Be responsible to ward off warm-weather pet perils

As temperatures zoom up, schools shut down and days grow longer, the fun and freedom of summer loom large on the horizon. But late spring and summer also harbor a dark side.

Heat, humidity and safety risks run rampant – particularly for our nation’s burgeoning population of 200 million cats and dogs. Most of those risks, however, can be mitigated or eradicated with a few healthy doses of responsible and commonsensical pet ownership.

One of the largest and most perplexing animal rites of summer season is the explosion in the number of feral cats. As The Vindicator reported in a front-page story Monday, late spring in the Mahoning Valley – and elsewhere throughout the nation – typically produces a spike in the number of feral cats and their colonies.

Feral comes from the Latin “fera” for wild beast. In the case of feral cats, the term describes those living in the wild but descended from domesticated environments.

Jason Cooke, a Mahoning Valley animal- rights activist, says it’s not unusual to see colonies from 50 to 100 feral cats congregating under bridges or in abandoned buildings throughout the region.

Those colonies quickly become active breeding grounds for hundreds and thousands of new and helpless kittens left largely to fend for themselves in the wild.

Worse yet, the colonies also become breeding grounds for a laundry list of feline maladies. Contagious diseases such as rhinotracheitis, feline AIDS and rabies are common, as are puncture wounds, broken bones, brain damage, or loss of an eye or limb after stray cats are attacked by other animals or struck by oncoming cars, trucks and buses.

As a result, it’s easy to understand why a variety of animal-advocacy groups and organizations have rightly targeted reducing the number of feral cat colonies as a priority for stronger feline health in specific and public health in general.

One such group, TNR of Warren, approaches the problem through a process known as Trap, Neuter and Return. Cats are humanely trapped and taken to a veterinarian to be neutered and vaccinated. After recovery, the cats are returned to their home outdoors.

Proponents of the process argue that it stops the breeding cycle of cats and consequently improves their lives.

OPPOSITION TO TNR

Not all humane organizations and animal-rights advocates swear by the gospel of TNR, however. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which bills itself as the largest animal-welfare organization in the world with 3 million members, believes TNR does not work in the best interests of the homeless-cat population.

“Having witnessed the painful deaths of countless feral cats, we cannot in good conscience advocate trapping, altering and releasing as a humane way to deal with overpopulation and homelessness,” PETA said in a public statement.

As that debate rages, however, there remains other more sure-fire methods of controlling the stray -cat population. Cat and kitten owners, for example, could adopt control strategies more common to dog and puppy owners. After all, cats are far more likely than dogs to be given free rein to run wild and free throughout neighborhoods. Too, as Diane Less, co-founder of Canfield-based Angels for Animals, said, people need to address the potential for abandonment before adding a dog or cat to the family.

Just as responsible pet ownership is key to lessening the feral cat overpopulation, responsibility and common sense play critical roles in ensuring any pet survives the many ever-present dangers of summer.

Toward that end, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, offers these useful tips:

Never leave a pet in a closed vehicle on a hot day. The temperature inside a car can rise 19 degrees in a matter of seven minutes, and on most summer days, that results in deadly conditions.

Make sure pets left out in enclosed areas have adequate shade. Consider filling a kiddy pool with fresh water for your dog to cool off in.

Avoid exposing your pets to hot asphalt or sand for long periods of time, as it can burn their paws.

Use safe, preventive products to ward off fleas, ticks and mosquitoes that can carry heartworm disease, all of which are more prevalent in warmer months.

By following these and other strategies, pet owners can reasonably guarantee their beloved Fifi or Fido will survive and thrive through and beyond the dog days of summer.