Chicago intoduces feral cats in attempt to imporve quality of life

[CMartel]

You know that you live in a hellhole when they deliberately introduce feral cats to improve your quality of life.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/feline-f...eep-rats-away/

CHICAGO -- Got rats? Meet the exterminators. Hundreds of cats are being hired and put to work at local homes and businesses,CBS Chicago reported.

There's a waiting list for the cats, and a lot of the people on that list live near soon-to-be demolished buildings like the Children's Memorial Hospital in in Lincoln Park. When the building comes down, the rat problem is expected to get worse.

Venkman lives and labors among the barrels of beer and sacks of grain in the Empirical Brewery...

Like the 500 other working cats in Chicago, they were scheduled to be euthanized, but then rescued from animal shelters and sent to places like businesses, factories and homes.

[Sett]

I hope a majority of these cats have been spayed and neutered.

[A Chozo]

Makes me nervous... introducing lots of cats in a urban system can have consequences.

What if the cats become the new rats? Introduce feral snakes?
Then feral gorillas, to get those pesky snakes?
Then wait for the winter, so that the gorillas may freeze to death?

:|

...Or maybe lots of cats will live again and have a full belly. That's good too.

[Dread Pirate Phayde]

I hope a majority of these cats have been spayed and neutered.

My first thought too, or the cats will soon become a problem as well.

[Captain N]

Feral Cats to control vermin has been used in numerous places before -- including Disneyland. They're afraid of humans so they don't bother the general population and they're far better at catching mice/rats than any human can.

[xskarma]

This is some Indian parabel type stuff. Next we'll have to introduce wolves to get rid of the cats, and then Bears to get rid of the wolves. Though there's already Bears in Chicago of course.

[Aggrophobic]

I hope a majority of these cats have been spayed and neutered.

Nah, it's fine. They'll just release pack of wild coyotes to handle the cat problem.

[Wyrt]

Feral Cats to control vermin has been used in numerous places before -- including Disneyland. They're afraid of humans so they don't bother the general population and they're far better at catching mice/rats than any human can.

They used it in Australia. It was a very, very bad idea.

[Independent voter]

Not deep dish.

[Darsithis]

This isn't nearly as bad as it sounds. We have a rat problem in one neighborhood, Lincoln Park, and they're being used there. That's it. Most other neighborhoods aren't going to be seeing feral cats running around.

[Aggrophobic]

This isn't nearly as bad as it sounds. We have a rat problem in one neighborhood, Lincoln Park, and they're being used there. That's it. Most other neighborhoods aren't going to be seeing feral cats running around.

So what, they train these cats to only stay in one neighborhood? If you manage to do that I'll be very, very impressed.

[Darsithis]

So what, they train these cats to only stay in one neighborhood? If you manage to do that I'll be very, very impressed.

They're trained, though cats aren't exactly a migratory species in the first place.

[Tijuana]

Don't people in Chicago already have cats?

[zebreck]

They do this in Lima, Peru as well. Works a charm and the cats tend to stay put seeing as they've got an infinite food source and roads are scary.

[Crissi]

This is some Indian parabel type stuff. Next we'll have to introduce wolves to get rid of the cats, and then Bears to get rid of the wolves. Though there's already Bears in Chicago of course.

And then introduce Packers to get rid of the Bears. Am I right? * badumtish*

Ot: my concern is if they've been spayed or neutered, although most rescues do this anyways. Also... Cats like birds.

[Deleted]

This is some Indian parabel type stuff. Next we'll have to introduce wolves to get rid of the cats, and then Bears to get rid of the wolves.

Bears eat wolves? Where? In India?

[Darsithis]

Ot: my concern is if they've been spayed or neutered, although most rescues do this anyways. Also... Cats like birds.

They were probably all spayed or neutered. They were all scheduled to be euthanized originally before being rescued for the program.

[Aggrophobic]

They're trained, though cats aren't exactly a migratory species in the first place.

So trained... feral cats?
Cats do also thend to be somewhat territorial. Won't that be a problem?

[Crissi]

They were probably all spayed or neutered. They were all scheduled to be euthanized originally before being rescued for the program.

That's what I figure if the rescuers were responsible. Although now they should keep an eye out for bird populations. Otherwise it's a decent move. Certainly better than widespread poison use.

[xskarma]

Bears eat wolves? Where? In India?

Just roll with it. The important part was that I got to make a joke about Bears in Chicago. My day is complete.