What's The Best Way To Deal With Feral Cats?

Published July 28, 2015 at 12:52 PM CDT

The Humane Society of the United States estimates that there are about 50 million feral cats in the U.S. (taylar/Flickr)

Australia’s decision to kill 2 million feral cats is the latest event in a battle among cat lovers, bird lovers and even celebrities over cats and their impact on wildlife. Feral cats roam in solitude, but issues surrounding the treatment of homeless cats is tangled in both pet owner and non-pet owners’ lives.

How many feral cats are there? How many animals are killed by them? Is it best to care for feral cats by having volunteers trap, neuter, vaccinate and release them, or trap them and take them away? Where feral cats come into conflict with endangered birds, is one life worth more than another?

Here & Now’s Robin Young talks with Vicki Croke of WBUR’s The Wild Life blog, about the relationship humans have with “wild” things.

Read more via The Wild Life

Guest

Vicki Croke, host of WBUR’s The Wild Life blog and author of “Elephant Company.” She tweets @TheWildLifeWBUR.