Monday, March 10, 2014

South Florida is a bird rich place, what a blessing: So lets hatch a plan to kill them. By Geniusofdespair

Rare white pelicans.

Someone asked me where I took that picture of the spoonbills yesterday. I am not telling. As long as we are releasing feral cats I will never tell where a bird is. What do you think feral cats eat? So they are neutered -- they still eat. It is estimated that they kill 480 million birds and they are responsible for 33 extinctions.  Who is the idiot who thought of releasing them?

Dead bird
Live birds
Read Fred Grimm's column: Miami-Dade's trap-neuter-release program utterly ignores science:
"So it was nearly shocking to read a Miami Herald report last week by Douglas Hanks that said Miami-Dade animal control workers, following the tenets of the County Commission, had released 3,138 feral cats into the community in 2013."

I will never tell where these birds are. This is the first spoonbill I have seen up close in my 29 years of life.

Who voted for this on the County Commission: I WANT TO KNOW. I see Pepe Diaz sponsored it but can't find the final vote on the County Site. Not unusual.

Feral cat colony. That's a lot of birds consumed each day. Too bad they don't release them in the sugar fields to kill all the rats. You heard it -- rats in the sugar fields.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Cat Network and their supporters fund campaigns. That is why. They are politically connected. Why do you think Miami Dade will never had an ordinance where cats must be contained. Politics, pure and simple. Now, if my dog gets out and gets a hold of a cat, I would get the citation and my dog could be deemed aggressive, yet cats are killing birds by the millions and roam free around here. Stupid policy which will take a smart politician to fix. The commission has already irritated the pets trust people, which I don't support due to the bottomless money pit it would create. So, why don't they protect the birds and make cats have an owner and be contained like dogs. Ridiculous and unfair.

Anonymous said...

I see no policy in the Code that suggests the Trap-Spay-Neuter program for feral cats is legal. I did find policies prohibiting the release of feral animals near county parks.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad this issue has been brought to light. Years back, my neighborhood was teaming with mockingbirds, sparrows and even cardinals. Today, thanks to the feral cats fed by one of our neighbors, you'd be lucky to find a starling. Cats hunt at all hours of the day and are destructive to our environment. Spending tax dollars to catch, treat and release cats is a waste of funds and a direct assault on our native species.

WOOF said...

Cats Threatened By Turkey Point Nukes

Developers Destroy Cat Habitats

Anonymous said...

The cats are not being called feral cats. They are "community cats."

Anonymous said...

I realize the point you are tring to make. Just go try to pet one of these cats and you will see they are not part of any 'community.' They are feral.

What is next, TNR for pythons?

How about we TNR our sitting County Commissioners???

Anonymous said...

I have been reading for years about how many animals are killed by feral cats and by house cats. Hmm.

Unknown said...

Its counter-intuitive, but trap-neuter-release can actually REDUCE populations of feral animals. Removal of an animal will free those resources for another reproducing individual. By trapping, neutering then releasing an animal back into it territory, those resources are used by a non-reproducing individual. A similar method is used in populations of wild horses.

Cato II said...

Shannon is right. A TNR program will, in the long term, reduce the cat population. The life expectancy of a feral cat is only about 2-5 years. A house cat can live to be 20. A neutered cat competes for territory and for resources. That is why scientists release sterilized animals, preferably a combination of neutered and vascetimized animals. The males with the vasectomies compete for dominance in a group and mate, but don't produce kitten. Otherwise, you could have a trap and slaughter regime, but the County would lose funding from various groups. Read about it here. http://www.annarbor.com/pets/feral-cat-feline-colonies-tufts-study-tnr-tvhr-vasectomy-neuter-release/

Anonymous said...

Shannon and Cato - exactly. TNR makes sense. Also, those well fed populations of "feral" cats will live about 7 years before succumbing to speeding traffic or accidents. This is a 7 years project.

I was offended by Laura's comment at Tropical Audubon. Traffic, children, unsustainable development, toxins .... all reduce bird populations. Stupid politicians reduce bird populations. The food you eat reduces bird populations. The house you live in was a former bird sanctuary. Come on, Laura.

Miami Activist

Anonymous said...

TNR has a few flaws, first it attracts others to dump cats in that area, second it allows these animals into our neighborhoods and parks where disease can be spread by cat fecal matter, third these animals hunt wildlife that depends on our parks and neighborhoods for survival...especially migratory birds. That is why this program should be stopped as a practice, not to mention technically it is already illegal. Releasing animals of any kind in our parks and neighborhoods is illegal and feeling them is also illegal.

Anonymous said...

Oh please. Stop spaying and neutering and you will have more cats not less.

Anonymous said...

Oh please, spay and neuter just don't release.