Vermont Group Aids Feral Felines

A new way of dealing with stray cats, which proponents say is both more successful and more humane, has begun moving from the Rutland County Humane Society to the county's smaller towns.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pb...501210357/1002

I am not sure if I like that idea. Granted the cat is no worse off then if they had been found, and true they are neutered or spayed before being put back.. but they were found and they were neutered or spayed.. why put them back? Find them a home. There are millions of people, surely there are more homes waiting for more cats. If people were educated more about the problem and the solution (give them a home, keep cats desexed, dont just abandon them) I think it would be better for the cat then living on the street fending for itself, neutred, spayed or not.

Cirque...I think it would really benefit you to read about TNR.

http://www.alleycat.org/visitor.html

This is from the Alley Cat Allies website:

Feral cats. They sleep in our parks, military bases, alleyways, farmyards, barns, college campuses, and deserted buildings. Abandoned by their human families or simply lost, unsterilized housecats eventually band together in groups called colonies. Without human contact for a prolonged period, the colonies become feral. They make homes wherever they can find food, be it in dumpsters or under a boardwalk. Mothers teach their kittens to avoid humans and to defend themselves. And their numbers steadily increase, even if meager scraps are all the food to be had.

No one knows exactly how many feral cats live in the United States, but the number is estimated in the tens of millions. They are often wrongly portrayed as disease-ridden nuisances living tragic lives and responsible for endangering native species. As a consequence, feral feline communities too frequently are rounded up and because they have had little or no human contact and are thus unadoptable they are killed.

But removing and killing feral cats does not reduce feral cat populations. It only provides space for more cats to move in and start the breeding process again. Unspayed, feral female cats spend most of their lives pregnant and hungry, as will the female kittens that survive. Unneutered tomcats roam to find, and fight to win, mates, and often suffer debilitating wounds in the process. Half of all kittens born in feral colonies die within their first year.

Alley Cat Allies has a solution that not only reduces feral cat populations, but also improves and extends the lives of colony members: Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR).


TNR is a comprehensive plan where entire feral colonies are humanely trapped, then evaluated, vaccinated, and neutered by veterinarians. Kittens and cats that are tame enough to be adopted are placed in good homes. Adult cats are returned to their familiar habitat to live out their lives under the watchful care of sympathetic neighborhood volunteers.

TNR works. Cat populations are gradually reduced. Nuisance behaviors associated with breeding, such as the yowling of females or the spraying of toms, are virtually eliminated. Disease and malnutrition are greatly reduced. The cats live healthy, safe, and peaceful lives in their territories.

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I would also like to add that in general for domesticated cats...only 3 out of every 10 cats in shelters finds a homes..which means 7 are PTS. This isn't to say that there aren't shelters and communities out there that beat these odds..but those are the odds in far too many locations. TNR helps cats in shelters because when feral cats are fixed..they aren't having litters that are competing with domesticated litters and domesticated cats.

I understand what your saying, but my point is simply that there needs to be more education and more people to take in the "unwanted" cats and give them a loving home or barn. There are how many people in the world without cats in their homes right now? I see everyone of those as a possible home for some unwanted cat. Yes the program is better then PTS, I agree, but I still think there should be better control over such situations and that it is every human's duty to take a cat in.

Originally Posted by Cirque

I understand what your saying, but my point is simply that there needs to be more education and more people to take in the "unwanted" cats and give them a loving home or barn. There are how many people in the world without cats in their homes right now? I see everyone of those as a possible home for some unwanted cat. Yes the program is better then PTS, I agree, but I still think there should be better control over such situations and that it is every human's duty to take a cat in.

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I disagree with you..I don't think every human's duty is to take a cat..many people are allergic to cats, many people rent or live in areas where pets aren't allowed and lots of people simply don't like cats.

I believe that education is important..but it is education about spaying and neutering and not dumping cats.

