Eating protected or endangered species - DNA to the (research) rescue. And cat poop as 'the evidence'.

The sad part is there is not enough funds for the City to manage the feral cat population. Some programs help like Trap and Neuter but unfortunately most shelters are full and there is not outside shelter for feral cats, etc. People are volunteering on their own and non profit shelters, SPCA, and some shelters help with spay and neuter a but also have a waitlist. Why not offer more services or shelters for feral cats if you are trying to manage and lower the population. Why not feed them so they don't feed on other wildlife. They are cats and are not being domesticated or socialized to live indoors. It's takes alot more to fix the problem besides euthanasia. There will always be more cats if left to breed.

People need to spay and neuter their cats, and stop dumping them off in parks when they do not want them anymore. We need more low cost spay and neuter animal shelters available everywhere. There are too few of them and they are overwhelmed with cats. I have found that many of the shelters do not answer the phone to help people. This can be very frustrating and cause people to just give up. We need more foster homes and more public awareness and education on how to help the problem. Feeding colony cats is very expensive. Animal shelters could be helpful by giving colony feeders a bag of dry food once a month. Unfortunately, there are no easy answers to this problem. People acting responsibly and not dumping unaltered cats in a park or near protected wildlife, would be a start.

You should have a leash law like they do for dogs or would that make too much sense, and if you cant afford the cat or dont want him take him to a shelter dont take him.I know in this country nobody takes responsibility anymore but these are living things,treat them as such.

Feral=wild. Feral cats are an invasive non-native species in the wild (and suburbs) and should be treated as such. [Portion removed due to disrespectful comment or offensive language]

most animal welfare organizations now use the term ‘community cats’ to describe free-roaming, unowned cats. Included under this umbrella are feral cats who are too poorly socialized to be placed as a typical pet.

· ASPCA Position Statement on Community Cats: link
· A Closer Look at Community Cats: link

There are a number of articles out there debunking the myth that community cats are the leading cause of bird species declines in the United States. Here are some links:

· Humans: The Number One Threat to Wildlife

· Debunking bogus studies blaming cats for wildlife depletion:

o Smithsonian-Funded Junk Science Gets Cats Killed PDF

o The Wisconsin Study: Bad Science Costs Cats’ Lives

o Firing Back at The University of Nebraska “Feral Cats and Their Management” Report

o Breaking Down the Bogus Smithsonian Catbird Study

Well it seems that Mr.Dodder is unaware of the fact that with most rescue groups that TNR, when a cat is brought in before they get neutered, they recieve a general health checkup and they are scanned for a microchip.... If there are any health issues that are considered untreatable and or are considered a danger to other felines around them, then yes, they will generally be euthanized, for the safety of other free roaming cats....Then If they are chipped, then the owner is contacted.... If the owner is able to be reached then they are either reunited with their owners, OR since they have obviously been owned previously... They are put up for adoption for another family to bring them in....If they are not chipped there is usually an attempt to be made for socializing most of the others (mainly ones that are not aggressive towards people or other cats). That is the difference between a stray cat an a feral cat. Stray cats have typically had some sort of human contact in their life or are just very scared of everything. Strays can generally be socialized with humans and other cats (which is what a good majority of fosters do)....Where as feral cats to them they see humans as a predator....They can be very aggressive, sometimes not at all....But to them we are potential predator. So a little bit of an education for those who think TNR is all about bringing everything trapped back to where it came from....

Thanks for the extra information Lauren. "TNR" = Reduce (neuter), Reuse (strays/adoptions), Recycle (feral).

Trying to collect all 'out and about' cats into "community cats" is mind and thought-process numbing. Social and asocial are not the same and it 'seems' to me should not be treated the same. Over the last decade there have been several "wandering house cats" with tags around my neighborhood. Outdoor cats - with nearby homes, who always seemed to be frendly, curious, and figured out how Not to get run over!

It is a shame that these (semi)domesticated animals can be treated like throw away trash by some irresponsible people.

peace / love / and purrs

(BTW - my local tree rats do not really take kindly to any cat)

Cats are not endangered.
A lot of bird species are endangered.

I suspect that many of the feral cats are un-spayed/non-neutered and rapidly reproducing on their own.

On a positive note, would it be safe to assume that the North Bayshore region is relatively free of mice and rats?

“And feral cats in Mountain View's North Bayshore area do find their way to Shoreline Park, where they have prayed upon burrowing owls. Migratory birds in search of a nesting location arrive to encounter predators they haven't adapted to, and end up being easy pray.”

Sounds to me like the cats revere the birds, what with them “praying” and all. Speaking of prayer, sweet Jesus this conversation never ends. And it won’t - and…there is ZERO evidence that any burrowing owl has ever been killed, maimed, or harmed by a feral cat. Being overcrowded by photographers who want to be 10” from them is a bigger threat to them, IMO.

@Steve Syracuse: Feral cats are the #1 danger to the critically endangered monk seals in Hawaii. Toxoplasmosis from feral cat poop is entering the ocean killing the seals. This is proven in numerous studies and most necropsies.