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Letters to the editor Cat bylaw is just a money grabRe: New Oakville bylaw reins in roamingoutdoors from time to time. Indoor cats, accord-cats, Oakville Beaver, Jan 13.ing to the advice of veterinarians, must beHere we go again, another ill-thought-outregarded as zoo animals and require 15-20 two-law. Public input? Pshaw!minute human interactions a day. What exactly is to be gained from this new lawMy guess is many indoor cats suffer fromand what problem is it actually going to solve? Itbenign neglect in that regard. No doubt a catwill not address the underlying problem of catwould choose one year of outdoor life versus tenoverpopulation in any way whatsoever. years of indoor boredom. I would argue the only cats that are going toI would also argue many more dogs arebe easily caught in Oakville are those that haveexposed to poisons (cats are notoriously finicky),already been spayed and neutered (perhaps whenhit by cars (love to chase those tires), and suc-adopted from the humane society), micro-cumb to the elements (unless they are a north-chipped and wearing a collar. ern breed with a good fur coat).It will be the well-cared-for house cat, who isWhile the decline of songbirds is evident, thejust sitting there minding his own business, thatvast majority of studies point to habitat destruc-will be targeted and owners unfairly fined.tion and pesticide use and feral cat colonies asStudies have shown that it is the recent explo-the main culprits. sion of feral cat colonies that are mostly to blameOne study out of New Zealand found that catsfor population increase and that is because overdo a service in that they suppress the numbers ofthe last 30 years (due to animal rights activistsmore dangerous predators, such as rats, thuspressure) humane societies in North America noallowing denser populations of birds that wouldlonger euthanized cats (and dogs) the way theyexist without them. Yet, time and time again theused to, therefore population growth is no longerinformation the public is fed is that cat predationkept in check. is a major problem.This law will definitely result in tenuous rela-It should be noted that only 30 per cent of dogtions between neighbours. Cat owners will resentowners and 10 per cent of cat owners pay the $25dog owners as they watch Fidos gambol aboutand $15 licence fee in Toronto and enforcing thefreely in backyards and run off-leash through ourrules costs more per pet than the actual licencetrail systems without fear of penalty. (Whositself. Therefore, that city is seriously consideringpatrolling and fining dog owners for that ram-eliminating that law in favour of encouraging thepant violation?). tagging and micro-chipping of pets.The longevity of a cats life is irrelevant in thisThis new bylaw in the Town of Oakville isargument its the quality of life thats impor-quite simply another money-grab targeted attant. responsible pet owners/taxpayers who are alreadyMany cat owners believe that cats need theover burdened.fresh air and the mental stimulation of beingSHEELAGHROWLAND-BROWN,OAKVILLEElected officials must spend tax dollars wiselyRe: John Spencers letter, Mayors officemoney. Every dollar comes out of someone'sexpenses trivial, Oakville Beaver, Jan. 12 pocket. This letter is not to comment on the origi-Bill Gates started Microsoft in a garage.nal article as the residents of Oakville can comeThere were no elaborate offices. The companyto their own conclusions of how municipal taxwas successful because it offered a product thatdollars should be spent. This letter respondsthe public chose to purchase. Gates can spenddirectly to the writers comparison of chief exec-the profits any way he wants. utives in the private sector and elected repre-Elected officials and all employees paid withsentatives. public funds are entrusted to spend tax dollarsThere is a huge difference the writer over-wisely and prudently with oversight to ensurelooks. In the private sector, companies mustthat every tax dollar is respected. We all mustearn a profit and compete in the free marketlive within our means and all levels of govern-before they have any money to spend on trap-ment must do the same. pings for their offices. Tax dollars are not privatePEGGYTUPPER,OAKVILLEMozzarella NOW OPEN IN OAKVILLE!BallSan Benedetto Water6 x 1.53$99Ltr Bottles$99th2Until Jan 30, 2011thUntil Jan 30, 20114Ricotta Cheese$99th1Until Jan 30, 2011$952501 Prince Michael Dr (at Dundas St.) (905) 257-9200$0021123-4 servings6-8 servingswww.palmapasta.com Family Size LasagnaLarge LasagnaHours: Monday to Friday 9 am - 7 pm, Saturday 9 am - 6 pm , Sunday 10 am - 4 pmValid until January 30th, 2011Valid until January 30th, 2011Not to be combined with any other offers.Not to be combined with any other offers.4HE )TALIAN &OOD 3HOPWWW PALMAPASTA COM7 Wednesday, January 19, 2011 OAKVILLE BEAVER www.oakvillebeaver.com