Written by Anne Moss
Controlling The Feral Cats Population
Millions of cats all over the world have lost their lives due to the misguided belief that feral cats should be exterminated like vermin. Unfortunately, some municipalities still believe that feral cats can and should "be eradicated". In reality, this is never a viable option. With cats being such prolific animals, any space made available by removing or destroying other cats will soon be filled again. Eliminating cats, by poisoning them on the streets or trapping them and putting them to sleep, requires a trained staff and a lot of preparations - it's by no means cheap. And to overcome the ever-breeding cats, these gruesome operations must be repeated often. Not only are these methods cruel and inhumane, but taxpayers' money is wasted as well.
Fortunately there is an alternative. Developed over the last few decades, cat welfare organizations have come up with a method that is both humane and effective - Trap-Neuter-Release, or TNR for short.
Applying a TNR program to a colony of feral cats, means humanely trapping the cats, neutering all of them (and at the same time applying other medical care if necessary) then returning them back to their habitat. In many areas there are protocols in place ensuring that the whole procedure is done with minimal amount of stress or risk to the cats involved. If you find that you need to trap a cat, please follow the guidance of one of the organizations that specialize in TNR.
Why TNR Works
Although the feral cats are returned to their place of origin (a concept that sometimes deters the people who want to abolish the cats), the problems associated with the presence of those cats disappear. The neutered cats don't howl at nights; have a diminished need for food. Now that no tomcats or pregnant or lactating females are in the colony, the males will cease spraying. They also quit fighting over the females. This results in a marked decrease of sick or injured cats. This also stops inbreeding, As an added benefit, caretakers of feral cats often get guidance from the organizations involved on how to properly take care of the colony, in the best interest of cats and people alike.
While it may seem costly to spay and neuter feral cats, low-cost spaying clinics are often available. In many places around the world, municipalities are funding the TNR programs or carrying them out on their own, having discovered that the TNR option is in fact more cost-effective then any other method of population control.
What You Can Do For Feral Cats
First of all, acknowledge their presence. They are cats just like your beloved Fluffy - they are not wild animals and they do need your help. Taking care of feral cats can be very rewarding.
The most important aspect would be to contact the various organizations and learn more about how to take care of these cats. Learn how to go about having your colony neutered or spayed. If you cannot afford to spay and neuter, please don't feed the feral cats. You will only be creating problems for the cats and yourself. Carrying out a TNR project is the right way to go - but do make sure you are proceeding in the correct manner.
Feral cats often need you to speak up for them. If your community is still unaware of the benefits of TNR, then research the issue. www.straypetadvocacy.org is a great place to start looking for materials that will help you win your argument. If feral cats are being abused or killed where you live, report the matter to www.alleycatsallies.com, (also a great place for you to learn more about how to take care of feral cats and how to carry out a TNR program).
Let's do something for the feral cats - we created the problem and it is our responsibility to help them now. They really are not transparent, and they are everywhere you look!
Relevant links -
Handling Feral Cats - by Mary Anne Miller
Spay and Neuter Your Cats - by Anne Moss
www.StrayPetAdvocacy.com
www.alleycatsallies.com
www.feralcat.com
Anne Moss is the founder and owner of TheCatSite.com. She is a cat behaviorist and a member of the Cats Writers Association.
Feral Cats - The Invisible Felines 1
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