Will you boycott Portofino and the other Loews Hotels because of this issue?

[bumbershoot]

Disney is not a bubble that magically manages to keep feral cats out. They must have some too. What do they do with theirs....build them a castle? Maybe Disney has been sending them to shelters all along. How do we know?

I know that DisneyLAND has feral cats actually in the parks! They feed them and try to catch them to spay or neuter them, but they let them live there. There's one big GORGEOUS cat that lives in DCA and I've seen him/her roaming around the grounds of the Grand...


I figure if Universal has made an annoucement that they are doing this, it means there's a *problem*. If they have such a problem that they are having to change what they have done in the past, I don't even want to THINK about how big a problem it must have become.

 

[patster734]

I'm afraid of cats, so if they were roaming around it would make me on edge. Makes no logical sense why i'm afraid as I love dogs in spite of being bitten when small. I think having a block for guests with pets is good as the guests are still responsible for their pets, but wouldn't want a room in that block.

Thank for the explanation. I understand!

 

[k&a&c'smom]

No, this policy would not change my plans, or cause me to boycott Loews Hotels. It is not in my signature, as I am mostly on the Disney section of the boards and my sig is getting too large, but we have stayed at HRH twice and RPR once. We plan to return this spring to whichever has the best deal.

I am an animal lover, have had cats and dogs all my life, but I know there are instances where animals must be euthanized for the health and safety of humans and other animals.

Any feral cat population is going to be a problem eventually. I'm surprised the hotels have been catching them and releasing them again, if that is indeed the case. Maybe they thought they could help, then realized this was not a good solution.

As far as feeding them to trap them, I can't think of a better way to catch a feral/wild animal. Where I live the conservation dept. uses this method for skunks, opossums and other wildlife.

 

[cgrobin]

A former Bellman, started to care for the cats approximately 8 years ago. All the cats were neutered, vaccinated (and are updated annually) and have feeding stations away from guest area.

There has never been a problem with the cats. (The last animal incident, was a guest's dog which killed another guest's dog.)

Loews management has simply decided they want them gone. So they hired a pest control company to trap them and take them to animal control where they will be killed. These are not dangerous, wild cats. They are cats that are leery of humans other than their caregivers and used to living outdoors.

There are approximately 8 cats at one hotel, and 12 at the other. All other cats who have shown up or were born in the area have been found homes. Care TNR, a non-profit has assisted with managing and providing medical care for the cats.

Loews has now banned anyone from feeding the cats, including employees under threat of being fired. The have refused to work with animal support groups to find a humane solution.

People are mad because Loews has gone from what Animal Services called a model Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage program, to down right animal cruelty. They refused to discuss the situation with colony support organizations or Animal Control.

http://www.catster.com/the-scoop/bu...ing-and-relocating-feral-cats-to-kill-shelter

For many of us, putting these harmless cats to death is unforgivable. For others, it might be if Disney dealt with the birds in Frontierland by shooting them down. Or Sea World started getting dogs from shelters to use as whale food.

While some of us live in Orlando and wouldn't need to stay on site at Universal, we have family and friends who ask where to stay. We also travel, and won't be patronizing Loews Hotels anywhere.

 

[General Panic]

Their policy here wouldn't make me change my plans. Not a pet lover but not a cat hater either but i wouldn't want a possible disease carrying beast around me on Vacation.

Just how long does an abandoned cat take to become a wild one? , does it ever become less of a threat? I surely don't know but am more happy the hotel is removing them and putting them "to sleep". It's not like their just going out with a stick beating them to death in front of guests , thats "killing" from my pov here.

 

[glocon]

No, it will not make me boycott either. In fact, I am planning to make ressies in the near future. If I stayed at a resort with small children, and feral cats were roaming around, I would worry they might innocently try to pet one and then might get scratched or bit, not to mention the fleas. I think Lowes is being responsible by trying to keep their patrons safe, and their patrons safety and health should be held to a higher regard than feral cats.

