Feral Cat Overpopulation: Finding a Solution

Feral Cat Overpopulation: Finding a Solution 1

Derek A. Spencer

Presented to Professor Beth Ritter-Guth

LehighCarbonCommunity College

Published on May 5, 2008

Table of Contents:

Abstract4

Executive Summary5

Introduction6

Background6

Methods13

Findings14

Discussion14

Recommendation14

References15

Appendix17

Table of Charts and Illustrations:

Households That Own Cats8

Reasons for Euthanizing9

Cats that are spayed or neutered by their owners12

Abstract

The growing population of feral cats in urban America is a topic of much debate. A feral cat is an untamed domestic cat living in the wild or a cat that has returned to an untamed state from domestication. There are several philosophies on how to address these growing cat populations. This paper defines these philosophies and discusses their impact on the cat population, as well as the human population that they directly effect. Findings here are a direct result of research done and collected by students at LehighCarbonCommunity College and summarized in the following text.

Executive Summary

There are two main subject areas that directly relate to the feral cat issue. The first of those is how do cats become feral, or where do feral cats come from. Many of the cats are born into the wild and live their life as any wild animal would. The rest of the cat population are a result of cats being released into the wild by their owners, either because the cost of caring for them is too great, or because they are allowed to roam free and never return to their domestic homes.

The second area of the feral cat population problem that will be discussed is what can be done to bring these numbers under control. The two most widely adopted solutions are the “Trap, Neuter and Return” and the euthanize philosophy. As with any debate, both sides present valid arguments on why a certain course of action is the best way to achieve the desired results. This report will explore each of these arguments and present supporting and rebutting perspectives accordingly.

Introduction

In Spring 2008, students enrolled in English 107 at LehighCarbonCommunity College were assigned the task of writing a technical report on the feral cat population. The purpose of this report is to accomplish the following tasks.

Define Feral cats

Identify the issues associated with feral cats

Provide research to confirm that it is a legitimate issue

Explore possible solutions to the problem

Provide research to support or discredit the solutions

Discuss a the origin, effects, and possible solution to the problem

Site resources used in this report

Provide additional documentation on feral cats

Background

Defining feral cats is an important part of understanding the information associated gathered during the research of this report. They are the offspring of stray or abandon household pets. Raised without human contact, they quickly revert to a wild state and form colonies wherever food and shelter are available[1]. A more simple definition of a feral cat is a cat that is not domesticated and was raised by cats instead of people[2]. For the purposes of this report it is important to understand what types of cats make up the entire population. The issue of cat overpopulation can not be limited to the feral cat population; therefore, the following definitions are important to this study.

Feral cat:

Born in the wild, no human contact
Elusive, nocturnal, fearful of humans
Like most wild animals, will not attack if unprovoked but will defend themselves if threatened or cornered. Their strongest instinct is to run.
The average stray female has 5.25 liters in her life, totaling 22.3 kittens of which 12.9 survive.
Numbers totally unknown

Stray outdoor cat:

Abandon indoor/outdoor cat
Needy, begging
May be able to fend for themselves
Most likely Neutered

Stray indoor cat:

Discarded indoor house cat
Needy, unable to fend for itself
Will approach, and beg
Most likely neutered and de-clawed

Outdoor urban cat:

“Owned” cat, but living in garage or other outbuilding
Most likely not neutered
60% of these cats and their offspring become feral within 3 years

Indoor/outdoor cat:

“Owned” cat with access to outdoor life
80-90% neutered

“Owned” cat:

A cat that was purchased as a pet
Owner regularly buys food for
Usually provides necessities
Accepts the responsibility to care for the cat[3].

This list provides a better understanding of the cats that are the focus of this report, but to truly understand the issue, consider some additional important factors. Most data on issues concerning feral cats are collected by independent organizations, so the results of the data can vary greatly[4]. Many cities and county animal control agencies are mandated only to deal with dogs and not cats[5]. Overpopulation of feral cats can be attributed largely to decades of being ignored combined with prolific breeding[6]. Once a cat is born into the wild, it looses the ability to learn to become a pet after only 12 weeks[7]. These feral cats then band together near food sources. They are passive, harmless, and afraid of humans[8].

Best Friends Animal Society reports that total cat populations in the United Sates are in excess of 100 million[9]. Unconfirmed reports indicate that as many as 60 million feral cats may be roaming this country[10]. In Santa ClaraCalifornia, un-owned cats make up no less than 41% of the cat population. As high as the numbers are in urban areas, the number of feral cats in rural areas could be more than double.

