LOL, what are you doing, finding every controversial subject and starting a conversation on it?

It’s called TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) and it is practiced her in the US in many areas. It’s an effective way to deal with feral cat populations IMHO. Some programs also vaccinate against rabies.

Many people oppose it as well preferring that the feral cats just be killed as they are a strain on the environment. In most areas in the US however, predation takes pretty good care of feral cat populations.

 

LOL, what are you doing, finding every controversial subject and starting a conversation on it?

It's called TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) and it is practiced her in the US in many areas. It's an effective way to deal with feral cat populations IMHO. Some programs also vaccinate against rabies.

Many people oppose it as well preferring that the feral cats just be killed as they are a strain on the environment. In most areas in the US however, predation takes pretty good care of feral cat populations.

No I had no idea it was controversial and had never heard of it before. I have absolutely no opinion because I have never heard of it and thought it was strange, it just came up on the news. Sorry if it seems I'm trying to start fights! Just wanted to get some input from people who may have heard of it and form an educated opinion.

 

It depends on what your goals are for that population.

If it's purely to keep cat numbers under control, it seems that it's usually pretty reliable. It holds the advantage over culling in that it avoids the 'vacuum effect', where removal of a population leaves a gap for new individuals to move in, thus negating the effects of culling.

If it's to try and protect local wildlife from predation by feral cats - for instance in Australia, where multiple endangered species are at risk - then obviously it's not going to make the immediate impact you need.

There is evidence to suggest that TNR programmes are not foolproof. Neutered male cats aren't much of a deterrent to any entire toms in the area, so it's easy for an entire tom to rock up and breed with any entire females remaining.

There has been some recent work on TVHR: trap, vasectomy/hysterectomy, release. The theory here is that cats who have undergone these procedures cannot reproduce, but their hormones remain intact. This means the toms are still in a position to deter any fertile newcomers into the group.

Vasectomized toms are also still able to mate with entire females and induce false pregnancy (cats are induced ovulators), thus temporarily reducing their fertility and hopefully reducing kitten numbers overall.

 

Agree with this.

So long as the cats are able to live a fairly good life and are not riddled with disease and going hungry or suffering abuse.

 

To me, it is not a controversial subject, as in the Netherlands, culling is not usually seen as an option. The few councils that consider it are met with a storm of protest. However, in Belgium it seems to be considered more acceptable, and apparently Belgian shelters are not necessarily no-kill, whereas, in the Netherlands, it would be unthinkable for a rescue to kill cats that, for some reason, cannot be rehomed. We have a special rescue for FIV and FeLV cats, where they live in a semi-domestic, semi-feral group. This rescue has separate areas for healthy ferals and semi-domestic and feral cats with infectious diseases.
It is very much like the Cat House on the Kings in many ways.

 

TNR actually means Trap, Neuter, Return. Return being a key word here, because the cat is returned to the same place s/he was living before. Release implies taking the cat anywhere.

TNR the healthy ones, foster, tame and adopt out the young ones or any older ones who turn out to be not feral, euthanize the sick ones. The most humane and effective way to control feral cat colonies.

 

I have 4 feral cats I feed throughout the year and I have trapped and had them neutered. And had them released back into my area. They are all also chipped to me. None of the 4 cats I care for would find homes. If they were taken to a shelter the chances are they would also be pts.

 

TNR is common practice here in Tenerife organized by rescues and unless the area where the cats are found and trapped are unsafe they are returned to where they came from. There is no official body that will help if complaints are made to the councils about ferals they best they will do is poison the whole colony. The rescues I know that do TNR are doing so illegally but get plenty of support and vets come from all over Germany and the UK to perform the procedures for free all that is supplied is free accommodation and help with air fares. After the cats are returned/released the rescues and volunteers visit the colonies to leave food and water. I think it's a great thing and the feral cat population has fallen dramatically since the TNR has been operating here so I am in full support of it.