Many cats escaped into the wild. Others were deliberately released during the 1880 ’ s in an effort to curb the rabbit plague that was destroying pasturelands.
Daudzi kaķi pārgāja savvaļā, un 19. gadsimta 80. gados kaķus pat tīšuprāt izlaida brīvībā, cerot, ka tie palīdzēs apkarot trušus, kas katastrofāli postīja ganības.