Plus it is cruel to wildlife. The "No Kill" movement is a huge proponent of trap, neuter, and return. My first reaction to that is that we don't allow colonies of wild dogs, then why are we allowing colonies of "wild" cats? I am a proponent of trap, neuter, and RETAIN. That is rescue, not throwing out food and water to make yourself a "Savior". What I have seen in these colonies is disgusting. I see friendly cats, rubbing up against your leg. Those cats should be removed and adopted out, they aren't "feral". I've seen horrible things done to cats in these colonies by the neighborhood punks. I have seen an entire colony die within 2 weeks from disease. http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/04/14/18644737.php
Nathan Winograd talks birds, cats and Nazis
Feed stations attract wildlife, wildlife that cats kill. It attracts wildlife that brings in fleas and disease. Stations attract owned animals, causing them to cross streets, get hit, or get to a station and have fights.
All the while, we are being told that free roaming cats don't do anything, let them live, they are harmless. Not so. This article points to a recent study done and I am not surprised at the results at all. Free roaming cats are causing problems. Feline rabies is on the rise. An 8 year old girl in Northern California contracted rabies last year from a feral cat on the school grounds, she did survive.
This article points out the problems that free roaming cats are doing. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-08-06/house-cats-kill/56831262/1 While only 30% of roaming house cats kill prey — two animals a week on average — they are still slaying more wildlife than previously believed, according to research from the University of Georgia. Wildlife advocates say it is a frightening level of feline foul play. Based on a U.S. house-cat population of 74 million, "cat predation is one of the reasons why one in three American birds species are in decline," says George Fenwick, president of American Bird Conservancy. "The previous estimates were probably too conservative because they didn't include the animals that cats ate or left behind," University of Georgia researcher Kerrie Anne Loyd says. Seeking a window into the hidden lives of cats, the researchers recruited 60 owners in the Athens, Ga., area. Each owner put a small video camera mounted on a break-away collar on the cat in the morning and let the cat out, then removed the camera and downloaded the footage each night. Each cat's activities were recorded for seven to 10 days. The cats usually spent four to six hours outside every day. The researchers worked with the National Geographic CritterCam team, which builds tiny mobile data gathering systems to study wild animal behavior. The cat cameras were the smallest they've made to date, National Geographic's Greg Marshall says.
Interesting stuff. We need to make the rescues live up to their name and stop putting other animals and the public in danger with their TNR programs. It is cruel to leave cats outside in these colonies. Then again it just points out how No Kill doesn't really care about the animals, just one more example of how they think or don't.
For more information on the reality of TNR, please go to TNRrealitycheck.com
The science demonstrates that this problem is bigger than most folks think. Free-roaming cats are a danger to natural resources and to public health.
ReplyDeleteProperty owners do not necessarily want their backyards to be playgrounds or killing fields for pet cats or 'community cat' colony members. And they should not have to tolerate this.
Neighbors lose, wild animals lose, and the cats lose because this is no way for a domestic animal to live.
There are, if I remember correctly, 4 to 6 million domestic cats and dogs euthanized in shelters annually. Tragic indeed. But where is the outrage that nearly one billion wild birds and more than one billion small mammals are being tortured and killed annually by free roaming cats? And that is just one cause of mortality! Factor in collisions, pesticides, habitat loss and so on and we have a serious problem that needs attention on all fronts - cats included.
No kill sounds good but is so wrong. No kill is NOT really no kill - we need to support open admission shelters.
It's the ultimate cruelty for cats in my opinion. Outside cats live an average of 5 years whereas inside cats live into the teens. It is giving them a death sentence along with all the lives the cats take while alive. Where do these people get off that what they do is humane? It is inhumane to leave these cats outside.
DeleteCalifornia Penal Code 597s states: "(a) Every person who willfully abandons any animal is guilty of a misdemeanor."
ReplyDeleteIf I were to pick up a dog from the street, field or alley, have the dog spayed or neutered and then get caught "willfully abandoning" the dog back on to the street, field or alley, I would be guilty of a misdemeanor.
How are these actions different from TNR?