Surveys have found that at least 10% of homes would feed a stray cat but would not take the cat in to be spayed[11]. The Human factor is an important element in the feral cat problem. The following chart helps put cat ownership into perspective.

[12]

Nearly one third of households in the United States own cats, making this a national problem and not just a problem for specific organizations. Left unaddressed the overpopulation of feral cats will most certainly escalate. Once cats reach seven to twelve months of age they can reproduce up to five times a year[13]. A more realistic number is three litters a year, containing from two to ten kittens[14]. A single female cat could add up to 420,000 cats to the population over a seven year period if there were no limiting factors[15].

There are many organizations that have formed or have become active in addressing the issues related to feral cats. Here are some of the largest groups:

The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP)
The AmericanAnimalHospital Association (AAHA)
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR)
Best Friends Animal Society
City of Berkeley, California
Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA)
The Institute for Animals and Society: The Animals’ Platform
No Kill Solutions
Petfinder
PetsMart Charities
Richmond (VA) APSCA
San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SF/SPCA)
World Society for the Protection of animals (WSPA)

In addition to the organizations on the previous list, there is the most active group, Alley Cat Allies. Alley Cat Allies is the national non-profit clearing house for information on feral and stray cats[16]. While it is well documented that rapid breeding is a major factor in cat overpopulation, cats are not indigenous to the United States so human release must also be documented, as well. Below is a breakdown of some of the reason pets find themselves homeless or in shelters:

[17]

The chart clearly shows that feral cats are the second largest group of cats that are put to sleep each year. There are many concerns related to the feral cat population. One of those concerns is the spread of disease. Dr Gary Patronek claims that, “rabies is the most worrisome threat to public health, but there has never been a death in the Untied States from a rabid cat[18]. Professor Andrew Thompson adds, “in the past, surveys on parasites in native animals were very difficult to do on living animals and were largely limited to opportunistic surveys using animals killed on the roads[19].” The lack of scientific data in years past is what led people to assume the worst about feral cats and the spread of disease. Some viruses that are a danger to cats present no immediate danger to the human population. Bartonella Henelae and Bartonella Clavidgeiae, two diseases that pose a threat to cats have never reported a human infection[20]. Even the two most serious feline viruses, FeFV and FIV, pose no threat of human infection[21]. Even studies on MAP, which was feared to be spreading to cattle, was inconclusive in proving that the cats were a danger to the livestock to which they were exposed[22]. One common myth related to feral cats is that they are unhealthy and carry infectious disease that may threaten owned cats and even their human owners. The fact is that these feral cats are generally in good health. Numbers of infected feral cats are no higher than the number of owned cats[23].

Another concern that is generally thought of as directly impacted by the feral cat population is the population of birds, more specifically song birds and ground nesting birds. According to a U.S. fish and wildlife study, 196 million bird deaths can be linked to humans’ activities, but less than 4 million of these deaths can be linked to cats[24]. The World Watch Institute Study shows, for example, that of the worlds 9000 bird species; 5000 are in decline, while another 1600 are threatened to near extinction. Some populations have fallen by 75% as a result of four main factors, drought, habitat loss, over-trapping, and pesticides; while cats remain noticeably absent from the list[25]. MichaelMountain, one of the founders of Best Friends Animal society in Kanab, Utah says, “there is no evidence that feral cats are to blame for a decline in the bird population at large.

The decline in song bird populations is caused by many factors including habitat loss, pollution, pesticides, and window strikes[26].” Wildlife biologist Roger Tabor states, “the clear leading animal that’s really putting wildlife at risk is the human population. We just don’t like to acknowledge that it is our fault. It’s not a case of the cat being the worst offender, it’s not even remotely the worst offender, it’s us[27].” A feral cat’s diet consists of insects like bumblebees and grasshoppers, as well as rodents, reptiles, amphibians, and ground nesting birds[28]. In fact, more than 70% of a feral cat’s diet is made up of rodents and insects[29].

