Animal rights advocates have been urging Palm Coast government to adopt a trap, neuter and release policy toward the city’s bulging feral cat population for three years. On Wednesday, the city announced that it would do so, if not quite by policy. The Flagler Humane Society and Community Cats of Palm Coast are in the lead, with the city’s support, formalizing what will be called a “Community Cat Diversion program.”
Put simply, those organizations will no longer have to beg the city to let them trap, neuter and return cats. After Palm Coast resisted the approach for years, from now on the approach will have the city’s seal of approval. “The city can take that stand now,” Amy Carotenuto, executive director of the Flagler Humane Society, said.
“Community Cats of Palm Coast has been advocating for a trap-neuter-release program for years,” said Elizabeth Robinson, who leads Community Cats, “so we are really pleased that the city is embracing this humane and effective approach to reducing our feral cat population. This is good news for the community.”
TNR, as it’s called for short, is the practice of trapping feral cats, neutering and usually vaccinating them, clipping an ear to identify them as neutered, and releasing them back to the area from where they came. Some residents would prefer to see the cats removed entirely, which usually means removed and euthanized, as humane societies’ space for cats is limited, and people tend to adopt feral cats less than other types of cats. The TNR approach, which works where it’s applied, ultimately reduces the feral cat population and its nuisances by immediately ending cats’ habit of spraying while eliminating their ability to reproduce. Over time, that logically reduces the feral cat population.
It looks counter-intuitive: if people see animal control pick up a cat and return it not much later, they may assume the old nuisance is back. But the more TNR officers educate residents, the more understanding they become, and the more effective the practice.
There’s a key difference between a TNR policy and the practice that will be in effect in Palm Coast: ultimately, residents who demand that a cat be removed for good will not, in most cases, be overruled. The cat will be removed and, most likely, euthanized. But Carotenuto hopes those cases will be the exception, not the rule. She’s going by the society’s experience in Flagler Beach, where for almost two years the humane society enacted a TNR system as the city’s animal control contractor. It worked. “We had a really good spiel as far as educating the public, and I hope Palm Coast continues to grow their spiel,” Carotenuto said.
“It’s really about educating the public and making trap-neuter-return the status quo,” Carotenuto said, “because it honestly will. Whether you’re somebody who likes cats or somebody who hates cats, trap-neuter-return is the quickest way to reduce the number of stray cats anywhere. Otherwise you pull a cat out and another one is going to come in and take its place. If we can sterilize everybody, get everybody vaccinated, the numbers will decrease. It definitely worked in Flagler Beach. We just don’t get cats from Flagler Beach anymore.”
In Palm Coast, the approach will still be complaint-driven, as it was in Flagler Beach. In other words, unlike its code enforcement posses who burn gas looking for infractions, Palm Coast will not have its animal control officers roaming the streets, looking for cats to pick up. It’ll respond when summoned, and at that point kick in its educational talk to convince complainers to have the nuisance cat neutered and returned.
Feral cats have a habit of setting neighbors against neighbors, as those who feed and care for them are seen by others as enablers of nuisances. So volunteers who care for and feed the cats will be offered the opportunity to join what the city in a release calls a “think tank,” sharing information on how to best serve the cats while also seeking to keep the cats from becoming a nuisance to neighbors.
For free-roaming cats that are not causing a nuisance for neighbors, the city will not require those cats that are spayed or neutered, vaccinated and ear-notched to be licensed, and will not cite property owners for those cats running at large. The city will also continue to provide funding for free-roaming cats that are brought into the Humane Society, as it already does, and will assist in trapping when there is a particularly difficult case.
Currently, the city pays $75 per cat that’s removed from circulation and housed at the Humane Society for up to six months. As a sweetener to the city to participate in TNR, the Humane Society is lowering the cost the city pays for cats it will bring there, to $31, as long as the cat can be returned to its original colony. Conversely, the $75 fee will still apply, like a disincentive, to cats brought in for good. The society is able to provide the discount after securing a $25,000 grant that allows it to neuter some 600 cats. The grant runs out in August. Carotenuto says the society will keep its price at $31 in hopes of landing another grant soon, and to keep the city involved. Residents are also encouraged to donate to the society, a non-profit organization.
Since the humane society began TNR in Flagler Beach and wherever else it could two years ago, the number of animals euthanized at the society has dropped 78 percent over the last two years. “Another benefit with community cats not living at the shelter is that our adoptable cats have more space and stay healthier,” Carotenuto said. “Now with Palm Coast on board we will be able to save even more lives.”
“There are hundreds of free-roaming cats in Palm Coast, and we have tried a variety of approaches without widespread success,” said Barbara Grossman, code enforcement manager for Palm Coast. “We want to treat these animals humanely, while at the same time reducing the free-roaming cat population and the nuisance and health issues that can accompany unmanaged cat colonies. With fewer cats over time, we will have fewer problems and less predation of birds and other wildlife.”
The city has been meeting with Flagler Humane Society and Community Cats of Palm Coast on various possible solutions over the past three years. Like their counterparts, Grossman and the city’s animal control officers have done extensive research, looking at Community Cat Diversion programs in 12 other Florida cities and attending a number of training sessions.
“We’re not going to demand that people allow a cat to be returned, Palm Coast will not demand that,” Carotenuto said. “We’ll recommend that, but if the officers feel the animal is in danger, they’ll pull it out anyway, and we may still have to euthanize some. I hope not, but we’re just going to have to take this day by day and see how it goes. We certainly don’t want to euthanize anybody ever. and I really hope that once the city and the residents see that it works, it should snowball, because it’s really worked all over the country.”
To schedule an appointment for a community cat spay or neuter, call Flagler Humane Society at 386-445-1814 ext. 510. For tips on keeping neighborhood cats out of your yard, call Community Cats of Palm Coast at 386-237-7690.
For more information on the Community Cat Diversion program, contact Cindi Lane, Palm Coast’s communications and marketing manager, at [email protected] and 386/986-3708, and Amy Carotenuto at 386/445-1814, ext. 508.
anonymous says
Great work Elizabeth Robinson. I’m very happy the city is finally working with you and the Flagler Humane Society.
Joe says
What a waste of taxpayer money. A .50 cent bullet to the head of a stray cat is a hell of a lot cheaper.
Veteran says
We have two cats, both adopted, and they are like family members. Good for Palm Coast.
Sam says
I HATE cats…..I’m with joe on this one.
Sara Lockhart, Audubon Society says
I provided the City of Palm Coast the Florida Dept. of Health and Flagler County zhealth Dept. positions that TNR poses a public health risk and all cats should be kept indoors. These cats decimate the local wildlife populations. Just this week the News Journal ran a story about the damzging effects a TNR colony in Miami was having on the Metro Zoo. Volusia County also had to declare a rabies alert because a woman was bitten by a feral cat at the Trails Shopping Center. You can’t save them all. Stop feeding stray cats as a hobby.
jasonb says
This all seems like an effort to make everyone “feel good” about the situation, these cats need to be caught and euthanized, like any other invasive species.
PeachesMcGee says
This is too much money to spend on a feral animal.
If certain citizens want them controlled, then let them pay for it out of their own money.
BTW…50 cents is too much for a bullet. We can get bulk 9mm for 18 cents a piece. Just sayin’.
Algernon says
I wonder if Flagler Cats will come on board to make this a truly joint effort. They say they support TNR, and I know they do a lot of good work in this area.
anonymous says
I HATE people who Hate cats, if the people would take care of their animals and be responsible we wouldn’t even have this issue to deal with, so the moral of the story is, people suck that are irresponsible!
Concerned says
I’m so happy for these kitties, they deserve to live. I don’t understand anyone wanting to harm or kill them.
OldSeaDog says
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings.
The rich man in his castle,
The poor man at his gate,
God made them, high or lowly,
And ordered their estate.
The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
The sunset, and the morning,
That brightens up the sky;
The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one.
The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows where we play,
The rushes by the water,
We gather every day;–
He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell,
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.
……..Cecil Frances Alexander
JimB says
Although Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) advocates and feral cat colony maintainers have admirable sympathies for fellow creatures (feral cats), I wonder where their sympathy is for the vast number of native creatures that non-native feral cats kill or maim? Where is their sympathy for the children who are at risk of contracting injury, diseases or parasites from roaming feral cats?
It is virtually impossible to annually capture and vaccinate all members of significant feral cat colonies. This is because after the first time or two they are captured, feral cats tend to avoid traps. It is also due to other causes — including the roaming tendencies of tomcats, as well as the difficulty of capturing some wary individuals even for the first time. For similar reasons, it is also very difficult to capture and spay/neuter 100 percent of the feral cats at any given colony, especially before they reproduce. Feral cat colonies pose human health risks. They are what epidemiologists call “disease reservoirs” — the colonies harbor diseases in unvaccinated members over the long term. Members of feral cat colonies spread diseases and parasites via bites, scratches, and fecal contamination (of beach sand, children’s sandboxes, vegetable gardens, and flower beds to name a few vectors). Such diseases and parasites include rabies, toxoplasmosis, roundworm, hookworm, and others. Feral cats also harbor and spread fleas and ticks.
