whats the solution?

[CristyCurves 169032]

I'm glad some are starting to realize the stray cat problem here in Halifax. But really, every city has an issue with stray cats. On the news, suggestions were made to making it a necessity to microchip all cats, or to make it a crime to abandon a cat. With so many intelligent members here I'm sure someone can suggest a solution or what may help, please chime in:)

 

also- do you think they'll follow through with the anti tethering law for dogs? This law would make it illegal to tie a dog outside for extended periods.

[roamingguy 300292]

Well my cat was rescued as a feral kitten from the Human Society. They got him young enough that they tried to adopt him...well he really adopted me LOL. But if the Humane Society couldn't get him adopted he would be fixed and returned to the feral colony so he couldn't reproduce. Most feral cats they do that, fix them and return them to the colony, but in my cat's case, they figured he was still young enough to be adoptable, and he was...and he never has even tried to go outside

Don't know if that answers your question Cristy

RG

[Fresh start 17467]

I'm not sure if making it illegal to abandon a cat would help. Don't get me wrong I think it should be illegal to abandon an animal. I just think it is something that is to hard to prove. They would have to be caught in the act. I used to live just outside the city where it was almost like in the country. Dirt roads trees and bushes all over neighbour were far further away. In the back of the house was a small forest where we often walked in. On the other side of it was a dirt road with no houses in sight. This for some reason a**hole would abandon their cat and even dogs. One time I was behind a vehicle who threw a bag out his window while driving. So we stop to see what it was and it was a bag with 4 kittens in it. Unfortunately it was to late and dark that the vehicle got away without us being able to ID it. We took them home and found homes for them.

 

I think all animals should be fixed or neutered unless you are planing on breeding it, and are responsible of those babies.

Perhaps a permit to own an animal that isn't fixed should be required.

 

As for leaving dogs tied up for extended periods of time outside. If the dogs is in any sort of distress, without food or water, extreme weather or neglected then yes. If its a dog that likes to stay outside and even sleep outside and feed and has water then I don't see a problem. (I had an old German Shepard/lab mix who preferred being outside and would sleep under the deck. It was a stray that we picked up so perhaps the dog grew accustom to it. The only time he would want to stay in was when it started getting cold or if it was raining.

[Guest S*rca****sid]

In Ontario they already have a law which covers animal abandonment. It falls under the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

 

I think that both the municipal and provincial governments should enact tighter control over the population of domestic pets. Firstly, require all pet owners to spay or neuter their pets and have strict regulations on adoption for pets, for example, requiring owners to have their pets chipped at the time of adoption.

 

One thing I've noticed about where I live, there are no stray pets running around. It is very rare to see an "outdoor" cat. That's due to one reason, we have quite a few coyotes around. That's mother nature's solution to the problem.

[Brad 49548]

I also think a program to have strays fixed and released could be a solution.

 

Sadly there's too many to realistically adopt or shelter, but fixing and releasing them would be a better alternatively than leaving them unchecked or putting them down. I'd also be in favour of the government paying or at least subsidizing the cost of owned pets to be fixed, to encourage pet owners to do so.

 

I'd be willing to chip in my share of taxes for such a program.

[qwertyaccount 15793]

There is no solution that I can think of that will make everyone happy that is also economically viable.

 

Enforcing existing laws about animal abandonment/cruelty would help reduce the number of new animals added to the feral population but proving that the animal didn't just "run away" could be problematic.

 

The biggest problem/hurdle is likely the feral animal breeding population - even if 100% of owned animals were spade/neutered the feral population would continue to grow.

 

For owned animals, Brad is on the right track but further burdening the taxpayer isn't the answer; "free" government programs often don't work the whey they were intended to - it's easy to bring a horse to water but it's hard to make them drink.

 

There will always be some people that want to breed their animals (for sale) and those that think that one day they may want to. There will be many that just can't be bothered, even if it's free.

 

If all pets require a license the license fee could be set such that the fee for a spade/neutered animal is substantially less than that of a breeder.

[Fresh start 17467]

 

If all pets require a license the license fee could be set such that the fee for a spade/neutered animal is substantially less than that of a breeder.

 

This is actual what they currently do in my municipality. Although it's only a 10-15 difference per animal. Although not everyone registers their pets.

[Guest P*rry]

I favour neutering the cat and allowing the animal to return to its colony.

 

In terms of tethering dogs outside I don't do it to my dog, but I do know some people who do. They're conscientious dog owners. Problem is with those people who leave their pets out for extended periods. Instead of a blanket law hitting everyone I prefer people calling the SPCA or the police when they see an animal in distress.

[piano8950 32577]

I find that I rarely see stray cats here. Actually, come to think about it, I haven't seen one at all in the Toronto or Ottawa area. But I do know they exist, otherwise I can't imagine how all those cats end up in the local shelters.

 

I think a big problem is when people buy kittens with the wrong expectations. Kittens are insanely adorable. They are tiny, and manageable, but when they get bigger, and develop their own personalities, I've seen owners get frustrated and their vision of pet ownership shattered. I've personally seen someone cycle through 4 cats in a matter of 5 years. All were bought when they were kittens. I feel that for someone to buy a kitten, they must demonstrate ownership abilities through having a pet for a while. No newcomer in my opinion should own a kitten. There are instances where it worked out perfectly, but I've heard of way too many abandonment cases.

 

The thing with older cats is that you can see what sort of personality they have, and find out if it suits you. It makes a huge difference, and the last four cats my family owned, we've had them till their last day. We knew what we were getting into because they were at least 2-3 years old. The average age of all four was about 7.

[Athos 108589]

There is really only one way to deal with a problem like this: you need professionals. Time to call in cat herders.