NDR - Iowa mayor puts bounty on stray cats: unbelievable!!

[Scootergirl]

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hypnrKz4XIn0z_3HtnYQeQXL7B9A

If you don't want to hit the link, the gist of the story is this: a mayor in a small Iowa town is offering $5.00/each feral feline brought in. All cats, if not claimed will be euthanized. Apparantly, the mayor feels the town is overrun by feral cats and this is the only solution.

There are soooo many built-in flaws and potential hazards with this plan, I don't even know where to start discussing them. Why can't our leaders think through these things and ASK FOR HELP before doing something like this.

[Saint and Mal mom]

As someone who personally spent over a year battling to get rid of the feral cats living under their house, I for one don't think this is such a bad idea. As long as the time from a cat being seized to it being euthanized is adequate for an owner to come and claim their cat if it is their pet and not feral, I think it's a good idea. People who let their cats run loose and produce kittens don't realize how much of a nuissance feral cats are. You can't catch them easily, they get into things (the ones by us were eating the dog food, scratching up window screens, and had they ever bitten us I know they could be carrying all sorts of diseases), and they are dangerous at times!

Plus, these feral cats must find food for themselves or starve to death. In winter, there's only one option for them really. And unless I wanted to watch these feral cats starve to death, which I didn't, we had to put out food for animals that aren't even ours! Not only is it an inconvenience, it got expensive feeding 5 feral cats! At least this way, they won't be hit by cars, starving, or getting attacked by other feral cats or dogs even. At least they'll be humanely euthanized.

Like I said though, so long as they give people long enough to go claim their cats (or check for collar tags or microchips)if they are indeed pets, not feral, I'm for it.

[Care2Adopt]

I'm kind of on the same boat- if it were $5 for every head/tail/paw or some other disgusting thing I think I would be furious (ok know I would) but feral cat populations are dangerous- they grow insanly fast, produce animals capable of carrying TONS of diseases, and very quickly illimate all food sources for themselves, except garbage, getting into other pets food, and breaking into houses (yes, my house and kennel has been broken into numerous times by feral cats) they are starving and freezing/overehating and misserable- at least this way they cross the bridge peacefully (if they are not gassed- if they are gassed I have a problem with this on a whole different level) and dont suffer anymore, and dont create more cats to suffer. Hopefully, some will be adopted, returned to original owners, or pulled by rescue groups, instead of getting hit by cars, eaten by dogs, shot by pissed off homeowners, contract rabies, die in childbirth..ge t trapped in a basment trying to get food..etc. all the ways a feral cat dies daily. Not to mention the toll it takes on rabbits, squirrels, and birds...

Honestly, if it gets them off the streets and into a shelter where they can be dealt with- either humanely euthenizes or dolled out to cat rescue groups/private adoptors, I am compeltely for it an applaud the mayors initiative. IMHO, of course.

EDITED to add: I do believe that there should be some discretion in this case, to make sure the animals are not inhumanly trapped, injured, or hurt in A.N.Y way shape or form getting caught, or the person bringing them in be prosectured. I also think they should contact cat rescues and allow them to pull cats from the vets office at free will.