Councillor Shelley Carroll is proposing a by-law to stop free roaming outdoor cats. It this a solution to a problem we never had? Is this a one stop catch all by-law that casts too wide a net for a city like Toronto?

It should not apply to neighborhoods that are not as dense such as quieter Toronto suburbs. 

It is inhumane to stop cats from freely roaming the outdoor neighborhood.

It should be at the owners discretion to accept that freely roaming cats are a danger to themselves due to vehicles and predators. Pet owners should be able to make judgment calls if their neighborhoods are too dangerous and/or busy for a cat to roam freely. 

It is better for a cat to live a free roaming life, albeit risks of a shortened life span, than to keep it in a house cage for it's 20 years lifespan. A cat is an agile creature like a squirrel and lives to enjoy the nooks and crannies of the outside world.

Cats are a natural predator that keeps the mice population in control.

One reason is that it cites a study from "2013 Environment Canada study that found that cats were responsible for the death of about 200 million birds across the country each year."

How can we know if cats are killing 200 million birds a year? Are we better off with an extra 200 million birds every year? Then what is the population control for birds when pigeons patiently wait at our feet for a piece of street dog?

Why does the cat come home to eat 3 times a day if it's so freely able to feed on birds outside?