Foot-long worms are infecting cats in the United States

Free-range house cats a source of zoonotic disease, such as parasitic worms. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.

Readers know that free-range house cats not only kill millions of native wildlife each year in the U.S. but also pose serious disease issues to the environment and people. Typically, these disease threats focused on rabies and toxoplasmosis. Now it appears that worms, foot-long worms, are yet another issue. To learn more visit the research that was done at Cornell University Cornell University Original Study.

I can only imagine how the free-range cat lobby will respond to this latest evidence regarding the potential presence of foot-long worms.

About the Author

Stephen M. Vantassel is a Certified Wildlife Control Operator (CWCP®) who helps individuals, businesses, and agencies resolve wildlife damage issues through training, writing, expert witness, and research. His latest books are the Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3^rd edition and The Practical Guide to the Control of Feral Cats. He can be contacted at wildlifecontrolconsultant at gmail dot com.

If you would like your publication, video, or product reviewed, please contact the author at the e-mail above.

Copyright

All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

National Wildlife Control Training Program

Despite rapid growth within the wildlife damage management industry, many states still

lack meaningful training standards and requirements. Wildlife agencies often lack the staff, funding, and expertise required to create a training program for wildlife control operators (WCO). The authors, who bring more than 70 years of experience to the field, believe the time is right to provide a core training program for WCOs.

National Wildlife Control Training Program, 119 8x5x11-inch pages, is written by Stephen M. Vantassel, Paul D. Curtis, and Scott E. Hygnstrom with technical assistance from Raj Smith and Lynn Braband. This is a preliminary draft and is open for comments. The authors want state regulators, company trainers, and sole proprietors to know that the training is being adapted for online training. Training can be adapted to individual state and company needs.

Contents of the National Wildlife Control Training Program

Training consists of two sections: Section 1 delves into core training that every WCO should know regardless of state or animals being controlled. Section 2 covers the species and species types that WCOs would typically encounter. Species modules address biology, damage and its identification and effective control techniques available for management of the species.

Section 1 Core Training Modules:

Principles of Wildlife Damage Management – Introduction to principles, definition of concepts, best practices concepts.
Physical Safety – The section on physical safety (like ladder safety) and expand on details related to working in the field dealing with animal capture and certain control techniques.
Wildlife Diseases – We discuss personal safety, personal protection equipment, common diseases, and the meaning and problems of zoonotic diseases.
Site Inspection – The process and theory of on-site investigation of wildlife damage complaints.
Overview of wildlife control methods – The overview of control methods prepares technicians for the control techniques they fill find in the species specific information.
Animal Handling—Treatment and capture of free-ranging and trapped animals.
Euthanasia & Carcass Disposal—Killing methods and options for the disposition of carcasses.
Business Practices – Overview of standard business practices and legal issues.
Legal and Ethical Issues – The importance of following federal, state and local laws. Demonstration of values, business and personal ethics, the ethical treatment of wildlife (animals in general) in the media.

Section 2 Species Modules

Tree Squirrels (fox, gray, red, and flying): biology, damage, and control methods.
(Other species modules are under development).

How to Purchase Your Copy

Books cost $20.00 plus shipping. Contact store for bulk and dealer pricing.

Nebraska Maps and More

Phone (402) 472-3471 8-5 M-F Central Time. MC/Visa accepted.

On-line purchases Click National Wildlife Control Training Program