Letter to the Editor:
No Kill?
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Madison County government’s move to embrace “No Kill’ seemed done for humane reasons. However, recent in depth studies by animal activists revealed unwanted and unintended consequences of ‘No Kill’ interventions. The special treatment of feral cats by humans may be compared to parents of a family providing special help to the ‘fair haired child’ to the detriment of siblings.
If you are a ‘No Kill’ advocate or a cat aficionado you might wish to read a recent article by Arie Trouborst, Phillipa D. McCormack, and Elvira Martinez Comacho entitled; “Ways in Which Domestic Cats Impact Wildlife”; dated February 4, 2020. The authors’ article details how worldwide “No Kill” interventions led to harm of non-cat species. For example, they found feral cats in ‘No Kill’ programs lead to killing of other species by unchecked hunting. Feral cats detrimentally preyed on local birds, mammals, and amphibians and reduced the food supply for indigenous predators like eagles or hawks. The ‘cute little kitties’ humans provided a favored status became cunning hunters released on other species in an unbalanced eco system. “No Kill” might create unintended outcomes for wild species as they get eaten alive by feral cats. Perhaps we should determine if ‘Madison County No Kill’ is a misnomer.
Respectfully,
Phil Chapman
Highland, IL
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