A Cowichan man has been charged with causing unnecessary pain and suffering to an animal in the case of a cat named Gigi. This is very disturbing. For any cat owners that let their pets roam, consider that your cat is hunting birds, mammals and reptiles while “causing unnecessary pain and suffering to an animal.”

I am aware of birds with missing tails and open wounds where they have been attacked by cats. Many animals are maimed by cats who then play with them during a slow painful death. There used to be quail and pheasants in my neighbourhood before cat owners moved in.

Sadly, these wonderful creatures have been killed off. It has been documented that cats have decimated the bird population around Rithet’s Bog and other conservation areas. For natural predators, if the number of prey animals diminish, the predator numbers also diminish due to less food, resulting in balance.

Domestic cats, on the other hand, are well fed and only hunt for sport. They will continue doing so until they prey species is depleted.

If you are disturbed by the torture of Gigi then you should be equally disturbed by the countless animals unnecessarily being tortured and killed by roaming cats. If you own cats, please keep them indoors. You have a moral responsibility to do so.

H. Maycock

Saanich