Spare the cat, but kill its thirst
Strangely enough, when I walk round Cobh, Co Cork, I am greeted by the most colourful array of cats and dogs. Creatures of all shapes and sizes - stripy and blotchy ones, long and short ones, fat and thin ones, and rarely a thoroughbred among them. If you show children a kitten or a pup, they don’t seek the pedigree. It’s love at first sight.
No, the reason these lovely little creatures are destroyed has nothing to do with pedigree and breeding.
Unwanted animals are just done away with, destroyed. They are a burden and of no value, and if you destroy them early enough before you get to know them, then there are no hard feelings.
It’s a question of values. The practice of feeding wild animals out of kindness only to destroy the offspring you have encouraged doesn’t make sense.
By the same token, the idea that animals without a pedigree are worthless is just as arrogant and outdated as the opinion of many of the gentry towards the not so high-born.
It is time people thought more about their actions and took responsibility for them. There is no reason for anybody to feed stray cats anymore. Stray animals are better than most people at looking after themselves.
The only way you can sensibly support any wild animal in our built-up environment is to give them drinking water. As soon as you start feeding them you upset their natural reproduction cycle. They respond to the readily available food supply with an increase in offspring.
This situation is further aggravated by the removal of the offspring, causing the cats to go on heat quicker than normal. If you feel that you must feed, and therefore adopt, stray animals, please do the only decent thing and have them neutered.
There are a number of animal protection groups and societies that can help out in cases like these. If you can’t pay for the neutering there are vets associated with these groups willing to operate for a reduced fee.
The Cat Action Trust in Cork city (021-4357995) is one such group that will help you catch cats and transport them to vets who support them. They can also assist you with costs if the situation warrants it and they will help you organise the whole operation.
The Animal Care Society can be contacted at 021-4551781 for information on groups in your area.
Support these groups and play your part to stop the needless slaughter of unwanted animals. This appeal for neutering applies to household cats as well. The less unwanted animals there are, the better.
Chris Berrill
Church Street
Cobh
Co Cork
