An update to this story from reporter Brad Woodard:

Shame on you Mr. Stevenson, and it is bad luck to kill a cat, my Grandmother always said this and I say it too, it's bad luck to kill a cat. Not to mention when you do a bad deed on any one of God's Creatures it comes back to you several fold, so you are not a nice person. The woman that wrote here that even thinks for one moment that killing and hunting a domesticated animal is right and condones this action is wrong too. If you like the rules in Australia on killing a domestic animal so much than maybe you should move there! I disagree completely with anyone who condones this mans actions in any way, and he shouldn't be killing the black crows either! I hope this one gets printed so I can say shame on you Mr. Stevenson and shame on your friends that have wrote here taking up for your bad actions! Tonya

In regards to Grace Bruner's comments, I don't condone shooting cats in the wild. However, I know Mr. Stevenson quite well, and I don't doubt that he has tried to get the cat situation in Galveston solved. However, people and the county just don't care about feral cats and the damage they do in the wild. It's not high on their list of priorities. The gentleman who claims these cats as his pets perhaps needs to take them for shots, feed them, get them spade or nuetered so they don't replicate and put them in crates, etc. under the bridge so that they don't kill endangered species of birds and other wildlife.

Charmaine,
I can see where you're going with this and I can try to understand, but comparing stray/feral cats to deer and racoon is apples and oranges.
Cats have been domesticated. They are not a "wild animal". These have been mishandled by humans and in order for those dumped to survive, they must hunt for food. If you were a species that counted on another to feed and shelter you and they didn't you would hunt too. Hunting is a natural process in which a species uses to nourish oneself. At least that's what my hunting human neighbor tells me.
I agree people are the cause, and people do need to be held responsible.

Maybe this little uproar over the cat being killed will get things changed. Feral pigs, rats and cats are the biggest challenge to our native species survival.

Getting cats and spayed and re-releasing them back into the environment doesn't do any good. Cats still kill animals and birds. Cats also carry diseases, are not given shots, are run over by vehicles, maimed and killed by dogs and other animals. This is supposed to be a good thing?

Feeding a wild animal does not make it a pet. If that was the case...then all the deer, birds raccoons etc. that we feed would all be considered our pets.

In parts of Australia they have to hold cat hunts because of the damage cats have done to Australia's native animals.

People are the cause & people need to be responsible.

Sincerely,

Charmaine

Mr. Stevenson you had no right to shoot that cat, I don't care what your reasons were. In fact you should be hiding your shameful face! Shooting feral cats is not a way to solve the problem. Here is an idea, instead of shooting these defenseless animals, why don't you get involved in trying to remedy the feral cat situation???

Grace Bruner
Mommy to a 5 month old shelter kitty as well as 3 great dogs.

Wow. I mean...just...wow.