Trapped cats shouldn’t be released to roam

Dear Editor:

I attended the public hearing on Ulster County Local Law No. 9 for 2018, “A Local Law To Adopt Countywide Notification Requirements For The Trapping Of Free Roaming, Feral And/Or Stray Cats.”

Apparently, there is concern that domesticated free-roaming cats will be caught up in the trapping.

This law would not be needed if laws were in place for domesticated cats that are similar to laws for dogs. Unfortunately, some cat owners are not responsible owners. They think it is perfectly acceptable to let their cat wander outdoors. Cats should be licensed, collared with tags/electronic chips, vaccinated for rabies and not allowed to go outdoors unless on a leash or in a cat enclosure.

Our county Legislature should ban trap-neuter-release. Feral cats should be trapped, neutered, vaccinated and, if possible, adopted. Unfortunately, many feral cats can never adapt to being socialized. The caring thing to do, then, would be to humanely euthanize these poor creatures instead of letting them lead wretched lives in the wild.

Feral and free-roaming cats are decimating bird populations and are killing up to 2.8 billion birds per year. Why do trap-neuter-release supporters feel it is unacceptable to humanely euthanize a feral cat, but they have no concern about the maiming and killing of wildlife? Cats are not native to nature and do not belong there.

Ulster County promotes itself as a place for tourism, and some of that business is generated by the wildlife experience. How can our legislators support returning feral cats to the wild and wildlife tourism simultaneously when they are such opposing ideas?

Leslie A. Lansing, Kingston