If there was an option for a no kill shelter, vs a kill shelter, than for sure I would say bring them to the no kill shelter, but I still think the health and safety of the guests at their resorts has to have priority over feral cats.

Not to mention the smell of cat pee in the bushes being unpleasant....
Not the ambieance a resort wants to have for their guests.

If there is a humane way to get rid to the feral cats, than that should be the way to go, but I don't blame them for wanting to get rid of them.

 

[damo]

No, it will not make me boycott either. In fact, I am planning to make ressies in the near future. If I stayed at a resort with small children, and feral cats were roaming around, I would worry they might innocently try to pet one and then might get scratched or bit, not to mention the fleas. I think Lowes is being responsible by trying to keep their patrons safe, and their patrons safety and health should be held to a higher regard than feral cats.

If there was an option for a no kill shelter, vs a kill shelter, than for sure I would say bring them to the no kill shelter, but I still think the health and safety of the guests at their resorts has to have priority over feral cats.

Not to mention the smell of cat pee in the bushes being unpleasant....
Not the ambieance a resort wants to have for their guests.

If there is a humane way to get rid to the feral cats, than that should be the way to go, but I don't blame them for wanting to get rid of them.

Also, not to mention the number of birds that the feral cats kill and leave lying around.

 

[RMulieri]

It didn't stop me back in Jan 2012 and is not stopping me now as I make ressies for December 2012

 

[bumbershoot]

Also, not to mention the number of birds that the feral cats kill and leave lying around.

My experience with even semi-feral cats (the one that adopted us and then the one litter of kittens she had before we could touch her and hold her and take her to the vet) is that a cat catches a bird to EAT. So why would they be leaving them around?

 

[damo]

My experience with even semi-feral cats (the one that adopted us and then the one litter of kittens she had before we could touch her and hold her and take her to the vet) is that a cat catches a bird to EAT. So why would they be leaving them around?

I'm sure they eat their fill but catching birds for fun is a cat sport too no matter how well they are fed. Cats often leave "gifts" of prey that they have caught lying around.

There are many articles about the problems of cats and birds.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/feral-cat-US.html#cr
http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/cats/index.html
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/science/2011/06/12/a-soft-furry-stone-cold-killer.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/magazine/02cats-v--birds-t.html?pagewanted=all

We have a vacation home on an island South Carolina and there is a feral cat problem. The diminishing bird population is a major concern.

 

[beachgirl2000]

No. In fact I appreciate the fact that there are no wild cats roaming the property. I don't want to see them killed! What other choice does Loews have? Also cats scare me so if I saw a family of wild cats during my stay I would complain.

 

[AJA]

How else can you deal with a wild cat?

My family has worked very closely with animal rescue, being foster family for dogs (and adopting abandoned cats). Wild is a whole different story, have you ever caught/trapped a wild kitten? We have and they are VERY tough. A wild full grown cat is even worse. You can't catch them to spay/neuter them, they can carry disease to other house cats in the area. I actually support the hotels in dealing with the population. Believe me every single town/city deals with WILD animals in the same way. Private organizations that have an ability to deal with feral animals are few and far between.

Personally we live in rural farm country and have trapped and taken wild kittens to be humanely euthanized (what else can you do? they cannot be adopted) no I do not blame the hotels for doing the same thing.

 

[macraven]

i posted my opinions in the original thread on this topic.
no need for me to repeat all of what i said before.



no way would i boycott the Loews onsite hotels.

i have a ressie for this year's stay onsite.
the only way that reservation would be cancelled is if i died.


i'm a cat lover, am an owner of two cats.
well, technically, they own me.

 

[CPanther95]

I have 3 dogs and 2 cats all from 3 local no-kill shelters. All 3 shelters are packed to the brim with dogs and cats and are limited by the donations received.