Leaving food out for feral cat colonies invariably provides food to raccoons. This artificially enhances and attracts raccoon populations, increasing the risk of human exposure to rabies, raccoon roundworm (a fatal disorder) and other ailments.
Feral cat colonies in beachfront areas are especially harmful to human health and wildlife. In such settings, children digging and playing in the sand are at increased risk of contracting diseases or parasites.
Beach-nesting and roosting birds are especially vulnerable to feral cats. To date, there is no scientific proof that TNR reduces the number of feral cats in an area. It is not feasible to perform TNR on the millions of feral cats in the U.S.
In light of these proven detrimental effects to humans and native species (that belong here and our ecosystem depends upon), feral cat colonies should not be fed and maintained. Feral cats that are captured should not be released. They should either be adopted and then kept indoors, or painlessly euthanized. (From a study by Nathan Dias)
IBrakeForBirds says
JimB is 100% correct. Animal Rights activists and TNR and No-Kill charlatans do not care about public health or native wildlife. They only care about these cats. TNR is an abject failure because it was never meant to be a solution, just a way of avoiding euthanasia. TNR has NOT been proven to reduce the number of feral cats anywhere in the world. It only works when paired with adoption and euthanasia. These cats spread disease, decimate native wildlife and yet somehow the cat ladies expect us ALL to tolerate this mess. The feral cat problem was created by humans and needs to be solved by humans. But snipping off a cats ballz and dumping it back outdoors where it doesn’t belong it NOT a solution.
Katie Semore says
Oh wow, big brave men who want to kill something, who want to shoot a defenseless animal, oh how big and brave you are. For shame.
Geezer says
My favorite cat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hPxGmTGarM
He’s perfect to bring home and become part of the family.
I’d name him “Fritz.”
Concerned says
Thank you, Old Sea Dog…that is beautiful.
Because i can says
Here’s an idea…..let’s send all the people who moved to this state back, then animals will have the room to roam free in Flagler. What a peaceful place it would be.
KarmaIsReal says
What a disgusting and utterly shameful response… Putting a bullet in a cats head? Never mind the feral cats… I actually think we are becoming over populated with narrow minded jerks like you. Cats stay. Jerks go. There. Problem solved.
Ky says
A Flagler County based non-profit, Flagler Cats, has been doing this exact work for the past 8-plus years, very skillfully, selflessly and free of charge.
I know there are a few smaller non-profits and volunteer groups who do the same. These types of groups also take care of feral cat colonies including vet services, while keeping an eye on them in more ways than one, and not just TNR.
Like some other folks who commented, I am also questioning as to 1) why a commercial model funded by taxpayer money, and 2) one that leaves out other groups who are stakeholders in feral-cat-population control was the choice.
Termite says
I’d rather be surrounded by the feral cats in this town than some of the people here. This is great news and I wholly support this move. People that want to kill another living being just because they feel it’s a nuisance need look no further than themselves as to who the real nuisance is that’s being tolerated.
Elizabeth Robinson says
To Sara from the Audubon Society: Trap, Neuter and Return reduces the number of free roaming cats, therefore leaving fewer cats to prey on birds.
Ardena Perry says
Trap and Euth is effective and far more humane……these outdoor cats live a terrible leife and they place an outrageous burden on the community. These are not community cats, and they suffer when frustrated individuals ” take it out on the cat, when really the feeder should be sued into the next county for trespassing, drawing nuisance wildlife, increasing zoonotic disese spread….. and just generally being a pain. Late life altering ( after the unwanted behavior has begun,) does nothing to stop it, nothing….. ..The TNR loons try to have it both ways, they claim that the colony keeps out ” new cats” and yet they are too mellow to fight and yowl.. which is it ?? What does the castrated tom say to the handsome young male looking for new turf, ” oh pardon me,we’re a colony, can you kindly move along, thank you so much” The intact male takes over the lead, after a good bit of yowling, growling and infecting bite wounds.. how cruel these cat feeders are. http://ricknbaby0076.blogspot.com/2015/07/tnr-and-death-by-attrition-truth.html
Will says
People who hate feral cats could also love domesticated cats. The people who visualize those who support killing feral cats as terrible killers of innocent life, are quite hypercritical. What do they think those cats are doing to the innocent wild life around them.
KarmaIsReal says
Will, good point… However, the comments I was replying to had no mention of their feelings towards domesticated cats. I also never said I disagree with euthanization… I just see no way to support putting a bullet in any animals head. Period.
