Feral Cats In North America

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