In last week’s Reading Eagle was an article that stated the council of Mohnton has unanimously approved the trapping of feral cats using humane traps. The cats will be caught by a state certified trapper- Jeff Joffred- and will be transported to the Animal Rescue League where it most certainly presumed they will be euthanized. Joffred will be paid $50 per cat.
This action stems from six people making complaints within the borough. Mohnton council did not seek out the help of two local organizations that specifically deal with feral cats-Fairchild Foundation and No NoNonsense Neutering (NNN) when making this decision as told to me by Dr. Fry.
Each group offers TNR (trap, neuter, return) of feral cats. What Mohnton council failed to do was to educate themselves on TNR instead they opted going straight for the kill. The Animal Rescue League does not have the resources or the time to help feral cats and in the end the cats from Mohnton will, in all likelihood, lose their lives.
TNR and feral cats are controversial subjects, to say the least. But I feel the council chose the easy way out instead of wanting to be informed by two groups that not only offer low cost spaying and neutering but also educating people on this topic. One only had to reach out to either one but they elected the easy way out. A call by me to the president of the Mohnton Council, Kerry Howard, has not been returned.
Dr. Fry, Executive Director of Fairchild Foundation and Chief of Staff of Banfield Pet Hospital in Pottstown, PA, started a petition in light of this ruling. She states that the “council’s decision is not only inhumane, but a waste of taxpayer’s money and it will not fix the problem.” She continued to tell me that “trapping and killing these cats will leave more space for other cats to move in to take advantage of the available resources. She refers to it as the Vacuum Effect.” You can read more about this at Alley Cat Allies here.”
By clicking on the above link (petition), you can let your thoughts be known by commenting on the site. If you believe this decision is wrong, now is the time to voice your opinion!
What can Fairchild Foundation and No Nonsense Neutering offer to the borough of Mohnton? According to Dr. Fry, “There is a PetSmart grant available in Berks County from NNN to sterilize the cats via Trap-Neuter-Return for only $10.00! And, Fairchild, the other TNR organization, also performs feral cat sterilizations for only $35.00.” These are two deals that should be utilized and prices you won’t find at your veterinarian. The deals cannot be beat.
The following is a letter sent to Mr. Howard, president of the council of Mohnton by Dr. Fry:
To Kerry Hoffman & Mohnton Borough Council:
You voted to pay $50 to trap and kill a feral cat despite the fact that there are 2 local organizations that can help solve the problem humanely and for a lot less money. Fairchild “Feral Friends” will spay/neuter feral cats for $35 and No Nonsense Neutering received a PetSmart Grant to sterilize free-roaming cats for only $10 in Berks County. Now you are just wasting tax payers’ money! You made this inhumane decision without doing any research or reaching out to either of these organizations.The reality is that feral cats exist in EVERY community. These cats are the same species as domestic cats, but are not socialized to humans and can’t be adopted into homes. Feral cats are automatically euthanized at animal shelters like the Animal Rescue League, which is already overwhelmed and handles over 10,000 animals each and every year. Euthanasia should be reserved only for those that have an incurable illness or injury, not the homeless. Unfortunately, the mentality of “catch and kill” to reduce the number of free-roaming cats still exists in communities like Mohnton even though scientific research has been proven that it does not work! Trapping and killing these cats just leaves more space for other cats to move in to take advantage of the available resources. This is called the Vacuum Effect. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) works! TNR is the effective and humane approach for handling feral cats. TNR makes feral cats healthier and ends the breeding cycle, which means no more kittens. Trap-Neuter-Return also improves relationships with the humans who live near them because sterilization decreases nuisance behaviors and naturally decreases the number of cats over time.The Boro should be promoting spay and neuter as well as educating the community about Trap-Neuter-Return, the alternative humane method of dealing with the cat overpopulation crisis. These cats did not put themselves out there; irresponsible people who neglected to sterilize their pets did this injustice to the voiceless and the helpless. We don’t kill homeless people, why should we kill homeless cats?In closing, I urge you to reconsider your decision and think about the welfare of these homeless cats. Take some time to educate yourself on the vacuum effect, the benefits of maintaining a feral cat colony and humane solutions to resolve neighborhood conflicts. Please allow the cats to live out their lives in nature instead of trapping and killing them because they are homeless.
I asked Dr. Fry what she would like people to understand about this ruling and the effects it will have on the cats in Mohnton. The following is her reply to me:
“Basically, the decision is INHUMANE and wasting Tax Payers’ Money. They made an uneducated decision based on a few complaints that I doubt were investigated. One gal I talked to yesterday said she lives in that area and saw three cats, but she thinks they are owned cats. Dr. Brockmeier lives a block away from council and they know she is a vet but no one contacted her either. We do really need to stress that if you are feeding, you must spay/neuter and be a responsible care-giver by providing litter areas either with mulch, potting soil or playground sand and TALK to your neighbors. Explain WHAT you are doing and WHY. There are things like the Scarecrow & CatStop that can be used to keep cats out of your yard…we don’t have to resort to killing them.”
Well said, Dr. Fry.
My question to Kerry Howard: Why have you made the decision to trap and kill cats without seeking alternative solutions from experts who could have enlightened you and council members to make an informed and educated ruling? The finality of your resolution is now responsible for killing unwanted feral cats but also possibly innocent pet cats who may have sneaked out without the owners realizing it. That lies on your conscience.
Do YOU feel Mohnton has made the right decision? If so, why?