Posted 3:56 PM by Floyd

The San Jose Mercury News publishes letters from schoolkids on Saturdays. These opinions are usually awful, but even the youngest letter-writer isn't as dumb as this grownup:

Wildlife victimized by feral cats

Regarding the outcry about the feeding of feral cats along the Guadalupe River (Page 3B, Oct.):

Will anyone ever speak up for all the wildlife that is killed by feral cats? Why don't these cat lovers talk about all the songbirds, frogs, lizards and mice that are being killed by these cats?

While cats and dogs are fed with a silver spoon, we have wildlife that is suffering -- wildlife that is in major decline in our urban wildlife corridors. Feral cats are a major contributor to the songbird population decline in our wild places. Feral cats do not belong in wildlife corridors.

These cat lovers need to look at the big picture. They need to understand that feral cats do major harm to our wildlife and need to be eliminated from our wildlife areas.

John B. Wardell
Santa Clara

What does "feral" mean? It means, uh, "wild." The statement "feral cats do major harm to our wildlife" can be restated as "wildlife does major harm to our wildlife". If you really looked at the "big picture" you would realize that songbirds are tasty, and other wildlife want to eat them.

An "urban wildlife corridor" -- also known as a "park" -- is in close proximity to lots of pet cats and dogs. The only way to guarantee the existence of every songbird who lives near the Guadalupe River would be to exterminate every cat in the San Jose metropolitan area. I imagine that Wardell is just weird and senile enough to desire this.