Oh Dog! Politicians are debating, so we thought we’d have a debate of our own. Today we’re going to post the debate between June Buggie- an indoor cat since he was rescued as a young kitten, and Hissy Fit Jones- a cat born of a feral mother who lived the feral lifestyle for almost a year.

The topic? Feral cats and what to do about them. As you may be aware, there are two different schools of thought on how to address the problem of feral cats. You can check out PETA and Alley Cat Allies stances on feral cats by clicking on the titles.

I will be your moderator. Note the protective stance in case the claws come out!

First, speaking out on behalf of feral cats is Hissy Fit Jones.

Thank you. As you know, I was born to a feral mama and was myself a feral cat. Some would say that I still am, but that’s another story.

It is estimated that there are 70 million stray and feral cats in the US. Let’s face it- there’s no way you humans are going to be rid of us. And there’s no way people are going to stop feeding us, so our numbers will continue to grow.

So I think the Trap-Neuter-Return is the most viable option to handling the feral cat population. By trapping the cats, having them neutered and then returning them to their colony they will live out their days without creating more cats to continue the suffering.

Will that solve the problem? No, but it is a positive approach that is respectful to the cats and to the humans that care about them.

Rumpy: Thanks Hissy. Now we’ll hear a different perspective from June Buggie.

Yes, Hissy, it’s true there are around 70 million stray and feral cats in the US. But domestic cats are not native to the habitat and throw a monkey wrench in the ecosystem. The damage they do to the bird population alone is alarming.

And while it’s great that there’s an effort to spay/neuter these cats, it doesn’t change the quality of life they experience. For example, we have ferals in our neighborhood. One has a problem with a front leg, one is blind in one eye, one has recently had his ear sliced in half and one recently had a chunk missing from his neck area. The life is hard and the deaths are often violent (run over, dog attack) or gruesome (sickness, exposure). And while humans may care enough to feed these animals, most are in no position to provide veterinary care for these animals.

If you can help the cat by providing health care and rehabilitation and then home the cat, please do so. Otherwise it’s humane to euthanize the cats.

Rumpy: Thanks Buggie.

Now it’s your turn. What’s your stance on the dealing with the feral cat problem?

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