Sufferin' Succotash! Wisconsin is talking about issuing hunting licenses for cats. That's right, house cats. Why? Conservation and public health concerns.
Cats are great pets. Or so people say, I'm a dog guy myself. I like pets that live in my house, not pets that allow me to live in theirs. And a great guy like me is already so incredibly humble that I don't need no stinking cat to improve my humility.
The problem with cats is that people let them out. This means you have a house cat who feeds off the local bird, mouse, and varmint populations. Cats will basically eat anything made of meat that is smaller than they are. My parents occasionally get a cat that stakes out one of their bird feeders. Feeders become game baiting stations for cats even when they aren't designed to be. My parents hate it (the cats drives off the pretty pigeons I suppose).
Feral cat colonies just make it worse. Feral colonies are groups of wild house cats that do what cats do. Only there are no people involved so they tend to spread illness and disease along with decimating the local animal population.
California forbids residents to own ferrets for all these reasons. They have the same predatory profile. Cats get a pass because cat lovers are a more powerful voting bloc. However some states, like Wisconsin, are considering hunting nonetheless.
What is the moral of this story? Keep house cats in the damn house. If you let your cat out, don't expect him to come back. Even if your area doesn't allow hunting, there are still cars and dogs and the like. Keep your furry friend home where he is safe.
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