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DeleteI was corrected. In theory cats are not abandoned if a caregiver is providing for the animals (i.e. feeding the cat or cats at a centralized feeding station). You can't say the cat is abandoned if someone is caring for the animal and attempting to ensure the animal’s needs are met. This is the position presented by the TNR groups which is a valid argument. I don't know if a single Judge would say a “rescue group” abandoned a cat if they have a caregiver providing for the cat’s needs. This in my opinion is a “loop-hole” within existing law. To abandon a pet is to fail to provide for the pet. If someone is providing for the pet, how can we say it is abandoned?
DeleteOn the other hand, if a cat suffers from cruelty, neglect or failure to provide the cat with veterinary care, it can be argued the caregiver was negligent and caused the animal to suffer. But again, these are well intentioned “rescue groups” or individuals who are following the recommended TNR standards. Even if we attempted to file criminal charges against a “colony caregiver” do you feel a Judge or Jury would actually convict a well-intentioned individual who was simply trying to help the cats? Unless the situation is so horrific and/or involves a large number of suffering animals, it is still difficult to obtain a conviction.
If the person is a caregiver - one who provides care in some form, that person is responsible for that animal - the person's actions or lack thereof translates to whether that animal receives food or water daily, vet care when needed, waste removed, and roaming/nuisance behaviors prohibited/curtailed. Sounds like an owner to me, yet no caregiver wants the title and they can't or shouldn't be able to have it both ways - what they do or don't do affects neighbors, affects the cats, affects wildlife, and affects disease transmission. How these cats live is like neglect of a pet - there are just no walls around the colony.
ReplyDeleteI am quite familiar with TNR and its propaganda. My major concern with TNR is that it actually increases the outdoor cat population and increases the pool of cats/kittens already looking for a place. Poor trapping skills, only trapping kittens to socialize, not trapping cats all at once are only some of the reasons that the reduction of outdoor cats has been INSIGNIFICANT. TNR provides a hobby for the middle class, poor neighborhoods have never heard of it. Most TNR programs are only "cat feeding" programs. Unsanitary often filthy conditions, insuffient food and failure to trap newcomers are common."Caregivers" are really only cat feeders,crawling around in darkness not to be seen on property that is not theirs.Birth rates of cats are much higher than the sterilization rate ANY TNR program can achieve! Cats are left to fend for themselves and die slowly and miserably because we don't want them "killed".There are many more outdoor cats now than two decades ago before TNR became "popular".IF TNR WOULD decrease the free-roaming, abandoned cat population, one may be able to justify the suffering of these cats because it prevented new generations to suffer the same fate,but to insist that TNR is HUMANE and decreases the population is a moral crime, perpetuated by Alley Cat Allies and supported by the middle class which is clueless and thinks it's "trendy".
ReplyDeleteI totally agree, all I have seen from TNR was a never ending stream of cats, wildlife, dogs, finding those feed stations. Put food out and they will come. It bothers me that owned cats find their way to these feed stations, putting themselves in danger at the same time. I have seen horrors such as those presented by the neighborhood punks who know where to get cats for torture. TNR is wrong the way most are doing it. They are just outside hoarding and putting the tag of TNR on it to cover that fact.
DeleteThose of you who are saying TNR is a failure have not cited any studies to back up your claims. All I see is ranting - which I thought was supposed to be moderated but I guess if it's in lock step with the admin then it's ok. TNR works when done properly and the colony actively managed. It is saves lives and saves money.
ReplyDeleteI moderate and I love ignorant comments so I did publish yours. Since you come asking for studies means you didn't bother to go to TNRrealitycheck.com because the failures are there.
DeleteYes, in fact, I challenge you to present any successes so I can show you that you were lied to. Here's but one. http://knabe.com/2008/10/23/wild-cats-to-be-removed-from-rancho-los-amigos-after-increased-public-health-concerns/#.UDeMY8GGrto
Representatives from the Los Angles County Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC) have worked with a local feral cat group for over nine months to find a solution to this growing problem. Despite this effort, the cat population remains significant, and a recent inspection on the campus found five litters. DACC has offered the group numerous resources to assist in this effort; however the number of cats has continued to grow.
And if you click this link you will find more. http://www.tnrrealitycheck.com/failure.asp
What about the risk of public health, do you care about saving human lives at all? This little girl survived rabies, given to her by a feral cat. http://www.opposingviews.com/i/given-2-chance-live-8-year-old-survives-rabies
Or the recent outbreak of rabies in New Mexico and feral cats were to blame?
My question is would you let your own cat live in these colonies although I doubt you would answer honestly.