|
Well, I don't think we are *that* far apart on MOST things, however....
I think the answer depends on the individual cats. Some cats, if released, will wander off and starve to death. Others will stick around. Any cat that is released should be partially confined long enough to become "re-territory-ized" (ok - I made that up.) Simply put, cats are very territorial. Simply releasing a cat and hoping for the best is a BAD idea, especially if the cat is not already from that territory. Then, they just wander off.
Secondly, any animal that is potentially a public threat should NEVER be released. If there is a chance that the cat will attack another person or animal, releasing it is terribly irresponsible. If the cat attacks someone and cannot be quarantined for 2 weeks, it's a huge problem. If the scratch or bite is bad enough to go for medical treatment, then doctors are LEGALLY REQUIRED to report the bite. If the animal can't be caught, the person has to go through very painful rabies shots. Aggressive animals that have the potential to attack should never be released, no matter how sorry we feel for them. I don't know any feral cat rescue groups (responsible ones, anyway) that support releasing an aggressive animal.
It is up to the person who has the animal, along with his or her vet, to assess the threat the animal poses and to act accordingly.
I would never release a cat that flies across a room and shreds people's limbs. Cat bites can be VERY dangerous and can become life-threatening. They can become very serious very quickly. People have ended up in the hospital over cat bites. Some have lost limbs. Some have even died. The bacteria progresses VERY fast - by the next day, in some cases.
|