[quote]Originally posted by Adam
[b]snip invalid ecological argument

As for your question whether we must let them live just because they
are alive, the answer is simply yes unless there is a serious reason
forcing us to do otherwise. According to our values (at least the
Judeo-Christian ones) all life is sacred and one must have good reasons
to take it away. (For instance, with the Cane Toad to answer your
question, I might have no other option if it threatens me and my
family. There is no such danger from stray cats.)
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Check this link re toxoplasmosis :
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasi...oplasmosis.htm
The summary - it's a lot like glandular fever, unless you are
pregnant. In this case, there is a high chance of miscarriage, still
birth or massive birth defects. The disease is spread only via cat
faeces. Most commonly, the cat dumps in a garden bed and people then
contract it while gardening.
My wife contracted this when we thought she might be pregnant. There
is a wait of 1-2 weeks for all the tests, and let's just say that this
isn't a fun time in your life. While we were speaking with the doctor
about options, he mentioned that they had recently had a still born
baby in our area caused by a toxo. infection
We don't own any cats, but there are 3 'community' cats that use our
yard as a litter box.
My neighbour is currently pregnant and we have several friends
expecting and so any cat that we catch on our property meets a fairly
rapid end.


In your position I wouldn’t spread the story about your wife. At least in the US, you guys would be in danger of being taken your children away for failing to follow the very minimal hygienic precautions necessary to avoid such diseases. Common sense should be enough but if you want them spelled out, read the home page you yourself quote:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasi...oplasmosis.htm
It’s not enough to recommend it to others you must READ IT YOURSELF (completely not “summarizing” it in your preferred way) and follow the fairly obvious advice on hygiene it contains. Otherwise, even if you exterminate all animals in your vicinity you’re bound to catch all sorts of diseases from other people, from food, from plants, etc. etc.
Also, you should be careful about the “fairly rapid end” met by strays in your property. I hope it is not less rapid than a phone call to the local Animal Control authority. I don’t know the Australian law but I do know that Australia is not Afghanistan-under-the-Talibans and I expect that anything else than proper euthanasia is illegal. Avoiding a ride to the local animal authority does not make you a heroic defender of your family only lazy, at best, and inhumane, at worst.