Thread: Disposing of feral cats

Originally Posted by justinc

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I am hoping that a decent eradication program like this is developed for desert park feral cats ASAP, especially in remote areas where traffic, dogs and humans aren't able to reduce the cat population through attrition.

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JC

Cat mince could be a nice filling for ravioles
Justin, perhaps one day we have to try cat stew...............

Originally Posted by Chucaro

Cat mince could be a nice filling for ravioles
Justin, perhaps one day we have to try cat stew...............

oi! not with little duddles you don't!!!

I remember the day we picked her up from the breeders, we arrived in our $300 1981 holden gemini and picked up a small bundle of blue fluff that cost $450. .

JC

Originally Posted by austastar

Hi,
while camped at Trial Harbour (Tas W. Coast) started chatting with a couple in a caravan when their Siamese cat came back out of the bushes with a Blue Wren in its mouth.
Being mainland registered, I wondered how much destruction this feline was wreaking on the wildlife as they traveled.
Didn't have a cat trap with me unfortunately, otherwise I could have gone crayfishing.
cheers

Sooooooooo, If it had been Tassie registered it would have only harassed mainland critters? But as it was only mainland registered Tassie was open season? That is a **** story! The only thing registration does is line local govts pockets! The REAL problem is the OWNERS!!! Register THEM and if u took a pic of the cat with the bird and sent it in they would be fined! only way to do it And IMHO people do more harm to "native" wildlife by clearing and covering good country with concrete than any moggy does!
OH and I DO eradicate feral cats in my line of work!

My friend works for the Royal Society For The Protection Of Birds in the Uk, the last guesstimation was that domesticated and feral cats killed 60 Million birds and probably four times that in wildlife per anum....
I'd hate to see the figure down under?

Originally Posted by justinc

oi! not with little duddles you don't!!!

I remember the day we picked her up from the breeders, we arrived in our $300 1981 holden gemini and picked up a small bundle of blue fluff that cost $450. .

JC

We can have a side dish of grasshoppers, criket pies or even better a mealworm quiche

Originally Posted by dr. occy

What ever u do , dont take the thing out of the trap alive if they are like the ones I trap here in tassie they are incredibly vicious and more than likely diseased. A 22 in the head or throw the trap and cat in the drink

Ref; Call for action on cat disease Tasmania News - The Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania

AN animal-disease expert has called for toxoplasmosis to be made a notifiable disease.

Veterinary pathologist David Obendorf said the effect on unborn babies in particular was cause for concern.

Dr Obendorf's comments come amid growing concern by farmers and conservationists that the parasite, spread by cats, is killing more stock and wildlife.

"Toxoplasmosis is a public-health issue and it's one that relates to cat management," Dr Obendorf said.

"Tasmania has one of the highest prevalence of antibodies, and a high level of exposure can be like a natural immunisation.

"[But] ingesting product with toxoplasmosis cysts or [being exposed] for the first time in pregnancy could affect the fetus."

He said it also raised questions about Tasmania's game-meat market.

People are advised to fully cook meat to avoid the toxo parasite.

While a healthy adult may not notice an infection, in unborn babies the brain and eyes can be damaged, leading to mental disability or blindness. It can also cause miscarriage.

Farmers are concerned at a State Government delay to cat-management laws that would allow them to shoot cats, because toxo aborts unborn lambs and cats can kill a new lamb.

The Department of Health and Human Services said it had not considered making toxo notifiable, nor was it notifiable interstate.

"Toxoplasmosis infection can be a serious condition for some individuals, especially if a mother becomes infected during pregnancy and the baby is affected," a statement from Population Health in the DHHS said.

"People with medical conditions affecting their immune system can also have more severe complications."

The decision took into account the public health, reliability of diagnosis, feasibility of control and prevalence.

Paediatricians report congenital malformations in babies from toxoplasmosis through a national surveillance system. Themost likely source of infection is direct contact with animals, and it had been acquired through raw or undercooked meat.

painem@news.net.au

Cats and Mice
What Else Did my Cat Bring Home?

By Franny Syufy, About.com Guide

Romeo

Photo Credit: © Jennifer Yarchever
Cats love to chase (and sometimes kill) mice. That's a given, and something that most people do not find too alarming. In fact, people in many countries still utilize "barn cats" to dispatch unwanted rodents - a win-win situation for all parties (except the rodents). The cats have plenty of food available, and the farmer is assured of grain bins undisturbed by hungry mice. A perfect scenario, eh?
Almost. In addition to barn cats, many suburban indoor-outdoor kitties will occasionally bring home a small kill to proudly display, which we humans (depending on our constitutions) might or might not allow him to eat. If not, we might be tempted to just pick it up by the tail and dispose of it in the trash container, or down the toilet. The problem is that, depending on the region, those little mice may be loaded with a variety of "nasties," that neither you nor your cats want to encounter. Romeo1, the cat pictured here, was infected with toxoplasmosis twice, after catching and eating mice. The toxoplasmosis led to uvitis, which in turn led to glaucoma. Romeo is now an indoors-only cat as a result of this chain of events. Although most cats are exposed to toxoplasmosis at one time or another, the usual reaction is mild. However, Romeo's experience underscores the potential deadliness of this organism. Another case in point:

The Dreaded Hantavirus

In May of 1993, a new hantavirus, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) was identified in New Mexico, after forty-two people were infected, with eleven fatalities. Since that time, the new strain has been discovered in other parts of the U.S., with various rodents2, including the common house mouse (Mus musculus) acting as hosts, and the incidence of disease in humans has become widespread3. Several other hantaviruses that affect humans exist worldwide, and have been found responsible for outbreaks of hantavirus among animal caretakers and laboratory workers in Korea, China, Japan, Scandinavia, the U.K., France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the former Soviet Union.1

Although HPS can be transmitted to humans by handling infected mice, inhalence of the aerosols produced directly from the saliva or excreta of the animal is the most virulent means of transfer, if not the most common. For these reasons, it is wise to wear not only rubber gloves when handling a mouse your brave hunter brings in, but also a mask, and to thoroughly scrub any surface area the mouse may contacted with a disinfectant.

Symptoms of HPS in Humans Early symptoms of HPS are very similar to those of other respiratory illnesses, including pneumonia, and may consist of:

Headache
Gastrointestinal complaints
Fever
Myalgia (muscle pain)
Variable respiratory symptoms
The condition can quickly progress into acute respiratory distress and pulmonary edema. Since the incubation period for HPS is from one to three weeks, early symptoms of this nature should be reported to your physician if you have had contact with a rodent during that time frame.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is investigating whether other animals that prey on rodents may be carriers. The UCSB Office of Research said, "The impetus for this research is a 1987 study suggesting that cats, which tested positive for two other hantaviruses-the Hantaan and Seoul types-may help transmit the virus to humans in China." However, the CDC has stated unequivocally4 that cats are not carriers of the hantaviruses that cause HPS in the United States, nor can it be transferred from one person to another. Although results are inconclusive as yet, virologists also think most non rodent carriers are "dead-end" hosts, which means they are unlikely to infect people. Unfortunately, cats do not get off quite as easily with the next zoonose we'll discuss.

1 Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee5

Next > Toxoplasmosis: not just for pregnant people

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Well Jason you did open a can of worms.
Perhaps do a Safety Course and get a Licence