I am truly awestruck and also aghast by the attention on populations of feral cats. These are wild animals. Feral is from the Latin “fera” meaning “wild beast.“ The definition of feral cats is “born in the wild.” These cats are estimated to kill up to 3.7 billion birds each year, they carry fleas and, as documented in Cumberland County, they bite people.
Southampton Township, after having a resident bitten by a feral cat and, on June 20 identifying a feral cat with rabies, has initiated a plan to trap and euthanize these wild cats. Oh the outcry!
A petition with at least 2500 signatures has surfaced objecting to this program. Apparently the danger and nuisances associated with these wild animals is overlooked by the love of domestic in-house cats (which is where they should be).
If the animals in question were groundhogs or opossums, we probably wouldn’t hear a thing. I do have a solution. Trap the cats as planned. Rather than euthanizing the cats, have those persons signing the petition take at least one cat and raise it as an in-house pet. Problem solved. The cats are gone and live on in a nice environment. OK, now step up and back your beliefs. Save the cats!
LARRY E. CASEBEER, Derry Twp.