Do Not Take in a Stray Cat

choi

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(1) Dr. John de Jong, Stray Cat Is Yours Now. Boston Herald, June 12, 2011.

One will have to pay to read it. There is no pirated copy in the Web. It is worth the money, though.

Unless you are a cat person, likely you will not bother to pay to read it. Here is a summary from my memory: A cat owner brought in a wild cat to live with the owner. The former wild cat had a health issue that required vet care (including vaccination) which would cost a bundle. The vet answered that "the cat is yours now" because somehow state law prohibited the new owner from pushing the former wild cat out of the door.

The veterinarian, Dr de Jong, practices in Massachusetts, but I do not know what specific law he referred to when he wrote, "Finally, you cannot let this cat out, even if you watch it — otherwise you are in violation of the law" where a kind-hearted person had taken in a stray cat, which was "this cat" in the quotation.

(2) Feral Cats; Issues & answers: feral and free-roaming cats. Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(MSPCA)–Angell Animal Medical Center, undated.
http://www.mspca.org/programs/cat-campaign/feral-cats.html
("A free-roaming cat is a tame cat who is friendly toward people, and can either be a cat that has an owner but is allowed to roam outside, or a cat that was formerly owned, but has been abandoned or lost.  A feral cat, however, is the wild-born offspring of free-roaming or other feral cats.  Feral cats are not socialized and are not suitable pets")

(3) Moving Wildlife is Harmful!  (... and Ineffective...and Illegal). MssWildlife (Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game), undated.
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/living/moving_wildlife.htm
("Finally, for the protection of wildlife and people, Massachusetts law prohibits the capture and re-location of wildlife. * * * This law has been in effect for many years, protecting both people [from catching diseases, such as rabies] and wildlife")

A feral cat is part of wildlife. Under Massachusetts law, it is illegal to take in.

(4) Home page of
AlleyCat.org
http://www.alleycat.org
("Get Informed[:] Feral cats have a home – outdoors! And although they appreciate a can of cat food, they don’t want to snuggle with you on your couch.")

(4) If anything, you can bring it to test if the wild cat has a micropchip implanted under its skin, to locate the owner who may have been out looking for it.


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