Ted Williams's blog
TNR and the Scourge of Feral Cats
Submitted by Ted Williams on Sat, 07/04/2009 - 08:31.
Re. what I prefer to call it Trap Neuter and Re-Abandon (See Carla Jewell’s meritless defense in a pervious post entitled “Let Them Eat Cat”): Trying to reason with the feral cat mafia is like, well, herding cats. In response to a plea for keeping cats indoors a feral-cat loving wacko (if you’ll excuse the redundancy) screamed this at a biologist acquaintance of mine who was giving a presentation on endangered birds killed by free-ranging cats: “If you’re so worried about the birds, you should keep the THEM indoors.” Such is the mindset of the cat mafia.
Finally, a peer-reviewed study published in Conservation Biology has given the lie to the urban legend that TNR works. Here’s the abstract:
Abstract: Many jurisdictions have adopted programs to manage feral cats by trap–neuter–return (TNR), in
which cats are trapped and sterilized, then returned to the environment to be fed and cared for by volunteer
caretakers. Most conservation biologists probably do not realize the extent and growth of this practice and
that the goal of some leading TNR advocates is that cats ultimately be recognized and treated as “protected
wildlife.” We compared the arguments put forth in support of TNR by many feral cat advocates with the
scientific literature. Advocates promoting TNR often claim that feral cats harm wildlife only on islands and
not on continents; fill a natural or realized niche; do not contribute to the decline of native species; and are
insignificant vectors or reservoirs of disease. Advocates also frequently make claims about the effectiveness of
TNR, including claims that colonies of feral cats are eventually eliminated by TNR and that managed colonies
resist invasion by other cats. The scientific literature contradicts each of these claims. TNR of feral cats is
primarily viewed and regulated as an animal welfare issue, but it should be seen as an environmental issue,
and decisions to implement it should receive formal environmental assessment. Conservation scientists have
a role to play by conducting additional research on the effects of feral cats on wildlife and by communicating
sound scientific information about this problem to policy makers.
Sticky: My Past Articles
Submitted by Ted Williams on Sat, 01/10/2009 - 15:56.Scott Church has been kind enough to archive almost all my past articles. This was out of the blue. Thanks so much Scott! I really appreciate this. Remember I owe you a few striper trips to Cape Cod or albie trips to Montauk or, preferably, both.
http://www.scottchurchdirect.com/ted-williams-archive.aspx
Hey Cat and Bird Advocate
Submitted by Ted Williams on Sat, 07/04/2009 - 19:50.
Thanks. I’m responding to your comment by a post ‘cause we have a tech. glitch, and I can’t post comments of my own. I’d say it’s about time the fur DID fly. The cat mafia has the public by the short hairs, and the enviros are too scared to say anything, as the authors of the Con. Biology piece explained. Even the radical animal-rights group PETA has come out against TNR because it is inhumane to feral cats. Kinder, says PETA, to euthanize them. For once, PETA has something right.
Florida Imposes Strict Freshwater Turtle Harvest Ban
Submitted by Ted Williams on Sat, 07/04/2009 - 08:06.Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish
Submitted by Ted Williams on Fri, 07/03/2009 - 21:33.Green jobs growing, but destroying others?
Submitted by Ted Williams on Fri, 07/03/2009 - 08:32.Why isn’t anyone reporting this fish kill?
Submitted by Ted Williams on Thu, 07/02/2009 - 16:52.
This just in from a friend at the Fish and Wildlife Service. First I’ve heard of it:
Last week, we had the largest fish kill on record for
River. We are still in the process of determining the status of the mussel
beds in the
and was proceeded by an ethanol release (133K gallons?) by about 24+ hours.
The ethanol release and fires were related to train wreck in
if anyone want to Google the source.
It is our understanding that the "breakdown" or "conversion" of ethanol
will consume a lot of dissolved oxygen. Our observations included fish
jumping out of the water suggestive of exposure to a toxin (e.g. ammonia,
or say ethanol -> acetaldehyde + acetic acid).
So, has anyone else experienced this "delayed" effect from an ethanol
related aquatic life kill? Our intuition tells us that it took some
distance for the chemical and biological processes to act on the ethanol
load and this is why the fish kill occurred some 40 miles downstream and
about a day later.
No one is taking responsibility for the fish kill. The Trustees endeavor
to determine the cause.
Fresh Tuna From Shaw's, Star Market Recalled
Submitted by Ted Williams on Thu, 07/02/2009 - 12:46.River flows, fish flourish with Maine dam's demise
Submitted by Ted Williams on Thu, 07/02/2009 - 09:48.Let Them Eat Cat
Submitted by Ted Williams on Thu, 07/02/2009 - 09:12.
Best use of free-roaming cats I've heard of yet:
(
Other studies have found that approximately 13% of a coyote’s diet consists of cats. However, during this study, in the 45 instances when coyotes were observed feeding, 42% of the meals were cats. The researchers concluded that any cat outside is vulnerable to coyote attack, and recommended that cat owners keep their cats indoors.
This finding raises questions about Trap, Neuter, and Release programs (TNR) that catch feral cats, neuter them, and then release them back into the wild. American Bird Conservancy has consistently raised concerns about TNR programs because these cats kill hundreds of millions of birds each year and also because TNR programs do not provide a humane solution for the cats themselves.
“Well-meaning but misguided TNR practitioners are creating unsafe conditions for domestic cats by releasing them back into areas where they may become prey for coyotes and other predators,” said Darin Schroeder, American Bird Conservancy’s Vice President of Conservation Advocacy. “Providing an all-you-can-eat buffet for coyotes is not a sensible solution and we urge states and communities to reject this inhumane approach to the feral cat problem and require responsible care of pets and the removal of feral cats from the wild.”
Despite this risk of predation, TNR has been adopted in areas with large coyote populations.
“County officials are wrong when they say TNR is an effective and humane solution,” said Schroeder. “The truth is that TNR fails to eliminate cat colonies, and instead perpetuates many of the problems these colonies create, including the predation of birds and other wildlife, risks to human and wildlife health, and public nuisance. Feral and free-roaming cats kill hundreds of millions of our nation’s birds each year, putting additional pressure on the populations of many species that are in decline.”
American Bird Conservancy recently produced a new, short film “Trap, Neuter, and Release: Bad for Cats, Disaster for Birds,” which reveals how Trap, Neuter, and Release is failing to substantially reduce cat numbers despite advocates’ claims, and is contributing to the deaths of millions of birds each year including endangered species.
#30#
American Bird Conservancy conserves native wild birds and their habitats throughout the
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