Letters to the Editor for May 17, 2024

Feral/outdoor cats should not be demonized

To the editor:

I’m really looking forward to reading the weekly Alameda Post offerings and I am always impressed by the variety of articles and the level of journalism that your missives provide. Last week, however, I was shocked, frustrated and disappointed to read the article “Know Our Wild Birds – Keep Them Safe by Keeping Cats Indoors” by Deborah Crooks.

While I also love wild birds and can appreciate the author’s passion for them and the importance of protecting wildlife, I felt that her article demonized cats, glossed over the many serious issues surrounding wild/feral cats in our community, and, To be frank, it was completely inaccurate.

The article used emotional trigger words to describe outdoor cats, such as “prowl,” to suggest that outdoor cats are “killers.” By recommending that people “not feed feral or stray cats,” the article also downplayed the enormous efforts that volunteer cat caretakers and nonprofit cat rescue groups are undertaking to collaborate with the public to solve this very human problem (not feline). . Instead of helping to protect the bird population, not feeding outdoor cats increases the likelihood that birds will be killed. If a feral/outdoor cat colony does not receive support, the colony’s population will spiral out of control and sick and hungry cats and kittens will be forced to forage for food, exponentially increasing the likelihood of the problem the author seeks to mitigate.

Studies have shown that outdoor cats that are members of a managed colony have stable populations, with the cats having been subjected to TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return). Outdoor cats live outdoors through no fault of their own – neglect, lack of veterinary care, a product of the socioeconomic problems faced by Bay Area residents. And outdoor cats managed by volunteer caretakers don’t need to attack wild animals like small birds.

The author’s message is well received for pet cats whose owners may choose to keep them indoors after reading this article, but the message the author is telegraphing to readers about outdoor cats is extremely dangerous – that cats that live outdoors should be feared, avoided, abandoned, and left to their own devices. Rescue groups and their volunteers work hard to try to solve problems related to outdoor cats and their place in our community. But this article presents a one-dimensional representation of a much more complex issue.

Outdoor cats are here to stay. Best practices are being employed in our community to resolve the situation. TNR really works. And to be effective, we need the support of community members. To gain this support, rescue organizations need people in the community to care about and respect those doing the hard “boots on the ground” work in trying to solve the problem. This article makes the problem bigger and the job of rescuers and first responders even harder by turning public sentiment against “cat lovers” and outdoor cats.

Emma Pigott
Alameda resident and cat rescue volunteer

Vote for Andre Sandford for State Assembly District 18

To the editor:

My name is Andre Sandford and I am a candidate for State Assembly District 18. I was born in Detroit, Michigan, where I learned to work and support my family. I later attended Jacksonville State University, earning my bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts/Criminal Justice and master’s degree in Behavioral Science. I have more than eight years of leadership experience in behavioral sciences.

I decided to run for State Assembly District 18 in July 2023 due to an assault that involved my family. I have decided to fight to ensure that the citizens and businesses of District 18 have a safe place to live, work and conduct business. I intend to make this happen by conducting quarterly assessments of people’s concerns. I intend to release a public safety plan to increase police, reduce the public safety budget, create a state public safety committee, eliminate Proposition 47, create a commercial camera service that streams live to police 24 hours a day ( paid by the company) and increase the number of neighborhood watch committees.

I will work to create a robust entrepreneurial district that everyone in District 18 can enjoy. I will work to reduce payroll and corporate taxes. I will lobby for a state of emergency to provide relief to our businesses and provide additional police funding to revitalize our business community.

I will fight to create more affordable housing for middle-class families and the homeless. I will work to develop land opportunity grants for single-family homes to ensure families can build affordable homes in District 18 and across the state. I will rebuild SB 423 to ensure that all affordable housing allocates 30% of its units to low-income families and individuals. Once elected, I will create a bill that will reduce building permit fees for single-family homes to $1,000 to $2,000 and minimize impact fees to $1,000 per new home.

I intend to fight for our children and teachers by ensuring we never cut our education budget. Protecting our education budget will prevent layoffs and school closures and allow us to hire teachers. I will fund a program called Microsociety so that our students can learn how to create their own society and become entrepreneurs to ensure they can compete globally. Finally, I will work tirelessly to reduce class sizes to 15 to 17 students per class.

André Sandford,
District 18 State Assembly Candidate