The Management of Feral Cats - Essay Example

Name Course Instructor Date Table of Contents Introduction 1 Catch and kill approach 2 Trap-neuter-return approach 4 Feral cats do not harm wildlife on continents 5 Feral cats have no declining effect to native species 5 Efficacy of the trap-neuter-return approach 6 TNR is useful in eliminating colonies under predominant conditions 6 Conclusion 8 Works cited 9 Introduction It is believed that cats and man began socializing about 12,000 years ago. This was after man shifted from predominant hunting to settling down for a more inclusive farming. The settlement of man led to establishment of stores of mainly grain; this led to invasion by rodents. Cats were domesticated based on the symbiotic relationship where the cat needed food while man needed to eradicate such destructive rodents. The cat was therefore tamed as a tool for pest control. Over the years, some cats have been abandoned or lost, making them take to a wild life. The result has been reproduction of cats in the wild; feral or alley cats. In the US, it is estimated that there are over 70 million feral cats. As the cats continued breeding outdoors, their numbers have become overwhelming and unstabalizing the ecosystem. Feral cats are mainly nocturnal and survive in colonies greatly isolated from human interactions. They are mainly associated with negative impacts on other wildlife (Loss et.al p.1396). These cats have linked with the killing of about 3.7 billion birds annually. They also kill other animals such as voles, shrews, squirrels, rabbits and amphibians. This paper looks into two antagonistic approaches of managing feral cats. The first is the traditional catch and kill applied extensively in America while the other is the human trap-neuter-return approach. Catch and kill approach As a result, feral cats were subjected to ‘the catch and kill’ programme, which involves trapping and killing them. Animal control agencies as well as governments implemented this initiative in attempts to curtail the number of these cats. This method, as evidenced by animal control personnel, years of failed trials and scientific research, is an inhumane, pointless and futile exercise (Slater, p.279). A former president in the animal control association says, “What we’re saying is the old standard isn’t good enough anymore. As we’ve seen before, there’s no department that I’m aware of that has enough money in their budget to simply practice the old capture and euthanize policy; nature just keeps having more kittens” (Alley cat Allies).  It is evident that whenever a section of a population is removed from the larger animal population, a void is created in that habitat. The void, logically, attracts members of the same species from other colonies, families or territories to fill the gap. This is called the vacuum effect. It argues that removal of a population from the habitat has no effect on the resources like food and shelter. When food and shelter is available, then there has to be attracted species to the ‘vacuum’. The vacuum effect is not exclusive to feral cats; it also applies to other species- omnivores, carnivores and herbivores. It is inarguably true that a given habitat will support a given number of animals with respect to the available resources in terms of food and shelter. In essence, regardless of the number of animals removed from a population, so long as the resources remain constant, that population will recover in the end. In the case of feral cats, removal by catching and killing creates a void. The remaining feral cats will reproduce their colonies back to capacity with the advantage of higher survival rates due to availability of more food and less competition. There has only been one known successful removal of feral cats by catching and killing. This happened in Marion Island which is uninhabited (Bester et.al p.68). The methods used included introduction of viruses to the cats’ habitats, gun hunting, dog hunting and poisoning. The removal took more than twenty years as the vacuum effect was taking place. This approach is not viable in places inhabited by people, notably towns and cities. It is therefore useless to use taxpayers’ money in a futile exercise against nature. The animal control personnel in the US have echoed to the futility of the policy. In Lancaster County, a Humane League CEO, Joan Brown, claims, “My organization has abandoned catch and kill upon realization that is just a waste of time and resources”. She further adds that the problem was persistent while their morale and resources were going to waste. In Maricopa County, a County Animal Control agent says, “Our 20 years of catching and killing for Arizona animal control have borne no fruits, with evidence that this traditional approach is not applicable to the issue of feral cats” (Maricopa County Animal control, 2012). Another organization in Oregon states, “30 years of catching and killing the feral cats has been insignificant in eradicating them” (Human society of Ochocos). Trap-neuter-return approach Trap-neuter-return (TNR) is a framework for managing feral cats by capturing, surgically sterilizing them and returning them to their habitats. The cats are then given care under managed colonies. After a cat is captured, it is diagnosed and treated or vaccinated against various diseases; its ear tip is removed before it is released back to its habitat. This is necessary for identification of treated feral cats against those that have not been captured nor treated (Levy et.al p.43). The initiative follows advocacies by various animal advocates to stop application of euthanasia to healthy wildlife. TNR has therefore been used as a platform for treating feral cats as healthy wildlife which needs protection. The advocates believe that in the long run, laws prohibiting cruelty to these cats by