Maryland College Park Ferals

A bothersome colony of 40 to 50 feral cats whose home she suspects is near the College Park Airport, has also been a problem. She said sympathetic homeowners in the area don't report the cats and may leave out food for them, helping the cats elude her. The cats could pose serious risks, however.

Thiele said the cats are unvaccinated and carry many diseases, including rabies, that would nearly guarantee infections if a person were bitten. The cats have also been known to "poop and pee everywhere. In the summer time, the smell is almost unbearable."

Many of the impounded animals end up being euthanized with the county's Animal Management Division if they are not adopted.

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Originally Posted by Scott77777

Has anyone seen this?

http://www.inform.umd.edu/News/Diamo.../08/news3.html

This article makes it seem like she's saying for a fact that the cats have diseases and specifically - rabies. Somehow, I doubt it. It looks to me like they left a word or two out, such as the idea that they "can potentially" have diseases. There's a difference between cats HAVING rabies and the POTENTIAL for rabies.

Anytime I speak to critics of TNR, they seem to mention all these incidences of disease, but I've seen very little hard evidence of actual diseased animals in my reading. I understand the potential is there for distemper, FELV, FIV, rabies, etc..., but it seems like the prevailing attitude is "shoot first, ask questions later."

Anyone in Maryland?



I've also got to take issue with the last line: that the cats "poop and pee everywhere. In the summer time, the smell is almost unbearable."

How concentrated are these cats? What's the environment? We've probably had as many cats spread out over a square mile in a few overlapping colonies and I've yet to smell urine or feces once, EXCEPT in the case of males spraying near the feeding areas. Since the TNR was accomplished, I don't smell it at all.

Am I missing something here?

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