Joe Lhota has won the GOP nomination for mayor. As a result, tons of stray kittens and cats have let out a collective meow of horror. Recently, two adorable stray kittens became New York City celebrities when they became stranded on the subway tracks of a Brooklyn station and train service was halted as a result. Luckily for the cats, they were rescued by altruistic cops and MTA workers, who in compassionate fashion, made great efforts to capture the frightened felines. Most New Yorkers breathed a sigh of relief and commended those involved for their lifesaving work. Several mayoral candidates lauded the efforts and spouted their love for helpless kittens throughout the city.
But not everyone was so pleased by the incident. Sadly, and shamefully mayoral candidate Joe Lhota coldheartedly remarked he would not have stopped subway service to save the cats. Times like these demonstrate that yes, all humans share the same basic genetic makeup, but not all of us have the same heart.
And for those who blame the cats for halting subway service. Well I have news for you: the blame does not go on the kittens but on humans. The number of stray cats is an epidemic in this city. There must be laws requiring all cats acquired from shelters and other venues be spayed or neutered. And more importantly, the city must give more support financially and advertise spay neuter programs like the one the ASPCA runs. The ASPCA runs a trap neuter return workshop and a brief online class for those that can’t make the workshop. Both options result in a person becoming a certified trap neuter return rescuer. Those certified have the ability to spay and neuter an unlimited number of stray cats for only $5. If this program was supported more wholeheartedly, the homeless stray cat population would be greatly reduced and those two kittens never would have wound up on the train tracks shutting down train service.
In places where this trap neuter return program is instituted aggressively, stray cat populations have plummeted.
Richmond Hill
