American state may legalise hunting domestic cats!

[Roy]

America just don't mess about do they

Wisconsin State Journal
Hunters across the state will be asked to vote next month on whether cats should be hunted. A La Crosse man who hunts and traps wants to make free- roaming domestic cats an "unprotected species" that could be shot at will by anyone with a small-game hunting license.

Mark Smith's suggestion will be placed before hunters on April 11 at the Wisconsin Conservation Congress spring hearings in each of the state's 72 counties. Smith, a 48-year- old firefighter for the city of La Crosse, said any cat not under its owner's direct control, or which does not have a collar, should be considered fair game.

"If I'm in the woods and see a cat that doesn't have a collar, then I could shoot it," Smith said. "It gives people some leeway if they want to remove cats."

He added, "I get up in the morning and if there's new snow, there's cat tracks under my bird feeder . . . I look at them as an invasive species, plain and simple."

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/loca...=31029&ntpid=3




What do you think everyone? We have just banned hunting foxes and it looks like the American's are thinking of going the other way!

[stanerlee]

typical. only in america. they'd all shoot us limeys given half a chance. but we're too quick witted and could escape easily.

[Margaret Pilkington]

How big are these cat's collars going to be? And what is to stop a hunter shhoting a cat with a collar and then removing the collar? I think this is despicable......when can we declare open season on hunters?

[chav1]

hell yeah i hope it catches on here

if you want your cat to be safe keep it indoors or walk it on a lead

otherwise its vermin and fair game

what can you say you either love cats or hate them

[Acrylic-bob]

As someone who is often kept awake by the late night yowling of neighbours cats and is inconvenienced by their using the garden as a toilet and as a witness of their depradation of the local bird population I can well understand and even applaud this development. If I permitted Acrylic-biff to cr*p where he pleased and failed to clean it up I could be fined. Similarly if he caused a noise nuisance or attacked the wildlife of the area my neighbours would be up in arms. I care enough about my dog and my responsibilities as a good neighbour not to let that happen. How come cat owners expect everyone just to swallow it and say nowt? I don't see the owners of horses out and about armed with bucket and shovel either!

[WillowTheWhisp]

Walking a cat on a lead just isn't feasible. Cats aren't like dogs. They like to climb and jump.

Excluding cats with collars is all very well but at a distance who is going to see a collar on a long haired cat? Also, cat collars are not like dog collars. They have to be able to break away under stress because cats climb and could get caught on something. If the collar didn't break away the cat could be strangled.

How are they going to distinguish between pet cats and working farm cats who are roaming free there to keep down the mice?

Another cat related subject which surprised me when I was told - it's normal procedure over there to remove cats' claws so they don't scratch furniture.

[Tealeaf]

This is fantastic news. I shall be checking on the Wisconsin tourist wwebsite to see if they will be doing weekend mini-break cat shooting holidays.I can't wait to go!

[pendy]

DOn't see why anyone is surprised - in the States they do this sort of thing. Wasn't there a case recently when one hunter shot another dead, having mistaken him for a bear? - fat chance him noticing whether a cat has a collar or not!

Check out Tom Lehrer's hunting song - he got it right!

[chav1]

think how many women will be worried what their partners are upto when they tell them they are going to be late back from work because they are going out with their friends to look for some pussy

[Less]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Another cat related subject which surprised me when I was told - it's normal procedure over there to remove cats' claws so they don't scratch furniture.

Keep the claws remove the cat, then it can't go roaming free & sh*tting in your neighbours childrens sand pit!

[WillowTheWhisp]

None of my neighbours children have sand pits. Are they deprived? Mine don't have one either. We have nowhere to put one. Is this going to affect my children's development into well rounded adults?

P.S. My cat is an indoor kitty. She doesn't like the big cruel world outside of Chez Willow. The furthest she has ever been is our shed.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by Less

Keep the claws remove the cat, then it can't go roaming free & sh*tting in your neighbours childrens sand pit!

I like cat's willow, but you have to admit he's got a point. It wouldn't be so bad if kitty left it on top, but oh no, kitty has to dig a little hole and hide it so when Uncle Doug goes a digging, you get the picture don't you willow.......

[Less]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Is this going to affect my children's development into well rounded adults?

I'm afraid the only chance for you children to become well rounded adults would be to become well rounded children by going to America and existing on a diet of double mac d's, they can use the claws as tooth picks! (I had to add this last piece of bad taste to stay on thread otherwise Thoth would have been down on me like a ton of bricks).

[WillowTheWhisp]

But that's what cats do. It's their way of being clean, bury the mess. Unless it's our neighbours cat which uses one of my large plant tub thingies as its kitty litter but just leaves the deposit on top. At least I see it and can remove it.

BTW is there anything more pongy than cat pooh?

[Doug]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

BTW is there anything more pongy than cat pooh?

It depends where it is, sometime it can be more pongy than you would normally expect. I suppose that's what you get when you garden without gloves........