Rumors that Mission Beach’s jetty cats may become part of the annual United States Department of Agriculture predator cull to protect endangered birds in Mission Bay has residents riled, leading to a petition drive initiated on Forcechange.com to protect the feral felines. But the outrage about the predator program removing members of the well-known cat colony may be misguided. In December 2016, the City of San Diego posted a notice about the federal predator management program noting its purpose is to “protect the endangered California least terns and their nests from predatory animals at nesting sites through Mission Bay.”
The notice said actions against potential predators – skunks, raccoons and opossums including feral cats – may include monitoring, trapping, dispersal and shooting. That statement led to the rumors that the jetty cats could be targeted by the USDA program. But according to a statement on the Jetty Cats – San Diego Facebook page:
“We have received a lot of messages and posts regarding the issue with the USDA. They are not trapping near our colony and any cats trapped in other areas will be taken into animal control. “We have been working with several other groups regarding the safety of our cats and we have found that this is already an active project that the USDA has been doing for 10 years now. The sad news is any wildlife (predators to the protected birds) will be killed. The methods are not humane and this should not be tolerated in such a modern society. San Diego Humane Society is actively working to fight this.” The Jetty Cats – San Diego Facebook page is run by volunteers who control the jetty cats population by using the trap-neuter-return program. The dedicated volunteers also feed and look out for the health and safety of the jetty cats. The annual Mission Bay predator cull is conducted by USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services, which noted previously: “Our predator management activities are meant to boost the survival rate of these endangered birds and increase their population numbers.”
“Our devices are adjusted to minimize non-target take, and if non-target animals are captured, they are released or taken to local shelters,” said a USDA spokesman. “We have captured five cats since 2014 while doing this type of work. All were unharmed and taken to local shelters. “Wildlife Services posts signs and issues warnings to alert pet owners when wildlife traps or other devices are being used in an area for wildlife damage management,” the spokesman said. “These devices are only set at the request of and with permission from property owners or managers.” A nonprofit dedicated to animal welfare providing adoption and veterinarian services, San Diego Humane Society acknowleged it opposes the USDA’s predator management program.
“Suggesting we trap and kill one group of wildlife to save another is contrary to the mission of San Diego’s oldest nonprofit, and not the answer,” said San Diego Humane Society spokesperson Kelli Schry. “For 136 years, SDHS has forged common ground in our community for working together on humane and effective solutions for companion and wild animals. No one denies that the problems caused by outdoor cats are real. “We believe that trap-neuter-return programs, matched with effective public education campaigns to reduce the number of owned cats outdoors, will produce measurable results in the years ahead. Studies have shown that TNR is the most successful method we have of controlling healthy feral cat colonies. And it’s the most humane,” Schry said.
Noting San Diegans “have the power and responsibility to speak up for the voiceless,” Schry added, “TNR and the other humane strategies for outdoor cats and wildlife represent a forward-thinking approach that is in tune with both ecological sensibility and the practical realities of protecting our animals and preserving our ecosystem. We don’t need to war with animals so much as we need to work together to make sure our pets and wildlife are safe now and in the future.”
Asked their views on the jetty cat issue by Beach & Bay Press on NextDoor.com, several Pacific Beach residents responded.
“My point of view is based solely on my opposition to the notion of culling anything … cruel and avoidable,” said Sara Jouin-Nah of PB. “Killing any animal, especially a cat, is never a ‘good idea,’ ” said Art Morris of PB. “Now, for the previous owners of abandoned cats … don’t get me started.”
“These poor cats need a chance to go to a good home rather than ending their lives because of humans who don’t care for them,” said Susan Srouse of Pacific Beach. “Please help these feral cats.”
Addressed to San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, a preamble to the Forcechange.com petition to save the jetty cats reads:
“A proposed roundup in the Mission Bay area of San Diego could result in the barbaric killing of stray cats by nearly any means deemed appropriate, including the shooting of cats … The intended proposal will involve the placement of traps throughout the Mission Bay area, and could threaten a well-maintained and beloved feral cat colony … The laying out of traps to capture these semi-tame cats, only to have them euthanized or possibly shot offsite, is cruel and unnecessary.”
The jetty cat petition in its entirety is at forcechange.com/164591/stop-the-brutal-killing-of-feral-cats. Want to help?
Each volunteer pays for food on their own. If you would like to make a donation, contact hpjettycats1@gmail.com. All donations will go for the cost of care for cats.