To chime in, 

I'm all for progressive thinking.  Standard pest management should be a staple in any cultural institution, period.  That said, some historic houses inherit cat colonies. Population control of the colony influences the level of small critters captured.  

To be clear, Feral cats will not bring you dead presents. Only domesticated cats, which are also allowedout, will. Feral cats see you as a food source, not as an alpha and would not waste their catch as a gift, unlike a domesticated cat.  Feral cats are wild and have little to no trust for humans. 

Keeping traps still set inside the various site buildings should still occur.

I just need to make sure facts about feral cats is being accurately presented.  

More food for thought, 

Sarah Gillis

Assistant Registrar

Worcester Art Museum

Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Tablet

-------- Original message --------

From: "B. Broidy" <[log in to unmask]>

Date: 10/31/16 10:22 PM (GMT-05:00)

To: [log in to unmask]

Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Feral Cat Colonies as Vermin Control at Living History Sites

Stephanie, 

Cats might be a poor choice for pest control. They are voracious hunters and will not discriminate between the kind of prey you want them to control and other innocent species which could actually be harmed by overhunting. And there is also the "poop" issue. Outdoor cats go wherever, sometimes in the woods, sometimes next to the front door.... The same place where they might leave their "gifts" for the humans (dead and/or dying animals. Baby bunnies, baby birds, baby squirrels etc.)

As long as they're not an issue inside your buildings and they're not actually harming anything, you may have to just make friends with them.  

Barbra Broidy

JHU Museums Studies Graduate Student

-----Original Message-----
From: Stephanie Gilmore <[log in to unmask]>
To: MUSEUM-L <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Mon, Oct 31, 2016 3:53 pm
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Feral Cat Colonies as Vermin Control at Living History Sites

Hello Museum-L Community,

 

Does anyone have experience with feral (i.e. wild) cat colonies on your site to help control rodents? Perhaps if you work at living history museums? I am looking for an environmentally friendly way to control rodents around my museum, which has a lot of outdoor space and thus a fair amount of rodent activity.

 

Here in Colorado, we have several shelters that participate in a trap-neuter/spay/vaccinate-release program for ferals, so I imagine it might be possible to “relocate” some of those cats to the museum grounds to help control the rodents. I’ll certainly contact the shelters but I wanted to know if anyone out there has specifically had experience with feral cats at a museum or living history site with significant outdoor space.

If you have experience with feral cats at your museum or institution, I’d appreciate any advice you might have about it. Anything from how you started the program, how you provide vet care, whether you have noticed a great change in rodent activity, etc.? Any unforeseen consequences?

 

Disclaimer: I am an animal lover. If my museum goes forward with something like this, I intend to make it as humane as possible. I would ensure that our museum can provide shelter, food, and vet care. Also, I am referring to feral cats- not domestic ones. I will not proceed unless I know my museum can properly care for these animals in a humane way.

Thanks for your advice!

 

Happy Halloween!

 

Stephanie Gilmore

Curator of Collections

Colorado Railroad Museum

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