TNR Researcher says
Then there’s always the “SSS and TDSS Cat Management Programs” that are exploding in popularity worldwide: Shoot, Shovel, & Shut-Up; or Trap, Drown, Shovel, & Shut-Up. Both methods are legal on every square foot of this earth. No local ordinances were violated if it never happened. In fact, most law-enforcement agencies prefer that you use either of those two methods so that these criminally-negligent cat-lickers don’t cause even more problems for your community than they already have with their disease-infested vermin. As we ALL know, the only thing worse than having feral cats is drawing feral-cat-lickers (criminally irresponsible cat-hoarders) right to your door. They will do everything possible to destroy your life even further than they already have with their cats if they find out you are even thinking about destroying their vermin for them. Cat-lickers delusionally believe that any land on which a cat has stepped-foot is their own property and they can manipulate and control the owners and all laws on it. There are dozens of their cyber-stalking and cyber-bullying attacks on individuals, businesses, whole towns, and even corporations on a weekly basis. One time so bad that they even drove a loving veterinarian to suicide, and she only tried to save the life of one of their outdoor hoarded TNR cats. http : / / banvetabuse . blogspot . co . uk / 2014_03_01_archive . html They will even send death-threats to Congressmen and their families. Google for: Oda Lawmakers Shun Security Threats
Here too is a good example of what will happen should even one of their TNR cats get ran-over by a car (or dies from any other form of their “loving and humane attrition”) near your place of business or your home: http : / / www . facebook . com / photo . php?fbid=747875778604304 And here’s what really happened: http : / / www . wtov9 . com / news / features / top-stories / stories / alleged-animal-abuse-investigated-weirton-5308 . shtml Someone not even associated with this business ran-over one of their free-roaming cats by accident. The fun part of this cyber-bullying attack (which, luckily the business-owners had excellent lawyers and were able to get most of their cyber-attack sites shut-down fast in one day, and sue the piśś out of anyone involved), is that the group behind it all and supported by Alley-Cat-ALL-LIES (where I found the above facebook link still available) even admitted that those photos were from Europe over three years ago, another from China six years ago. http : / / www . chinasmack . com / 2009 / pictures / kittens-found-abused-dead-mother-kunming . html They just paste dead-cat photos around whatever business they want to destroy where any of their TNR cats get ran-over. Isn’t TNR GREAT!! LOL
This is precisely why everyone is learning to destroy all cats on their properties as quickly and quietly as possible. Telling nobody beforehand about any cats even being there. Long before these psychotic cyber-bullying cat-licker sociopaths and psychopaths get wind of the cats. Shoot (or trap & drown) cats first — tell no-one later. The only thing worse than feral cats are feral cat-lickers. You can legally shoot the former, not the latter. You need to pay lawyers and courts to get rid of the latter. THEN you can get rid of their cats. And the sad part is, that’s EXACTLY what happens, each and every time. People are wising-up. If ANY cats are around they destroy every last one of them first, before they make any other move. Before these cyber-bullying cat-lickers can do anything about it to try to destroy and waste everyone’s lives even more than they already have with their disease-infested invasive-species vermin cats. Not quite the results that these sociopathic cat-lickers had intended, but that’s what they’re getting! :-)
TNR Researcher says
Here is glaring proof of how, as cat-hoarders so often and mindlessly respew, “Trap-Neuter-Release is the most effective means of managing feral cat populations. In fact, it is the only proven way to do so.”
The residents of the UK who invented TNR in the 1950’s have been relentlessly practicing that failed ideology NATIONWIDE for over 60 years now. And all they have managed to do with TNR is DOUBLE their vermin cat populations — from 4.1 million vermin cats in 1965 to 7.9 million vermin cats in 2014. And to help, all this time they are still killing them in shelters and legally shooting them to death in rural areas under their animal depredation-control laws. By foolishly hoping and praying that their very own TNR concept will reduce vermin cat populations someday they have now even driven their one and only NATIVE cat species to extinction with their invasive-species vermin “moggies” (feral house-cats) — with less than 35 “Scottish Wildcats” left in the whole world. (Along with 421 other species that they have already made extinct in the UK in the last 200 years — OVER TWO SPECIES PER YEAR GONE FOREVER just due to British cultural beliefs, practices, and values.) All the while they still insist that practicing their failed TNR policies will still save their “Scottish Wildcat” from being wiped from the earth forever. You can kiss their “Scottish Wildcat” good-bye too now. (Laughably ironic if it weren’t so pathetically, globally, and permanently sad. The population of the UK have made themselves into the ecological-laughingstocks of the whole world.)
Nice plan. TNR sure does work, doesn’t it!
