Feral neuter and release

"Arjun Ray" wrote in message
...
I don't know know why, but I sort of suspected this. They aren't really
implementing TNR, they're just neutering the adults they happen to catch
while going after kittens.

They do what they can. While not enough, they are at least getting a handle
on the numbers of ferals out there.

Decimation of abundance is part of the natural predator-prey cycle.

It is still catastrophic to the wild creature population .
That would make them strays, not ferals. Do you have many "backyard
breeders" in your area?

Strays? nah... Feral - indeed. Put any spin you like on it, these are wild
hunters regardless of whether bred in the environment or dumped there as
infants.

| The immediate issue is a sudden boom in the population of destructive
| animals not indigenous to the local ecosystem - feral cats.

The bit about cats being exotic to woodland North America is overplayed

Exotic? no.. Seriously out of balance population? Yes.

IMO, to the extent that just about any evidence of predation is nowadays
automatically attributed to them.

Locally we've seen cycles like this before. The state wildlife officers
whose job it is to monitor and record animal populations in this case are
attributing the overkill by predators to the correct species. The cat
population is indeed responsible.

That said, a proper plan for population control is a must. Frlpwr has
posted some ideas. Maybe you could get the local media involved?

I doubt they would have much influence(or willingness to report) in the
situation. Their relationship with the county animal control people is
somewhat adversarial at best. Many of those in the private rescues are
former county employees who've had their feet held to the fire by the local
newspaper during their time with the shelter. It's a shame too because after
many years of dealing with substandard facilities they now have a new state
of the art animal care facility. It was quite an expensive undertaking.
Politics - what else - is behind the ongoing turmoil.

This is contrary to the spirit of any TNR operation. TNR isn't just
about population control, it's about a level of quality in the lives of
managed feral cats. Implied in the "Release" aspect of the policy is
lifelong maintenance, not only providing food and shelter, but
monitoring the health of both individuals and the cat colony, as a
whole.


The TNR group that I have started to volunteer for is geared to people who are
feeding stray/feral cats at their homes or businesses and expects them to
continue to take responsibility for the cats after the TNR...continue to feed
them and monitor their health. In fact, I'm not quite sure of their official
stance on cats who no one is going to care for after the neutering.

azcats.org

Candace
(take the litter out before replying by e-mail)

See my cats:
http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace

"One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other
than human." (Loren Eisely)

This is contrary to the spirit of any TNR operation. TNR isn't just
about population control, it's about a level of quality in the lives of
managed feral cats. Implied in the "Release" aspect of the policy is
lifelong maintenance, not only providing food and shelter, but
monitoring the health of both individuals and the cat colony, as a
whole.


The TNR group that I have started to volunteer for is geared to people who are
feeding stray/feral cats at their homes or businesses and expects them to
continue to take responsibility for the cats after the TNR...continue to feed
them and monitor their health. In fact, I'm not quite sure of their official
stance on cats who no one is going to care for after the neutering.

azcats.org

Candace
(take the litter out before replying by e-mail)

See my cats:
http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace

"One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other
than human." (Loren Eisely)

Euthanizing is not the course of action that should be taken with ferals.
They deserve the right to live. The best thing for ferals is spay/neuter,
given vaccinations, and released back into their familiar environment.
Setting up a feeding station at your home is a pretty nice thing to do for
them. I got a lot of info about ferals from AzCATS and learned quite a bit
about how to handle situations regarding ferals. You can find their Web Site
at www.azcats.org.

--
Panther TEK: Staying On Top Of All Your Computer Needs!
www.members.cox.net/catprotector/panthertek

Cat Galaxy: All Cats, All The Time!
www.catgalaxymedia.com
"RobZip" wrote in message
...
In the county where I live, we have a county run animal shelter and a few
privately run rescue shelters. The county shelter is in a state of
turmoil,
no full time director(original fired a year ago - interim director quit
after 3 months), a few former employees doing expose type interviews with
the local newspaper etc. They euthanize quite a few animals. Their method
for dealing with ferals is to evaluate for a few days and in most cases
euthanize. I don't really feel this is fair opportunity for proper
evaluation since some ferals could be saved and homed if properly
socialized.

On the other extreme, the privately run rescues trap, neuter and release
ferals back into the same area they were taken from. As a small mammal
rehabber, I frequently see the destruction to native wildlife these ferals
cause. Finding uneaten carcasses of small mammals and all variety of birds
indicates a lot of sport hunting by these animals. The early census this
spring shows more than the usual number of raided rabbit and squirrel
nests.
Coons seem to be holding their own, but I have found a few nests of dead
babies. Hawk and owl nests are being targeted heavily this year too. Feral
cat numbers are up all over the place.

