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TNR for feral cats has its down sides
By Donald K. ALLEN
Recent articles in the The Vindicator discuss the problems of feral cats and the dilemma of what to do about them. I’m always saddened seeing feral cats with winter approaching, knowing that many will die due to the cold and lack of care. There are too many cats and not enough homes for them all.
Female cats come into heat seasonally, and often begin in January, repeatedly cycling until they are bred. This typically runs through September. Cats can have several litters a year, but feral cats tend to lose kittens to disease and predation, even being killed by male cats.
Trap, neuter, and release (TNR) is being offered as a solution to the problem, but there are issues with this program, too. If the cats are not tested for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus first, before anything else is done, then you are simply releasing infected cats back into the feral population, and the disease(s) will be passed on to other cats.
In my opinion, and that of many other veterinarians, positive cats should either be homed with no other cats or put down. Often they appear healthy, and if they are not stressed, they can live for many years with the disease(s), which is wonderful for an indoor pet. Since even healthy-looking cats still shed the virus, these cats should never be permitted to go outside.
Opposition to TNR has also come from naturalists who point out that a large feral cat colony tends to decimate the local songbird population, as well as all the mice, voles, moles, rats, chipmunks, and other small critters. People who put out food to feed feral cats may be causing more harm than good. Animals tend to breed more when food is plentiful, and reproduce less when they are hungry. Feeding them only tends to encourage having more kittens.
Then there is the problem with all the other potential diseases that can affect feral cats. Rhinotracheitis, panleukopenia, calici virus, and chlamydia, as well as the two already mentioned. And there’s rabies. Vaccines generally take two doses to become effective, then annual boosters to maintain immunity. Kittens born to unvaccinated mothers are wide open to all these infections. Then there’s internal and external parasites that live off the cats’ blood and nutrition, reducing their overall strength and health.
The average life of an unneutered male cat is three years. They tend to fight a lot and get infected wounds, acquire and pass on diseases, and breed, breed, breed. Spayed and neutered, released cats fare little better. Life is tough in the wild.
Feral cats can do well in managed colonies, but the operative word is managed. Annual vaccinations, shelters, constant food and water sources, and catching and neutering new arrivals is imperative. The ideal solution is to catch all the feral cats and find homes for them.
Some, however, are not tameable, and will never make good house cats. The real problem is there are not enough people who want more cats. And some that have them, move and turn them loose.
Sad situation; no easy answers. Doing something (TNR) is better than doing nothing, but the whole picture needs to be considered, and euthanasia should be a part.
Dr. Allen is a veterinarian in Boardman.