Regarding the city of Williamsport adopting initiatives to be considered a “Bird Town Pennsylvania,” how does the city, in good conscience, see putting these initiatives in place without addressing the biggest threat to birds – outdoor (not just feral) cats? Many wildlife and humane organizations report that outdoor and feral cats are the biggest threat to birds. How does a city without a cat ordinance to address the out-of-control cat population even receive a “bird town” designation? From a personal perspective, I have a front-row seat to the problem — I live across the street from a couple who keep a hoard of outdoor cats that produce 1 or 2 new litters of kittens every year (every year!). Any birds with nests in trees in my neighborhood are easy prey for the cats. What few baby animals exist anymore in my neighborhood try to take shelter inside my 6-foot-high, fenced-in yard.

In the past, I tried to encourage any baby animal’s survival, such as using temporary fencing within the yard to keep them safe from my dogs, diligently scanning the yard before letting my dogs out, placing babies back in nests, etc. But within hours of wandering outside of my fenced-in yard, fledgling birds are usually caught, mutilated and killed by my neighbor’s hoard of cats (sadly, I see this on my surveillance cameras). In addition, and despite doing everything possible to keep the neighbor’s cats out of my yard, they often find a way to get over or under the fence to go after the babies. Then, after their slaughter is over, the cats decide they want to stay and make the space under my backyard deck their new home. When they are discovered by my dogs, a fight ensues, and my dogs end up injured with cuts and bloody gashes all over their faces from the neighbor’s cats that invade my property.

When reporting this to the police and SPCA, the response is always the same: “There needs to be a city ordinance.” I cannot stand this situation anymore; I cannot stomach seeing birds (and other animals) I try to protect getting slaughtered by the neighbor’s hoard of cats. Now, I do everything possible to discourage any nesting and make my property as inhospitable as possible to wildlife. I take actions opposite of the goals of the “Bird Town PA” program and will continue until the city addresses the cat problem. Unless this program also requires some form of cat ordinance and the city plans to pass an ordinance, encouraging an increase in the bird population only for those birds to be killed by an out-of-control and unregulated cat population is inhumane.

VERONICA CIAVARELLA

Williamsport

Submitted by Virtual Newsroom