trapping and killing them will be drafted. The TNR approach is in wide use in the US, particularly in large metropolitan regions. Procedure of conducting TNR The cats are trapped in colonies or shifts within the colonies. There are traps of required sizes available for trapping both fully-grown feral cats and their kittens. Larger traps are required for kittens since they are powerful and numerous in any given colony. However, it is more advisable to have a single trap for each trap and ach kitten to avoid any injuries that would result from overcrowding in a single trap. To trap the cat, there are many essentials needed. To begin with, bait is very significant. Cats are generally attracted to fish like sardines, mackerel, tuna or some other bait with a strong attractive smell for the cats. The trap needs to be covered once the cat is captured. Every trap must have a date of when the cat was captured, the place of capture as well as a record of any observations. Feral cats do not harm wildlife on continents Feral cats are known to predate on other wildlife on islands, which could even lead to extinction of a species. However, this form of predation, according to the advocates of TNR, and eventual extinction does not exist in the continents. The urban centers and suburban areas where these cats live are more or less like in the islands where inhospitable matrices siege the various fragments of species. There exists a variation between such areas and islands in that the inhospitable areas provide ground for subsidized predators (Parkes et.al, p.309). These areas offer habitats for other native as well as migratory wildlife such as birds; they also contribute to regional and local biodiversity. It is therefore crucial to extend the concerns about the predation by feral cats to these urban and suburban environments. According to these TNR proponents, feral cats exist as part of the ecosystem but do not fill existing niches as often deemed. Being exotic, the impacts of feral cats are only diminished by long presence. These cats actively prey on native prey even in managed TNR colonies. On the other hand, owned cats have a decreasing level of preying on other wildlife since their owners feed them. However, most people do not comprehend that with cats, hunting and killing instincts are not necessarily related to hunger (Glick, p.645). Owned cats hunt and kill other wildlife like insects, birds, mammals and lizards. Feral cats cannot therefore, carry the whole burden of predation in the ecosystem. Feral cats have no declining effect to native species The main factors of species decline are loss of habitat and the subsequent fragmentation. Feral cats cannot be blamed exclusively for the decline of bird species. Cats supported by humans will prey on birds at the same rate feral cats do. This is not to conclude that cats do not have significant impact on populations of birds and other animals (Blancher, p.3). However, it is true that this is a collective exercise of all cats, notably feral and the free-roaming cats. The same way that bird advocates condemn killing of birds in the environment is the same way the cat advocate condemns killing of cats. It is therefore wrong to view cats as individuals that should be removed while taking other species, notably birds, to be populations under threat. Efficacy of the trap-neuter-return approach The TNR approach differs with significant others in the issues of feral cats with regard to defining its success. A policy maker or conservation scientist would define the success of such a program with respect to its effect on reducing the density of the cats. However, TNR advocates define such success with respect to the cats’ wellbeing, improved health and low turnover. For instance in Florida, the approach was employed, not to promote the feral cats’ wellbeing, but to decrease complaints from residents, to cut the costs of euthanasia for the county while reducing the number of euthanized cats (Luria et.al p.291). The wildlife veterinarian and conservation scientist would define the success of the approach by the decline or elimination of the cats. This is the most applied measure of success since most stakeholders involved in the initiative have less regard for the cats in comparison to the vices they are associated with. TNR is useful in eliminating colonies under predominant conditions According to TNR advocates, managed colonies eventually shrink by virtue of attrition. In a study that took eleven years at the University of Florida, the population of feral cats in college was cut by about 66%. This was amidst the fact that no more kittens were being born (Hughes et.al p.20). In another study in Italy, there was a notable 16%-32% colony decline over ten years (Natoli et.al p.183). In the University of Texas, of 123 neutered cats over a one a year period, no more kittens had been born. Upon re-trapping of the neutered cats, 20% were found to have been adopted or socialized. Leaders and executives of various Humane Organizations ascend to the stress-free and healthy lies adopted by a neutered cat. The Nevada Humane Society director, Bonney Browns claims, “Alongside stabilizing the number of cats in a given colony, the cats live good lives in their feral cat environments”. Rich Avanzino, director of SPCA traces the benefit of the female cat not being subjected to frequent pregnancies and births, which improves their health. The chances of any cat having testicular and mammary tumors are practically eliminated by neutering and spaying. Cats are known for mating habits such as fighting, spraying, yowling and roaming. These behaviors lead to conflicts within colonies and with other neighboring colonies. Neutering the cats ensures that cats are safe and healthy as such behaviors are stopped. Becky Robinson of Alley Cat Allies says, “Usually, neighbors