Abstract
The current paper talks about TNR (trap-neuter-release) program. It is a program where un-owned free roaming cats are trapped, surgically sterilized, and treated. The sterilization is done to reduce population. Different reviews by different authors on the matter are looked into in this paper. The paper focuses on the different advantages and disadvantages of the process. Despite it being a humane way of controlling free-roaming cats, it is deemed ineffective. The roaming cats pose a public health risk to humans and other animals. They also predate on the wildlife in the environs, such as birds, reptiles, and other small mammals. The paper analyzes the different results of surveys carried on the different methods used to control feral animals. A comparison is also made between TNR and other methods used to reduce the numbers of feral cat population. The other methods compared to TNR include trap and kill, humane euthanasia, and TVHR (Trap-Vasectomy-Hysterectomy-Release) program. The methods are analyzed, and their weakness and strengths pointed out. A conclusion is made on whether TNR is the absolute and effective way of reducing feral cat population.
TNR(Trap-Neuter-Release) is a program where un-owned free roaming cats are trapped, and surgically sterilized to reduce their population. The cats are then released back to their population of origin. The feral cats might be relocated to animal care centers if their population of origin is deemed inappropriate or dangerous. The feral cat colony managers supply the colonies with food and water when possible and take the sick or injured cats for veterinary care. Often, the goal of TNR has been to reduce euthanasia and reduce the intake of the cats into the animal care centers.
According to Guttilla, D & Stapp (2010), TNR has been considered as the most human method of controlling feral and roaming cats. Most TNR programs practice the removal of diseased cats. It is positive since it ensures that there is a healthy environment. On the other hand, sterilization may not prevent the cats from predating on the other wildlife in the environment, such as birds and small mammals. Thus, it poses a risk to the wildlife. Sterilization of the cats might also increase their lifespan since it does not affect their feeding. It might also decrease the population of the feral cats if there is no existence of new unsterilized cats. It is most unlikely for sterilized cats to migrate from their original habitat to a new one. TNR also does not address the health risks posed by the cats to the people and other animals. Sterilized cats are still prone to diseases and they carry parasites, which they can transmit to humans and wildlife.
According to McCarthy, Levine, & Reed (2013), TNR is a non-lethal method used to reduce the population of feral cats in the environment. However, it may pose a threat to the environment and the people. Most people still consider feral cats as useful for controlling mice and other pests. On the other hand, the cats may be carrying the rabies virus, which is dangerous to the humans. The program is also costly. The captured cats have to be surgically sterilized, which is not cost-effective. The existence of cat colonies might also encourage the cat dumping by irresponsible cat owners. Therefore, it increases the number of roaming cats instead of achieving the main goal of reducing the numbers.
Miller et al., (2014) uses a stochastic demographic simulation approach to evaluate removal, permanent sterilization, and two postulated methods of temporary contraception for feral cat’s population management. In their findings, without population management, simulated urban cats population was capable of 18-20% per year (Miller et al., 2014). TNR was deemed capable of causing a rapid population decline if high levels of treatment were administered in an isolated population. TNR programs targeting the male cats were deemed less effective over time than the ones targeting the female ones in achieving population reduction. TNR was found to be more effective in population reduction in the short run compared to the other methods that were administered.
According to McCarthy et al., (2013), there was also a possibility of over-lapping of sterilized and the normal cats. It occurred because the normal and sterilized cats had almost similar behaviors. Sterilized cats also tend to move less compared to when not sterilized. Their mating patterns also went down. Stakeholders also had a tough time while deciding whether TNR was the effective method to invest. The results of population reduction when using TNR seemed to be minimal. The other methods produced positive results; though they were not humane as TNR. It even made the whole process complicated since most civilians campaigned for the TNR method. In the survey, most people, a larger percentage being women, showed a positive attitude towards adopting the adoptable cats. Others were just okay with the roaming cats over the lethal elimination of the cats.
