Throughout history, the cat has played several roles in human society: from its domestication nearly 5000 years ago by the ancient Egyptians to its current status as America's most popular pet, it has been present in one capacity or another for thousands of years. It has been worshipped as the incarnation of a goddess, respected as natural rodent control, and reviled as a minion of the devil. Today, cats outnumber dogs as pets in the United States, which would seem to indicate that the cat enjoys a place of high esteem in our society. Underlying this happy picture, however, is the existence of feral cats - roaming, ownerless, reverting to their wild state and surviving on natural instincts. Scott Kirkwood, in his article for the magazine Animal Sheltering, considers the contradictory situation of the cat: "Arguably the most adored animal in America, more than 60 million cats live in our homes. But nearly as many live on the streets - abandoned, feral or stray - ignored by those who domesticated them so many years ago." (Kirkwood 6). The abandonment of pet cats and subsequent overpopulation of feral cats continues to be a problem, and community leaders, residents and animal control personnel need to work together to address the issues and find a reasonable solution.
Before approaching the issues surrounding feral cats, it is helpful to understand the two main classifications of non-owned or free-roaming cats. One of the most common misconceptions is that the terms "feral" and "stray" are interchangeable. Stray cats are domestic, owned cats that have been recently abandoned or have gotten lost. They can usually be resocialized and adopted out fairly quickly. Feral cats are either cats that were born and raised outside (by other ferals or by strays) or strays that have been out long enough to have lost their domestic, tamed temperament. Adult ferals are generally too wild to be socialized and adopted out; kittens may be tamed if they are less than 8-10 weeks old. To distinguish between a true feral cat and a stray, a person cannot rely on visual appearance alone. A stray cat that is not accustomed to living on the street will be quite vocal and will look shabby and dirty, and at first glance would appear to be what most people would think of as "feral". On the other hand, a feral cat will be silent and well-groomed, having adapted to a semi-wild lifestyle, and might appear to be a recently lost or abandoned pet. Their behavioral cues will be much more accurate in determining their status; a stray cat will be much more likely to approach a human and will eat food that is offered in the presence of a human. Feral cats, however, have regained an instinctual fear of humans and will not approach them under any circumstances, and will not eat unless the human is far away or not present.
Feral cats establish colonies of their own, surviving and reproducing through their natural instincts. Desmond Morris states that "because domestication has involved a dramatic increase on the feline breeding rate, these cats quickly become overpopulated. True wild cats, with their much slower breeding rate, do not suffer from this problem." (Morris 188). Their colonies can be found in any large, open space, including shopping areas, alleys, parks, corporate complexes, and college campuses. They scavenge through human garbage and eat rodents or other small animals. Some people have taken on the role of "caretakers" of these colonies, feeding and caring for these cats, but as the numbers of cats euthanized in city and private shelters continued to rise, many of these caretakers realized that something needed to be done to more effectively manage these colonies.
Historically, the way that most cities dealt with the feral cat overpopulation problem was by removing them from their territory and euthanizing them. While perhaps effective in the short-term, it did not solve the overpopulation problem permanently for two very strong reasons: total elimination of the cats from any one site was nearly impossible, and researchers observed that when cats were simply taken out of the colony and not returned, more cats arrived to take their place. Roger Tabor, in his book Understanding Cats: Their History, Nature and Behavior, calls this the "vacuum effect" and cites it as the fatal flaw of the trap-and-euthanize method of feral cat management: "If an area is able to support a population of cats and they are eradicated, then another group can fill its space…the new cats will breed and be a less stable group." (Tabor 42).
This solution was unacceptable to many animal welfare groups, who began searching for alternatives to the trap-and-euthanize method. The key became something known colloquially as TNR (Trap, Neuter and Return or Release), or TTAVRM (Trap, Test, Alter, Vaccinate, Return or Release, and Monitor). For approximately 30 years in Britain and Denmark, people have been using TNR as the preferred feral cat management method and have had much success with it in maintaining feral populations. It has only been within the last ten years that it has gained some recognition in this country. The organization largely responsible for implementing TNR on a national level is Alley Cat Allies (ACA), an organization founded in 1990 to promote humane methods of feral cat management. Previous to ACA's efforts, feral cat caretaking and trapping had been done by isolated groups who had no support or resources. Currently, ACA disseminates information sheets, hosts conferences, links caretakers with free or low-cost veterinary care, and increases public awareness about TNR.
