Feral cats have roamed a Navy-owned island off the coast of Ventura for decades. But the time has come to get every last cat and kitten back to the mainland.
According to the Ventura County Star, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is about to begin an ambitious program to remove all the feral cats from San Nicholas Island. It seems the cats are preying on shorebirds, seabirds and other endangered species, and the only way to save that wildlife is to get rid of the hunters.
At first, the plan was to just kill all the cats. But there was an uproar, protests coming in from across the country. Now the wildlife service will team with the Humane Society to remove the cats. Those that are deemed healthy enough will be taken to the mainland and put up for adoption. The others will be euthanized.
It's not going to happen overnight. It's estimated the project will take anywhere from one to two years to complete.
