Colonies of feral cats continue to expand
The concept of TNR -- trap, neuter and release -- works, but it can't keep up

Moe Milstein, Vancouver Sun
Published: Monday, January 09, 2006

They can be seen dining al fresco beside Hadrian's Gate in Athens, or lounging quayside by the grand yachts in Marbella, or in a neighborhood near you. Between meals, they have nothing more onerous to do than to work on their grooming. They are the fortunate felines of TNR.

TNR stands for Trap, Neuter and Release and is one way of dealing with the problem of hundreds of millions of unowned or feral cats throughout the world. TNR colonies consist of anywhere from a few cats to several hundred and are maintained by volunteers who visit the sites several times a day to feed and care for the residents. Proponents of TNR hope to bring about a decrease in the overall cat population by increasing the number of sterile animals. By guaranteeing the food supply, they improve the welfare of the cats in the program.

No one knows exactly how many cats live a feral existence, but in the US, estimates put the number at 73 million and growing. Of that number, some three million a year are captured and killed by humane societies. Even if they escape that fate, the life of feral cats is short -- three to five years. The mortality rate of kittens born in the wild is 50 per cent. A further 25 per cent will die before six months of age. Almost all feral cats are unadoptable, since after the first few weeks of age their distrust of people is irreversible.

They are reservoirs of disease -- rabies, feline viral leukemia, toxoplasmosis, intestinal parasites -- which can affect not only other cats but humans and wildlife as well.

They are predators who take a toll on birds and small mammals. In some areas, they represent a threat to endangered species or compete for food with indigenous wildlife.

But what to do about the problem has confounded veterinarians, humane organizations and public health officials all over the world.

Some argue that feral cats should be viewed as urban wildlife and left alone. One South African study found that as the number of cats was reduced, the number of pests, such as rodents carrying plague, increased -- a far greater health risk to humans than the cats themselves.

Other than TNR, the only method used by public health officials to control population has been eradication.

But euthanasia is a solution weighted with paradox -- we kill these animals so that nothing bad will happen to them; we kill them for their own good.

The debate between the TNR side and the euthanasia side is often an impassioned one. The journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association notes that those supporting euthanasia ". . . of abandoned and feral cats, rather than TNR, have reported verbal abuse, personal threats, disruption of public forums, and interference with the conduction [sic] of their business."

Very few of the TNR programs around the world are organized or supported by governments. Most of the impetus comes from concerned animal-loving citizens who become aware of the need in their area and then set about organizing a program on their own with whatever money they can raise.

Still, the number of cats in TNR represents only about five per cent of the feral cat population.

The AVMA is on record as being opposed to TNR, arguing that it has failed to reduce cat numbers or predation of wildlife.

So if TNR is ineffective and large scale eradication campaigns are unpalatable to most people, what are the alternatives? The AVMA recommends a combination of approaches including mandatory neutering and licensing of pet cats, eradication of cats in ecologically sensitive areas, and encouraging owners to keep cats indoors.

Considering that these same recommendations have been advanced for decades with no appreciable reduction in the feral population, it is unlikely that the kind people who look after the colonies will be out of work very soon or that the cats will have to pack up and leave for less salubrious locations.

Dr. Moe Milstein runs the Blueridge Cove Animal Hospital in North Vancouver.