The city of Syracuse has become overrun with feral cats. Such cats, exposed to the elements on a constant basis, are feral — the wild version of their domestic counterparts.

With these harsh, low quality lives and a multitude of environmental impacts, feral cat populations should be better managed in the city of Syracuse. Feral cats are not native to Syracuse or many other cities across the United States that have similar issues.

In combination with domestic cats that live indoor and outdoor lives, feral cats are responsible on average for the slaughter of 2.4 billion birds and 12.3 billion mammals a year, according to a recent study by the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The prey is a normally native species that is not on par to deal with these predators that are introduced to the areas. This has an unwanted effect on the greater ecosystems we live in, even in a city like Syracuse.

For example, migrating songbirds stopping through on their journey often take harder hits from feline predators.

When feral cats are not killing large amounts of native birds and mammals, they are living in severe, unforgiving conditions. Though some may argue that it is a cruel world, the starving, injured cats limping down your street should cause concern for our city because they are not local wild animals.

They are our cats — left to their own devices outside in the cold. And it is our fault that they live in these conditions.

Luckily, there is a whole slew of options, many of which we can do on an individual level. For the cat enthusiast, the number one way to help is to not feed stray cats. Though it may seem like you’re making a harsh situation even harsher, you’re actually supplementing a bad system.

If you do have a crazy amount of cats surrounding your property or around your neighborhood, alert the proper authorities. There are departments such as animal control that are made to deal with those problems.

On the other hand, don’t call if it’s not an infestation. You don’t want your neighbor’s Felix ending up in the pound.

There are further steps you can take if you are a cat owner. Always make sure your cats are spayed and neutered — it’s birth control for your cat and will help control the population.

When your cats aren’t able to reproduce, steps can be taken to decrease the population. There are plentiful amounts of cats at your local shelter that need a loving home — adopt instead.

Though there are options for individuals — both cat lovers and owners — to help with our feral explosion, the local government can take more steps to manage the problem. A variety of management options need to be taken to assuage this issue.

The city can more strictly enforce standing codes for pet ownership in the city. People who are not taking proper care of their animals need to be educated for the best of the community. Other options range in severity from culling populations to trapping methods that would substantially lower the numbers.

The solution must be creative to right this wrong.

The most important solution to this issue is an understanding from members in the community and local government. This is an issue that must be addressed for the sake of the cats’ lives, as well as the local ecosystems and present species.

And when our cats are happy, we’ll be happy, too.

Meg Callaghan is a senior environmental studies major at SUNY-ESF. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at mlcallag@syr.edu.

Published on November 12, 2013 at 1:58 am