Petition to save the Barn Cats in the First State National Historic Park of Delaware

Petition to save the Barn Cats in the First State National Park of Delaware.We the undersigned are petitioning the Park Service of the First State National Park to refrain from trapping the cats, Beginning May 10th, 2023,for the following reasons.Delaware is a cat friendly – State as per H.B. 235 signed into law by Governor Carney.Our cats are community cats and as such they are not suitable for adoption and will be killed at the shelter. All Delaware cats are protected from abuse. Trapping them is clearly abuse as they will be killed.These cats have inhabited these barns since construction. Their tenancy goes back 200 years in our oldest barns. There are also homes within the park that maintain cats as both pets and rodent control as their homes attract rats by their very existence in an ecologically competitive environment.Throughout this time, cats have been the ecologically SAFEST form of rodent control.They should be grandfathered in for this park in a recognition for the service they have provided and as the safest means of control. Rat traps and poison are dangerous to people and the environment.These barn cats have been neutered and have had their shots.Many of these cats are native to the area and many have come from Faithful Friends as we try to assist in their placement.Park visitors can be advised that these are working cats and should not be handled. These cats are watched over by the barn personnel and boarders. They are maintained in a healthy state and all medical needs are addressed.It would provide positive public relations between the Park Services and the Park Residents to recognize the cat’s importance and work with us on preserving our cat population.In support, please provide us with your name, address and city and state and phone number and date and signature.

Linda Conway /Michael Caroselli    Contact the author of the petition