It's got nothing to do with "appreciating" the article. It's got to more with the
perception the title of the article gives. This discussion has been had before here by someone who came on and called cats rats. If I have time I may go looking for the thread and pin it here for reference. If I'm not mistaken that thread was locked because of the feelings it aroused.
Back on track - when I see an article titled such as this one I suppose my hackles go up. I wasn't far wrong. It is the same as hundreds of other articles I've read. Not much blame being placed where it should be - with the owners. Not much said about responsible spay/neutering. Would have been an excellent venue to spout that. It was finally mentioned waaaayy down in the what? second last paragraph. When it is mentioned it is to say politicians back off when it comes to discussing the exact things that need to be discussed because of the minefield. Now wouldn't it be nice to find a politician who would actually do the job they are getting those outrageous salaries for and venture into that minefield? Maybe that's what is needed.
We need mandatory s/n of cat. I've said before cats need to be leashed or at the very least contained in a safe environment when they are outdoors. That is not for the safety of the songbird. It's for their own safety. We need licensing of all cats. I wonder if the SPCA is going to be willing to hire more officers to go around to the farmers and tell them to s/n all their cats. My guess would be no. They don't have the money and the government is not about to hand it over to them.
From personal experience, I have a few cats
. Some of them live in an enclosed area where there are also trees and ummm, birds. Amazingly even with them living in such close proximity to each other in a years time there may be two birds caught and eaten by these cats. I know when there is because I find the feathers of the bird the next day. Not a half eaten bird. My cats use the whole bird. Nothing goes to waste. Now why does that not jive with the numbers claimed in the article? I don't think my cats are any different than the rest of them.
What would be marvelous to read is an article that might make people sit up and take notice of the issues surrounding all of the millions of homeless cats in the world. It would be nice to read that someone is finally taking a stand and doing something about it. Find an article like that and I would be more than impressed when I read it.
** Ooops, nothing goes to waste except for about two dozen or so feathers....