The most highly debated approach to the feral cat overpopulation issue is the trap, neuter, and return policy or “TNR” as it is commonly referred to as. The TNR movement in the United States began in 1980, when AnnaBell Washburn established an animal shelter on Martha’s Vineyard. “People would adopt animals for the summer and then leave them behind, so we were getting colonies of cats,” Washburn said[30]. TNR is a program that provides a humane and lifesaving way to manage feral cat populations. Here is how it works: Stray and feral cats, which are already living outdoors in cities, towns, or rural areas, are humanely trapped. The cats are then taken to a veterinarian who evaluates, vaccinates, and sterilizes them. Kittens and any tame cats are placed in good new homes. Healthy adult cats that are to wild to be adopted are returned to their familiar habitat under the lifelong care of volunteers[31]. These altered cats are also marked with a procedure called ear tipping. Ear tipping is the process of removing one quarter of an inch off of a cats left ear while under anesthesia in order to identify which cats have already been trapped, and which cats have not[32].

Those who participate in TNR believe that the only effective method to reduce feral cat populations is to spay and neuter animals to stop reproduction[33]. There are a few variations to TNR, the first being targeted TNR. With targeted TNR, a hot spot is identified and specifically addressed. Once the hot spot is under control, the colonies immediately surrounding the hot spot are focused on until they are under control. This process is repeated in a spiral pattern until the entire area has been treated[34]. Another variation on the TNR theme is TTVAR, or trap, test, vaccinate, alter, and return. TTVAR is essentially the same process as TNR[35]. The cost of TNR is relatively low, with spay and neuter fees as low as $15-$40 per cat[36]. Typically, in the first few years of TNR, the percentage of cats being altered doubles. This produces measurable results as spaying 438 female cats can prevent the birth of 1861 every breeding cycle[37]. In New York City, for example, the number of cats entering shelters declined 59% in the first year alone[38]. The programmed directly affects the number of altered cats as shown by the following chart due to the education of pet owners by groups like Alley Cat Allies[39].

Brigit Rooney of Animals in Distress summed it up by saying, “it should be every pet owner’s responsibility to have their pet spayed or neutered[40].” Another less popular method for dealing with the abundance of feral cats is euthanasia. Practitioners of this method generally believe that the only way to deal with the cats is to remove them. The study of this method has proven that the “vacuum effect” will replenish the cats that are removed. Feral cats establish territories based on availability of food sources and shelter. When cats are removed from this environment, other cats move in to take advantage of whatever sources of food and shelter are available and they continue to breed[41]. Cats need to be altered and returned to this environment to prevent new and unaltered cats from moving in.

The least practical method for dealing with cats is setting up cat sanctuaries. The BestFriendsWildcatsVillage has four building with fourteen rooms, each capable of housing twenty to thirty cats. At a cost of $620,000 to construct, plus ongoing maintenance and staff expenses, makes this method very impractical[42]. Especially considering that in Son Jose, CA, for example, it only costs $23.96 on average to spay a cat[43]. The costs in general for TNR are much lower than the other alternatives. MaricopaCounty in Phoenix spends $61 to trap, hold, and euthanize one cat and only $22.50 to spay and return the same cat. On average it costs $100 to pick up, care for, and then kill a cat. As many as three cats can be spayed, vaccinated, and returned for the same price. Orange County, FL reports a reduction of 20% in complaint calls regarding stray cats in the first year. That saves $75 per call when an officer would normally be dispatched to file a report[44]. San Francisco, CA reported a 71% decrease in the number of feral cats that were euthanized after six years. At an average savings $67 per cat, TNR saves more money than it spends.

Methods

During the research for this report there were several key factors in determining the validity of the information. The following is a list of criteria the data must be relative to in order to be included in the study, and also the steps taken to compile the information:

Free roaming cats, which are feral cats, stray cats, and owned cats.
Feral cats are cats that require no human interaction, live and breed in the wild, and generally can not be considered suitable for pets.
Stray cats can be indoor or outdoor cats that have some human contact but do not have owners and live at least some of the time in the wild.
Owned cats have owners but have access to the outdoors and can breed with or come into contact with stray and feral cats.
Gathered information relating to the issues with cat overpopulation and more specifically the issues directly related to feral cats.
Considered the relevance of the information and how current it is.
The origin of the collected data must be from reliable sources.
Facts and figures from studies and reports must be sited.
Sited organizations must be established and have a viable interest in the subject matter.
The data was then categorized in order of relevance.
Compiled and organized in order to create an encompassing view of the facts and issues involved in the problems surrounding the cat population.

All of the information and data collected for this study met the above criteria and was presented just as it was in its original form. Proper citations have been included in the form of footnotes so that data sources can be explore more intently if required.