The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser

Should Feral Cats be Killed?

Written by

Bruce Gerencser

in

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feral cats in barn-008

Feral/stray cats in are in the news thanks to an Evangelical preacher who shot a cat three times and left it for dead in his church’s dumpster. Local discussions (and several comments on this site which I deleted) suggested killing the cats to get rid of them. Really? Is violence always the answer? Who is to blame for exploding outdoor cat populations? Not the cats. If people take in a pet of any kind, they are duty bound to care for the animal, and that includes not putting them outside to fend for themselves or killing them because they are an “inconvenience.”

Several stupid locals said that feral/stray cats are an existential threat to human survival. OMG, cats have diseases. Yes, they do, and so do humans. Should we euthanize humans if they are sick or have communicable diseases? Of course not. It is unfed, starving cats that tend to be sick. Solution? Feed them and provide shelter when it is cold. No, I fear humans far more than I do cats. Sure, cats can and do get sick, but euthanizing them should be the last resort.

How a person treats animals says a lot about them. Is it surprising that Revival Fires thinks it is okay to kill cats? Of course not. He’s a sociopath who says he loves Jesus. So it is for other people who relish offing cats for no other reason than they exist. They are not good people, and we should stop acting as if they are.

Bruce Gerencser, 69, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 48 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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Comments

12 responses to “Should Feral Cats be Killed?”

  1. BJW

    I can’t understand the cruelty of humans. No, I can’t.

    Reply
  2. Avatar
    matilddaa

    Anecdote: Small g/kids went to Tenerife where there is a large feral cat contingent. But the family noticed all the little stores, sold catfood and realised it was cos the many thousands of brits – and others no doubt – buy it to feed these strays. An ex-pat brit started a sanctuary for them and it was right by my family’s resort hotel and, along with many other kids, when asked to choose what to do that day, said ‘Go to see the cats next door.’ It opens daily to an adoring public! My mathematically-inclined 9yo g/son texted me that his 11yo sister had stroked nearly 200 cats, though he wasn’t sure how many were duplicates, but he wanted her to reach that 200+ target before they left the Canary Islands. When I was on another island, at dusk, I saw hedgehogs eating from the bowls of catfood left out for them near tourist hotels, so that was good to see too.

    Reply
  3. Avatar
    Yulya Sevelova

    So, lots of people were commenting that cats without owners should be killed ?? If people would get their cats neutered and spayed,there wouldn’t be a problem with feral cats to begin with! Also, these cats and kittens are often abandoned, and may form colonies. TNR is certainly better than the shooting that’s being advocated by the jerks out there. I looked up this pastor there in Oregon and neighbors are protesting what he did. And Pumpkin,the cat he shot, wasn’t a ” stray” at all. He has an owner. Unfortunately he was an indoor/ outdoor cat, like most cats are. Now he’ll have to stay inside for his own safety. And Pastor Poophead is in the doghouse.

    Reply
  4. Aram McLean

    Here where I live in central Germany, the going policy is to round up the strays, take them to the animal shelter, neuter them there and give them their shots, then either get them adopted, or for the really feral ones, simply release them again to the wild. Yes, I know some people are against chopping away other animals’ reproductive bits, but compared to the alternative, it feels like the best option.
    On the flipside, here in Germany they round up and kill raccoons as a matter of course.

    Reply
  5. Ted M. Gossard

    More than disgusting. Just another reason why I would want to avoid such people. Do they somehow think this is related to their “mission”? Just be human and humane. Cats are living beings too, meant to be cared for and loved.

    Reply
  6. Avatar
    Jeff Bishop

    Agree Bruce.
    Troglydite Revival Fire sociopaths. Killing kittens for Jesus.

    Reply
  7. Avatar
    ObstacleChick

    I will never understand people who are mean/cruel to animals. What does that accomplish?

    Reply
    1. Avatar
      Asphalt-Type Person

      They probably believe humans have to compete with animals, and they’ll take over if we don’t deal with them.
      Of course, they also think that about their fellow humans.
      They think something has been “stolen” from them, and it will take violence to get it back.

      Reply
  8. Avatar
    Barbara Jackson

    Trap, Neuter, and Return (TNR) is the best option for feral cats they have territories, and if 1 cat is killed, another just comes in to take that cat’s place.

    The other thing most people do not know about domestic cats is they can breed any time of year, and so have more litters than wild cats. This happened during the domestication process. My great dream is if a virus were created which could change domestic cats so they could breed only once a year, and we could spread it all over the country, but right now this is a dream.

    Reply
  9. Avatar
    arbiterluminous26a39dfbe3

    My workplace has a feral cat colony that has been cared for by kind volunteers for years. They were all spayed or neutered, and though shy (best for their survival), they have been healthy, happy and safe.

    Reply
  10. Avatar
    Jenny

    I was raised hardcore Evangelical, where we were regularly reminded that animals have no souls and were treated poorly…and often abused (no surprise, since even us humans were abused). You can’t justify cruelty no matter what excuse you give. What’s really sick is immediately resorting to violence instead of seeking out real, available solutions.

    Reply
  11. Avatar
    John S.

    Bruce great article. Sorry I’ve been away for a little while. Anyone who would hurt a cat 🐈 or other animal (outside of obvious situations like defense of self or other person/animal, etc.) needs to be arrested for animal cruelty, including this Pastor. People who are cruel to animals are often cruel to human beings as well.

    I still miss our cat 🐈‍⬛ Bella, who we had to put to sleep a little over a year ago. They are awesome companions. Of course Revival Liars wouldn’t understand this because he lives in an imaginary cosplay world where his religion allows him to be the asshole that he is. I hope someday maybe experiencing affection from a cat or dog will change his personality for the better. Apparently religion hasn’t done anything for him so far.

    Reply

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