Before I get into the details of why I think feral cats should be removed from Mississippi State University’s campus, you should know I hate cats. I am not trying to hide my bias, I think they are the absolute worst.
Cats cannot be trusted, and I kind of think their whole lives are spent plotting revenge against their humans. Ever heard the phrase, “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you?” Yeah, well, cats do not get this, and this is just one reason they are the worst.
More people are allergic to cats than they are to dogs. If people’s bodies are physically rejecting cats, I cannot imagine a more compelling reason to be a dog person. Because cat allergies are so prevalent of an issue, people really should not be subjected to cats while they are on campus trying to earn an education.
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, 10 percent of the population is allergic to cats, which is twice the percentage of dog allergies. This percentage actually increases to one in seven people, for those ages six to 19. Oh look, college kids fit into that age range.
Students have enough to worry about; reacting to a fuzzy creature following them to class or hanging out under the Subway pavilion should not be added to the list.
Let us not forget the rabid cat epidemic of August 2015. Therese Apel for the Clarion-Ledger reported in 2015 a rabid bat bit and infected a Starkville cat. As this was the first land animal case of rabies in all of Mississippi since 1961, there was justified terror raging through the streets. I remember this happening my freshman year, and wondering what hell I may have gotten myself into by choosing MSU: the place where rabid feline roam.
There is an approach often taken to reduce feral cats, and this method is called trap, neuter and release, TNR. Not only does this method cost America’s local taxpayers $7 billion annually according to American Veterinary Medical Association, but TNR also ends up subjecting the animals to more harm.
In an interview with AVMA’s Bridget M. Kuehn, DVM David Jessup says TNR increases diseases in feline colonies. He also pointed out feral cats have an 80 percent morbidity rate, most dying from trauma (read: students driving over them).
In addition, many animal activist groups have started saying the TNR program is based on veterinarians’ reckless abandonment of these feral cats after their surgery and release.
Now please do not get me wrong, while I hate cats, I do not think these hairballs should be exterminated to remove them from MSU’s campus. There are a lot of alternatives to having cats rampaging about terrorizing all the students.
We have amazing animal shelters in the area to take in feral cats, and thanks to volunteer foster caretakers, these programs can acclimate them to human interaction before being put up for adoption.
According to Stray Pet Advocacy, while socializing feral cats may take a while, the process is overall straightforward. The main thing is to patiently build trust, and this happens mainly through food. Avoid eye contact and do not pet the cat until it is comfortable around you and watches you curiously. Eventually, petting can begin to occur, and your feral cat is on its way to being sociable.
I say enough is enough in terrorizing us poor students. There are plenty of alternatives out there to avoid the issue of having feral cats.
To the cats on MSU’s campus: “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”