Trap– Neuter– Release Programs for Feral Cats
Trap–neuter–release (TNR) programs involve humanely trapping feral cats, neutering or spaying the cats and then releasing them back to the outdoors. These programs are highly controversial, with staunch advocates supporting the programs, believing that TNR is the most humane and most socially acceptable solution to the problem. Other people just as passionately feel that TNR programs are inhumane and morally irresponsible for a number of different reasons.
What is a feral cat?
A feral cat is one that is totally unsocialized and will accept little to no human interaction. Feral cats may have been born and raised in the wild or may have been abandoned, reverting to a feral state to survive. Most feral cats like in groups known as colonies. Colonies of feral cats tend to establish themselves where there is a food supply, which may consist of rodents, other small prey animals or trash. Under ideal conditions, these cat colonies will have a caretaker (or group of caretakers) responsible for supplying adequate quantities of food for the colony. In theory, once a colony is established, the cats will defend the territory and drive off strange cats which enter the area.
Feral cats differ from stray cats in that stray cats generally are more tolerant of human interaction. Though stray cats may have become distrustful of people due to abuse. many stray cats are at least partly reliant on human intervention to supply them with an adequate food supply. However, it is possible for a stray cat, over time, to revert to a feral state.
Pros of Trap–Neuter–Release Programs
Proponents of trap–neuter–release programs claim that the programs are beneficial because:
- most of these feral cats are extremely wild and are not adoptable
- new cats rarely move into a managed colony because the cats are territorial
- the feral cat population is controlled because no new kittens are born
- neutering or spaying reduces the nuisance behaviors, such as cat fighting
- local rodent populations are kept under control due to the predatory nature of the feral cats
Normally, attempts are made to place cats which are less feral in homes. Any kittens produced by the colony also would normally be socialized at a young age and placed in homes with the queen being spayed after caring for the litter and returned to the colony. In many cases, feral adult cats are actually happier living their lives outside and are simply unable to adapt to life in a home.
TNR programs are supported by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Further, there are a number of municipalities which have embraced TNR programs in their communities.
Advocates of trap–neuter–release programs are also quick to point out that these cats would be present in the community even if the colony was not being managed and cared for by concerned citizens. They claim that these cats are not created by the people who feed them, but rather that people feed them because the cats are present in the area. They also point out that without caretakers, these feral cats would be sickly and undernourished, they would be fighting and they would be searching for food in trash cans and other areas humans leave left-over food stuffs but the cats would still be present regardless of the lack of human intervention.
Cons of TNR Programs
Opponents to the TNR programs have concerns about whether these programs are humane. Many also feel that the programs are socially irresponsible.
- According to ASPCA estimates, feral cats living outside of a managed colony have an average lifespan of two years. Feral cats living in a colony with a caretaker who feeds and cares for them live an average of five years. Opponents to the TNR programs point out that death is not due to old age but rather to illness, predation or trauma. These people feel that allowing cats to live this type of life is inhumane.
- Opponents also worry that TNR programs are not really able to control populations of stray or feral cats in an area. They believe that individuals within a colony are not territorial enough to drive new cats from the area and point out that people have a tendency to “dump” abandoned cats in areas where they know that managed cat colonies exist.
- Destruction of local habitats is another big concern for opponents of trap–neuter–release programs. Cats are predators for many of the natural wildlife species which may inhabit the area in and around the cat colony, including wild songbirds and other small birds and mammals.
- Controlling the threat of rabies within a feral cat colony is difficult as wild animals such as raccoons and skunks frequently share meals with the colony. These wild animals are vectors for rabies and there is concern for the safety of the human caretakers of the colony as well as people living near the colony.
- Opponents of TNR programs also believe that funding from city, county or state governments is a mismanagement of governmental finances.
What do You Think About TNR Programs for Feral Cats?
The debate regarding trap–neuter–release programs and feral cats is ongoing and not likely to be settled any time soon. What do you think? Are you in favor of or against these programs? Are you a caretaker for a feral cat colony? We would love to hear your views, opinions and experiences. Please feel free to comment below.
