BOISE - For many people, when they hear "invasive species," quagga mussels and cheatgrass come to mind.
But you may be surprised to learn feral cats are also included in that category.
In fact, the Western Governors Association recently listed feral cats as number 13 in its top 50 highly invasive species register.
Dr. Jeff Rosenthal, a veterinarian and the CEO of the Idaho Humane Society, isn't surprised.
"Wherever you find people living you are going to find free-roaming cats, that's been the case since European colonists came to North America," says Rosenthal.
And he admits the animals have a big impact on native birds.
But Dr. Rosenthal says what is concerning is the Western Governors Association stating that invasive species, including feral cats, need to be eradicated.
"The government has a poor record of using very inhumane and ineffective means to control wild animal populations, we certainly don't want to see those kinds of historical inhumane methods applied to America's favorite pet," says Rosenthal.
And sadly, Diane Ayres, the president of Spay Neuter Idaho Pets or SNIP, says its already happening, even here in Idaho.
"In some of these places they are shooting them and poisoning them, trapping them and throwing them in the river to drown, so they will do that to all of them thinking the problem is gone but there is a food source and it’s a vacuum effect, and the food source will bring more in," says Ayres.
"Those methods have shown to not be effective at reducing cat populations," adds Dr. Rosenthal.
What Rosenthal says is effective, trapping and spaying or neutering, then releasing the feral cats back to where they were found so they can't reproduce.
"We're seeing fewer and fewer cats enter our shelter every year," says Rosenthal.
And it's not necessarily expensive to do.
SNIP has two locations where people can get free traps to catch feral cats then bring them back to be fixed.
"It's five dollars a cat, regardless of sex, and if they can’t afford it we don't push them for it, we just want to get them fixed," says Ayres.