Peterson et al., (2012) found out that the free-roaming cats also posed risks to the motorists due to their moving behavior across the roads. It brought out the possibility of roads accidents. Additionally, the cats were also a nuisance to the humans due to the noises they make. Peterson et al. (2012) argued that feral cats are non-native species and are efficient and instinctive predators. The feeding of the feral cats by the colony managers and other humans does not eliminate the possibility of cats killing wildlife. The presence of cats is known to have a negative impact on the survivorship and life span of birds, reptiles, and vertebrates. Rather than promoting programs that facilitate the roaming of the feral animals, it would be better to implement programs that cause reduction of the free-roaming cats. It will reduce the risk posed on the native species in the environment.
According to Farmworth et al., (2014), policy makers tend to use people’s opinions in making policies to be used to formulate programs that will be implemented. Wildlife is considered a public resource; thus, people are involved in making decisions on how to handle them. In the case of handling or controlling feral animals, the public tends to reject the lethal methods. They tend to support trap-nature-release method, which they consider being a humanely way of treating the animals. Most people are to the idea of even taking the adoptable roaming cats. It makes TNR the most used, accepted, and common method used to control feral cat populations. Despite the feral cats being a nuisance, some of the humans may tend to feed them.
Despite the popularity of TNR programs, research covering the success of these programs in reducing population is limited (Rollin, 2015). The population growth rate is predicted to increase, though at a reduced rate at lower intervention. Trap-nature-release is clearly not the effective method of controlling feral and roaming cats. Despite it being the most humane way of controlling the roaming cats, it tends to have more disadvantages. First of all, the whole program is brought out as being cost ineffective. The sterilization of the cats will cost more compared to the lethal methods, which are easy and cheap. The capturing or trapping of the cats might also take a much longer time. The roaming cats also pose a risk to the surrounding wildlife. They predate on birds and other small mammals. The existence of the colony might encourage dumping of other cats in the streets by irresponsible humans. It ends up increasing the population of feral cats which is against the goal of TNR of controlling their numbers.
They also pose a public health risk due to their proneness to diseases and parasites. The diseases might end up being transmitted to humans and the other animals in the surrounding area (McCarthy, Levine, & Reed, 2013). Cats in the rural areas are constantly being fed by the humans, which might end up increasing their population density in the long run. Sterilization does not affect the feeding of the cats. The roaming cats in the streets are exposed to the harsh environment. They might be affected by bad weather, harsh human activities like car collisions, and being predated on by dogs, and other animals.
Compared to the lethal methods of controlling the feral cats, the lethal methods are more effective since they reduce the numbers evidently. Other methods such as Trap-Vasectomy-Trahesectomy-Return have also proved to be more powerful and effective in reducing the numbers than the Trap-Nature-Return method(Rollin 2015).
Temporary contraception method for the feral cats performs as well as TNR in the short run. Capturing of the feral cats and taking them to animal shelters might be an effective way of reducing their numbers. Additionally, adoption of eligible cats into homes and humane euthanasia of unadoptable cats or cats with untreatable or terminal diseases might help in the controlling of the cat population. Trap-Vasectomy-Hysterectomy-Release program is another method that is considered more effective than TNR since it requires a small annual capture rate. It is considered to reduce the population by half with an annual capture rate of 35%. When using TNR method, 57% of the colony had to be removed by lethal methods or capture, neutered, then released for the population to reduce by a quarter(Edinboro et al.,2015). It makes trap vasectomy hysterectomy release more effective than the TNR method.
Lethal methods are also considered to be effective since the feral animals are eliminated completely from the environment. It is also way cheaper and easier compared to TNR. Although most humans and animals’ organizations are against it, it is the only sure way of ensuring that the feral animals are completely out of the picture(Miller et al.,2014). Humane euthanasia may also be another effective method. It is used on cats that are sick with terminal or incurable diseases. It can be used on cats that are deemed unadoptable and cannot be taken back to their initial habitat which may be considered dangerous.
In the trap and kill method, the feral cats are captured, then killed using carbon monoxide poisoning. It is considered inhumane since the cats die a slow suffocating death (Miiller et al.,2014). Although the trap and kill method is preferred over the TNR method, it may cause a ‘vacuum effect’ due to the death of the cats. When cats are removed from their habitats, their sources of food remain. The sources of food are also left unprotected. For this reason, other cats may move in a bid to get the left food. As a result, there is no reduction of feral cats since the other cats from the surrounding areas move in to claim the food. As much as it is considered the most effective way compared to TNR, the drawback is evident.
People may deem feral cats as being useful in controlling pests, such as mice. It makes them find the idea of TNR being an appealing and effective way of controlling roaming cats. The process of capturing roaming cats, transporting them to a central sterilizing facility, and returning them to their initial environment is a resource intensive activity and may be challenging to keep up with. There is no visible evidence that trap-nature-release method reduces the numbers of feral cats. TNR also keeps the cats on the harsh streets where they are subjects to predation by coyotes and attacks by dogs; cars collisions; ingestion of poison, and more. They might also predate on the wildlife in their environs like birds and other small mammals( Boone, 2015). The cats may also cause a nuisance to humans and also poses a public health risk. Feral cats may also be a reservoir of parasites. Allowing cats to roam may pose a threat to public health since cats are essential hosts of parasites and may excrete millions of the parasite infectious eggs in their feces. Another method of controlling feral cats, trap-vasectomy-hyresectomy-release, was found to be more effective than TNR.
In conclusion, the TNR program is an ineffective method of controlling the free-roaming and feral cats. The main goal of reducing the population numbers of the feral cats is not achieved. Despite the fact the cats are sterilized, the population still increases due to the increased cases of cats being dumped by irresponsible and careless owners. The cats are also left to roam around, which poses a public health threat to the human and the animals in the surrounding environments. The cats also pose a great threat to the wildlife, such as the birds, small mammals, and reptiles since they tend to feed on them. Although many organizations support the setup of managed colonies where the feral cats are vigilantly monitored and managed, dealing with the root problem could be the ultimate solution for free roaming cats. If the owners of the cats could be responsible or not careless, there would be no roaming cats. They purposely allow the cats to roam or even dump them. Legislation pertaining ownership, sterilization, and control of pests should be for a start. It will ensure a controlled acquisition of the pets and that they are well-taken care of to avoid the roaming of the cats.
References
Boone, J.D. (2015). Better trap-neuter-return for free roaming cats Using models and monitoring tp omprove population management. Journal of feline medicine and surgery, 17 (9), 800-807
Edinboro, C. H., Watson, H. N., & Fairbrother, A. (2016). Association between a shelter-neuter-return program and cat health at a large municipal animal shelter. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 248(3), 298-308.
Farnworth, M. J., Watson, H., & Adams, N. J. (2014). Understanding attitudes toward the control of nonnative wild and feral mammals: similarities and differences in the opinions of the general public, animal protectionists, and conservationists in New Zealand (Aotearoa). Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 17(1), 1-17.
Guttilla, D. A., & Stapp, P. (2010). Effects of sterilization on movements of feral cats at wildland-urban interface. Journal of Mammalogy, 91(2), 482-489.
McCarthy, R. J., Levine, S. H., & Reed, J. M. (2013). Estimation of effectiveness of three methods of feral cat population control by use of a simulation model. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 243(4), 502-511.
McCarthy, R., Levine, S., & Reed, J. (2013). Estimation of effectiveness of three methods of feral cat population control by use of a simulation model. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 243(4), 502-511.
Miller, P. S., Boone, J. D., Briggs, J. R., Lawler, D. F., Levy, J. K., Nutter, F. B., & Zawistowski, S. (2014). Simulating free-roaming cat population management options in open demographic environments. PloS one, 9(11), e113553.
Rollin, B. E. (2015). An ethicist's commentary on feral cats. The Canadian veterinary journal. La revue veterinaire canadienne, 56(9), 911-911.
