By John McCormick,Chicago Tribune

MADISON, Wis. – Fluffy is in the crosshairs in Wisconsin, and the fur is flying as cat lovers nationwide rally to try to defeat a proposal under consideration Monday that could eventually lead to legalized shooting of stray cats.

Not since a highly emotional debate in 2000 over the creation of a hunting season for mourning doves has there been so much controversy over the killing of an animal in this state, a place where outdoor traditions run deep.

Already death threats have been made against the western Wisconsin firefighter who first proposed that hunters, farmers and others be allowed to kill free-roaming cats to control their population, estimated at a million-plus statewide.

The proposal meets its first formal hurdle Monday evening, when thousands are expected to provide an advisory vote at conservation hearings in each of the state’s 72 counties.

Horrified feline lovers and the Wisconsin Humane Society are encouraging opponents to attend the hearings, gatherings that have traditionally been dominated by hunters and outdoor enthusiasts.

The proposal – to classify feral cats as an unprotected species – would still need approval from the state Natural Resources Board and Wisconsin lawmakers.

A small-game license might be needed to kill a cat, depending on whether policymakers deemed them wild animals or a public nuisance.

A wild or feral cat is typically defined as one with no collar that does not show friendly behavior. Wildlife officials say studies suggest they kill millions of songbirds in Wisconsin each year.

For some, the elimination of such cats has long been considered part of the “sportsman’s code,” a way to protect game birds.

Many farmers and rural residents also routinely kill the animals. But shooting a cat is technically illegal in Wisconsin, even if the cat is harming livestock.

Mark Smith, a La Crosse, Wis., firefighter who traps and hunts, first made the feral cat proposal after he was angered by cats that prowl around his home’s birdfeeder. He did not return a phone call requesting an interview.

Before the proposal reached the statewide level, it was passed on a 53-1 vote a year ago at the La Crosse County hearing of the Conservation Congress, an advisory group to the state Department of Natural Resources.

AnnMarie Kutzke, a DNR employee who is an assistant to the Conservation Congress, said the state has received many telephone calls and e-mails from concerned cat lovers across the nation and in other countries.

“When you have a question of this nature, it brings people out,” she said, adding that turnout at Monday’s hearings could reach 40,000 people.

Kutzke said she is only aware of laws in Minnesota and South Dakota that allow feral cats to be shot, although others may exist.

Although the DNR has not studied the issue, a scientific basis often cited in the debate is a 1996 paper published by a University of Wisconsin professor who estimated there are 1.4 million free-range cats in the state, responsible for at least 7.8 million bird deaths each year.

But those trying to protect the cats question those numbers and say the felines should be treated as humanely as birds.

“We agree that cats don’t belong in the wild,” said Ted O’Donnell, who has helped organize a Web site and printed T-shirts in support of feral cats. “But this is probably the least progressive way to approach the feral cat issue.”

O’Donnell, a 30-year-old Madison pet store owner and self-described “cat freak,” is one of the leaders of the “Don’t Shoot the Cat” movement, an effort that has politely, yet forcefully taken on one of Wisconsin’s most powerful political lobbies: hunters.

Feral cats play an important role in reducing rodent populations, said O’Donnell, who has five cats. He said his group is also encouraging farmers to help spay and neuter them.

Hunters, especially those who live in the city and don’t see as much feral cat activity, are far from unified in support of the proposal.

“It’s probably not a good idea because you don’t know if you are shooting someone’s pet or a feral cat,” said Gary Dallmann, a turkey and deer hunter from Madison.

Others said they expect rural residents will continue to control the cat population as they see fit.

“Unless you eat them, I don’t see the point of killing them,” said Trygve Skalet of Waunakee, Wis.

Results of the feral cat vote, which is also being monitored by national animal rights groups, are not expected until Tuesday or Wednesday.

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