THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 25, 1996 TAG: 9610250007
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 24 lines
It was interesting reading Guy Friddell's Oct. 9 column about the demise of a lowly ``trash'' bird, the English sparrow - or house sparrow, as it is called now. Mr. Friddell is at a loss as to why the species is vanishing, and even called upon ornithologists to offer an explanation. They seem to believe that the increasing numbers of finches have displaced the sparrows.
The real truth is that the sparrow is bigger and slower than the finch and, therefore, more vulnerable to cats. People who own cats do not have the foggiest notion of their cats' ability to kill. They believe that by keeping their cats ``well fed'' they won't hunt, but this has no effect because the urge to hunt is independent of a cat's urge to eat. These well-fed cats with their ``sport hunting'' are wasting our wildlife resources.
If we have to lock up our dogs and other animals, why not also the cat? It is gaining a reputation as a major predator of wildlife in the United States.
JOHN J. MARTIN
Norfolk, Oct. 10, 1996 by CNB