What to do about feral cats
Photo from petmd.com
There is an interesting discussion over at the Round Table blog about feral cats.
M. Rupert Cutler, former president of the Defenders of Wildlife, takes the position that feral cats, who hunt for their own survival, are a danger to our eco-system, particularly to bird population and should be caught and euthanized.
Gretchen Tipps, a page designer here at The Roanoke Times, a famer in Bedford County and a personal friend of mine, argues that trap-neuter-release is an effective and more humane way to deal with feral colonies and that the cats are a great deterrent to the rodent population.
Both make some good points, and both have commenters supporting and opposing their positions.
Personally, I am a firm believer in keeping cats indoors for their own safety. I hate to see cats living wild. The feral cat situation is a man-made problem stemming directly from people not spaying and neutering pets, allowing house cats to roam freely and dumping unwanted litters to fend for themselves.
But wherever you place the original blame, here we are with colonies of feral cats who live a harsh existence.
What do you think the answer is to the feral cat problem? Is TNR a viable solution, or is it more humane to catch and euthanize the cats rather than let them die a more painful death facing the elements on their own?
March 18, 2013 - 10:27 AM
I really don’t feel like this is the blog that Woodsman’s sort of comment belongs on. It feels like it would be better placed in the Point Counter/Point discussion.
House cats are usually fixed so I don’t see the threat in house cats running free. A cat running loose might kill a bird or a mouse or a rat or a squirrel. A dog running loose might kill a person.
I’m not worried about the cats.
We unfortunately had to do a trap and (likely) kill of a feral colony at my in-laws. They had an outdoor cat, and the food attracted several ferals that had been living in a nearby auto junkyard. Those cats bred quickly, and one neutered outdoor cat led to having about a half-dozen breeding adults who relocated to their house, with about 3-4 litters a year. Most of the new kittens were killed either by cars, other cats, or their dog…but some survived. Eventually, the population got too large for them to be able to address, so we borrowed a trap and caught every one of the cats over a week-long period, and took them to the local animal shelter. A couple of the cats were probably tame enough to neuter and adopt out as barn cats…you could pet them, but the rest were true ferals that would scatter at the approach of a person, but were somewhat ok at feeding times with being nearby to a person so long as they weren’t touched. Those cats were probably killed, sadly.
Woodsman: Let’s start off by saying I approved your comment with great reservation, mostly because of the opening sentence. We try to be respectful of others here on The Happy Wag and your got off on a bad foot.
I disagree with most of what you assert are “facts.” However, since I opened the floor to discussion, you can voice your opinion.
Please do try to keep the rhetoric to a respectful tone, please.
Thanks.
Woodsman: The moderation of the comments on the blogs here are at the discretion of the indiviual bloggers, and you are pushing it here with me.
Please refrain from name-calling.
Thanks.
Wow, an emotional issue for sure and one that I am afraid will never go away. Let’s not forget feral dogs as well, since there really are packs out there. I’ve come across them while hunting and I’d rather not ever be in that situation again. (Yes I know the difference between coyotes and dogs). An elderly couple was killed not long ago by a pack of domestic dogs that caught them while walking a country road near their home.
Where the blame actually lies is with HUMANS who discard companion animals like garbage and they are left to fend for themselves. Abandoned cats adapt better to the environment than dogs do because of their solitary nature and stronger hunting instinct.
How about directing all this negative energy towards something more positive like preventing abandonment and educating people to spay & neuter? I guess it’s better to just kill these animals, huh?
The key is to give kitties hugs and tuna fish.
Seriously though. There has to be a better option than killing. Maybe some sort of chemical can be placed in food and left out for feral cat colonies. No need to trap and neuter/spay. I’ve heard of things like that for other animals, but not cats. Not yet anyway.
Suggesting that systematic destruction is the only solution is lazy. Humans are problem solvers. Let’s use our noodles instead of violence.
When I mention that a chemical be placed in food, I mean for birth control purposes, not poisoning. Just to clarify….
RE: Woodsman – Nona, seriously? Cut this emotionally disturbed, sick, sad and pathetic wretch off. He is a dangerous mess just waiting to spew hate and death. Many special thanks to ego-inflated and obsolete Rupert Cutler.
Neutered cats are only returned to the street if they are surviving well there (not starving), and if no homes are available. The larger problem is the number of unwanted pet cats and dogs euthanized each year. This is done because the numbers are so large that governments cannot afford to keep the animals alive and care for them.
I think we really ought to require that all cats and dogs be spayed or neutered, excepting expensive breeds for which there is a demand, with local governments paying for the operation for low income households. Shelter animals can be made available to people who want pets. If there should ever be a shortage, local governments could breed the required number of pets and children could be brought to see the kittens and puppies at a central location. This would be a lot kinder and less expensive than the present system.
FYI: Woodsman’s comments have been removed for violation of our terms of use.
I have great respect for Mr. Cutler, but he can’t claim to be a “defender of wildlife” is he only defends wildlife he approves of. Every living creature deserves a fighting chance as the Good Lord and nature intended.
As a true catlover of domesticated and feral cats (yes-they too have a home -just not within 4 walls) Trap–Neuter-Return (TNR) is proven to control the feral cat population. By humanely trapping feral cats, taking them to a vet to be spayed/neutered and vacinated and returning them to their colony to live under the watchful eye of a volunteer caregiver feral cats live long , healthy and happy lives. With TNR cat populations gradually reduce through attrition. TNR is cheaper than killing. Shelters have been killing feral cats (and still do) for decades and have failed to control the population because other unneutered cats move in to take advantage of the newly available resources.
