Nature lovers, rejoice! The National Park Service is finally going to remove the feral cat colony from Plumb Beach, part of the Gateway National Recreation Area. Signs like the one above went up late last week. Seeing as Plumb Beach is a known stopover area for large numbers of shorebirds, a known breeding area for a variety of saltmarsh species, including Clapper Rails, and habitat for a wide variety of mammals, reptiles, insects, and other bird species, this is a long overdue move.
As is only to be expected, the cat crazies are out in force trying to stop this wholly rational and logical action. They are filling up comment sections on blogs, rallying on Facebook, and doing everything they can to stop the removal of cats and allow the continued slaughter of wildlife by said cats. (If you want to learn more about why cats should be kept indoors check out the American Bird Conservancy’s Cats Indoors page.)
Rather than engage with the cat crazies, I think it would be a great idea to send an email thanking Doug Adamo National Park Service NRC Coordinator, at doug_adamo@nps.gov. After all, it takes courage to stand up to the cat crazies and he should be thanked for doing the right thing.
A big hat-tip to Nate for being the one who first brought this issue to the attention of the birding world.
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Here’s a copy of the email I just sent:
Dear Mr. Adamo,
I wanted to take a minute to thank you for going forward with the anticipated removal of the feral cat colony at Plumb Beach in Brooklyn. As you are aware, this is a sensitive site for nesting and migrating birds, many of which are threatened or endangered. Your actions will go a long way towards restoring the native wildlife to that marsh area and allowing native species to have the opportunity for a fair chance at survival.
I know that these feral cat colonies have many vocal supporters, some of whom will undoubtedly offer harsh criticism of you and the National Park Service as you carry out this important work. However, you and your colleagues at the NPS should be aware that there is a large community of people who enjoy seeing birds and wildlife thrive in natural areas, and we are thankful for your efforts and applaud this action, as you protect our native species on federal lands.
Thanks,
Tim Dunn
Hey there,
I am a huge fan of this site and a bird lover/rescuer who also has a cat. I think it is a bit unfair for you to call people “cat crazies.” It is disparaging and unfair and unkind, and I am surprised to see that on this site. I, too, would like to see this feral cat colony gone for the sake of the birds, but I would like to see the cats rescued and given proper homes. Thanks for letting me express my opinion.
I have two cats who stay entirely indoors. I love them and appreciate the companionship that they provide. That does not make me a cat crazy.
The cat crazies are the people who advocate letting cats run free without thinking about how horrible that is for the cats or for the animals that they kill. They are entirely unhinged, claim that domesticated cats out-of-doors are “natural” and use pseudo-science, bullying, and threats to get their way. They are bad for cats and bad for wildlife and I will not apologize for calling them crazy nor pull punches when discussing the issue.
And there is nothing stopping these cats from being rescued. They have been illegally kept on federal land for years but instead of rescuing them the cat crazies have built them shelters, fed them, and added to their numbers. Now that the NPS is finally going to remove the illegal colony the cat crazies are going crazy on the NPS. If these were feral dogs they never would have been tolerated for any amount of time. But for some reason, the cat crazies seem to think that it’s ok for cats to be kept out-of-doors in important migratory habitat.
The so called cat crazies are asking for more time and protection for the cat’s lives. Guess their are bird crazies too!!!! No one should be killing the cat’s !!!! I love bird’s, cat’s and all animal’s!!! Please let the cat’s be removed safely always and not killed, now and in the future if any should appear again. Thank You from a cat crazy person and dam proud of it.
Corey, you have a great website as far as information about birds goes, but you could do to know a lot more about feral cats.
Let’s be realistic here – the cats that are part of the strictly managed colony in Plum Beach which NPS seeks to remove (read -mercilessly gas in a kill shelter) have not only resided there harmlessly for years but are also neutered (that is – don’t produce baby kittens), vaccinated against Rabies (so a public health threat), well-cared for, and well-fed by their volunteer caretaker, so are not driven to hunt birds or other species for their survival. Their very presence is also a deterent to vermin, including disease-carrying rats.
What is stopping these cats from being “rescued”, by which I assume you mean being taken into people’s homes, is the fact that they ARE feral. This means that they were born outdoors and not socialized to like humans so they indeed have a fear of humans, avoid going close to them, and will not allow themselves to be petted by them.
A purpose this managed colony of cats serves in the area is to hold the area secure against influx of other feral cats.
Yes, removal of this stable, sterile cat colony would have as its main result creation of a void in that territory which other feral cats would quickly fill. But in contrast to the present colony these new cats WOULD be fertile, WOULD reproduce, would NOT be inoculated against Rabies, and WOULD be hunting birds and other species in earnest for food.
It is not difficult to foresee that once the number of these cats increased to a certain level NPS would be compelled to expend time and financial resources that could be better used elsewhere to round up and kill the cats and their litters of kittens, clearing the area for yet another influx of the new feral cats.
Such establishment of a cycle of slaughter of innocent feline lives would necessitate constant control by NPS, and poses possible health hazards. It is also not difficult to see that migratory birds and other species would derive no benefit from this scenario.
