Expert Contributor Written by Donna Dybus, Clinical Director The Spayed Club Veterinary Clinic
TNR (Trap/Neuter/Return)
A Win/Win for Cats and Humans in the Community
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hey go by many names: strays, ferals, alley cats, community cats, etc. Stray cats were socialized or friendly to people at some point in their life. Feral cats have either never had any contact with people or their contact was negative or has diminished over time. Alley cat is a term for any cat that hangs out in alleyways, usually looking for food or shelter. A community cat — the term used most today — can be friendly, feral or somewhere in between. Whatever name you choose, all of these cats are unowned, homeless and free-roaming. The lucky ones may have a caretaker who provides some food and outdoor shelter. However, those cats are all simply trying to survive against all odds. But these community cats are capable of reproducing at an alarming rate.
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Marple Friends & Neighbors / Bringing People Together
Consider these facts: • A female cat as young as 4 months old can go into heat and become pregnant. • A female cat typically goes into heat 2 - 3 times a year. • The average size litter is 4 kittens. It’s estimated that there are over 400,000 unowned, homeless, free-roaming community cats in the Philadelphia area! So it’s not too surprising that many people consider these cats to be pests, nuisances and the scourge of the neighborhood. Community cats may dig and mess up gardens and backyards, but they have been unjustly blamed for spreading disease. Most diseases that infect cats can only be spread from cat-to-cat. Most intestinal parasites are species-specific. And most rabies infections result from bats, skunks and foxes. Furthermore, the decline in bird species is due more to habitat destruction, pollution and climate change than to cats. Considering the rate at which community cats reproduce, however, that population needs to be addressed. Here’s three options, each of which has consequences: • Ignore the situation. ➡ Cats will multiply exponentially, and become unwanted neighbors. • Catch all cats and have them killed. ➡ This solution is not only inhumane, it’s very costly and it’s unlikely all cats will be caught. This also allows rodents to multiply while new cats are filling the “vacuum.“ • Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) ➡ The cat population reduces over time as sick cats are euthanized and healthy cats are neutered and vaccinated before being returned. Rodent populations are kept in check. Cats roam less, mate less and fight less. The only effective and humane solution to community cat overpopulation is TNR. Ending the cats’ breeding cycles allows them to live out their natural lives without the negative mating behaviors of fighting and howling. Studies confirm that once TNR is effectively active within a cat community, reproduction and mating behaviors are reduced or potentially stopped, and the cats’ relationship with their community neighbors improves. A win for the community cats and a win for the community! M
