Letter to the Editor

Look for other ways for control

Sunday, October 26, 2008

To the Editor:

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, Trap-Neuter-Release results in a statistically insignificant reduction in the feral cat population.

The fact is that cat removal does work if the food source is also removed. Cats should not be returned to the environment -- a place they were not meant to be.

Domestic cats are not wildlife -- their home is not outdoors. Subsidized re-abandonment of a companion animal is not a compassionate outcome. Folks may not want to see cats euthanized according to a poll commissioned by Alley Cat Allies, but that does not mean folks want managed colonies next to their homes or places of business.

The National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians has stated that there is no evidence that colony management programs will reduce diseases. In the Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control 2008, the recommendation is that stray cats should be removed from the community.

Cats may have been around for thousands of years, but not this many. The out-of-control population of the domestic cat is vastly larger than all native predators put together. This is why cat predation on native wildlife is a serious issue that cannot be ignored or cast aside as insignificant. Cats kill much more than just rats.

Encourage compromises to cat overpopulation that protect both cats and wildlife. Fence in those colonies, create more sanctuaries, and socialize cats for adoption. All these solutions are workable and do not send a message that cats can and should be living and dying outdoors. -- that is TNR. More info at www.TNRrealitycheck.com.

Linda Cherkassky,

Voorhess, N.J.