are relieved just to learn that something is being done to stabilize the cat population. Caregivers can also take further steps to address concerns, such as providing deterrents to keep cats out of neighbors’ yards or constructing discreet feeding stations and litter areas to gradually move cats out of areas they are not wanted” (Alley Cat Allies). Dr. Peter Neville and Jenny Remfry, popular cat biologists, in their study claim that neutered cats developed affection towards each other, spent time playing and had less fights. The study in the University of Florida found that with less straying and roaming, the cats gained considerable weight as a result of better health (Hughes et.al p.23). Dr. Levy, a renowned researcher says, “neutered cats have the benefit of less straying and weight gain which is beneficial to their general wellbeing” (Levy et.al, p.45). The cats are also vaccinated against rabies. Though the cats are usually healthy, such vaccinations ensure that they are not susceptible to diseases and infections, as well as ensuring the whole colony is free of diseases or infections. Finally, neutered cats have been proven to prolong the cats’ life. The study in the University of Florida showed that at the end of the eleven years, 83% of the cats had been in the colonies for about six years. Conclusion The management of feral cats is at the interest of the entire American population. With TNR, the cats stop behaviors that bother residents such as fighting and yowling. The residents also embrace the program since they realize that something is being done about the cats. The program also offers a platform for educating the residents concerning all the issues they have about the cats. They also get the chances to air their views concerning the same. Dr. Levy further argues, “The approach offers solutions for conflicts between residents and the cats. She claims that once the people are aware that there are efforts to deal with the cats, there is positive reception and support for the program” (Levy et.al, p.45). Killing of cats in shelters is minimized with neutering. Furthermore, wasteful expenditure on catching and killing the cats has been replaced by a more humane approach, while the taxpayers’ money can be invested in better and fruitful projects. With respect to this, Rich Avanzino further says, “Money, instead of being spent on killing, is now being used to protect the animals, to basically support the colony caregivers and to provide the surgeries so that we don’t see the wasted dollars, the waste of life, and the extra burden put on the cat-colony caregivers. It was a tragedy that needed to end, and Trap-Neuter-Return stopped it” (Alley Cat Allies). Correspondingly, Americans would advocate for humane approaches of handling the cats. Most of them would prefer methods that do not subject the cats to cruelty and brutality. It is however disturbing that amidst this great achievement for animal control; most states are still applying the catch and kill approach. This method, alongside others like relocations and cat sanctuaries cannot work. The funds used for catching and killing are enough for the better alternative of TNR. This paper therefore finds the kill and catch approach as impractical, futile and wasteful. The TNR approach is endorsed, not as the ultimate solution to feral cats, but as one that is more practical, human and fruitful. Patience needs to be employed as the fruits of the approach are manifested. Of course, it is not easy to neuter about 70 million cats; it is only reasonable to weigh the efficacy of the approach in the long run, when at least half of this galloping cat population has been neutered. Works cited Alley Cat Allies. (2009). Community Relations: Protecting Cats with Outreach, Education, and Negotiation. Washington, DC: Author. Bester, M. N., et al. "A Review of the Successful Eradication of Feral Cats from Sub-Antarctic Marion Island, Southern Indian Ocean." South African Journal of Wildlife 32, no. 1 (April2012):65-73. Blancher, Peter. "Estimated Number of Birds Killed by House Cats (Felis catus) in Canada Estimation du nombre d’oiseaux tués par les chats domestiques (Felis catus) au Canada." Avian Conservation and Ecology 8.2 (2013): 3. Glick, Megan H. "Animal Instincts: Race, Criminality, and the Reversal of the" Human"." American Quarterly 65.3 (2013): 639-659. Hughes, Kathy L. and Margaret R. Slater. “Implementation of a Feral Cat Management Program on a University Campus.” Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 5, no. 1 (2002): 15-28. Humane Society of the Ochocos. Feral Cat Problem. 2011 http://www.humanesocietyochocos.com/Feral.html (accessed February 10, 2011).  Levy, Julie K., David W. Gale, and Leslie A. Gale. "Evaluation of the effect of a long-term trap- neuter-return and adoption program on a free-roaming cat population." Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 222.1 (2003): 42-46. Loss, Scott R., Tom Will, and Peter P. Marra. "The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States." Nature communications 4 (2013): 1396. Luria, Brian J., et al. "Prevalence of infectious diseases in feral cats in Northern Florida." Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 6.5 (2004): 287-296. Maricopa County Animal Care & Control. Feral Cats. 2012. http://www.maricopa.gov/pets/pdf/livingwithferalcats.pdf Natoli, Eugenia, et. al. “Management of Feral Domestic Cats in the Urban Environment of Rome (Italy).” Preventative Veterinary Medicine 77 (2012): 180-185 Parkes, John, et al. "Eradication of feral cats from large islands: an assessment of the effort required for success." New Zealand Journal of Ecology (2014): 307-314. Slater, Margaret R. "The role of veterinary epidemiology in the study of free-roaming dogs and cats." Preventive veterinary medicine 48.4 (2012): 273-286. Read More

