Cats are wonderful pets. Most indoor cats are clean, relatively self-reliant, and an affectionate cat is a terrific source of companionship. It's easy to understand why so many cat-lovers exist.

Cats in the wild, however, are a problem. They are nature's thrill-killers -- animals that kill birds and other wildlife for no other purpose than feline recreation. Despite their reputation for rodent control, cats that run loose are, from an ecological standpoint, an invasive species. They are no more valuable to Wisconsin's woodlands than carp are to Wisconsin's lakes.

For years, the problem of cats devouring Wisconsin wildlife has been ignored. That suddenly changed when the Wisconsin Conservation Congress proposed making feral cats an unprotected species, which would allow hunters to shoot them. The advisory question, offered by La Crosse firefighter Mark Smith, will be put to a vote when the WCC holds meetings in all 72 counties April 11. Monroe County's meeting is 7 p.m. at Tomah High School.

Opponents are horrified. They denounced the proposal as inhumane (as if a dead cat is worse than a dead bird) and that the real solution is to spay and neuter pets. Unfortunately, the call to spay and neuter cats falls on too many deaf ears, and the loose-cat problem is worse than ever. The hunting option has appeal because it's something that might actually work.

Cats, of course, aren't the only domestic animals that wreak havoc on the countryside. Six years ago, unsupervised dogs in the town of Tomah invaded private property and killed several pets and small livestock. Regulation of domestic animals has been woefully lax -- the Asian Carp, for example, was imported to control weeds on an Arkansas aqua farm -- and the ecological impact has been profound.

Realistically, a hunting season for feral cats has little chance of being enacted. Even if the WCC advisory question is approved, it's difficult to imagine the state Legislature offending Wisconsin's cat lovers. However, Smith deserves credit for firing a shot across the bow to irresponsible pet owners. Cats and nature don't mix, and thanks to Mark Smith and the WCC, it's a message that's finally being heard.