Along the Bay, official cat eradication programs meet opposition from a clandestine cat-lovers' group Along the Bay, official cat eradication programs meet opposition from a clandestine cat-lovers' group (April 26, 2002)

By Candice Shih

What to do when cats go wild has been the subject of a years-long discussion at NASA Ames and Shoreline Park. Scientists and policy makers say that the feral cats wreak havoc on Mountain View's wildlife, including numerous species that are endangered or threatened, like the burrowing owl.

But despite measure to remove the wild animals, cat advocates _ including some NASA employees _ feed the strays, while others are helping them find homes.
Unwanted kittens become predatory cats

"The cats have been reported to be killing the burrowing owls," said Penelope Delevoryas, the wildlife biologist at Shoreline Park. She said the cats prey on other endangered birds including the California clapper rail and the black rail as well.

The cats apparently aren't satisfied with birds. Sandy Olliges, chief of the environmental services office at NASA Ames, said they also eat the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse.

"They take food from other wild predators like hawks, skunks, raccoons, and foxes," said Delevoryas.

Furthermore, they are potentially dangerous to the ecosystem because they reproduce very quickly. According to Delevoryas, the incredible reproductive prowess of a single unspayed female cat will produce 3,200 cats in a twelve-year period, even factoring in the natural mortality rate.

Both NASA and Shoreline Park have made efforts to eradicate the cats, which are known to carry communicable diseases.

"They're not meant to live in the wild," said Olliges.

The cats, which have been a major problem for about ten years at NASA, are believed to have been domestic or are recent offspring of domestic cats. Some may have gotten lost but others were unwanted pets.

"There were kittens near the (Shoreline Park) gatehouse in a box. So, apparently, they got dropped off," said Delevoryas. "Some people drop off their animals because they think they'll do better in a park like this."

NASA is not immune to unwanted cats either. "People see Moffett as a wide open area," said Olliges. "We have litters that are dropped off here."

It is also possible that with the high turnover rate of residents at the military housing on and around Moffett, some cats may have been left behind by their owners.
Trap, spay, neuter and return

As a result of these problems, NASA instructed its employees not to feed the cats _ dozens of which are there now _ and implemented a trapping program.

"The reason that we're removing the non-native species is that we do have a population of protected species," said Laura Lewis, a NASA spokesperson who works with the chief veterinary officer. "It's our responsibility that we're good stewards of that and provide a safe habitat."

"The goal is to keep them away from the wetlands," said William Berry, the deputy director of Ames Research Center. "We're more tolerant of cats close to 101."

The current removal system involves the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service setting the traps and bringing the feral cats to a clinic to have them spayed or neutered and vaccinated. Cats with feline AIDS or feline leukemia are euthanized, said Sandi Stadler, superintendent of Animal Services in Palo Alto, which has received "federalized" cats from NASA.

Healthy cats are picked up and given away for adoption by members of the NASA Ames cat network, a small, secretive group of NASA employees. "The volunteers really care about these cats," said Stadler.

The feral cats, although desexed, are still unwanted at NASA so the volunteers must find other homes for them. Some of the cats end up at the Humanimal Connection, a Peninsula-based non-profit corporation, which helps place them.

"We have been helping the NASA Ames cat network relocate them in a humane way," said Judy Baker of Humanimal which has taken in 20-25 cats since September 2001. "We take the cats and socialize them."

According to Baker, the more tame feral cats are adopted into houses but, because some feral cats never become tame or socialized, some find homes on ranches, barns, and estates where there's more outdoor square footage.
Scapecatting?

Although some residents and scientists want to see the cats leave the Bay shore, others are disappointed to see them go.

"It's just a handful of cats now. It's kind of depressing actually," said a founder of the decade-old NASA Ames cat network, who refused to be named for fear of reprisal from her NASA employers.

"It's very easy to point the finger at cats," she said. "There is no wilderness here. It's not strange that the endangered species are going away. It's the human impact that's been killing off the endangered species."

She argued that because the wetlands "is not a pristine wilderness," with roads, storage areas, herbicides, and other manmade artifacts destroying it, cats should not be blamed.

She has also taken issue with NASA's policy of not allowing anyone to feed the cats. "If you feed an animal, it has less of a need to hunt," she said. "If your goal is to keep them away from endangered species, it's not a good idea to keep them hungry."

But Olliges disagreed.

"Feeding them seems to make them stronger and more able to carry out those behaviors," she said, adding that the food attracts other animals too, such as raccoons and skunks; they also prey on the endangered species.

Baker of Humanimal agreed with the anonymous cat network founder, saying that the feral cats are forced to feed on the available prey if they are not being fed. She also expressed concern for the trapping process.

"No one's there to really monitor the traps during the night. The cats have to stay there in traps all night long," said Baker.

But as Berry pointed out, "people have some strong emotional feelings about it on both sides."