There has only been one known successful removal of feral cats by catching and killing. This happened in Marion Island which is uninhabited (Bester et.al p.68). The methods used included introduction of viruses to the cats’ habitats, gun hunting, dog hunting and poisoning. The removal took more than twenty years as the vacuum effect was taking place. This approach is not viable in places inhabited by people, notably towns and cities. It is therefore useless to use taxpayers’ money in a futile exercise against nature.

The animal control personnel in the US have echoed to the futility of the policy. In Lancaster County, a Humane League CEO, Joan Brown, claims, “My organization has abandoned catch and kill upon realization that is just a waste of time and resources”. She further adds that the problem was persistent while their morale and resources were going to waste. In Maricopa County, a County Animal Control agent says, “Our 20 years of catching and killing for Arizona animal control have borne no fruits, with evidence that this traditional approach is not applicable to the issue of feral cats” (Maricopa County Animal control, 2012).

Another organization in Oregon states, “30 years of catching and killing the feral cats has been insignificant in eradicating them” (Human society of Ochocos). Trap-neuter-return approach Trap-neuter-return (TNR) is a framework for managing feral cats by capturing, surgically sterilizing them and returning them to their habitats. The cats are then given care under managed colonies. After a cat is captured, it is diagnosed and treated or vaccinated against various diseases; its ear tip is removed before it is released back to its habitat.

This is necessary for identification of treated feral cats against those that have not been captured nor treated (Levy et.al p.43). The initiative follows advocacies by various animal advocates to stop application of euthanasia to healthy wildlife. TNR has therefore been used as a platform for treating feral cats as healthy wildlife which needs protection. The advocates believe that in the long run, laws prohibiting cruelty to these cats by trapping and killing them will be drafted. The TNR approach is in wide use in the US, particularly in large metropolitan regions.

Procedure of conducting TNR The cats are trapped in colonies or shifts within the colonies. There are traps of required sizes available for trapping both fully-grown feral cats and their kittens. Larger traps are required for kittens since they are powerful and numerous in any given colony. However, it is more advisable to have a single trap for each trap and ach kitten to avoid any injuries that would result from overcrowding in a single trap. To trap the cat, there are many essentials needed.

To begin with, bait is very significant. Cats are generally attracted to fish like sardines, mackerel, tuna or some other bait with a strong attractive smell for the cats. The trap needs to be covered once the cat is captured. Every trap must have a date of when the cat was captured, the place of capture as well as a record of any observations. Feral cats do not harm wildlife on continents Feral cats are known to predate on other wildlife on islands, which could even lead to extinction of a species.

However, this form of predation, according to the advocates of TNR, and eventual extinction does not exist in the continents. The urban centers and suburban areas where these cats live are more or less like in the islands where inhospitable matrices siege the various fragments of species. There exists a variation between such areas and islands in that the inhospitable areas provide ground for subsidized predators (Parkes et.al, p.309). These areas offer habitats for other native as well as migratory wildlife such as birds; they also contribute to regional and local biodiversity.

It is therefore crucial to extend the concerns about the predation by feral cats to these urban and suburban environments.

Read More