You know that saying about doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. The British have proved the failure of their vermin cat-insanity for over 60 years now. You too can be just as ecologically destructive, ignorant, and just as insane as the inbrēđ mentalities of the Toxoplasma gondii brain-damaged moggie-licking British by practicing and promoting their failed-belief in their TNR concept! :-)
Here too are some wonderful quotes from an article published by your most revered TNR promoters — the very “scientists” that TNR cat-lickers always quote out of context to try to support their TNR insanity. Read it and weep (and then quit spreading your ecosystem-destroying LIES):
“‘…virtually no information exists to support the contention that neutering is an effective long-term method for controlling free-roaming cat populations.’ ‘…free-roaming cats do not appear to have sufficient territorial activity to prevent new arrivals from permanently joining colonies.'”
Levy, Julie K., David W. Gale, and Leslie A. Gale. Evaluation of the Effect of a Long-Term Trap-Neuter-Return and Adoption Program on a Free-Roaming Cat Population. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 2003, 222(1): 42-46.
Now explain to the whole world why you have been lying to them (and yourself) all your sad sorry life.
BONUS INFO:
Here’s a good site for you to dream about at night. It shows how your “loving and humane” euthanasia by “TNR attrition” works to reduce cat populations by your supporting, promoting, and practicing TNR. A wonderful compendium of pages and pages of photographs and articles on how you truly help anyone’s unwanted and expendable vermin garbage-cats.
realoutdoorcats . tumblr . com /
Enjoy!!! :-)
After you view all the photos and read all the articles on that site, come back and tell us all about that concept of “humane” that you use when promoting TNR and how much that you truly love cats. :-) This should be fun! I wonder how many of your and your friends’ cats ended-up photographed on that site, all due to you telling them to practice TNR. I hope all your TNR friends come back and tell you how wonderful they think you are now (with an axe). :-)
yourstrully says
Everyone seems to have an opinion, but no one seems to have a viable solution.
Sick of all the feral cat says
Think it’s pointless to trap and release Flagler County Humane Society does nothing I’ve had multiple complaints filed the past year about the cats on my road still nothing has been done about it. Tired of having to slam on breaks because of these damn cats always in the road and darting out in front of you. No I can’t take another road so don’t suggest I live on a dead-end road don’t even have the desire to even break anymore just keep going. To everyone one saying that it’s a great thing to still have them around into the people feeding them needs to be f****** dealt with as well for the cats bullet is the last suggestion for my family tired of having s*** in my yard I have two small children at Play. On top of hearing them in the middle of the night different hours screaming having sex or fighting whatever they’re doing at that hours they have got to go.
Annoyed resident of straight over run buy them says
Best solution is just to put them down or a bullet in their head yes everybody has their opinion my opinion they need to go I have been sitting in my yard I have children that play outside they are screaming having sex biting all hours through the night. Flagler county human Society has done nothing I have made multiple complaints in the past year.
TNR Researcher says
yourstruly, you are so very wrong about that. :-)
The 100% effective and permanent solution. Guaranteed. Tested and approved.
You will find that it is 100% ineffective to try to discuss this with any cat-advocate. Do what I did after 15 years of trying to reason-with and educate the ineducable (at the loss of thousands of native animals that their vermin invasive-species cats tortured to death on my lands). Ignore every last thing that every last cat-advocate might ever say and you too will solve a centuries’ old problem permanently in less than 2 seasons of your time, for a cost of only $0.003 (1/3-penny) to $0.04 per cat. Cat-advocates ARE the problem, they can’t be any part of the solution. If you include them in the solution then YOU WILL FAIL. They now deserve and require the EXACT same amount of respect and consideration as they have shown and given to every other life on this planet, animal and human included — that being, absolutely none. Then and only then will you solve this global ecological disaster that they created and are hellbent on perpetuating.
No trapping program in the world has been able to catch-up to cats’ breeding rates, this is precisely why Trap & Kill failed as well as Trap, Neuter, Re-abandon (TNR) is an even bigger failure. Actively and aggressively hunting them down, employing “Hunted to Extinction” methods, is the ONLY way to get ahead of and stay ahead of cats’ breeding rates, their ability to out-adapt to any trapping method used, and also the rates at which criminally-irresponsible cat-lickers let more invasive-species vermin cats be born and dumped illegally outdoors.
Licensing and laws do nothing to curb the problem. If cats are required to be licensed then these lying, deceitful, manipulative, and conniving cat-lickers just stop putting collars on their cats; as they did by me. And they won’t even bother getting them micro-chipped, especially not that. They want absolutely nothing that can hold them legally accountable for their actions and the actions of their cats. We’re not talking about the topmost responsible citizens of the world, you know. They don’t want that responsibility of what they and their cats have done coming back on them. If they had even one iota of a sense of responsibility and respect for all other lives on this planet we wouldn’t even be having these discussions.
