Feral Cats 2: TNR

Last post I discussed the growing problem of the feral cat population in the United States. I also mentioned that their is a solution. The answer to controlling the feral cat population is TNR. That is Trap-Neuter-Return. This is a technique where people go into the cat population and take care of them, humanely trap them, neuter/spay them, and return them to their colonies where they can live their life out. It eliminates the possibility of new litters and caretakers of these colonies make sure they are healthy by getting them vaccinated at the same time they are neutered/spayed. These caretakers are volunteers, and most of them are trained at a local animal shelter. This technique has been the only one proven to keep the number of feral cats down and also the number in shelters and this is the reason why almost every state has implemented TNR. You can go to any shelter and they will most likely have information and training available for you to help out a cat colony if you discover one.
Although facts show that TNR has brought less shelter cat deaths, there are still some people who oppose it. A few bird conservancy groups believe that cats are a main factor in the extinction of many bird species. They advocate that "removing" these cats 50% is the best method. Not only is this severe and unethical, it takes resources and money to trap and euthanize cats. This "catch and kill" method was the main one used in the 1990s and results turned out ineffective. The only way to help keep cats from shelters and euthanization is Trap-Neuter-Return, and nonetheless it is the most humane. So maybe next time you are taking a walk, look around. You just might find a whole community of critters that need your help.

Sources:
Neighborhood Cats
Best Friends