| Cats are not native to North America. From their | | | | severe. If you talk to people that live in rural |
| humble beginnings into domestication in Egypt | | | | areas that have a lot of cats, they would fill you |
| around or about 5000BC, cats have slowly moved | | | | with stories of how this cat or that cat showed |
| from continent to continent. In Europe, they were | | | | up at their door as a newly born kitten in the |
| not very well accepted and often caught a killed | | | | middle of the night. Often, the comment goes |
| until the plagues in the Dark Ages. With their | | | | back to city-folk dropping off their kittens that |
| superb hunting skills, they were very helpful | | | | momma cat had and they didn't want. They just |
| lowering the rodent population and therefore | | | | think that the cat belongs in the country and if |
| gained acceptance. | | | | they drop it off near the farmhouse, the farmer |
| From Europe, the cats came with the new | | | | will take it in and it can hunt mice and rats |
| settlers. Often, cats were carried on the ships to | | | | thereby earning its keep. |
| combat the rodent problem and they would often | | | | This adds an additional expense to the farmer and |
| escape when the ship was docked. In North | | | | more often than not, these cats will not receive |
| America, it is estimated that the cat population is | | | | medical care and worse, they will mate and |
| over 65 million. | | | | reproduce until there are too many to care for. |
| Cats tend to have a free ranging spirit often | | | | Let me paint a vivid picture from a farmer I |
| traveling a few square miles as their home | | | | knew. He commented: "when the number of cats |
| territory from their home. These domestic cats | | | | and kittens gets to be too many, I would just |
| that are free roaming are not native to the North | | | | gather up some of the extra kittens, put them in |
| American ecosystem. On quite the occasion, | | | | a burlap sack, tie it shut and throw it in the lake. |
| some of these cats will not return home or would | | | | After they are dead, I would pull the bag out of |
| be abandoned and become feral cats. | | | | the water and bury it in the ground". |
| Between the feral cats and the free roaming | | | | There are alternatives. If you took the cats to |
| cats, they have an impact on the ecosystem | | | | the veterinarian, you could have them spayed or |
| where they live. Often, this becomes a problem | | | | neutered. There is an expense involved with this |
| for the wildlife that live in the region. The cats' | | | | and unfortunately has been a problem with the |
| prey may already be under stress or their | | | | rural landowner in this forced adoption situation. As |
| numbers may be low. If there is an | | | | we are becoming more aware, there are more |
| overabundance of feral cats in the region, there | | | | spay and neuter clinics coming to assistance and |
| can be devastating effects. | | | | some of these programs are conducting catch |
| In some areas, the Galapagos Islands for | | | | and release programs. |
| example, wildlife managers have had to utilize an | | | | Although cats are not native to North America, |
| extermination program to return certain islands to | | | | they are natural in our homes and they are here |
| the natural ecosystem. This is an area that not | | | | to stay. The problem is when the cats leave our |
| only were the cats not native to the area but | | | | homes and become feral cats. We don't fully |
| there was no significant human population for the | | | | understand the impact that they have on the |
| cats to have just wandered away from. The | | | | ecosystem and there are advocacy groups to |
| occurrence of these cats becoming feral cats | | | | protect them from "Wildlife Management |
| came about from cats that were traveling on | | | | operations". There are obvious answers and not |
| merchant ships escaping while the ship was at the | | | | so obvious answers. The solution will never be cut |
| island resupplying food or water resources. | | | | and dry here in North America. |
| In North America, the situation is often not that | | | | |