Although seemingly contradictory, the TNR method has proven to be an effective solution not only in terms of the ultimate goal of controlling the population, but it is also less costly. With the TNR method, the cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered, vaccinated and given any necessary medical treatment, and returned to their colony site. Once returned, the cats will continue to hold their territory and keep new, unsterilized cats from infiltrating the colony. While these cats live their lives, often under the watchful eye of their devoted caretakers, they are not reproducing and contributing to the overall population growth. According to the Feral Cat Coalition, a non-profit organization in San Diego that promotes TNR, "Studies have proven that trap-neuter-release is the single most successful method of stabilizing and maintaining feral cat colonies with the least possible cost to local governments and residents, while providing the best life for the animals themselves." (Feral Cat Coalition, www.feralcat.com).
One such organization that strongly believes in TNR and uses it to its maximum potential is Best Friends Catnippers (Catnippers for short), which is a branch of the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, a no-kill shelter located in Kanab, Utah. Catnippers is a non-profit organization dedicated to effectively managing the feral cat population in Los Angeles through the TNR program. Their mission statement includes a commitment to use TNR to reduce the feral cat population in and around Los Angeles and to promote it as the accepted method of feral cat management. The organization was founded by Karn Myers and Mark Dodge in 1999, and provides monthly clinics for spaying, neutering and vaccinating feral cats. Since its inception, Catnippers has treated over 1200 feral cats. In 2001, 563 feral cats were brought to the monthly clinics (261 males and 302 females); of this number, 380 were returned to their colony and 167 were determined to be adoptable and were found homes. While there is no way to accurately predict the amount of kittens that were prevented from being born, there are a couple different models that animal welfare organizations use. Using the formula provided by the Humane Society of the United States of one fertile feline couple and their offspring being responsible for producing approximately 420,000 cats over seven years, this means that the 261 males that were neutered prevented approximately 109,620,000 new cats. Using a more conservative formula provided by the Feral Cat Coalition in San Diego of one fertile female and her offspring being responsible for producing approximately 3200 kittens per year, this means that the 302 females that were spayed prevented approximately 966,400 new cats. Either way, it is undeniable that sterilizing these feral cats prevented the feral cat population in many locations from increasing.
Catnippers also promotes its services to Los Angeles and the surrounding communities by giving presentations to college campuses, corporations, and other institutions that may have feral cat colonies. A crucial component of TNR advocacy is educating the public about feral cats in general and TNR in particular. Many people do not understand the difference between "feral" and "stray", or do not understand why trapping and euthanizing does not solve the problem. Recently, Karn and Mark were involved in the creation of a new class at UCLA in the biology department on feral cat management, including some hands-on experience for the students at one of the clinics. One of the volunteers, Liz Cava, was featured in a documentary produced by the USC film school entitled "Living By Instinct: Animals and Their Rescuers".
Through the efforts of organizations like Alley Cat Allies, the Feral Cat Coalition, and Catnippers, TNR has become a more recognized method of feral cat management. The problem is by no means solved, but if each community acknowledges the need for a humane and effective alternative to trapping and euthanizing, then the progress will continue. Since the feral cat problem is a direct result of human domestication, it is up to us to consider the solutions. As Desmond Morris states, "The struggling feral population exists today as a permanent reminder of the way in which we have broken our contract with the cat - an animal we originally enlisted as a highly valued pest-controller and then gradually devalued until we were prepared to abandon it in huge numbers, leaving it to fend for itself as a wild animal, after we had made it tame." (Morris 188). The cat certainly deserves better than this, and with the continued efforts of organizations like these, the cats will get the humane treatment and care they deserve.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books and Periodicals
Kirkwood, Scott. "Free-Roaming Cats: In Search of New Approaches." Animal Sheltering (September-October 1998): 5-18.
Morris, Desmond. Cat World: A Feline Encyclopedia. New York: Penguin Books USA Inc., 1997.
Tabor, Roger. Understanding Cats: Their History, Nature and Behavior. Pleasantville: Readers' Digest Publications, 1995.
Websites
Alley Cat Allies
Feral Cat Coalition
Other Sources
Karn Myers and Mark Dodge, co-founders of Best Friends Catnippers