Iona Napier
EVERY stray, non-microchipped cat in Estepona faces extermination according to enraged expats.
It comes despite repeated attempts from the Cats and Friends Association (AGYA) to collaborate with the town hall to manage a series of growing cat colonies.
“We’ll fight together to save the cats of Estepona and stop these people who try to shatter our hard work and exterminate innocent animals,” said Jacqui Ross.
Ahh we are back to the cat story again. Every few weeks Olive Press run the cat story. The only way to stop the cats is to have them put down. Catch and cull every last stray cat.
Also a lot of people are making a nice living running cat charities not saying how much of the donations goes to the cats and how much goes on “Expenses”.
All domestic pets should need a license and microchip, owner education is the only way.
hear hear john…..wait for all the bleeding hearts to comment. the same people who put piles of food out so that the cats numbers explode….fools…
Are we going to have a nice emotive story about cockroaches, rats and mice being “exterminated” too please?
In Spain, too many people are living in retirement and have nothing better to do than feed cats, this is why there is a problem. In the UK the increase in cat ownership over the last 50 years has decimated the bird wildlife, especially the song thrush, as its young leave the nest before they can fly, and the cats clean up.
What John Lightfoot says is spot on.
These feral cats – among other things – kill the birdies. Put them down for Goodness sake
I agree 100%, I have seen with my own eyes how the Mirlos (blackbirds) and Gorriones (sparrows) are been hunted by these feral cats, I hope something gets done soon, not only in Estepona, but the whole Costa del Sol
Oh dear the stupid or blind ones have arrived in force. The problem is not the cats but the Spanish who abandon them and/or refuse to to pay to have them neutered.
Cats, like a lot of other animals are brought to other countries by humans who really hav’nt advanced from the monkey state. Look at the damage done to wildlife in Haiwaai/New Zealand/Australia and the UK where stupid Norse Christian priests introduced the rabbit.
Personally I would’nt mind getting involved in culling a lot of bipeds, since there are far too many all over this planet. Indeed the only real problem is too many bipeds – now where should we start – I’ve got a good idea.
Stuart, well said, for a start perhaps those that don’t like animals.
Has Stuart Crawford taken over from Fred?
I see the usual Daleks are back out in force. Exterminate! Exterminate!
Do those “Birdies” include such airborne rats as pigeons and gulls Lenox?
Stefanjo i’m surprised at some of the things you say.
Jacko. Good. Who wants to be predictable?
Why does Estepona and indeed most of Spain have an out of control cat population? It smacks of generic mismanagement, a distinct lack of neutering and simply not caring. This whole situation could have been avoided had someone in authority taken control and organised a mass neutering programme – it should have been done years ago. Now we have a horrific situation where no doubt these cats will be poisoned, die a slow and painful death and the cat population will still not be under control. The whole thing has something of the third world about it.
Jane,
your comment is far too truthful and rational for the geeks to stomach.
Stef, nothing malicious it’s just that you called pigeons rats. I can understand why they are given the pill to stop breeding as I believe they are a protective species in Spain.
Not sure if you knew but during WWII kestrels and hawks along the south coast of Britain were shot down and killed due to the thousands of lives these so called “rat’s” were saving and were classed as military personnel. Beside’s the value of some of these “rat’s” today are perhaps more valuable then say your flat or villa. One was sold recently for £300.000 sterling. Just a thought.
Well thank you Stuart and Jane. Stuarts solution is a history lesson then kill some humans, and Jane’s solution is what should have been done years ago. Neither very helpful really !!
There are pigeons and there are pigeons Jacko. Same thing with rats. Some people delight in keeping “cute” ones as pets. Some can be quite valuable, useful in medical experiments too.
But both creatures can spread some unpleasant diseases when left to their own devices. Rubbish tips are magnets for gulls, one can only imagine what comes out the other end when they bury their beaks in our garbage.
Point is, cats, feral or not, help to control all these.
By the way, kestrels and hawks are still being slaughtered for the delight of grouse shooters, which coincidently, is their big day today – “The glorious twelfth”
stefanjo,
why should rats which, whether you like it or not are very intelligent mammals that have a far superior social structure than bipeds be used in research.
I was thinking about going to uni to study experimental pyschology and had a mate doing a phd who introduced me to the man running this course. What a joke he was with a quasi Einstein hair do. He enthused about research he was doing using rats. “wait a minute” said I “I want to study humans not rats” – “I think you’ve got problems dealing with reality, you study rats to learn about rats and humans to learn about humans – what part of this don’t you understand” With that he fled crying his eyes out and tax payers are still sheeling out for geeks like this.
Why not use people/smack/cocaine traffickers, pimps/lawyers/tax evasion accountants for these medical experiments. Why waste tax payers money on expensive to run prisons – does’nt make any kind of economic sense.
stefanjo, I was merely giving you an illustration that all pigeons are not rats, and as you say, “There are pigeons and there are pigeons” the same with all creatures including humans. Each to their own I suppose.
Stuart: What you suggest already happens. In China…. I wasn’t endorsing animal experimentation, especially in the cosmetic trade (horror) but pointing out it’s previous usefulness. Of course, computer modelling is now far superior for this purpose. But I doubt anyone wants them under their floorboards, or wild pigeons roosting in their roof-space. Which is where the pussy-cats come in…..
Jane makes the best points, it’s not too late to follow her suggestions. Some hope.