Feral Cats in Wisconsin

Imagine yourself sitting peacefully in the woods, partaking in one of your favorite outdoor activities. It could be hunting, bird watching, or just taking a leisurely stroll through the back 40. Off in the distance you see something that looks un-natural. Some type of animal that just doesn’t seem to be in the right place. Soon enough you identify it as a cat, but is it an actual feral cat or someone’s beloved house cat who wandered onto your property? That is the first call that needs to be made; by no means should anyone have the right to harvest a collared animal wandering through their property. But, say it is for sure a non-collared, feral cat, what are your options? Can you harvest this animal or can’t you? After searching throughout the Wisconsin DNR website, feral cats are neither listed specifically as a protected nor unprotected species. An unprotected species can be harvested with no bag limits, possession limits, or seasons (meaning the season is open year-round). According to the WDNR small game regulations all wild mammals that are not specifically mentioned in hunting, trapping, and migratory game bird regulations and also not listed as endangered, threatened, or protected are considered unprotected species. Unmistakably a feral cat is a mammal, but are they considered wild? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary the definition of wild is: “living in a state of nature and not ordinarily tame or domesticated, growing or produced without human aid or care, or relating to or resembling a corresponding cultivated or domesticated organism.” Feral cats live in nature, on their own without human care, and relate/resemble domesticated house cats. According to these definitions it would be fair to categorize feral cats as wild mammals.

Now that we defined what a feral cat is, why would we want them to be removed from our environment? Well, first of all, feral cats are not native, they originated from domesticated house cats and now they live and reproduce in the wild on their own. And you natural resource majors out there know what we like to do with non-native, invasive species right? Get rid of them. Secondly, what do you think feral cats eat? Naturally they are carnivores so they aren’t out there eating grass and berries. We’ve all seen our house cats bring home squirrels, rabbits, and song birds. Well these are the same things that feral cats are eating in the wild. Feral cats are having an effect on small mammal and song bird populations and it is not a positive one. There is no concrete number out there on how many feral cats are roaming our woodlands and chances are there never will be. One University of Wisconsin professor estimates that 1.4 million of them in Wisconsin and the article also says that the Humane Society estimates there to be between 10-70 million nationwide (Nine Lives Needed). So, even with conservative estimates, feral cats are killing millions of song birds and small mammals in Wisconsin alone every year. These song birds provide great sources of recreation and money via bird watchers in our state. Small mammals not only provide recreation to hunters but they are also vital sources of food to many hawks, falcons, owls, and small canines. Some of these animals have a hard enough time surviving, especially when some food sources, like rabbits, have yearly cycles that affect predator populations. So, let’s give them a leg up on their situation by beginning to remove one of their top competitors, the feral cat.


References:

http://www.dnr.wi.gov/

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wild

“Nine Lives Needed.” Economist April 16, 2005, Volume 375: pg. 27.