For years we have been fighting on two fronts to protect the Petaluma wetlands and its native creatures. The Dutra front started in 2006. Earlier than that there has been an battle with advocates of feral cats. PWA docents helped craft a code section in 2004 that led to the banning of feral cat feeding in the wetlands and city parks. Ever since the cat people have been trying to remove these protections that have worked! Now Animal Services has crafted code revisions that authorize one non-profit organization to control feeding stations wihin the city and ensure that more than just feeding is done - appropriate shots and neutering, for example. The revised section would still ban stations in the wetlands or city parks but some cat extremists still want them there. There are 46 native species in our wetlands threatened by attack by the non-native feral or free-roaming cats. These are primarily ground-feeders. These include endangered species such as the Clapper Rail, Black Rail, Loggerhead Shrike, and the Salt Marsh harvest Mouse. The issue comes before the City Council as new business this Monday night (April 6th). The city wants to resolve this issue as the mayor and council persons are constantly bombared with sad stories about Fluffy and Curly (perhaps we should start naming our wildlife at the park!)

I am not against well-regulated feeding stations, although even neutered and well-fed cats will continue to kill for sport, as has been shown in scientific studies. I am primarily concerned with protecting the wetland creatures, however, since that is my charge.