Free Roaming Cats and Common Sense
For humans who care about the fate of animals on this planet, the concerns need not be exclusive to 1 species. Cats vs birds. It is about the fate of birds and elephants; whales and wolves; painted box turtles and wild horses. The decimation of species can be attributed to decisions based upon greed and short sightedness by the species that was given dominion over all animals-MAN. Loss of habitats for breeding and nesting is the #1 reason that birds and other species are in decline and there is no doubt that the over –development of land, use of herbicides and pesticides, and the pollution of water, air and soil have us all concerned about the loss of animal and plant life.
In our efforts to protect animals we have lost a common sense perspective about how they were created. So, let’s start at the beginning. The Creator designed animals to live OUTSIDE, outfitted them with coats designed to withstand the elements of their environments; endowed them with the ability to find food and imprinted in the DNA of every female the need to teach her offspring how to survive. There are no guarantees that animals have a set life span or a safe life. The planet was created with an animal food chain-some are the hunted and some are the hunters and that is for a very good reason. BALANCE.
Cats live a short and miserable life outside.
Says who? None of us can create an environment in which outside cats have no risks, but when we feel that killing them is kinder than allowing them to live a valued life outside, somehow kindness has just gotten very twisted. The term euthanasia is defined as a mercy killing due to intractable injuries or incurable diseases. So let’s not confuse kindness with killing. The American Veterinary Medical Association has cited in a study that the #1 cause of death for cats in America is animal control shelters-not weather, not disease or cars or coyotes. SHELTERS! And this very misguided view that a cat is better off dead than living a life designed for the outside is pervasive among animal control shelters and others who are biased against them.
This notion that all cats must live inside is a recent cultural phenomenon. An entire industry has sprung up around the best clumping litter with state of the art litter boxes, all natural food that mimics their “outside” diet, play toys that resemble mice and birds and climbing structures that resemble trees.
How do we make a decision about the value of an animal’s life? Is it based upon life span? Purpose? Beauty? Are we going to bring all animals inside to protect them from being “miserable” outside? Average life of a songbird – 10 months. Bring them inside and cardinals, for example, can live up to 22 years! Birds were created to live outside in all types of weather, but their nests can fall out of trees during storms and the babies die; raccoons, snakes and other bird species ravage nests eating the eggs that have not yet hatched; birds fly into the large glass windows of our new homes and commercial buildings and die. So who are we to make a judgment about what constitutes miserable and short? A butterfly. Beautiful and brief. The life of a lion outside is around 7 years but will live longer- almost double- in a zoo. Which life do you think the lion would choose? “Cushy” or free?
Cats as a Non Native Species
For those who throw out the “non- native” species objection about cats, you are correct. Cats didn’t swim over the big pond from Europe. They were pest control on the ships of European explorers to the Americas and they continued to accompany European settlers to the Americas as they brought over chickens, pigs, cows and sheep, also not native to the Americas. C. Columbus circa 1492 rings a bell and that was over 500 years ago. And to be really technical, white folks aren’t native to the Americas either. And look what we did to the natives. So how long do you have to live here to be considered a native?
Outside Cats are the products of irresponsible pet owners
It’s the mantra of so many groups in animal welfare to blame the irresponsible pet owner for this problem. Let‘s use some common sense. These cats aren’t the result of someone dumping their cat. Cats have been here for hundreds of years and have been a part of the fabric and landscape of America for as long as Europeans have been here. Most of you don’t even see them because of their elusive behaviors around humans and because most of you don’t spend much time outside when these animals are out and about at dusk and dawn. Cats have always lived amongst us. They have adapted very well to urban living; they are found in the desert cities in Nevada and Arizona, the northern- most snowy areas of Maine and of course in areas that are largely agricultural.
Cats and Diseases.
All living things are exposed to disease and are carriers of disease. That’s why we humans get polio and TB vaccines and flu shots. Cats and dogs carry the potential to spread disease, but as the higher thinking species, we have to wash our hands after handling their poop and make sure they have received the proper vaccinations. Raccoons and skunks, not cats, are the primary vectors for rabies in PA, but we don’t round them all up and kill them because they MIGHT carry rabies. All other diseases used to malign outside cats are treatable .