Any non-native cat that is allowed to illegally hunt our native wildlife where I live then in turn gets hunted until dead. No delays, no excuses, no exceptions. That’s the very best way to keep these invasive species vermin from destroying any more native wildlife or spreading any more of their 3dozen+ deadly diseases to all other animals and humans. They had annihilated all the wildlife on my lands for 15 years, until on advice of the Sheriff I shot and buried every last one of hundreds of their vermin cats for them (as-is the legal right of every land-owner). Collared or not — for you must destroy ALL stray collared cats as well, they are the very source of every last feral cat. If you don’t destroy them too then you have done NOTHING to solve the feral cat problem. Guaranteed. All the cat-lickers by me told me for over a decade that all their “pet” cats were sterilized. But upon inspection during shooting and burying hundreds of them, NOT ONE of their cats was sterilized. Cat-advocates and cat-owners who let cats roam free are manipulative and deceptive liars — one and all.
If you live where its not legal to use firearms (areas zoned as “residential”) then check into 700-1200fps air-rifles and round-nosed vermin-pellets. Many of the new ones come with their own sound-suppressor designs built-in, specifically designed for shooting vermin cats in urban areas, the demand is that great. Just remember, shoot-to-kill is a perfectly legal way to rid your homes and lands of these diseased vermin cats. Shoot-to-maim is animal cruelty, and rightly so, all hunters know this. Don’t let them parade another illegal shoot-to-maim case in the media to exploit yet another suffering cat for donations for themselves. They torture enough cats to death with their TNR programs for that and make $millions by doing so.
Where cats have already learned to evade all trapping methods for trapping & drowning (and you aren’t confident with firearms or air-rifles (local ordinances permitting)), then inexpensive generic acetaminophen (overseas paracetamol) pain-relievers are a more species-specific vermin poison (though harmful to most reptiles, which won’t be dining on the cat-bait-foods that you’ll be using) — a method condoned by even Audubon, Smithsonian, and National Geographic today. Stray cats have been listed as “vermin” since the early 1900’s. (I learned this from a cat-licker. Thanks cat-lickers!) This is why it is even legal to use any and all vermin-poisons on them. For an even more species-specific vermin poison check into the toxicity of “Lilium” species of flowers too. Be certain the plant contains the word “Lilium” in the scientific-name (other plants with the word “Lily” in the common-name may be toxic to other species besides cats). Common N. American “Day Lilies” (Hemerocallis graminea) also work, they are the one exception to the rule that the name “Lilium” needs to be in the scientific name. Lilium species of flowers are 100% fatal to cats ONLY, even a bit of pollen on their fur that they lick-off will do. If they even drink a bit of water in which a bunch of Lilium flowers have been kept — that too is fatal, but totally harmless to all other species of animals (including dogs). Much safer for the environment and all other animals than the rat-poisons and antifreeze that cat-lickers have forced everyone into using on their cats. These plants when harvested and dried for year-round cat-eradication use is even better, as the unknown toxin is concentrated during the drying process (the blossoms and pollen being most toxic), and the dried plants are even more palatable to cats. An excellent mulch for anyone’s garden or a ground-up additive for any tins of food left lying around.
However, you really need to dispose of that cat safely and hygienically so that wildlife won’t die from the deadly diseases cats spread even after their death. Leaving ANY cat out in nature, alive OR dead, is no better than intentionally poisoning your native wildlife to death. I know this. I fed one of the hundreds of shot-dead cats on my lands to some wildlife under my care, those animals and their offspring that they had while under my care then died from some disease in that cat-meat. Cats truly are complete and total wastes-of-flesh. They can’t even be used to feed wildlife safely.
I don’t see anyone dumping cats where I live anymore. They don’t even adopt more than can be kept under lock & key 24/7/52. When driving through the area I don’t see even one cat on anyone’s doorsteps anymore. I always keep an eye-out to see if there are more free-roaming cats that will have to be shot. And if I’ll have to leave fish-oil trails on all the roadsides again, leading right to my IR surveillance system and laser-sighted rifle. The eradication of these vermin was so complete and effective that cats are non-existent from my area for SIX years now. Not seen nor heard a single one. So much for that cat-lickers’ oft-spewed and manipulative “vacuum effect” deception and lie too, eh?