Considering the damage the ferals do, I have really serious misgivings
about
neuter and release. It's too bad the county shelter and the rescues can't
be
brought closer to the same page on this matter and deal with the ferals
without release to the wild. Since both of the rescues have former county
employees on their staffs, the chances of ever getting them together on
any
issue is pretty slim. The wildlife officers who regulate and license my
efforts work through the county shelter. Although that hardly places me in
the same league as the shelter staff, the rescue people here see me as
little more than an extension of the shelter although they certainly more
than anyone else should know better. The county shelter BTW does not deal
with any wildlife whatsoever.

In view of this scenario, how should evaluation of ferals for homing be
done
and what time frame is adequate? Hard to answer for sure but it really is
a
problem in this neck of the woods.

Euthanizing is not the course of action that should be taken with ferals.
They deserve the right to live. The best thing for ferals is spay/neuter,
given vaccinations, and released back into their familiar environment.
Setting up a feeding station at your home is a pretty nice thing to do for
them. I got a lot of info about ferals from AzCATS and learned quite a bit
about how to handle situations regarding ferals. You can find their Web Site
at www.azcats.org.

--
Panther TEK: Staying On Top Of All Your Computer Needs!
www.members.cox.net/catprotector/panthertek

Cat Galaxy: All Cats, All The Time!
www.catgalaxymedia.com
"RobZip" wrote in message
...
In the county where I live, we have a county run animal shelter and a few
privately run rescue shelters. The county shelter is in a state of
turmoil,
no full time director(original fired a year ago - interim director quit
after 3 months), a few former employees doing expose type interviews with
the local newspaper etc. They euthanize quite a few animals. Their method
for dealing with ferals is to evaluate for a few days and in most cases
euthanize. I don't really feel this is fair opportunity for proper
evaluation since some ferals could be saved and homed if properly
socialized.

On the other extreme, the privately run rescues trap, neuter and release
ferals back into the same area they were taken from. As a small mammal
rehabber, I frequently see the destruction to native wildlife these ferals
cause. Finding uneaten carcasses of small mammals and all variety of birds
indicates a lot of sport hunting by these animals. The early census this
spring shows more than the usual number of raided rabbit and squirrel
nests.
Coons seem to be holding their own, but I have found a few nests of dead
babies. Hawk and owl nests are being targeted heavily this year too. Feral
cat numbers are up all over the place.

Considering the damage the ferals do, I have really serious misgivings
about
neuter and release. It's too bad the county shelter and the rescues can't
be
brought closer to the same page on this matter and deal with the ferals
without release to the wild. Since both of the rescues have former county
employees on their staffs, the chances of ever getting them together on
any
issue is pretty slim. The wildlife officers who regulate and license my
efforts work through the county shelter. Although that hardly places me in
the same league as the shelter staff, the rescue people here see me as
little more than an extension of the shelter although they certainly more
than anyone else should know better. The county shelter BTW does not deal
with any wildlife whatsoever.

In view of this scenario, how should evaluation of ferals for homing be
done
and what time frame is adequate? Hard to answer for sure but it really is
a
problem in this neck of the woods.

TNR, like "no-kill," has its variances and interpretations when put into
practice. Ideally, a feral population is humanely live-trapped, tested
(for FIV/FeLV), vaccinated (for distemper/rabies) and treated for whatever
else is obviously needing treatment (fleas, etc.), ear-tipped, sterilized,
then returned to home-base and monitered/tended for life. (Kittens, of
course, are taken in for socializing and adoption.) All very expensive
and labor-intensive and time-consuming. I know this first-hand.
Next-best is at least sterlization/vaccination with a dedicated
feeder/caretaker for each colony or beastie (for backyard ferals).

I would be interested to hear from other nonprofits and rescuers on their
take on TNR.

Sharon Talbert
Campus Cats
campuscats.org

TNR, like "no-kill," has its variances and interpretations when put into
practice. Ideally, a feral population is humanely live-trapped, tested
(for FIV/FeLV), vaccinated (for distemper/rabies) and treated for whatever
else is obviously needing treatment (fleas, etc.), ear-tipped, sterilized,
then returned to home-base and monitered/tended for life. (Kittens, of
course, are taken in for socializing and adoption.) All very expensive
and labor-intensive and time-consuming. I know this first-hand.
Next-best is at least sterlization/vaccination with a dedicated
feeder/caretaker for each colony or beastie (for backyard ferals).

I would be interested to hear from other nonprofits and rescuers on their
take on TNR.

Sharon Talbert
Campus Cats
campuscats.org

In ngton.edu, Sharon
Talbert wrote:

| TNR, like "no-kill," has its variances and interpretations when put
| into practice. Ideally, a feral population is humanely live-trapped,
| tested (for FIV/FeLV), vaccinated (for distemper/rabies) and treated
| for whatever else is obviously needing treatment (fleas, etc.),
| ear-tipped, sterilized, then returned to home-base and monitered/tended
| for life.

The organizations I work with don't test ferals for FIV/FeLV. If the
diseases were rampant, it could (or would) be a different story, but
with an incidence of well under 5% - and problems with false positives -
we avoid the budget busting expense.

Some also do not believe in putting healthy (or asymptomatic) ferals to
sleep. Their lot is a tough one. Most don't live too long anyway. So,
the theory is to take one's chances with the cats' immune systems being
up to snuff through proper nutrition - a *much* better way to spend the
little money there is.

(Generally, it's the *kittens* who are most at risk, precisely because
of their weak immune systems. But, if colonies are stabilized through
TNR, there won't be any kittens to worry about!)

In ngton.edu, Sharon
Talbert wrote:

| TNR, like "no-kill," has its variances and interpretations when put
| into practice. Ideally, a feral population is humanely live-trapped,
| tested (for FIV/FeLV), vaccinated (for distemper/rabies) and treated
| for whatever else is obviously needing treatment (fleas, etc.),
| ear-tipped, sterilized, then returned to home-base and monitered/tended
| for life.

The organizations I work with don't test ferals for FIV/FeLV. If the
diseases were rampant, it could (or would) be a different story, but
with an incidence of well under 5% - and problems with false positives -
we avoid the budget busting expense.

Some also do not believe in putting healthy (or asymptomatic) ferals to
sleep. Their lot is a tough one. Most don't live too long anyway. So,
the theory is to take one's chances with the cats' immune systems being
up to snuff through proper nutrition - a *much* better way to spend the
little money there is.

(Generally, it's the *kittens* who are most at risk, precisely because
of their weak immune systems. But, if colonies are stabilized through
TNR, there won't be any kittens to worry about!)

I don't have an answer to your question, but I have one of my own -- if the
cats weren't predating on these small mammals and birds, wouldn't something
else be doing it? This has always been a question for me when faced with
issues of 'introduced species' (we're all 'introduced species' when you get
right down to it). PLEASE do not hear me saying I approve of feral cat
predation -- I just wonder if the problem is overstated.

Where I live, we have a large colony of monk parrots that resulted from a
release of a pair of pet monk parrots several years ago by a clueless bird
owner. When first discovered, there was much wringing of hands about the
environmental impact of this situation, but over the years it they have
integrated themselves pretty seamlessly into the bird population here.
Undoubtedly, they have probably done so in ways that *humans* don't care
for, but ultimately, it seems to me, natural balance has the last word, and
left to themselves, the cats & their prey will come to some sort of stasis.

Essentially, I wonder if the whole debate about feral cat predation is
simply a form of human preference for one species of animal over another.
Some people prefer birds to cats and curse the cats. Some people prefer
cats to birds and curse the birds. Don't try and tell me that cats are
wiping out entire species of birds and small mammals, because that's simply
not the case. A few nests of dead baby racoons does not equal a massacre.
You have sympathy for those small animals, and that's laudable. But is
killing the babies of another type of animal to preserve *those* babies
logical? I don't think so. Things that appear ugly to *us* are not
necessarily bad or undesirable in the natural world.

I have no conclusion, just thoughts -- L.


"RobZip" wrote in message
...
In the county where I live, we have a county run animal shelter and a few
privately run rescue shelters. The county shelter is in a state of
turmoil,
no full time director(original fired a year ago - interim director quit
after 3 months), a few former employees doing expose type interviews with
the local newspaper etc. They euthanize quite a few animals. Their method
for dealing with ferals is to evaluate for a few days and in most cases
euthanize. I don't really feel this is fair opportunity for proper
evaluation since some ferals could be saved and homed if properly
socialized.

On the other extreme, the privately run rescues trap, neuter and release
ferals back into the same area they were taken from. As a small mammal
rehabber, I frequently see the destruction to native wildlife these ferals
cause. Finding uneaten carcasses of small mammals and all variety of birds
indicates a lot of sport hunting by these animals. The early census this
spring shows more than the usual number of raided rabbit and squirrel
nests.
Coons seem to be holding their own, but I have found a few nests of dead
babies. Hawk and owl nests are being targeted heavily this year too. Feral
cat numbers are up all over the place.

Considering the damage the ferals do, I have really serious misgivings
about
neuter and release. It's too bad the county shelter and the rescues can't
be
brought closer to the same page on this matter and deal with the ferals
without release to the wild. Since both of the rescues have former county
employees on their staffs, the chances of ever getting them together on
any
issue is pretty slim. The wildlife officers who regulate and license my
efforts work through the county shelter. Although that hardly places me in
the same league as the shelter staff, the rescue people here see me as
little more than an extension of the shelter although they certainly more
than anyone else should know better. The county shelter BTW does not deal
with any wildlife whatsoever.

In view of this scenario, how should evaluation of ferals for homing be
done
and what time frame is adequate? Hard to answer for sure but it really is
a
problem in this neck of the woods.