Cat plan ruffling feathers

If more feral cats are allowed to live, then more wild birds will die.

That is the cruel math driving a debate over plans in Charleston County to sterilize and vaccinate feral cats instead of killing them, as is the current policy. The initiative, funded by the ASPCA, seems like a compassionate idea to several local animal protection groups, but bird-lovers are aghast.

'Our laws say cats are supposed to be pets, and are supposed to be controlled,' said Nathan Dias, executive director of the Cape Romain Bird Observatory. 'They have no place in the wild.'

Dias said feral cats have a terrible impact on bird populations, and particularly those species that nest on the ground in local marshes.

Charleston County and several municipalities, including Charleston, are considering ordinances aimed at allowing animal societies to trap and release 'free-roaming' cats, after sterilizing, vaccinating, and micro-chipping them. County Council is scheduled for a vote tonight

on such an ordinance, though at least two more votes and a public hearing would have to take place to put the ordinance into effect.

'I would be disappointed if this program were approved,' said Jeff Mollenhauer, director for bird conservation for Audubon S.C.

'When you have feral cat colonies you are artificially influencing the number of predators out there for birds,' he said. 'They will still hunt birds, small mammals and lizards, because that is their instinct (even if people are feeding them).'

Charles Karesh of the Charleston Animal Society said the program is aimed at both reducing the number of cats that have to be euthanized and reducing the feral population.

Euthanizing feral cats is a sure way of reducing their numbers, but Karesh said the trap-spay/neuter-release program could have quick benefits. He suggested people who feed feral cats would be willing to contact the authorities, if they knew the cats wouldn't be killed.

'The way it's been going, we know it hasn't been working, because there are more cats every year,' Karesh said. 'Our theory is, lets give this a try for a couple of years because we have this grant.'

Last year, the Charleston Animal Society euthanized about 2,400 free-roaming cats, Karesh said. He estimates 1,000 to 1,500 would have qualified for the proposed program. Cats that were unhealthy, too wild, or deemed a nuisance would still be euthanized.

Dias said the proposed regulations conflict with existing state and local laws and would harm the bird population.

'You're not going to be able to keep up with them all, and sterilize enough of them,' he said.