Trap-Neuter-Return An Introduction

Bryan Kortis, Executive Directorheadcat@neighborhoodcats.org212-662-5761www.neighborhoodcats.org Trap-Neuter-Return An Introduction

What is “TNR”? Feral cat management method involving: • Trap members of a colony • Neuter (plus rabies vaccination & eartipping) • Return ferals to original site 4. Long-term caretaking/monitoring

Eartip = ¼ inch straight line cut off tip of left ear

What is a feral cat? • A “feral” cat is unsocialized to humans. They originate from lost or abandoned cats. • A “stray” cat is living on his own, but remains socialized and adoptable.

What is a colony? Feral and stray cats tend to live in groups centered around a common food source.

U.S. Feral Cat Population Estimates 13 million in winter, 24 million in summer(Clifton, M., Where cats belong – and where they don’t, ANIMAL PEOPLE [June 2003] .) 50 million (Levy, J., Humane strategies for controlling feral cat populations [2004], Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Vol. 225, No. 9. ) 60 to 100 million (Alley Cat Allies, Tracking Our Success [2005].)

Feral cat overpopulation impacts: • Shelters & animal control • Public health • Wildlife • Animal welfare

Impact on Animal Sheltering & Control: • 50 million feral cats = 147 million kittens/yr = 82% of kittens born per year • Pet cats = 85% sterilization rate Feral cats = 2% sterilization rate Levy, J., Humane strategies for controlling feral cat populations (2004), Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Assn., Vol. 225, No. 9.

Kittens + trapped adults = rising: • intake & euthanasia rates • complaint calls • financial costs • opportunity costs • stress to workers

Impact of feral cats on Public Health: • rabies • other zoonotic diseases (toxoplasmosis, cat scratch fever, etc.) • quality of life complaints (odor, noise, unsanitary conditions, dead kittens, property damage) • financial costs (investigation)

Impact of feral cats on Wildlife: • Predation • Competition • Potentially devastating impact on sensitive ecosystems of rare species vulnerable to cat attacks Alabama beach mouse Piping plover

Impact on animal welfare: • high kitten mortality • for adults - short average life span in unmanaged situations (cars, cruelty, disease, fighting, etc.)

What to do? The Choices • Do nothing • Feeding bans • Trap & Remove (usually for euthanasia) • Sterilization & vaccination (TNR)

Feeding bans fail because: • Unenforceable • Difficult to remove food sources • Cats remain in the territory & still reproduce • Malnourished cats lead to parasitic infestations & disease

Trap and remove fails because: • Too many cats, not enough animal control resources • Caretaker resistance (when euthanasia is the outcome)

Trap & remove also fails because: • “Vacuum effect” – new cats fill the void due to: a) migration from other colonies to take advantage of available food source b) reproduction and increased survival rate of untrapped cats (due to more available food) • Ongoing abandonment + lack of long-term monitoring • Synergistic effect of all these factors

“Fantasy” solutions: • Socialize/adopt – very difficult & time-consuming to socialize an adult feral • Sanctuaries – very few are well-run and many often turn into hoarding situations, plus there are too many cats • Cat licensing & leash laws – may or may not help reduce future inflow into the feral population, but don’t address the current problem

TNR Advantages • Nothing else works • Volunteer manpower • Less costly if private sector involved • Caretaker cooperation • Long-term monitoring • No vacuums (esp. if TNR is widespread)

TNR addresses sheltering issues by: • Ending or limiting reproduction (no more kittens!) • Colony size often reduced immediately through adoptions • Attrition reduces numbers over the long-term (fewer cats = fewer complaint calls)

TNR addresses public health issues by: • Vaccination for rabies • Spay/neuter eliminates or dramatically reduces noise, odor and roaming (= fewer complaint calls) • A community-based TNR program can mediate and solve common problems like property damage, cats in yards, etc.

TNR addresses wildlife issues by: • Reducing the number of cats in the environment • Through cooperative problem-solving in situations involving rare, threatened or endangered species (e.g., New Jersey Feral Cat & Wildlife Coalition)

TNR addresses animal welfare issues by: • Providing consistent caretaking, including food and shelter • Improved health through spay/neuter • Less roaming • Fewer kittens, who are the most susceptible to disease

Does TNR work? University of Central Florida - 155 cats on campus in 1991 - 23 cats in 2002 (85% ) Levy, et.al. (2003a), Evaluation of the effect of a long-term trap-neuter-return and adoption program on a free-roaming cat population, Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association222: 42-46.

Reece, J.F., S.K. Chawla (2006), Control of rabies in Jaipur, India, by the sterilization and vaccination of neighbourhood dogs, The Veterinary Record, 159: 379-383. Jaipur, India Nov. 1994 thru Dec. 2002, in target area: • 19,129 dogs TNR’ed • 65% female, 6% male sterilization level attained RESULTS: • Dog population 28% • Rabies cases zero in target area last 2 years of study; increased in other parts of Jaipur

Newburyport, MA (Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society) - 300 cats on riverfront in 1991 - 1st year: trapped 200, adopted out 100, returned 100 - 100% sterilization in 1998 - 1 cat left today (35 feeders!) - opened local shelter and spay/neuter clinic to address sources of ferals

NYC Feral Cat Database as of 7/24/08 (self-reporting by caretakers) - 458 colonies with at least 1 TNR’ed cat - 6141 cats reported at TNR Start Dates - 4613 cats currently (25% ) - Average s/n rate = 67% - 3183 cats & kittens placed for adoption (6.9 cats per colony)

Other Community Examples • San Francisco – 1993 through 1999, TNR part of comprehensive program inc. s/n, adoptions: intake down 28%, euthanasia down 71% (including 73% for ferals) • Indianapolis – Oct. 2004 through Dec 2007, 10,000 feral s/n’s: intake down 37%, euthanasia down 29%. • Long Beach, NY – over 400 feral s/n’s since April 2005: intake down 62% in 2007 cf. 2005.

Effectively Managing Feral Cats (CD/DVD) produced by The Humane Society of the US - $9.99 • “Trap-Neuter-Return: How to Fix Feral Cat Overpopulation” – 16 min. policy DVD directed by Bryan Kortis • “How to Perform a Mass Trapping” – 32 min. DVD produced by Neighborhood Cats 3. “The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook: A Guide to Trap-Neuter-Return for the Feral Cat Caretaker” (pdf file)– manual authored by Neighborhood Cats 4. “Implementing a Community Trap-Neuter-Return Program” (pdf file) – manual authored by Bryan Kortis https://gateway.hsus.org/asopubs/ItemDetail.cfm?itemID=1082&Audience=1

Print copies • The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook (with VHS of “How to Perform a Mass Trapping”) - $24.99 http://www.aspca.org/tnrkit • Implementing a Community Trap-Neuter-Return Program - $9.99 https://gateway.hsus.org/asopubs/ItemDetail.cfm?itemID=1070&Audience=1

Online course Trap-Neuter-Return: How to Manage Feral Cats (Humane Society University) - authored by Bryan Kortis - $50.00 - comprehensive colony care training, including trapping, feeding, shelter, community relations and more http://www.humanesocietyu.org/workshops_and_classes/tnr.html

Websites: • www.neighborhoodcats.org • www.hsus.org/feralcats • www.bestfriends.org

Photos by Meredith Weiss, Neighborhood Cats

Trap-Neuter-Return An Introduction