Unwelcome neighbor problem at Dallas site for Bush presidential library involves feral cats

[kpete]

Source: Associated Press

Unwelcome neighbor problem at Dallas site for Bush presidential library involves feral cats

By Associated Press

8:18 AM CDT, April 21, 2010
DALLAS (AP) — Unwelcome neighbors where George W. Bush's presidential library is planned in Dallas are losing their homes.

Some feral cats have lived in the Southern Methodist University area for years. SMU in 2005 began a feral cat removal program, in an effort to control the cat colony.

Volunteer Althea Webb says it's "hard to move cats." She says at one point about 18 wild cats lived in the area, but now she rarely sees more than a half dozen.

Webb says some of the remaining cats may be moved to a nearby bushy area.

Read more: http://www.39online.com/news/sns-ap-tx--bushlibrary-feralcats,0,5906606.story

[zipplewrath]

1. Not around here

Volunteer Althea Webb says it's "hard to move cats."

Not in my house. Just pop the lid on the Friskies can, and that 15 lb tub-o-lard comes a runnin'.

[sui generis]

5. hell just pop the lid on anything

well I have a zoo and they're particularly fond of my kitchen skills. Also Madame Fatsokatso and Frau Pissmeister used to be feral but have decided to adopt my family. For the last 15 years or so I've picked up every feral animal I could and had them fixed and returned to their "wild". The population dropped drastically, and then down the street two high pissy bear queens moved in and started calling animal control, so even the fixed ones got rounded up and gassed, no doubt. We don't speak any more, but fixing the feral critters is enough in my book. They don't live long anyway, so why throw them in a cage and kill 'em faster?

I went to one of their pool parties once - here's a picture:



:P

[Sam1]

17. Just hang

a Mission Accomplished Sign and it is business as usual.

[pipoman]

2. Moved to a nearby Bushy area...

:rofl:

[dmallind]

3. That's not a problem - the feral cats will learn to put up with the unwelcome neighbor eventually.

[onehandle]

4. Just don't build the library of lies and failure. Problem solved. nt

[brooklynite]

6. Leave the cats there - they epitomize the Bush Administration...

These cats are living on their own, basking in the glorious freedom of no government involvement, and pulling themselves up by their own puss-n-bootstraps...

[Kolesar]

15. I knew this was going to be a fun thread...eom

[Jennicut]

23. Oh no! Cats do not deserve to be compared to old W. Not even feral ones!

My kitty is not amused...

[MilesColtrane]

7. This is not surprising regarding the future home of the Bush Library.

You'll find cats wherever something smells fishy.

[bullwinkle428]

8. "Jus' lemme stick fahr-crackers up their asses...that'll teach 'em!!"

"BANG! BANG! Heh-heh-heh...yer welcome!!"

[NBachers]

9. Maybe they'll help control the rodent population at the Bush Liebary

[JustAnotherGen]

10. I feed

house in inclement weather, and pet/love on a feral cat. Last summer she was pretty po’d when I got her in a cat carrier and took her to a vet to get her fixed. But Cat (I call her Cat because she looks like the Cat in Breakfast At Tiffanys) eventually got over it and started coming back around when she realized I was saving her from the results of her‘hussy ways’. :rofl: Oh, and I think she digs the heavy cream she gets for breakfast. :rofl:

Feral Cats know good people from bad people. They are curious about both. They will start hissing and spitting when someone is a baddy. Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, Feral Cats gotta Feral. :-) It will be interesting to see how they react at the grand opening. :rofl: It makes me want to go down there in advance and leave some yummy treats for them. I have a feeling there is going to be a lot of hissing and spitting and screeching in the background when he gives his nonsense speech at the not so grand opening.

[aquart]

18. Heavy cream???

[1monster]

11. These people are idiots. Feral cat populations can be managed with TNR...

Trap, Neuter, Return.

Managed feral cat populations work well when monitored. When new cats move into a colony, they also should be trapped, neutered, and returned. TNR also should have a program for vaccinating the cats they trap against rabies, Feline Luk, and other communicable feline diseases.

If the cats do not reproduce, eventually, the population will decrease to zero.

[hamsterjill]

22. Finally - some sanity!

I was beginning to wonder if anyone on this thread really understood what this was all about!

[Wizard777]

12. When you build a monument to a Rat Bastard of course cats are gonna show up. DUH!

:rofl:

[Submariner]

13. What a stain on SMU to have the Dubya Liebary on campus

Leave the cats alone, they are more deserving of the space than having the Dubya outhouse.

[dipsydoodle]

14. Have they all been named

Will ? :shrug:

[AngryOldDem]

16. Just let 'em alone.

They were there first.

[Uben]

19. Before they take the cats.......

..they had better deal with the rat problem! My brother-in-law lived a couple of blocks away from SMU a couple of years ago. It's an older upscale neighborhood that is infested with rats. People living in $2-3 million dollar homes that cannot control the rat population. That was one reason my BIL moved, but there were others. He tried for years to eliminate the problem that he said all the neighbors were also dealing with.

I don't like rats! I live at a private gated lake out in the sticks. We once had a rat and mouse problem until we started feeding the feral cats (2). I haven't seen a mouse in years now, and there is pasture beyond the fence in my back yard! Cats are not near the problem rats are. They don't invade your house, chew wires and wood, and they don't leave droppings! I was never a "cat person" until I started domesticating these ferals. They'll let me pet them now, and they'll come to eat when I call them. As long as I continue to see no mice or rats, the cats get free meals. I did have them neutered, so I won't have to deal with kittens.

Having rats at George Bush's library may be apropo, as he was the biggest rat in the nation a few years ago! MAybe that's why they're moving the cats!

[MrsBrady]

21. Urban Dallas does have a rat problem.

Part of it is caused by lack of preditors.
Also neighborhoods are now bordered by restaurants and fast food joints.
That doesn't help.

It's easy to deal with, but my former land lord didn't care
about my calls for help. I had to move because it was only
a matter of time before the rats got INSIDE the house. Hearing
them in the attic at night was too much.

There are plenty of wild cats, but it is dangerous for them...
cats are allergic to getting hit by cars. Can't tell you
how much I called the city to let them know to please
pick up the poor things in the road.

The suburbs are not much better.

[Berry Cool]

24. The biggest rat problem at the Bush library

is going to be inside the books, not on the premises.

[happygoluckytoyou]

20. IF THEY USED TRAP AND NEUTER ON BARBARA, WE'D ALL BE BETTER OFF

[AnnieBW]

25. I hope the feral kittehs use the gardens for a litter box!

n/t

[lonestarnot]

26. Neighbors should expect an influx of locusts and grasshoppers and rats.

Sorry Swampie. :evilgrin: