Author Topic: Australian plans to kill 2 million feral cats  (Read 7675 times)

Offline parenthesis

  • Kitten
  • **
  • Posts: 7
Re: Australian plans to kill 2 million feral cats
« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2016, 11:42:02 AM »

Right now, the lives of millions of Australia’s cats are on the line.

In July 2015, Minister Hunt and the Department of the Environment announced plans to kill two million cats by 2020 in a misguided attempt to save wildlife. Habitat destruction not cats has caused dozens of species in Australia to go extinct and endangers many more.  Rather than focusing on the hard work of protecting the bush, Mr. Hunt has waged war on cats.

Hunt’s plan is not only unsound, but also ineffective and inhumane. Cats cannot be eliminated through killing. Decades of failed attempts to wipe cats out have proven this.  Surviving cats reproduce quickly and fill the void, otherwise known as the vacuum effect.

The plan will only cause cats to suffer and die needlessly, with little change in the cat population and no benefit to wildlife.  And it’s not just the cats who will suffer. Poisons and barbaric traps are cruel and do not discriminate.  Other species will be caught both literally and figuratively in the crossfire.

It is time for Australia to embrace ethical, sound, and proven methods. Leading Australian conservationists argue in favor of nonlethal means of protecting animals in the bush.  In urban settings, the humane and effective approach is to de-sex alley cats and return them to their outdoor homes. When cats are de-sexed, populations stabilise and then decline.

Australians are banding together to ask Minister Hunt to end his department’s plan to kill millions of cats.  Join us.
Sign the pledge and declare that you want the government to do better by our nation’s cats.

 

http://getinvolved.alleycat.org/site/PageNavigator/2016Feb_Australia_Cats.html

Offline parenthesis

  • Kitten
  • **
  • Posts: 7
Re: Australian plans to kill 2 million feral cats
« Reply #7 on: February 29, 2016, 10:01:31 AM »
Twitter accounts you could contact include:

https://twitter.com/greghuntmp

https://twitter.com/tscommissioner

https://twitter.com/envirogov

Emails include: ThreatenedSpeciesCommissioner@environment.gov.au

Greg.Hunt.MP@aph.gov.au

Greg Hunt can also be contacted through his site: http://www.greghunt.com.au/Contact/ContactGreg.aspx

Offline emmmy_lou

  • Super Cat
  • *****
  • Posts: 2344
    • Dextersdream custom pet jewellery
  • Slave to: denzel & dexter and now evie
Re: Australian plans to kill 2 million feral cats
« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2016, 09:22:56 AM »
There really needs to be questions asked about how they have let this become such a problem without some sort of intervention by the government. Most countries seem to have successful TNR programs many of them not as rich as Australia.

I heard about it a while ago too, totally agree!
Custom pet jewellery www.dextersdream.etsy.com

Offline Sue P (Paddysmum)

  • Moderating Staff
  • Purrrrrfect Cat
  • *****
  • Posts: 27527
  • Paddy's Mum (Ginger Imposter) [Nov 90- April '11]
  • Slave to: Moray & Malt + my beautiful lost babies - Barley, Mac, Ross, and Tinks RIP babies.
Re: Australian plans to kill 2 million feral cats
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2016, 08:47:10 AM »
I think Australia has a different worldview of animals, wild and domesticated.  Why else would they let Ant and Dec loose on their annual F**k-fest.  Just because something is an insect, doesn't give them the right to kill it for entertainment value.  Strange mind-set.

Offline Gill (sneakiefeline)

  • Rainbow Bridge/Rescue/Moderating Staff
  • Purrrrrfect Cat
  • *****
  • Posts: 73567
  • Misa at 4yrs old and new with me
  • Slave to: Misa, Sasa, Franta Napoleon RIP, Ducha RIP and Lupin, Kocka RIP
Re: Australian plans to kill 2 million feral cats
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2016, 19:06:57 PM »
I am afraid Australia has many bad ideas and do not care what even their own people think.

Offline Mymblesdaughter

  • Hero Cat
  • *****
  • Posts: 1064
  • Slave to: Xander and Buffy
Re: Australian plans to kill 2 million feral cats
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2016, 17:23:02 PM »
I read about this a while ago and hoped there would be such an outcry it wouldn't happen. I really hope there are going to be protests in Australia about it. I can't imagine it would be allowed to happen here. I think people would be out protesting.

There really needs to be questions asked about how they have let this become such a problem without some sort of intervention by the government. Most countries seem to have successful TNR programs many of them not as rich as Australia.

Offline Lyn (Slugsta)

  • Royal Cat
  • ******
  • Posts: 9840
  • Slave to: Sky. Bridge babies Candy, Stripey, Chivers, Punky, Cleo and Alfie forever loved.
Re: Australian plans to kill 2 million feral cats
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2016, 17:10:46 PM »
thank you for drawing this to our attention. I'm just sorry that there is the need to do so  >:(

Offline parenthesis

  • Kitten
  • **
  • Posts: 7
Australian plans to kill 2 million feral cats
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2016, 12:44:17 PM »
'The Australian Government plans to kill over 2 million cats, with a $3.6m fund established to wipe colony cats off the face of the earth.

This high risk initiative includes a number of cat eradication programs including baiting, shooting, dogs, traps and nearly every method of killing known.'


If you object to this please consider contacting your local Australian embassy or consulate or, if you're Australian, your local authorities and suggest that the money could be better and more humanely spent on TNR or other programmes. Stiff penalties for those who abandon pets would be useful, too.

 

There are also many petitions online including this one: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/303/543/792/catastrophe-demand-successful-cat-management-in-australia/#sign

Others can be found here: http://www.veggieboards.com/forum/15-action-alerts/192457-petition-against-australian-plans-kill-2-million-feral-cats.html
« Last Edit: February 17, 2016, 09:53:23 AM by parenthesis, Reason: spelling »

 


Link to CatChat