Leaving ANY of their invasive species cats outside in my area means certain death for their cat, its further existence can be counted in hours. You’d think everyone else could learn from this simple lesson. The quickest way to solve an unwanted animal and irresponsible pet-owner problem is to let everyone know that you will quickly and humanely destroy every last one of their unwanted, uncared-for, or unsupervised animals for them. They either grow up fast or, far more plausible, dump their animals elsewhere to become someone else’s problem.
You just can’t be an enabler of criminally irresponsible spineless and heartless idiots — or they remain that way. (At least where you live, anyway.)
If there are not direct and immediate irreversible consequences to pet-owners’ criminally-negligent and criminally-irresponsible behaviors and values then they learn absolutely nothing.
footballen says
I don’t understand we have numerous Chinese restaurants.
Animalistic Humans says
Wow! One can feel the strange and odd hate of these furry little creatures seeping through the screen. You don’t like cats ok, you don’t like the people people that do, fair enough. There are some who definitely should not be involved in any interaction with stray/community cats or whatever due to their own disorders where they pretty much perpetuate the problem to make themselves feel better at the animals expense but Elizabeth Robinson is not one of them. I’ve personally seen good of the population being reduced because of her and the likes efforts. Close to a 30 year resident and business owner they go beyond just fixing them. If one in is injured or sick or a nuisance they will find it and make other arrangements for it. Unfortunately there are some who mean well that don’t have the resources or enough knowledge to help without making the situation worse. You can’t blame a cat for going after a bird because it lands in front of it. If you want pictures of birds go climb a tree the whole argument is dumb. Bottom line killing them off doesn’t solve the problem.
anonymous says
Joe, How could you say that about a poor animal. These cats at one time were from irresponsible pet owners. This is why there is the trap, neuter and spay to reduce population. my God. I have never heard such rude comments in my life.
Byw, its community cats of palm coast Florida. Elizabeth Robinson and melissa Rock along with the city and ppl living here have been fighting for this. It’s not right to just euthanize innocent animals. I’m wasting my breath taking to such an ignorant person. If you don’t like animals, I would hate to see how you feel about ppl.
Geezer says
Cats are on many menus in Korea, Vietnam, and China. They’re consumed as single entree, and often accompanied by other meat dishes for a savory dash of flavor. The meat and tallow are used in traditional Asian medicine. Some claim it’s analogous to a chewy Levitra and Cialis.
Other countries feast on these fur-ball chuckers: Switzerland, Taiwan, Mexico, Greenland, and more.
In Pennsylvania it is legal to sell dog and cat meat.
“Cat food” means different things to different people.
Flagler County’s feral cats are very lucky to be Americans.
Go USA! (but stay out of the Keystone State)
PS: Just to be safe, never let your feline friends venture near certain eateries.
Meow!
____________________________________
Spanning the globe bringing you tasty tidbits,
–Geezer
Common Sense says
What a bunch of psychos.
TNR works. It takes time. I was part of a loose group that helped to trap the feral cats around the newly rebuilt Island Walk. Everytime we thought we had gotten all the cats, some poor excuse for a human being would dump another litter of kittens and we would have to start again.
If people would stop dumping their unwanted pets we would not have a problem.
Will says
TNR works, but it takes time. That means for those who have feral cats pooping on their lawns and killing birds around their bird feeders now, if they accept that situation for ten or fifteen years the problem will go away?.
anonymous says
Elizabeth Robinson runs a 501k non profit agency aND is not taking anyone’s tax paying money. She is doing a great thing for saving animals even socialist feral for possible adoption. They are not all returned.
Bc. says
It a dam shame that people release there unwanted cats out into the wild. Unless this stops this will mean nothing no one will be Abel to keep up with the strays.
Anonymous says
Elizabeth Robinson says:
May 12, 2016 at 11:08 am
To Sara from the Audubon Society: Trap, Neuter and Return reduces the number of free roaming cats, therefore leaving fewer cats to prey on birds.
Will says:
May 13, 2016 at 11:10 am
TNR works, but it takes time. That means for those who have feral cats pooping on their lawns and killing birds around their bird feeders now, if they accept that situation for ten or fifteen years the problem will go away?.
These are NOT pets but pests. They should be either put down or adopted out to homes. As many have said they cause great harm to the local wildlife. If we where talking about another invasive species like Boas or Anaconda’s most wont have the same warm and fuzzy to them.
YankeeExPat says
I see much more of a safety issue with our Local wannabe Gangbangers and their unleashed and dangerous Pit bulls. Cat turds in your yard are frivolous compared to having your pet (dog or cat) attacked and or killed………..or having your child or yourself have their ears, lips or cheeks chewed off.
