New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance would like to thank the Matawan Aberdeen Public Library for allowing us to use the library meeting room June 13 to conduct an informative seminar on the merits of trap-neuter-return (TNR), the effective, humane method of feral cat population control.
The seminar attendees learned that under a well-managed TNR program, feral cats are trapped, neutered, vaccinated against rabies, and given a personality evaluation. Friendly stray cats and young kittens are adopted into good homes while feral cats, those unsocialized with people, are returned to the area where they were trapped, where they resume communal living. The returned cats are then cared for by a group of dedicated volunteers who monitor the colony and ensure that the cats are fed, given veterinary attention when ill, and provided shelter to protect them from the elements.
In the past it was all too common for feral cats to be trapped and killed en masse. This approach has never been able to solve the problem of feral cat overpopulation because newcomers always come in to fill the void. With TNR, the breeding cycle is ended and the cats are protected against diseases. Being territorial animals, colonies of feral cats will keep newcomers away and as a result, the population of the colony decreases over time.
Thanks again to the Matawan Aberdeen Public Library for allowing us to conduct the seminar about the importance of TNR and humane feral cat control. For more information on what you can do to help feral cats, please contact New Jersey Animal Rights at (732) 446-6808 or [email protected].
Jody Goldstein
Feral Cat Program coordinator
New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance
Englishtown