Dear Mary:
The practice of Trap/Neuter/Return ("TNR") for feral cats has been well researched all over the world and, without exception, found to be the most effective and compassionate method for reducing the feral cat populations. The benefits of a TNR program were so conclusive that the San Francisco SPCA adopted the practice in 1993 and the results have been overwhelmingly successful at reducing the feral population and the resulting kitten birth explosion every year. http://www.sfspca.org/feral/index.shtml
In fact, our own BC SPCA approves of this TNR practice as well because it just held its "second annual free feral spay/neuter clinic" this past March 2005 - a one day token gesture, but an acknowledgement of what has been proven to work. Please see the writeup in its Animal News Magazine. http://www.spca.bc.ca/news/March2005_AnimalsNews.asp#Ferals
The following websites also provide well researched data which gives responsible information on the subject.
http://www.alleycat.org/pdf/TNRnotTNA.pdf
http://www.alleycat.org/visitor.html#2
http://www.alleycat.org/resources_ancare.html
A truly feral cat is like a wild animal. They have never been touched by human hands and, if captured, respond as a wild animal would. It is not realistic to believe that they may be tamed enough to adapt to a home environment. However, spaying, neutering and vaccinating them, before releasing the cats again, at least improves the quality of the rest of their lives. The females are not producing litter after litter of sickly, underweight kittens (gestation is 60 days), and the aggressive fighting, yowling and spraying behaviour of the males is reduced. Managed colonies of fixed feral cats can live reasonably long, decent lives. The ferals are trapped and returned to their familiar habitat after being fixed. Sometimes their environment is not ideal but research confirms that feral cats do not do well if removed from their original territory.
Anyone with knowledge of or hands-on experience with feral cats will know that even feral kittens can be extremely difficult to deal with and can inflict major bite wounds and injuries on a human. In many cases, and with experienced caregivers to provide intense socialization, feral kittens can eventually be tamed to a point for adoption. However, many feral kittens, even as young as 8 weeks old, can take months to socialize or only bond with their caregiver and never with another human. Each case is individual and should be treated as such.
Five month old feral cats off the street are well into their physical and social development and, in most cases, cannot be domesticated. When captured and removed from their environment, many stop eating, become dehydrated and so stressed that their immune systems are lowered, leaving them vulnerable to upper respiratory infections.
Last year, one of our PAF volunteers telephoned the West Vancouver SPCA regarding a feral cat at large. Our volunteer spoke with a staff person who advised her to rent a trap from a pest control company at her own expense. The WV SPCA advised that, if the cat were brought in and assessed as adoptable, it would be fixed and adopted. However, if the cat were assessed as "wild", it would be put down right away. The call took place on February 4th, 2004 at 1:30pm and we have the name of the WV SPCA staff person.
Pacific Animal Foundation, and many other feral cat organizations, know from research and experience that a province wide TNR program is the only answer to reduce and manage the feral overpopulation in British Columbia. We have been urging the BC SPCA to implement TNR for years, and will continue to pressure until it incorporates this proven successful program on a mass scale around the province.
Lana Simon, Director
Pacific Animal Foundation