I must admit I did want to introduce it a little more delicately, but there is really no nice way to say bad things, and the truth is sometimes painful.. I don't have an opinion on eating cat or really any animal, I became a vegetarian a little over 66 years ago, I mind my own business with it. What you put in your mouth is not my affair, but the public health aspects terrify me; for both the human and feline homeless population...... I first started seeing the gut piles in about 2003, That's when I took up biking and spending my days riding along the river, I'm sure they may have been there before, but I didn't see them. My theory is I could see more from the bike, while finishing of the River Bike Path gave us access to areas previously only occupied by the homeless. For the first time many of us were sharing their world, as we whizzed by in bright spandex and trendy helmets, panniers full of picnic goodies and a book. I was never a racer, just a cruiser....I loved to stop and share a PBJ and a cup of Joe with a hobo. I seldom met a panhandler down by the river that I didn't share a bite with. My Uncle was a hobo and taught me how to ride the rods by the time I was 13, how to get on without getting run over by the next car etc ;) I loved him dearly, and remember many good times with the gentle sway of the boxcar putting me to sleep, clicka, clicka...shhhh.. I also remember being very hungry .My Uncle taught me that " if they're talking to themselves, leave em' be. they have all the company they can tolerate" Good advice.
Today's homeless seem a little rougher, a little more unbalanced, and really a bit scarier. In my youth they were mostly wino's and transients in general, not the behaviors we see with mental illness on the streets and trails today. A new aggression is in the air. This is not an environment where we should be dumping cats the morning after being spayed, or anytime for that matter. And, to make it worse we are dumping friendlies on top of existing ferals.
There is much being studied today about the dangers of interacting with stray and feral cats, and some brave souls are actually talking about the reality that cats are a food source for the homeless. Cats carry many parasites, a boatload of worms and disease in general..... Some, like toxo,may cause blindness and insanity. These same cats are being dumped on our schools and parks.Our most vulnerable populations are the most impacted by TNR, homeless, children and the low income . They dump there because there is less chance of reporting..But, I wander, back to cats as food...
I met Rodney a couple of years ago, he works the streets of Reno all day and sleeps near the Fisherman's park area,I will change detail to protect the people kind enough to talk with me.
I didn't know about Toxo when I first met him, but had noticed the smell of burned hair around his campsite. He was sick and was holed up by the river, becoming more paranoid, and now hearing voices, I got him to go to the mental health place, and he was better for a while. When the Toxoplasmis Gondhi discussions started I thought of Rodney. I finally found him last week, he just came back here for the summer from Sacramento.
I shared with him what I had learned about the dangers of eating cats, and other interactions homeless people had with them. He admitted that cats were a regular part of his diet, but was afraid he would go to jail if anybody " outside" knew. He did not agree to be tested and my concern remains, I could frighten him away. I know the cat loons would prosecute him to the max, because it is animal cruelty in this state. Please know, I don't think you can " humanely " kill a stray cat for dinner.. I am not trying to say cruelty is not involved... I am simply stating that you cannot throw a food source in front of a starving person and not expect them to utilize it. TNR is cruel on every level, but now we know it has serious health consequences as well. I would like to see that factored into the TNR movement. I also think we need to address the fact that many of these cats are cooked on the same grills in the park used by the public ...... Rabies is big ugly and fatal, it is not alone now in things to fear from feral cat interactions.........
