Nēnē Gosling Death Points To Disease Carried By Feral Cats

[HiloJulie]

Still does not mean that I won't "report" you!

['elepaio]

Cool info MR. KANE,

I don't think they wanna include hawks and owls ..

In my experience here, poor kittens dumped . I just can't find them to rescue as they go run / hide go silent .. If car not run them they don't survive past day three anyway . aguay

[TomK]

@my2  exactly ..  Well fed cats don't hunt to kill / eat ..

I don't think you know much about cats.

[My 2 cents]

I had a nice chat this evening with the person who started the spay/neuter program here on the east side, somewhere around 2010.  The program is still going strong.  They generally have a clinic each month, sometimes 2.  They’re having one tomorrow.  On average they sterilize about 80 to 90 cats at each of these events.  They do dogs too.

They operate with volunteer labor and donations and grant funding from private donors.  They get zero government funding.  She also noted that the Humane Society doesn’t do any sterilizations.  So it appears that the government is not interested in contributing in any way to this method of control.

[terracore]

For sure mongoose are a problem to the nene as well as every other species they can molest or kill. We've trapped and killed well over 100 mongoose over the last 12 years and nobody cares. "You're doing the 'Aina a favor!" If I posted that I trapped and killed over 100 cats (I haven't...I've trapped one- see above) people would be coming to our house with pitchforks and torches. People on this forum have suggested as much.

All that aside, there is a difference between the physical damage done by cats and mongoose versus adding toxoplasmosis to the mix:

"Here's a comparison of cats, mongoose, and toxoplasmosis:

Role:

Cats: Definitive Host: This means cats are the only animal where the parasite can complete its full life cycle, including sexual reproduction. Cats become infected by ingesting oocysts (eggs) in the environment, often from infected rodents or birds. They then shed oocysts in their feces for a short period, contaminating the environment for other animals.

Mongoose: Intermediate Host: Mongooses become infected by eating infected prey or ingesting oocysts in the environment. They cannot transmit the parasite directly to other animals, but they can serve as a reservoir for the parasite.

Transmission:

Cats: Transmit toxoplasmosis by shedding oocysts in their feces. These oocysts are highly resistant and can survive in the environment for months, infecting other animals that come into contact with them.

Mongoose: Do not directly transmit toxoplasmosis but can become infected and shed oocysts in their feces, potentially contaminating the environment.

Impact:

Cats: Healthy adult cats typically experience mild or no symptoms from toxoplasmosis. However, it can be serious for pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, and young children.

Mongoose: The exact impact of toxoplasmosis on mongooses is not fully understood. It is believed to be asymptomatic in healthy animals.

Summary:

Cats play a key role in the life cycle of Toxoplasma gondii, while mongooses are incidental hosts. Cats pose a greater risk of transmitting the parasite to humans and other animals due to shedding oocysts in their feces." (AI generated- Google (Gemini))

[MarkP]

This is a compassionate and wonderful person. Saving lives. She is NOT a criminal. She feeding them out of goodness of her heart ( and pocket )

Basically assuming role of mother and taking care of those that cannot.

I bet her citation is a shock to her heart.

.Mongoose in the trough as well..

Poor Lady .. Now cat's foods she delivery after dark.

She is NOT saving lives if she is adversely affecting native species to the point where they are dying. Furthermore that one gosling is only the tip of the iceberg. It is the nature of disease that for every outright death there are more animals that are made sick and vulnerable in other ways. This lady is subjecting a vulnerable population to a potentially lethal disease so that she can indulge in her hobby.

The bit about delivering food after dark is relevant. Anything that can have an impact on our environment should be done while keeping a close eye on costs vs benefits. There is the temptation to think that "every little bit helps". In the case of trying to control a population through sterilization this is not true. There is a threshold below which, if not enough animals are sterilized, the population continues to grow. That threshold is about 75% of the animals that need to be sterilized. As such for TNR to be effective the program must be conducted with ruthless efficiency or you are just spinning your wheels. The sterilization must be the top priority.

The problem is that TNR as it is currently practiced is mostly about feeding the cats. To make the program work you would need hard-nosed individuals willing to get the job done. Instead you have disturbed individuals who, to avoid criticism but still get their way, blow through the park at midnight, roll down their window, and dump cat chow in a big messy pile for rats and mongooses to eat too. This sometimes causes grief for relatively responsible TNR types who are trying not to feed the cats on a Friday so they can conduct effective trapping on Saturday and Sunday and take the cats to the vet on Monday. Their efforts are thwarted because so many others who "answer the call" are unable or unwilling to control their selfish and shortsighted impulses and just feed the cats indiscriminately.

It is my understanding that the original proponents of TNR in England in the 1950s advocated not feeding the cats, only sterilizing.

['elepaio]

With that kind of blather (genuine concern ? ), maybe YOU MarkP should head over there and school them. Repeat as necessary ...Make them understand.

[HiloJulie]

@my2  exactly ..  Well fed cats don't hunt to kill / eat ..

I don't think you know much about cats.

Tom, I’d say that is the biggest understatement yet!

With that kind of blather (genuine concern ? ), maybe YOU MarkP should head over there and school them. Repeat as necessary ...Make them understand.

Somehow, I think this depicts you to a “T”

[My 2 cents]

The TNR program is helping but it will never fix the problem by itself.  Most of the cats in question are strays, not feral.  Most are domestic cats that have been dumped.  Relatively few kittens are born in the wild, and the ones that are generally came from mothers that were dumped recently.  This source is not changing, regardless of the feeding policies.

[HiloJulie]

The TNR program is helping but it will never fix the problem by itself.  Most of the cats in question are strays, not feral.  Most are domestic cats that have been dumped.  Relatively few kittens are born in the wild, and the ones that are generally came from mothers that were dumped recently.  This source is not changing, regardless of the feeding policies.

So very true My 2 cents!

In as much as a cat can be very fun and loving pets to have, one has to ask why ANY cat (or dog for that matter) owner would just dump off their pet in a park to fend for itself. 

This graph spells out the problem very well!