And you have to have licensing in order to do any enforcement.

Anonymous said...

Of course what the people who do TNR are conveniently ignoring is that the pit bulls are also ripping their cats to shreds.

They like to blame it on coyotes, but often it is the local goon's pit bulls doing the dirty work that get attracted to these colonies like a bee to honey.

And these cats are helpless.

Alley Cat Allies is one of the key groups profiting from the TNR torture promotion, and they are involved with Winograd.

It's a darn shame for cats that we are going back to the Dark Ages where cats get dumped outdoors to suffer (whether they call it TNR or anything else!)

Anonymous said...

We had a whole bunch of crazy feral cats at our house when we first moved here, but our German Shepherds took care of that problem lol Call me crazy but I think cats are stupid and instead of feeding them or wasting time trapping them you should just shoot the damn things and call it a day.

HonestyHelps said...

Anon, you are a perfect example of why cats should not be outside. I disagree with your opinion, of course. But I understand the frustration people feel with being forced to deal with these cats. And those frustrations lead to people doing what you say needs to be done. Another reason to either bring these cats in from the colonies, tame them, whatever, or allow them to die without suffering in the shelters.

Anonymous said...

And Alley Cat Allies is advocating putting cats outdoors to suffer at the hands of the people like the last commenter.

That comment should be sent to the President of Alley Cat Allies, because that is what is happening to TNR cats.

But I don't think she cares.

She's too busy helping the cat breeders by opposing spay neuter for cats.

Anonymous said...

I also feel great sorrow for the wildlife that gets destroyed by these cats.

Funny how the TNR people say that a bird's or a chipmunk's life has no value.

They hate animals (including the cats that they abandon)

They truly are the modern manifestation of the crazy cat lady. TNR is a mental illness.

HonestyHelps said...

Anon, they don't care. This is like their medication, it relieves their guilt that the situation exists. They fail to realize that they are actually making the situation worse. Their feed stations attract more cats, and those cats can be owned cats. These people don't know whether the cats they are feeding are owned or not.

And now they are subscribing to the Whino's new TNR, Trap, Neuter, and Release, rather than return. Although they tell you that cats should not be taken to a new area and released, now the Whino is telling them to do that. Why? Because people are getting fed up and want the cats gone. So Whino says take them to a new place and let it begin all over again. Imagine trapping a cat, scaring the crap out of it, neutering it, and then taking it to a strange place and putting it out. Let's terrify the cat even more because it doesn't know what lurks around the corner or where to find a safe place to sleep.

And no these fuckers don't care about other lives. One of the founders of TNR said she didn't realize the damage of these cats until she watched a cat killed over 20 animals one day, for fun. Then she realized that she was only trading one life for another, playing God. She stopped doing TNR. I wish I could still find her expose online.

Understand that these are not people who care, they are the sickos who suffer from the Savior complex. And now they have their Messiah, Winograd.

HonestyHelps said...

If the nutters can't even admit to what the pits were bred to do or that they are dangerous, do you expect them to admit that they need vet care or vaccinations? But there are many breeders paying vets to crop ears, etc. and the vets make good money doing certain things for the nutters. And these are the vets that speak in support of the nutters, look at the AVMA. If you get a rabies vaccination, then you have to list the breed of dog. Think about your homeowners insurance and you'll see why they don't want a record of the breed of dog they have. The obvious reason is that nutters don't truly love dogs, they love the perception of a "bad ass" dog as an extension of their lack of a penis or vagina. It's the idea they love, they really in essence hate dogs and people.

Anonymous said...

Honesty, the breeders also fight against required state rabies documentation because that exposes how many dogs they have, how many litters they are breeding, and that they are RUNNING BUSINESSES and not claiming the income, not paying taxes.

Most of these AKC and other breeders are illegally running businesses out of their homes, breaking zoning laws, hiding the number of dogs they have and sell.

They don't want any documentation to expose this tax cheat industry. They are thieving millions upon millions through their tax cheating every year. It may stretch into billions, considering the large volume that the mills do.

People are losing jobs, budgets going broke, but we have a business industry (dog breeding) that is based upon TAX CHEATING.

HonestyHelps said...

Why do I feel the last comments should be on another post?

Old Friend said...

Point by point in your article and in your commentary, just superb, my dear. Truly a work of Art! Thank you for the thought and hard work you put into this subject matter, Honesty.

Just Wonderful.

Old Friend.

HonestyHelps said...

Old Friend, I actually was thinking of you when I wrote it.

Anonymous said...

I would like to ask a question:

The deaths of two Arizona women this week are shifting focus back on potential state legislation to ban the practice of text-messaging while driving

Peoria police investigators believe Ashley D. Miller, 18, drifted across the center line because she was text-messaging on her cellphone. Miller collided with Stacey A. Stubbs, 40, of Chino Valley, police said.

The deaths are the latest to highlight what has become a national debate as more states scramble to implement laws regulating the use of cellphones while driving.

Since the statistics are relatively too young, and the recent commuter train crash that killed 25 people while the conductor was texting, should cell phones be banned while driving??
Oh, wait, they already have that law in several states and as you can see.....people are still texting, using their cell phones while driving.

So the OWNER of a cell phone still breaks the law even though its banned. Hmmm. Where have we seen this before?

Also, since the cell phone is widely popular and everybody nowadays has one. Lets ban ALL cell phone usage altogether. I mean thats 27 deaths in two seperate incidents that involve cell phones.
I think cell phones are killing people in 'pandemic' numbers

HonestyHelps said...

And your point is?????

Typical pit nutter, always trying to take the focus off the issue being discussed. Besides there are laws now regarding the use of the cell phone while driving, duh. And those laws are trying to prevent accidents. Regulation of pit bulls would be in the same vein. Or is your stance to let everyone stay on their phones, no laws trying to prevent accidents, and let people get injuried and killed? Same as your stance on pit bulls, let them continue to maul and kill.