Apart from being illegal, poisoning cats is only a temporary fix that sacrifices their lives unnecessarily without any positive or beneficial return.
I would like to sterilise the cats in my area. Do you have any advice?
When possible, trap in dry, temperate weather. Do not feed the cats for 36 hours before trapping, as they must be hungry in order to enter the trap. If you are trapping in an area where pet cats are roaming, please inform your neighbours. Fish work well as bait. Place the food inside the trap, behind the trip plate, so the cat is sure to step on it when eating. Transport the trapped cat to your veterinarian for spaying or neutering immediately upon capture. To reduce anxiety, place a sheet or towel over the trap so that the cat feels secure. Ask that the cat be ear-tipped — have the tip of one ear snipped during surgery — to help future rescuers identify them. This is a painless and risk-free procedure.
Warning: Very few veterinarians know how to do cat surgery so find out before catching the cats because too many cats die after the operation.
There are cats in my neighbourhood that meow at night. My neighbours are thinking of poisoning them or getting the municipality to take them away. Is this legal and will this work in clearing the area of cats?
The deliberate destruction of a feral cat colony, by whatever method, always leads to the ‘vacuum effect’ — either new cats flock to the vacated area to exploit whatever food source attracted the original inhabitants, or survivors breed and their descendants are more cautious. It is only a temporary fix that sacrifices animals’ lives unnecessarily without any positive or beneficial return. It will also lead to a huge increase in local rats. It is illegal to kill cats under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act 1960. The municipality cannot do it either.
Don’t feral cats kill birds?
While some feral cats do kill birds, they prefer to kill rodents. Decline of natural habitat and the use of pesticides, have a greater negative impact on bird populations.
What can I do if I suspect that a wildlife crime is taking place?
Wildlife crime can take many forms. From keeping Indian birds, turtles, monkeys, peacocks, to buying or selling ivory, trading illegally in plants or animals, collecting birds’ eggs, or setting out poisoned baits for wildlife. Contact the police and if possible speak to a wildlife officer. Once those are made across the country, things will be easier — otherwise the problem is that the police do not know the laws and the forest/wildlife officers do not want to follow them.
What is wry neck in rabbits?
Wry neck is caused by a bacterium that gains access to the middle inner ear of rabbits. The bacterium causes fluid or pus to accumulate in the ear and causes the rabbit to twist or ‘wry’ its neck. This needs veterinary diagnosis and treatment.
Maneka Gandhi responds to queries raised by animal lovers across the city
Email your queries at: maneka@dnaindia.net
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