Pet Talk-Dec. 20, 2007

Trap-neuter-release effective for feral cats

Dr. Daniel Eubanks
   Feral cats.
   In cities, they’re referred to as “alley cats.”
   In the rural setting, they’re called “barn cats.”
   Either way, they are our standard domesticated cats gone wild because of the absence of human contact.
   They survive on their own out of necessity and truly seem to no longer want nor need any contact with us. They’re wild.
   They’re generally unwanted, and their colonies present real problems for any municipality. Until recently, dealing with them was via one of two options — catch and adopt, which is highly unlikely given their wild nature or trap and humanly euthanize them, which evokes passionate response from animal rights advocates.
   Activist groups in some cities are adopting a third alternative. This new approach involves catch, neuter, vaccinate and release back into the feral community.
   A recent newspaper article describes this program being generated by the Philadelphia Community Cat Council. The article quotes the ASPCA’s estimate that the city’s feral cat population exceeds 250,000. Clearly, something must be done.
   A similar concept is evolving in Lambertville. A feral cat population is concentrated and expanding in the North Union Street and Arnett Avenue area.
   Sheila Gladstone, a North Union Street resident, and Carolyn Murphy of Delaware Township have initiated a trap-neuter-release program. Operated strictly by volunteers and individual donations, they trap the cat and transport it to a low-cost neuter facility in Hillside, N.J., run by People for Animals.
   The cat is spayed or castrated, vaccinated for rabies and returned to the same feral colony.
   This humane approach to feral cat control offers an alternative for those adamantly opposed to euthanasia. It is not, however, without opposition or controversy.
   In Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Game Commission threatened a legal ban on this neuter-release process, but withdrew the legislation proposal after pressure from animal rights groups.
   Opposition might exist in any municipality for a variety of reasons. Feral cats can become a nuisance in any neighborhood, and returning them to the colony doesn’t help.
   They are a potential threat to the indoor-outdoor pet cats belonging to neighborhood residents. They provide a reservoir of feline leukemia virus-infected cats, which continue to transmit the virus to cats outside of the colony.
   They are by nature territorial and aggressive and pose the threat of physical injury to resident domestic cats.
   A case also can be built for rabies concern. Confirmed cases of feline rabies in New Jersey now outnumber canine rabies. Maintaining a feral cat colony sustains a population of animals susceptible to rabies and, therefore, potential exposure and transmission to domestic pets and humans.
   Doing nothing about this situation is irresponsible. Although it does not address all of the problems associated with a feral cat colony, the neuter-vaccinate-release program does have long-term benefits.
   Theoretically, if many cats are rendered sterile, eventually, the numbers in the population will diminish. Aggressively pursing this approach would, in fact, ultimately, eliminate the colony.
   As far as the rabies issue is concerned, inaction ignores a population of cats, all of whom are susceptible to rabies. With the catch-neuter-vaccinate-release concept, at least some of the cats are temporarily immunized against rabies, thus reducing the potential for human exposure.
   Obviously, there will be proponents and adversaries, concerns and questions about a catch-and-release approach.
   For further information regarding the Philadelphia program, see www.phillycats.org.
   For information and/or donation support for the Lambertville program, see www.pfapetfinder.org.