Are vets really the main source of feral cat problem?

I have a TNR colony and 6 rescues at home. I am also currently trying to neuter and re-home 17 at a nearby farm house.
So here is my view from my little corner of the world: most people that I talk to with large groups of ferals either in their barns or around their house would spay neuter their cats except for the cost, the vets around this area give no break for spay neuter in large cat households/TNR groups, only one area vet will put down heathy unadoptable animals.

I would suggest vets consider no cost or at cost neuter spay to stem the cat over population issue if they really care about animal health and are not solely money driven.

If done under control monitoring I believe the results would be evident within one year or less.

I am interested in differing opinions if the defense is not based on such responses as: I can't afford it or I will go out of business, etc.

I am not saying there are not a few vets which are truly concerned but I am saying they are few and far between. IBy the way have not observed this within my immediate area.

Yeah, giving discounts for barn cats, would also make they get lotsa of experience, experience they would have big plusses from handling their full paying customers...

So calling them vets causing the problem is too much, but them not helping enough to solve the problem - yes, I think it can be said.

There are many Humane Society and Animal Friends shelters who do low cost spay and neuters--some for as low as ten or fifteen dollars. There are also some 24 hour animal hospitals that will take a trapped feral and spay/neuter it and give maybe a 20 dollar discount. The problem with the Humane Society and Animal Friends shelters is that you have to call and set an appointment, sometimes weeks in advance, and then you have to be able to trap the cat the night before or morning of the appointment. If you don't trap the cat, you're back to square one and have to schedule another appointment. It helps to develop a relationship with whatever shelter or clinic you're using--once they get to know you, they'll accommodate by squeezing in the ferals for the surgeries and giving discounts. It takes time and a lot of calling around. But I agree with you. Ideally, there should be some shelter in each area that will set aside a few days a week to accommodate strays and ferals who are brought in for the surgeries without appointments.   

MsAimee said:

 
There are many Humane Society and Animal Friends shelters who do low cost spay and neuters--some for as low as ten or fifteen dollars. There are also some 24 hour animal hospitals that will take a trapped feral and spay/neuter it and give maybe a 20 dollar discount. The problem with the Humane Society and Animal Friends shelters is that you have to call and set an appointment, sometimes weeks in advance, and then you have to be able to trap the cat the night before or morning of the appointment. If you don't trap the cat, you're back to square one and have to schedule another appointment. It helps to develop a relationship with whatever shelter or clinic you're using--once they get to know you, they'll accommodate by squeezing in the ferals for the surgeries and giving discounts. It takes time and a lot of calling around. But I agree with you. Ideally, there should be some shelter in each area that will set aside a few days a week to accommodate strays and ferals who are brought in for the surgeries without appointments.   

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That is very true. A lot of them do that. The HS by me often gives out vouchers for spaying/neutering but they also euthanize all ferals that end up at the shelter for whatever reason. They told us this when we were training to be volunteers a few years ago.  I guess they don't believe in TNR.  

Vets usually have very narrow profit margins as it is. Imagine, they have to provide the same kind of care that human doctors provide, without Medicare or insurance companies picking up most of the bill! They need to pay and provide benefits for their employees, pay the rent/mortgage on the building, utilities, supplies, insurance, etc. And vet school commonly costs as much as med school but vets get paid much less than a human doctor. I'm sure there are some vets who could stand to volunteer more time and donate more supplies for homeless animals but most vets aren't exactly rolling in the dough.

Remember the basic tenets of this that they are the "main" problem....not the only problem.

While we to have a group that gives a voucher on a limited basis those have more to do with the groups ability to raise money than the vet service actually lowering their cost. Giving the vet a voucher for the difference does not mean they have reduced their cost. Apples and oranges

No listing of they will go out of business or they can't afford it. The average annual salary for a small animal vet in the US taken from several sources is $88-92,000 a year. Not great for years invested but you can't compare to medical doctors...that's not part of the basic premise...UPS drivers probably make more to...so?

The basic issue is they ARE the only method of reducing small animal populations, if you can pay

I guess I don't see vets as being responsible for the feral cat problem/overpopulation any more than I think human doctors are responsible for unwanted pregnancies. Is it nice if a doctor can volunteer at the charity womens' clinic, or work for a non-profit, making less than they could make in private practice? Sure. But I won't say that doctors who don't do that are part of the problem.

But if a vet opposes the opening of a low-cost/free spay/neuter clinic, then, yeah, I'd say they're part of the problem.