Like you, I like birds and have cats at home in Brooklyn.
Since you have a website and I don’t I am asking that you first to inform yourself do google animal rescue groups or reputable organizations such as “Neighborhood Cats” that promote trap-neuter-return (“TNR”) as the most viable and humane method of keeping feral populations healthy and in check.
I also ask that you, and followers of your website, contact Doug Adams of NPS to request that he stop entirely the NPS plan to eradicate (destroy) the present managed sterile colony of 25 cats in Plum Beach or, at the least, that he give animal rescue groups a reasonable amount of time to safely remove the colony, especially since around one-third of the cats may be socialized enough to be adoptable.
(I know that if you look into the eyes of your own theloving cats while imagining the terror and pain a cat suffers desperately trying to claw its way out of a gas chamber as its life is being sucked out of it you will understand what I mean.)
Thank you for letting me post on your website.
You assume that you know more than me about this issue. You are wrong.
The idea that the removal of feral cat colonies creates a “vacuum” is bullshit pseudo-science that organizations like Alley Cat Allies put forth.
The idea that the cats that are well fed “are not driven to hunt birds or other species for their survival” is also bullshit. They kill because they are cats, cats are hunters, and that is what they do.
That you try to say that feral cats are “also a deterent [sic] to vermin, including disease-carrying rats” is laughable. Repeated studies have shown that feral cats do more harm to native species of mammal than to introduced species, like Norway Rats.
TNR is a bullshit idea that needs to be stopped. It leaves cats outdoors where they live short, miserable lives while killing native wildlife. Those that support it are misguided at best.
Finally, the NPS is not planning to kill the cats. They are trying to work with the misguided people who (illegally) set up a colony of non-native predators on federal land to remove the cats. Personally, if it were me in charge, those people would be fined heavily.
If you are going to comment here, especially if you are going to be dumb enough to ask me to support leaving feral cats in a location that I have birded and that is great habitat for a variety of migratory birds, you can expect to be called out on your bullshit.
If you are going to comment at least try to learn how to use apostrophes. Or should I call them apostrophe’s?
Oh, for Christ’s sake! IT’S A PROTECTED NESTING GROUND. Why is this even an issue?
Those whose hearts bleed for the poor terrified kitties in a gas chamber might think about the poor terrified birds being ripped to shreds by former pets who are NOT a part of nature.
It should be simple: worried about the cats’ future? Then go in and get them out immediately, or a marksman will do it for you. Quit whining about more time. Cats being there is against the law. How about this: “Sure, officer, I’ll stop driving 75 mph through a school zone, but you’ll have to give me a few more weeks to do it, and meanwhile I’m going to circulate a petition because I don’t think I should have to comply.”
+1
“and well-fed by their volunteer caretaker, so are not driven to hunt birds or other species for their survival. Their very presence is also a deterent to vermin, including disease-carrying rats.”
You do realize that you contradicted yourself right there?
Cats kill whether they are well-fed or not.
Ask anyone who has lived on a farm with feral cats and every single one of them will have stories of dead and uneaten birds, mice, baby rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, frogs, salamanders, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc , etc….
FERAL CATS ARE NOT A NATURAL PART OF OUR ECOSYSTEM.
Hawks, falcons and other birds kill each other. That is nature. It is not nature to gas a cat. Murder is what it is called.
No need to comment. Corey’s responses intelligently address this issue. And thank you NPS. On the Richter scale of good ideas, this is a 10.
murder (noun): The unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another.
So, um, no. Thanks for playing!
Thanks, TLM, and thanks for stopping by 10,000 Birds.
“Let’s protect the ecosystem by killing!”
Well, if that’s the case, human should be the 1st to go. 😉
Good that the cats wont be killing birds anymore. Too bad that the cats aren’t all being killed, as painfully and messily as possible. As the totally reasonable and not at all moronic or hypocritical bird-lovers posting here are aware, birds are super awesome creatures–lets face facts and call them “Avian Angels”–whereas cats are foul, vicious creatures, who never should have existed in the first place.
What a shame that the parks department allowed the cat crazies to simply relocate the disgusting fiends. Win-wins are for wimps. Where is our victory with no pile of feline corpses to dance on?
Aw, look, someone learned to use sarcasm. How cute.
OK I will be direct. Its good the cats are being moved. Lacking an alternative, destroying the cats might even have been necessary and justified–to make a safe habitat for the birds.
For you and some of your fans (not all of them thankfully) , this seems secondary to your pleasure in anticipating the unhappiness and suffering the lethal dissolution of the cat colony would have caused.
Cats (and some birds) kill and inflict suffering because they can’t help it, their instincts compel them. What’s your excuse?
Exactly where do I show “pleasure in anticipating the unhappiness and suffering the lethal dissolution of the cat colony would have caused?”
First of all, it was not and is not a “lethal dissolution.” Second of all, you are just making stuff up. Finally, it is pretty awesome that you use Zombo as what you link to from your comments.
When the issue you take is with tone it makes you a concern troll.
I don’t feed trolls.
Thanks for visiting and for commenting.