Another thing I don't think you have considered is that it isn't recommended to move a colony from their territory unless they are in danger. It is ok to remove the kittens and the tame cats..but the ones deemed "feral" are best returned to where they were found under the care of a caretaker who provides shelter and food/water. Removing these cats simply leaves a vacuum for other cats to move into and doesn't solve the issue.

Katie

I feel God put us here and gave us the animals to meet our needs. In return for being given the gift of life and overseeing this world we need to treat it right and that means taking care of its resources and its animals. If pets are not allowed, they should be. Talk to the landlord, rental company, property owner.. start a campain to get them to change that horrible policy. Offer them more money. Move somewhere that does support pets and boycot places that do not. If we can not commit to the animals why should we be allowed to have them? As for people who dont like cats.. wth kind of person doesnt like cats? If they can love a dog or a lizard, a snake a turtle a bird or a opossum, they can love a cat just the same. Yes there are exceptions for sick people.. but there are also medications to combat allergy. Oh to be nice, instead of everyone must personally own a cat.. how about everyone that cant personally owns one donates enough to support 2 cats somewhere else? With everyone who can taking in one cat or more, and everyone who cant donating to fully support 2 others, and anyone who cant do either volunteering the time it takes to fully earn money to support at least 4 cats.. well think of the grand place the world would be and how many cats would not be needlessly outdoors waiting to be picked up, neutred and dumped back at some dumpster for the short remainder of its life. I can dream cant I?

Originally Posted by Cirque

I feel God put us here and gave us the animals to meet our needs. In return for being given the gift of life and overseeing this world we need to treat it right and that means taking care of its resources and its animals. If pets are not allowed, they should be. Talk to the landlord, rental company, property owner.. start a campain to get them to change that horrible policy. Offer them more money. Move somewhere that does support pets and boycot places that do not. If we can not commit to the animals why should we be allowed to have them? As for people who dont like cats.. wth kind of person doesnt like cats? If they can love a dog or a lizard, a snake a turtle a bird or a opossum, they can love a cat just the same. Yes there are exceptions for sick people.. but there are also medications to combat allergy. Oh to be nice, instead of everyone must personally own a cat.. how about everyone that cant personally owns one donates enough to support 2 cats somewhere else? With everyone who can taking in one cat or more, and everyone who cant donating to fully support 2 others, and anyone who cant do either volunteering the time it takes to fully earn money to support at least 4 cats.. well think of the grand place the world would be and how many cats would not be needlessly outdoors waiting to be picked up, neutred and dumped back at some dumpster for the short remainder of its life. I can dream cant I?

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You can certainly dream..but it's a very idealistic standpoint and one that doesn't mesh with reality for most cats. You may want to check in your area to see exactly what the euthanization rates are.....I can say that in my state 73,000 cats were PTS in 2003. Finding out that number prompted me to get involved to help cats the way I could. I volunteer with a rescue group that pulls cats from a local shelter and places them into homes. I also volunteer with a feral cat clinic once a month...last month we TNRed 88 cats. Yes...every one of those 88 cats were put back outdoors..but they can no longer add to the overpopulation. I also run a website about the rescues, shelters and feral cat groups in Virginia and I talk to people about proper cat ownership and the benefit of TNR.

Here is a really good site that has some of the TNR successes:

http://www.bestfriends.org/allthegoo.../ferals2_3.cfm

BTW...there are many cats caretakers who report having cats that lived over 10 years...I wouldn't call that a short, miserable life at all.

Again...I understand that you believe everyone should be involved..but you have no control over what other people do or think and the only difference you can make is the one you make yourself.

Katie

Basically Cirque, they can not be found homes because they are feral. They are not suited to live with people, they were born to fear people. They are happiest in their own environment. Now you can always try to socialize the kittens, but to try that with every adult feral would just not work. They would most likely be put to sleep unfortunately, because they wouldn't magically turn into a human loving, lap sleeping, purring kitten.