TNR works
I have no problem with returning the cats to the “colony” if there is a human watching over them, or some semblance of responsible oversight. I have a real problem with turning them back into a community without such. There is no way to sugar coat the truth, some of these cats die painful deaths and suffer. Considering the millions of adoptable pet cats and dogs this nation kills, I do not see returning feral cats to a community to roam and get into mischief (at best) or die cruelly any kind of solution. Sorry, I just don’t.
Between me, co-workers, and my mom, we have rescued and made pets of six feral kittens, the mothers were no where to be found. They are most vulnerable when nursing babies. Seldom will a mama cat abandon her kittens…
I have always kept my cats as indoor pets and S/N quickly. One of my rescues had to go to Tech to have a diseased kidney removed before she was 1. She is now 12.
Irresponsible people caused this problem and they help it continue too.
First, I agree that the reason we have feral cat colonies is due to the lack of knowledge, laziness or downright stupidity and carelessness of humans. Humans domesticated cats. It is OUR responsibility to take care of them.
I practice TNR (trap, neuter, return) and find that it does help control the feral cat population greatly. With the permission of landowners, I take a few weekends in the spring to get up very early, set traps, and wait on those traps to catch a cat. The cats are taken to the vet to be spayed or neutered and vaccinated. After recovery, I release the cats back to the same location where I trapped them. My ferals are fed and watered daily and are kept up-to-date on vaccines. After they become accustomed to me, I can usually start petting them and they rub all around my legs (sudden movements or loud noises can still spook them, but they usually become pretty affectionate). If any new cats are spotted, they are trapped, fixed and released as well. I pay for everything myself. Is this an ideal situation? Certainly not. I would rather these animals have a home and live with a human companion who could dote on them as needed, but I think it’s still better than rounding them up and killing them all. At least they have some sort of life outside, and I do believe that they can be content and even happy, but I would prefer cats to be indoors to prevent harm to wildlife if at all possible.
I believe education is the key. We need to control the population by letting people know that it is NOT alright to dump pets or animals anywhere. It is NOT alright to let your pet wander without being spayed or neutered. If you have a feral cat problem in your area, call your local animal shelter, like Angels of Assisi and see what advice they give you. We have a great local program called Barn Cat Buddies that can assist you in trapping your feral cats and getting them fixed. There are lots of local folks you can learn from about the trapping process, and some folks are even willing to come trap for you or loan you traps. It’s best if you can donate a little money, cat food or time to help the cause, but if you absolutely have nothing to give, a sincere “thank you” goes a long way. If we all care a little, give a little, and really try to make a make a difference and respect each other, we could figure this problem out so that both humans, cats, AND wildlife could live happy, healthy lives.
Happy Hopa wrote: “We need to control the population by letting people know that it is NOT alright to dump pets or animals anywhere. It is NOT alright to let your pet wander without being spayed or neutered.”
But that’s exactly what you are teaching them to do with TNR. As long as they know that someone just like you is going to sterilize their pet for them, feed them, look out for them, and vaccinate them, that gives them an even greater incentive to just dump their cats. Why should they bother when you’re so eager to do it? They clearly had no intentions of taking care of that cat for life anyway, but YOU will.
Then too, what do you think happens to every town or county that adopts a “No Kill” shelter policy? In only a matter of weeks word spreads to all adjoining towns, counties and even nearby states. Everyone who doesn’t want to have their unwanted animals killed (even those in shelters so they don’t have to pay the cost of euthanizing them), are quietly rounded up and dumped off by the truckloads into areas where they know someone else is going to take care of them and not kill them.
You clearly haven’t thought this whole thing through very well, have you.
You are enabling and promoting the very behavior that you claim to not want. You will be doing TNR for the rest of your life until all your resources are bankrupt and still it will never stop. Just ask those that have been in poverty for the last 20+ years as they proudly tell everyone how well TNR reduces cat populations — for over 20 years now. 20+ years and they’re still at it with no end in sight. TNR sure works alright! But only to prove that, “A fool and their money are soon parted.”
Just dump your unwanted cats at one of Happy Hopa’s colonies or just in their town, Happy Hopa will eventually find it! Happy Hopa will take care of it for you! (See how that works?)
@Nature Advocate I’d like to ask what is your solution to this problem? I’d honestly like to know. To answer your question, I have VERY carefully thought “this whole thing through.” I know FROM EXPERIENCE that TNR does reduce the feral cat population. Clearly you missed the earlier text I wrote that stated that it’s not a perfect solution, but at least I’m trying to help. What are you doing other than criticizing someone who is trying to help? It’s one thing to have a difference of opinion, and it’s another to name call. I am no fool, and you know absolutely NOTHING about me. So rather than trying to play fortune teller and predict my future, why don’t you discuss ways to HELP solve this problem. If you can think of a better solution, I’d love to hear it. I personally don’t think it’s right to have mass roundups of cats just to have them be euthanized (but maybe you do). Obviously that has not helped the issue either since animal control has been doing this for years and years.
I think maybe you missed this part of my text as well, so once again, I will state that the problem lies with humans and quote myself here: “I believe education is the key. We need to control the population by letting people know that it is NOT alright to dump pets or animals anywhere. It is NOT alright to let your pet wander without being spayed or neutered. If you have a feral cat problem in your area, call your local animal shelter, like Angels of Assisi and see what advice they give you. We have a great local program called Barn Cat Buddies that can assist you in trapping your feral cats and getting them fixed.” The point is to get folks educated about dumping animals and pet care in general, but hard times fall on everyone. We also need to make sure that pet owners have the knowledge about what to do if they can no longer take care of their pet for any reason. They need an alternative to dumping.