An alternative approach — called “trap, neuter and return” — involves setting traps for cats, taking them to a clinic to be spayed or neutered, and returning them to the area where they were trapped. Four hundred cities and counties across the country have have been using “TNR” over the past 25 years, and some pet retailers have supported the initiative.
But a study of one county’s statistics by Dr. Patrick Foley at California State University in Sacramento suggests that the cat population re-produces far too quickly for TNR to be effective.
He explained it this way: “Imagine introducing a single pregnant female to an island. She could produce three female kittens plus herself by the end of the year. That means the population will multiply by four in one year. Next year, if the same thing happens, then there’ll be 16. The year after that 64. If you had money in the bank at that kind of rate, you would be delighted. You would, in fact, be owning the world after a very few years. And so would cats.”
Foley calculates that in order to be successful realistically, 75 percent of the female feral cat population would need to be spayed, which is ten times the number the county is currently able to support.
In addition, feral cats hunt and kill other animals. According to the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, feral cats kill around 2.4 billion birds and 12.3 billion small mammals each year. Researchers say feral cats continue to hunt wild prey, even when they are well-fed.
Now, that you’ve read and listened to all of that nonsense, allow us here at The Best Cat Page to play devil’s advocate, for just for a moment ….
It is our opinion that each and every cat lover needs to pick a side now, whichever side that is, and be prepared to go war.
We have been doing a lot of reading and a lot of research and it is our editorial opinion that our nation’s stray and feral cats are in jeopardy.
None of us want to hear the word “cull,” but we must be prepared.
Something to think about.