[Vision2020] Responsible pet ownership

[debismith at moscow.com]

Thanks to Bill French for bringing attention to this. As a cat lover, I 
find it hard to fathom why city dwellers feel their cats should roam free 
to bother others, kill birds, and spread disease. Living in the country, 
we often have folks dump unwanted cats at our driveway---they get run 
over on the highway, fight with my (trained and contained) cats, and get 
chased by our (trained and contained) dogs unless I can catch them and 
get them to the shelter. The shelter is full of these lovely, free-range 
cats which need medical care and love....

Debi R-S
> Bill French has asked me to forward this message to Vision 2020
> 
> The city of Moscow is currently drafting a new animal control ordinance
> which, unfortunately, will not require the licensing or containment of
> cats. This exclusion is on the direction of the council administrative
> committee and John Dickinson, who is council liaison to the ordinance
> writing committee. John thinks that cats, including his own, have more
> right to use property than the owner who's paying the mortgage and
> taxes.
> 
> While cats have always had free run in Moscow, cats cause many problems
> when allowed to run loose. Contrary to popular opinion, domestic cats
> are not "wildlife" and are not part of any natural ecosystem. Housecats
> have been domesticated over thousands of years and were introduced to
> North America by European immigrants. Our native birds and mammals did
> not evolve with the small, abundant, sheltered, and well-fed predator
> called "Fluffy". The result is that domestic cats are the second-leading
> cause of declining bird populations worldwide, killing hundreds of
> millions annually. 
> 
> Free-roaming cats also violate the private property rights of those who
> don't wish to have cats hunting, defecating or spraying on their
> property. Not only do free-roaming cats spread disease to other cats,
> they also can spread disease to humans (potentially by contaminating
> garden soil). Well-fed, declawed cats with bells on their collars will
> still hunt successfully, just for fun. Unaltered free-roaming cats
> contribute greatly to the cat over-population problem, which places
> unsupportable burdens on wildlife and animal shelters alike. 
> 
> If you'd like more information about a national campaign to end the
> problem of free-roaming cats, go to the CATS INDOORS! link on
> www.abcbirds.org. If you'd like to sign a petition requesting that the
> Moscow city council place restrictions on cats, Email
> catsindoors at moscow.com. This campaign is not against cats - just the
> irresponsible ownership of them.
> 
> Bill French
> 





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