A question about feral cat colonies I’ve never heard adequately answered: why do their lives matter so much more than the other animals — birds, frogs, lizards, snakes — they kill? And if their lives *do* matter so much, why do we allow them to live in such deep misery?

AHasherelbein.bsky.socialDec 30, 2023 6:00pm

This piece on the persistent problem of outdoor cats by Jonathan Franzen is, I regret to report, a banger

How the “No Kill” Movement Betrays Its Name

By keeping cats outdoors, trap-neuter-release policies have troubling consequences for city residents, local wildlife—and even the cats themselves.

Reminds me of something I heard about crocodiles: They’re remarkably under studied because they’re so good at hiding that it’s too hard and folks give up. In contrast feral cat colonies are a super obvious nuisance problem. Accessibility is probably why they seemingly attract outsize attention.

Franzen's novels don't do much for me, but I love it when he rises to the defense of the birds.

This is why I don’t believe in God lol