Board of Game says no to feral cats

Friday morning as the Alaska Board of Game wrapped up its week of deliberations in Anchorage, it rejected a proposal to authorize the capture, nurturing and release of feral cats.

While the proposers advocated that it’s humane to release cats into the wild, the board voted unamimously to reject that request.

Concerns cited included predation by cats on small game animals, potential spread of disease and also the reality that many feral cats starve to death, which one board member argued is hardly humane.

The board debated and chose to take no action on a second proposal to take the opposite tack and allow killing of feral cats anywhere and anytime. Concerns there included neighbors killing each other’s cats as a nuisance, when not feral, and other feral animals like rabbits that have not been addressed.

There was agreement that cats seen killing wildlife should be considered feral and allowed no protection.

“We are not encouraging people to go out and start shooting cats,” Chairman Spraker said. “Don’t go through the neighborhood shooting cats.”