As far as disease that cats themselves may die from, the incidence is very low and spay-neuter is the BEST way to prevent the spread. The majority of outside cats seen at neutering clinics are very healthy, much like the inside cats. The difference is that the outside cats aren’t fat.
Trap Neuter Return (TNR) as Cat Control
Animal control in America has practiced trap and kill for DECADES. Very applicable saying: “The definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over but expecting a different result.” The quick fix hasn’t worked, so it is time to allow the same opportunity for a method that does not require the tax payer to foot the bill; it does not require killing; and it allows volunteers and the public to feel good about the results. That is Trap Neuter VACCINATE Return. Animal control requirements for municipalities in PA are ONLY for controlling dogs running at large. Nothing required for cats. Reason? Back at the turn of the last century, there were feral dog packs running through communities, some rabid and very capable of bringing down livestock in our then largely agricultural communities. Feral cats run from you, don’t hunt livestock and made great pest control around grain storage. Animal behaviors are different. And the result of aggressive vaccination requirements has eliminated rabies in pet populations in the US.
Trap Neuter Vaccinate Return is a program designed to work with people who feed cats outside. And they are not just the crazy cat lady types. Doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, nurses, students, business owners; we all have a connection with this animal. But up until recently there were no affordable resources available to fix and vaccinate large numbers of outside cats. TNR is funded by donations and grants. The local groups that offer TNR services provide loaner traps, ample appointments on convenient clinic days and financial assistance so that caretakers can fix, vaccinate and left ear-tip each cat. That left ear-tip is a universal sign of sterilization and vaccination. After a brief post-op period, the cats are returned back to their home territory to live out their lives.
Rabies vaccination: Rabies titres can last as long as 4 years, so for most of the cat’s adult life it has some protection against acquiring rabies.
RETURN: There are no places to take cats. Few farms are left and the horse farms have lots of their own. The cats are returned to their HOME territory.
We understand that if not controlled, cat populations can become a nuisance in today’s world. If you feed -you must fix. We must listen to and acknowledge any concerns or complaints and provide solutions. Feeders must keep feeding areas clean and discreet; they must feed only during the day to prevent other wildlife from coming to the feeding station. Feeders must provide litter-box areas on their property. Sand works great. If you don’t want any animal living under your deck or shed- close it up. If you don’t want any animal digging up your garden or mulch, use a hose or motion sensitive water sprinkler to run them off. An ultrasonic device, CatStop, works great for smaller areas like row homes or modular home communities to keep cats off patio furniture or the roof of a car. Contact No Nonsense Neutering for more information.
We must require the people who contract animal control services for us-meaning elected officials like Mayors, city or boro Council or township Supervisors – to write the animal control contract to promote TNR within the municipality with NO provisions for picking up free roaming cats or allowing a resident or business to drop them off to be exterminated. If someone doesn’t want to use TNR and wants to remove an outside cat from their property, let them contract with an animal control service at THEIR expense, not mine as a taxpayer. It is against PA law to kill, maim, mutilate, torture or disfigure any dog or cat, whether belonging to himself or otherwise. It is against PA law to administer poison to any dog or cat whether belonging to himself or otherwise. Any person convicted shall be sentenced to a fine of not less than $1,000, imprisonment of not more than 2 years or both. The court may also order a mental health evaluation.
There are over 40 municipalities with open admission shelters that are promoting TNR and no longer accepting feral cats in traps that previously were exterminated 100% of the time. NO drop room out back open 24/7 for the public to drop whatever, whenever. Killing rates will plummet immediately by over 50%. Want to surrender Fluffy? Walk through the front door.
In a recent AP poll, over 70% of Americans stated they do not favor killing animals as a means to control them. Life-saving programs begin with good leadership, both elected and in the shelter system. Together we can STOP the killing.
Martha Kahan
TNR volunteer
President, No Nonsense Neutering
www.nnnlv.org
1044 N Quebec St Allentown, PA * 1500 Frush Valley Rd. Reading, PA
Ear-tipped cat