Editor:
Re: Cat bylaw brushed off (Coast Reporter, July 13).
Sechelt Coun. Chris Moore said the idea of regulating cats was a "big hairball, a total waste of time and energy."
It would appear by this statement he is neither a garden lover nor a bird lover.
Domesticated cats and feral cats are responsible for the loss of tens of millions of birds each year, here in Canada. The loss throughout North America is astronomical.
Studies have shown that there are more feral cats than domesticated ones and the population is growing steadily. We wonder if Moore bothered to read the reports we sent with our letter to council? It is also a fact that more and more municipalities are adopting cat bylaws.
So, without any control whatsoever on the cat population and their wanderings, how many birds per year is Moore prepared to sacrifice to these predators?
We are amongst many who enjoy our beautiful garden and the birds that frequent it many times a day, here on the Coast. We regularly have to chase neighbours' cats away.
We are not plagued by dogs wandering through our property, though I am sure they outnumber cats in our area. Their owners are responsible pet owners. (It is estimated that only 35 per cent of cat owners keep their pets indoors.)
What does Coun. Moore suggests we do with cats that are difficult to catch? Is he prepared to offer suggestions as to how to control them and their growing numbers?
With an attitude like his, to a concern that is a real ecological problem, he will not get our vote next time around.
Ralph & June Meyer, Sechelt