For those who will admonish my comments as purely being anti Pit-bull, I personally know two Palmcoasters in the last year that have had facial reconstructive surgery due to Pit-Bull attacks, not every incident is reported.
TNR Researcher says
Some of the comments about trying to popularize using cats as a food-source for humans in western cultures (or as a food-source for any other living thing, for that matter) needs to be addressed. This is no longer a safe option for anyone nor any other living thing.
Due to all the heinous and deadly diseases that cats carry and spread today, it would be wrong to advise they be used for furs, or food, or anything in this day and age (even in jest). The risk to anyone dressing them for even the use of their furs today (as they were commonly used in the past) could be deadly to the people involved.
These are just the diseases that these vermin cats have been spreading to humans, not counting the ones they spread to all wildlife. There are no vaccines against many of these, and are in-fact listed as bio-terrorism agents. They include: Afipia felis, Anthrax, Bartonella (Rochalimaea) henselae (Cat Scratch Disease), Bergeyella (Weeksella) zoohelcum, Campylobacter Infection, Chlamydia psittaci (feline strain), Cowpox, Cóxiella burnetti Infection (Q fever), Cryptosporidium, Cutaneous larva migrans, Dermatophytosis, Dipylidium (tapeworm), Hookworm, Leptospira, Giardia, Neisseria canis, Pasteurella multocida, Plague, Poxvirus, Rabies, Rickettsia felis, Ringworm, Salmonella. Scabies, Sporothrix schenckii, Toxocara, Toxoplasmosis, Trichinosis, Visceral larva migrans, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. [Centers for Disease Control, July 2010] Bird-Flu, Bovine Tuberculosis, Sarcosporidiosis, Flea-borne Typhus, Tularemia, and Rat-Bite Fever can now also be added to that list.
(Yes, people have already died from cat-transmitted plague in the USA. Totally disproving that oft-spewed LIE that more cats in Europe could have prevented the plague. They would have made it worse. Once a cat contracts the plague it can and will transmit it to all cats in its colony or any other animals and humans it comes in contact with. “The Black Death” (the plague) is alive and well today and being spread by people’s cats this time around. All three forms of it transmitted by cats — septicemic, bubonic, and pneumonic. For a fun read, one of hundreds of cases, Cat-Transmitted Fatal Pneumonic Plague — http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8059908 Just this last week 3 more cats were diagnosed with carrying the plague to humans. Google for that fun read if you want. For further clinical information: http://www.abcdcatsvets.org/yersinia-pestis-infection/ “Recommendations to avoid zoonotic transmission: Cats are considered the most important domestic animal involved in plague transmission to humans, and in endemic areas, outdoor cats may transmit the infection to their owners or to persons caring for sick cats (veterinarians and veterinary nurses).”)
When ridding your lands and lives of these highly destructive man-made invasive-species vermin cats please do so in a manner where you can safely and sanitarily retrieve that useless carcass and dispose of it so no other life comes in contact with it. Your wildlife and neighbors will thank you. If using guns, I’d even advise against using a shotgun (the tool of choice in the past), too much disease-filled splatter. Make it clean as possible. Wear gloves while disposing of any cat-carcasses and even bury or burn those gloves too when the last cat in your area is finally gone. You need to dispose of that cat safely and hygienically so that wildlife won’t die from the deadly diseases cats spread even after their death. Leaving ANY cat out in nature, alive OR dead, is no better than intentionally poisoning your native wildlife to death. I know this. I fed one of the hundreds of shot-dead cats on my lands to some wildlife under my care, those animals and their offspring that they had while under my care then died from some disease in that cat-meat. Cats truly are complete and total wastes-of-flesh. They can’t even be used to feed wildlife safely.
Madame Defarge of Florida says
In response to TNR Researcher
“Cats truly are complete and total wastes-of-flesh”
In my Life I have observed many total wastes-of-flesh, these being of the Human Species. However, I would not wish to have them destroyed. It’s not for me to judge.
It’s because of the Human Species that we have the Feral Cat problem.
YankeeExPat says
TNR Researcher……….So let me get this straight, are trying to say you don’t like cats? …………. Do you have an equal Hard-On for Hedgehogs? ……..Malice for Muskrats?, Distain for Deer?, Prejudice for Perch?
Kismet027 says
Great work, Amy and Elizabeth! An intelligent, viable solution to address the feral cat population has finally come to Palm Coast! If you’ve spent any time around these cats, you would quickly see that some of them were somebody’s thrown away pets and those somebody’s never bothered to neuter but simply dropped them off to fend for themselves. Humane? NO! Criminal? YES!