John Vanek Webboard User Reg: 03-26-2008
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Loc: NY
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I agree that feral/ outdoor cats tend to be pests. As a wildlife biology student (finished my undergrad, now in grad school), we are exposed to the problem of invasive species regularly, and this includes cats.
TNR has its advocates, and while it can possibly offer some benefits to the welfare of the cats (but really only if they are vaccinated), in general it is ineffective and a waste of money compared to adoption/humane euthanasia. Here is an educational document from The Wildlife Society, the organization that represents wildlife professionals and biologists:
David Winners Webboard User Reg: 07-03-2009
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Loc: Bryan, Ohio
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Just playing devil's advocate here so don't crucify me lol
Why is it more important to humanely euthanize cats as pests than rats or coyote?
Are cats somehow higher beings deserving a more honorable death?
Is there a reason the uproar should be greater about poisoning cats than coyote? Or using catch dogs to hunt hogs? Feral cats meet all kinds of untimely demise. I'm sure many cats die in horrible ways. It's the way of nature.
tracey holden Webboard User Reg: 07-17-2010
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Loc: UK
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"I'm sure many cats die in horrible ways. It's the way of nature"
That's sure as hell going to be the case if the kamikaze tabby that keeps wandering up to our open back doesn't take the hint that the dogs don't care for it!
Kiersten Lippman Webboard User Reg: 09-28-2009
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Loc: Alaska
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I never, ever advocate poison. It is a serious risk to all sorts of wildlife, including raptors that may eat the dead cats, rats or mice. Much better to humanely trap and kill than poison. I can't emphasize this enough.
SNR- not a big fan. Humanely euthanize the cats after they have been evaluated for potential adoption. The world is not short on feral cats, and cats are indeed a serous threat wildlife.
Cathy Goessman Webboard User Reg: 12-03-2007
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Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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Quote: David Winners
Why is it more important to humanely euthanize cats as pests than rats or coyote?
It's a felony here if you don't and we have some pretty good investigators. I'd rather not go to jail and lose some very important rights just to get rid of a few cats. The cruelty laws don't apply if the animals is dispatched without causing unnecessary suffering.
At this point I'm thinking of trapping and then taking them out into the desert. I figure a round into the brain is about as humane as it gets. The houses here are so close together I don't really have a clear shooting path.
John Vanek Webboard User Reg: 03-26-2008
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Loc: NY
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Quote: David Winners
Just playing devil's advocate here so don't crucify me lol
Why is it more important to humanely euthanize cats as pests than rats or coyote?
Are cats somehow higher beings deserving a more honorable death?
Is there a reason the uproar should be greater about poisoning cats than coyote? Or using catch dogs to hunt hogs? Feral cats meet all kinds of untimely demise. I'm sure many cats die in horrible ways. It's the way of nature.
I'm an advocate of humane euthanasia for all animals. Poison is very problematic for all animals, and is really frowned upon by many professionals for several reasons, notably by-catch (raptors, condors, predators, etc), bio-accumulation, and not to mention the fact that poisoning rats often means dead stinky rats in your walls.
A neighbor's son, the neighbor was a great client of mine, and a friend, came to me a year ago. The neighbor has died, the cows sold, the farm used for hunting and gardening, cropland rented out. They had >60 cats.
My advice was to trap and shoot them -
They've shot >50 and have slowly reduced the population.
An unfortunate side effect of the trap seems to be that the least suspicious (potentially nicest) cats seem to be the ones caught first-- the remaining cats are pretty wild. Not that you'd care
in street cats.
In town, I'd worry I was trapping/shooting someone's pal. Lots of folks "put the cat out" overnight and when they are at work. Folks could get PISSED.
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Re: TNR of cats
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