Let the idiots complaining on Facebook start an adoption waiting list or start a fundraiser that will house these cats in a feral cat sanctuary. If they won't put their money where their mouth is when it comes to saving the lives of cats, it is even less likely that they will have any impact with a luxury hotel boycott.

 

[Rip]

I have 3 dogs and 2 cats all from 3 local no-kill shelters. All 3 shelters are packed to the brim with dogs and cats and are limited by the donations received.Let the idiots complaining on Facebook start an adoption waiting list or start a fundraiser that will house these cats in a feral cat sanctuary. If they won't put their money where their mouth is when it comes to saving the lives of cats, it is even less likely that they will have any impact with a luxury hotel boycott.

This.

We don't even have anymore no-kill shelters. The only one we had changed its policy a few weeks back (after less than a year, I believe) because they could no longer function. They were overcrowded and underfunded.

Apparently the cats have become a nuisance and therefore Loews has decided to get the off the property. I have no problem with that.

 

[JessicaR]

Nope.

 

[edamethyst]

If they are controlling the situation in a humane way then no I wouldn't change my plans, they have to control it and as long as it was done in the best possible manner that they could find then you can't ask them to do more than that but if it came out that there was actual animal abuse going on at a hotel then yes, that would change my mind immediately, I would not support that.

 

[RMulieri]

I have 3 dogs and 2 cats all from 3 local no-kill shelters. All 3 shelters are packed to the brim with dogs and cats and are limited by the donations received.

Let the idiots complaining on Facebook start an adoption waiting list or start a fundraiser that will house these cats in a feral cat sanctuary. If they won't put their money where their mouth is when it comes to saving the lives of cats, it is even less likely that they will have any impact with a luxury hotel boycott.

I so agree with you.

 

[n2mm]

No.

 

[doombuggy]

A former Bellman, started to care for the cats approximately 8 years ago. All the cats were neutered, vaccinated (and are updated annually) and have feeding stations away from guest area.

There has never been a problem with the cats. (The last animal incident, was a guest's dog which killed another guest's dog.)

Loews management has simply decided they want them gone. So they hired a pest control company to trap them and take them to animal control where they will be killed. These are not dangerous, wild cats. They are cats that are leery of humans other than their caregivers and used to living outdoors.

There are approximately 8 cats at one hotel, and 12 at the other. All other cats who have shown up or were born in the area have been found homes. Care TNR, a non-profit has assisted with managing and providing medical care for the cats.

Loews has now banned anyone from feeding the cats, including employees under threat of being fired. The have refused to work with animal support groups to find a humane solution.

People are mad because Loews has gone from what Animal Services called a model Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage program, to down right animal cruelty. They refused to discuss the situation with colony support organizations or Animal Control.

http://www.catster.com/the-scoop/bu...ing-and-relocating-feral-cats-to-kill-shelter

For many of us, putting these harmless cats to death is unforgivable. For others, it might be if Disney dealt with the birds in Frontierland by shooting them down. Or Sea World started getting dogs from shelters to use as whale food.

While some of us live in Orlando and wouldn't need to stay on site at Universal, we have family and friends who ask where to stay. We also travel, and won't be patronizing Loews Hotels anywhere.

Thanks for posting this explanation. I have seen/heard about the "homes" that they had on property for these ferals. The problem is with Critter Control, the pest control company that they hired to trap these cats. They are leaving the traps unmonitored. This is NOT how you are supposed to trap a feral cat. I learned a bit aobut it last year as I was getting ready to trap a stray in my neighborhood. Once trapped, they should be covered and taken to a vet (exactly what I did with Dallas; he now lives with me and the guy in my avitar). The cats that Critter Control are catching in their traps are being injured. if you go to CARE Feline TNR's Fb page, you can see photos of some of these cats. This is the problem folks. Lowe's claims that this is being done humainly and it isn't. Wouldn't stay there, I am local, but the way they have handled this situation doesn't make me want to give them any of my hard earned cash. I don't work two jobs a week for nothing!