http://abcnews.go.com/US/print?id=634690

Proposal Would Allow Killing of Wild Cats

Proposal to Legalize Killing of Wild Cats in Wisconsin Sparks
Criticism

By ROBERT IMRIE
The Associated Press

Apr. 2, 2005 - Wild cats prowl around the bird feeder outside Mark
Smith's home, waiting to pounce on a wren or maybe a robin. About all
Smith can do right now is watch. But if the La Crosse firefighter has
his way, there will soon come a day when he can open his door, take
aim and fire and not worry about being prosecuted.

Smith, 48, wants Wisconsin to declare free-roaming wild cats an
unprotected species, just like skunks or gophers. Anyone with a
small-game license could shoot the cats at will, legally.

His proposal gets tested April 11 at the Wisconsin Conservation
Congress spring hearings, where outdoor enthusiasts gather in every
county to vote on hunting and fishing issues. The citizens' advisory
group then will forward the election results to the state Natural
Resources Board. The Legislature would have to change the law, though,
for Smith's plan to be implemented.

At least two other upper Midwestern states, South Dakota and
Minnesota, allow wild cats to be shot and have for decades. Minnesota
defines a wild, or feral, cat as one with no collar that does not show
friendly behavior, said Kevin Kyle with that state's Department of
Natural Resources.

"People out in the country with problems with them take care of the
problem," Kyle said.

Every year in Wisconsin alone, an estimated 2 million wild cats kill
47 million to 139 million songbirds, according to state officials.
Despite the astounding numbers, Smith's plan has been met with fierce
opposition from cat lovers.

"I personally picked up the phone at work on four threat calls," Smith
recalled about the first days after his idea hit the news.

While Smith expected criticism, he didn't expect venom spewed his way
for what he considers a reasonable solution to an environmental
problem created by irresponsible pet owners. People who get tired of
their cats shouldn't be setting them loose in the country, he said.

"Maybe I am emotionally inept, but I don't understand the reaction
these people are having," he said. "I guess they need to be put in a
room with a bunch of these cats."

The Humane Society of the United States called Smith's plan cruel and
archaic.

Humane societies nationwide euthanize 3 million to 4 million cats and
dogs each year because they have been abandoned and no one wants them,
said Stephanie Shain, a spokeswoman for the Humane Society in
Washington, D.C.

But there is a difference between killing animals with an injection
and letting them die painlessly, and shooting them, Shain argued.

Other critics have organized the Wisconsin Cat-Action Team and are
mobilizing cat lovers to attend the hearings later this month.

"You don't take on cats. It is one of the most popular companion
animals in the world," said Ted O'Donnell of Madison, founder of
Cat-Action and owner of five rescued cats. "Why would you propose an
idea that would treat that relationship so callously?"

O'Donnell's plan is to trap wild cats, spay or neuter them, then
release them. Their numbers decrease over time because they're not
reproducing so rapidly, he said.

Smith, who grew up with Fluffy the cat and now has three dogs,
counters with his original points: He doesn't want an open season on
all cats and legitimate pets won't be in jeopardy if their owners are
responsible.

"What is so terrible about putting a collar on a cat to identify it as
yours?" he asked. "Are you ashamed of the fact that you are a cat
owner? How hard is that?"

On the Net:

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/congress/ Conservation Congress:

http://www.dontshootthecat.com Wisconsin Cat-Action Team: