 |  TNR - The Most Viable Option for Expedient Reduction of Stray and Feral Cat Populations
by: Susan B. Krebsbach, D.V.M.
(02/01/2002) The issue of Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) of feral cats is a contemporary issue and sometimes considered to be controversial. The studies show that "trap and kill" programs have not proven to be successful. This is the standard method of animal and population control that has been used for several decades in the United States, yet shelter surveys reveal that the problem of overpopulation of unwanted cats persists.1 Across the country (and in other countries) it has been found that trapping and killing these cats only creates a population vacuum (commonly known as the "vacuum effect"), which triggers the cats that have avoided trapping and there will always be some to produce more offspring, as well as attract cats from adjacent areas, to fill the void.
The biggest negative impact on the environment and the wildlife therein is habitat loss not the predation of cats. Therefore, it is man who is the biggest predator and should be blamed for the majority of the problems that exist in our ecosystem today. There are simply too many people making ever-increasing demands on a fixed supply of resources. Man continues the destruction of the habitat, hunting and killing without regard to the ecosystem, and the use of pesticides that endanger entire populations of wildlife.
There has been much speculation that the feral cat is responsible for the reduction of songbird populations2,3 but their data consisted of only extrapolations. Extrapolation of the mean number of prey caught/cat/year from small studies of nonrandomly selected cats to larger units of the cat population is problematic, and likely to yield imprecise estimates. There are so many reputable studies that claim that cat predation affecting bird and wildlife populations are overstated4 and that the true cause of their decline can be attributed to other factors, which include habitat loss, pollution, pesticides, and droughts. Another study on feral cat's feeding behavior5 showed that these cats prefer rodents to birds; where there is ample refuse or supplemental feeding, predation may account for only a small part of a cat’s diet. What I find inconsistent in an otherwise scientific debate about biodiversity is how indictment of cats has been pursued almost in spite of the evidence.
In the past few years, TNR programs are being implemented throughout the United States it is becoming a national trend and have been in place for decades in other countries. The results are very favorable for the stabilization and reduction in the number of free roaming cats. There are literally thousands of successful TNR programs operating throughout the U.S. and Canada but four of the most prominent ones are TNR programs implemented at the Orange County (Florida) Animal Services, the San Francisco SPCA, as well as state-wide programs in California and Utah. Not only are TNR programs more effective, they are also less expensive to run and better for overall moral of everyone involved. The best way to control numbers is to neuter the cats and return them to their colony. Where this is not possible, relocating them to a colony with a responsible caregiver is the next best humane solution. The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association6,7 has published two excellent articles that both reached the conclusion that surgical sterilization combined with legislative interventions remains the most viable option for expedient reduction of stray and feral cat populations.
The benefit to all of the recent local controversy around feral cats is that it is prompting media coverage. It is my hope that, through this media coverage, the general public becomes more educated regarding this very important issue. I am very pleased to see reputable organizations like the Dane County Veterinary Medical Association, the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, the Dane County Humane Society, and Angel’s Wish taking the lead to address an issue that has historically been handled by our community with only silence and behind closed doors.
References
1. American Humane Association. Euthanasia stats remain stable. Shoptalk 1993;11:1-2.
2. Coleman JS, Temple SA. On the prowl. Wisc Nat Res 1996;20:4-8.
3. Churcher PB, Lawton JH. Predation by domestic cats in an English village. J Zool (London) 1987;212:439-455.
4. Patronek, GJ. Free-roaming and feral cats wildlife and human beings. J Am Vet Med Ass 1998;212:218-226.
5. Fitzgerald BM. Chapter 10. Diet of domestic cats and their impact on prey populations. In: Tuner DC, Bateson P, eds. The domestic cat. Cambridge: Cambrige University Press, 1988;123-147.
6. Zaunbrecher KI, Smith RE. Neutering of feral cats as an alternative to eradication programs. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1993;203:449-452.
7. Mathow JC, Slater MR. Current issues in the control of stray and feral cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1996;209:2016-2020.
Dane County Veterinary Medical Association, Maddie's Spay/Neuter Project for Feral Cats Participating Veterinary Clinics
A Breed Apart Animal Hospital
Madison, WI
(608) 827-8555
All Creatures Veterinary Hospital
Verona, WI
(608) 848-8990
All Pets Veterinary Clinic
Middleton, WI
(608) 831-1392
And Dogs Too
Middleton, WI
(608) 836-0010
Animal Hospital of Sun Prairie
Sun Prairie, WI
(608) 837-5383
Animal Hospital of Verona
Verona, WI
(608) 845-6700
Candlin Pet Hospital
Madison, WI
(608) 256-3271
Citywide Pet Clinic
Madison, WI
(608) 222-8387
Companion Animal Hospital
Madison, WI
(608) 277-8888
Country View Veterinary Service
Oregon, WI
(608) 835-0551
Deerfield Veterinary Clinic
Deerfield, WI
(608) 764-5428
Deer-Grove Veterinary Clinic
Deerfield, WI
(608) 764-5428
DeForest Veterinary Clinic
DeForest, WI
(608) 846-3933
| | Fitchburg Animal Hospital
Madison, WI
(608) 271-4212
Healthy Pet Clinic
Madison, WI
(608) 294-9494
Middleton Veterinary Hospital
Middleton, WI
(608) 836-8561
Oregon Veterinary Medical Clinic
Oregon, WI
(608) 835-7323
Petinary
Madison, WI
(608) 255-1239
Pineview Veterinary Clinic
Waunakee, WI
(608) 850-7387
Prairie Veterinary Associates
Sun Prairie, WI
(608) 834-6404
Sandhill Pet Clinic
Madison, WI
(608) 241-7600
Stoughton Veterinary Service
Stoughton, WI
(608) 873-8022
Verona Veterinary Medical Service
Verona, WI
(608) 845-6512
Village Animal Clinic
Oregon, WI
(608) 835-7007
Waunakee Veterinary Clinic
Waunakee, WI
(608) 849-4432
Westside Family Pet Clinic
Madison, WI
(608) 271-5277
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