Subject: Re: people problem...N0 Cats..now Great Horned Owls
Date: Sep 26 09:41:49 1995
From: Maureen Ellis - me2 at u.washington.edu


COMMENTARY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOLLOWING ENCLOSED BY *******.

On Tue, 26 Sep 1995, Tom Foote wrote:

>
>
> On Mon, 25 Sep 1995, Dennis Paulson wrote:
>
> > This material posted under this heading deserves a response.
> >
> >
> >
> Dennis--
>
> Thanks for, yet again, being the voice of reason in this thread.
>
>
> I think we're all well advised to trap out the trespassing cats..
> This cat business is coming to a head here in Olympia as the
> City Council (as opposed to Thurston County, Herb..I'm not
> sure what's happening at the county level) is considering a
> cat control ordinance..rumor has it that animal control is not
> in favor as it will be difficult for them to enforce..
> Eric Larsen is lurking on this list and perhaps he could tell us
> the status of that ordinance, as he made a presentation on cat
> predation to the Ciy Council..
> Scott Richardson--is a status report on this ordinance forthcoming
> in WOS newsletter?
>
>
> Dennis---borrow a Hav-a-Hart and trap those dang bird-eaters out
> of your yard
>
> A guy I knew who just retired out of Lewis & Clark, used to teach
> Biology there. He had a GHO nest in a towering fir near his
> office window. During nesting season, he reported that one or the
> other of the adults consistently brought in a full grown cat about
> once a week..I think we need more owls.
***************************************************************************

Folks, related to the above: During my various calls to local
exotic goose breeders concerning the recent arrival of a red-breasted
goose at the Des Moines Marina area, I was told that the Great Horned Owl
is one of the most persistent predators on domesticated geese. A Kent
area breeder has solved the problem passively. All of their red-breasted
geese are kept in large, totally enclosed wire mesh cages. BTW, the
consensus about the goose is that it needs to be returned to the captive
stage; its foraging skills may not be good enough to allow survival in
the wild. As of now this goose seems healthy and robust; it'll be
interesting to see it can be recaptured!

Regarding cat control: As a cat lover and owner of two exclusively
indoor cats, I totally agree with Dennis' and Tom Foote's comments.
Feral cats, pigs, goats,loosestrife, out-of-area bullfrogs, and on and on
etc. have no place the ecological scheme of things. Yes it IS our fault and
we must supply the solution. I find the blasting "philosopause" of some
cat lovers and a certain group of animal rights advocates incredibly
irresponsible and ignorant. Learn some biology. Learn some ecology. Now we
have to deal with CONSEQUENCES and fast, fast! Our pathetically small
remaining natural habitats are the final stand for our native species. Just
do it!

Maureen E Ellis
Tox Group at Roos 1
DEH, SPHCM, Box 354695
U of WA
Seattle, WA
me2 at u.washington.edu

***************************************************************************

>
> Tom
>
> > Dennis Paulson, Director phone: (206) 756-3798
> > Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
> > University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
> > Tacoma, WA 98416
> >
> >
> >
>