Galveston, Texas, January 12, 2025. It was raining. Jeanne and I drove through a subdivision of houses on stilts high enough to park cars under. Water pooled everywhere except for the road that was several inches higher than the yards filled with water. Jim Stevenson’s driveway entrance was hidden among the only trees and lush vegetation around. His house was on a rise in the dense greenery, and it was a bit spooky driving up the hill through what seemed like a dark tunnel.
I found Stevenson through some social media sleuthing. I had read about him for years, most recently in the book Cat Wars, by Peter Marra (2016). He is a legend in both birding and cat circles, for different reasons.
Stevenson is a famed birder and an excellent wildlife photographer. He founded the Galveston Ornithology Society in 1995 and takes people birding all over the world.
The Legend Begins
On the evening of November 7, 2006, Jim Stevenson was doing some birding on the west end of Galveston Island and noticed a feral cat stalking some Piping Plovers on the sand flats near the San Louis Pass bridge. What unfolded would galvanize the debate between bird lovers and cat lovers.
San Louis Pass bridge connecting Galveston Island in the foreground to San Louis Island. Photo credit Shutterstock K I Photography
Piping Plovers are federally listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act in 1985. Stevenson was frustrated because he had contacted Texas Parks and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about the many feral cats that had been harassing and most likely killing the birds. But the agencies had no interest in taking action, according to Stevenson.
The next morning, Stevenson took a measured and clear-headed act of desperation. He put a loaded .22 caliber rifle into his white Dodge van and drove to the bridge. He found the cat he’d seen going after the birds, took aim, fired, and killed it.
John Newland, a tollbooth attendant at the pass, had been feeding 30 feral cats under the bridge. He heard the shot from Stevenson’s rifle and called the police. Soon, Stevenson was in jail for “cruelty to non-livestock animals,” an offense that carries a maximum penalty of two years in jail and a fine of $10,000. He was released on bond and waited over a year for his trial by jury.
The Trial Begins
During the trial, Paige Santell, Galveston County’s assistant district attorney, said that Stevenson shot the cat in cold blood and that the cat died a slow and painful death, “gurgling on its own blood.”
Stevenson’s attorney argued that merely feeding a cat does not make a person the owner of the cat and that Newland had not taken the cat for vaccinations, licenses, or for spaying or neutering. Thus, the cat should be considered feral and a danger to the community and wildlife.
“Did the cat have a name?” the defense lawyer asked Newland on the witness stand. “Mamma Cat,” he replied.
The trial lasted three days, and the jurors deliberated over two days. Alas, they could not reach a verdict, and on November 16, 2007, the judge declared a mistrial.
Which Side Is Right?
Is the last of a species native to an area and protected under federal law more important than an alien species in no danger whatsoever of extinction? Environmental ethics is clear on the subject: the endangered species is more important. The cat is not supposed to be there.
Piping Plovers are a particularly vulnerable species because of its nesting habits on exposed beaches. Photo credit Jim Stevenson
If we continue to do nothing about the ever-increasing population of free-roaming cats, we will have more conflicts and fewer birds. “More birds and mammals die at the mouths of cats than from wind turbines, automobile strikes, pesticides and poisons, collisions from skyscrapers and windows, and other so-called direct anthropogenic causes combined,” writes Marra in Cat Wars. According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Smithsonian, cats kill on average 2.4 billion birds each year in the United States alone.
We Meet Stevenson
Eighteen years after the trial, Jeanne and I entered Stevenson’s home on that rainy morning. He’s a tall, slender, older gentleman with welcoming eyes. His calm voice left no doubt in our minds that he was a genuinely nice person. His living room was designed for watching birds, with large windows all around that offered views of native flowers, shrubs, and trees.
He invited us to sit on a couch with him, and we talked about birding, his ordeal with his arrest and trial, and his life after he was acquitted.
Stevenson and Jeanne in his home in Galveston. Photo credit R. Whitescarver
I asked him if Newland, the tollbooth attendant, was still living.
“Oh, you didn’t hear what happened to him? He gathered up the 30 cats from under the bridge, took them to his house, closed all the windows, and turned on the gas. He and all his cats died,” he said.
My heart sank. How could the conflict between birds and cats lead to suicide? This is the worst of all tragedies, and I am so sorry for this loss.
What Can We Do?
It’s not the cats’ fault. The fault lies with people who don’t care enough about their pets. It’s dangerous for domestic cats to roam free outdoors. Free-roaming cats don’t live as long as indoor cats because of all sorts of threats outside such as cars, poison, disease, cruelty, and coyotes.
There are four fundamental reasons why domestic cats should not be allowed to roam outdoors. First, it puts their lives in danger and they kill native animals. Cats also cause economic harm—for example, Americans spend millions on flea control. And last, they pick up and carry diseases and parasites such as feline leukemia, rabies, and worms. Cats can also transmit diseases to humans, including toxoplasmosis, cat scratch fever, and salmonella.
There should be a licensing protocol for cats like that for dogs to assure that they have proper vaccinations and registrations. Cats should receive the same care as dogs, and they should be allowed outside only while on a leash or in a catio.
A catio is an enclosed area that allows indoor cats access to the outside through a window. Photo credit Shutterstock, ARHsPhotos
How About All Those Feral Cats?
Trap, neuter, vaccinate, and shelter is the best approach to controlling the feral cat population. The health of these cats is restored, and new owners are screened. Trap, neuter, and return programs do not work. Cats that return to the wild or their feral colonies are exposed to the same health risks and prone to the same destructive behaviors. In either case, it’s almost impossible to capture and treat all the feral cats necessary to achieve zero population growth, and sadly, there will always be more people who abandon their pets.
Bird lovers and cat lovers alike should advocate for keeping domestic cats indoors. Localities should adopt licensing protocols and develop trap, neuter, vaccinate, and shelter programs.
The American Bird Conservancy has many resources to help cat lovers keep their pets safe.
The American Humane Society, PETA, and the Wildlife Center of Virginia recommend keeping cats indoors.
The post A Legend and a Tragedy–The Story of Jim Stevenson appeared first on Getting More on the Ground.
