Q. In the last issue of The Pet Gazette, you wrote about feral cats and mentioned trap-neuter-return (TNR). Can you explain that a bit further please…isn’t it abandoning cats and isn’t that cruel?
A. The TNR programs advocated by most feral cat rescue groups are not simply catching cats, sterilizing them and then letting them go. This is a big misconception and is one of the main reasons even very large, well-funded animal welfare groups have mistakenly opposed TNR in the past. Trap-Neuter-Return is actually a well thought-out management plan to care for colonies of feral cats.
Wild cats have a tendency to assemble in a loose knit society, usually around a food source, such as a restaurant. These colonies usually consist of wild-born cats and strays. Once a “colony” is recognized by TNR advocates, they search for someone who may already be providing food for these cats, which is very common, and an attempt is made to enroll this person into the TNR program. If someone is caring for them, the basic structure is already in place. The caretaker is given feeding instructions and humane traps are set all at once so the cats are captured simultaneously.
Once captured, the cats are transported to a veterinarian, sterilized, vaccinated, and their ears are notched for easy recognition if re-captured at a later date. The cats are generally kept for several days by volunteers then released back to the site of capture. The caretaker resumes feeding these cats on a daily basis after release.
Unfortunately, there are not enough caretakers to go around and many cat colonies go uncared for. While it seems contradictory, some animal advocates feel feral cats are better off euthanized, than left to starve to death. The best solution is to engage the public in becoming a part of the solution. Many government agencies are finally beginning to recognize that management programs succeed, where trap and kill have not. Caretaking is not abandoning and provides a sustainable quality life instead of no life at all.
Mia Krauss has over 30 years experience in various aspects of pet care including behavioral counseling, grooming, rescue and retail. She presently lectures and writes for several publications about current pet issues. For questions, please email her at greenpaw@bellsouth.net.
