The Effects of Implementing a Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Program in a Florida County Animal Control Service

Abstract

In 1995, a county animal control service implemented a feral cat sterilization program with the goal of reducing the number of healthy cats euthanized, complaints, and the county's costs. The service collected data from a 6-year period both before and after the program's implementation. The service totaled the numbers of both cat and dog impoundments, surgeries, adoptions, euthanasias, and complaints for each year; standardized both sets of numbers on a per- 10,000-person basis to compare trends between dogs and cats; and calculated estimated costs for neutering versus impounding and euthanizing the feral cats. Changing from a policy of euthanasia of feral cats to support for trap-neuter-return did not result in an increase in the number of complaints or cat impoundments. The percentage of impounded cats euthanized decreased between the periods before and after the program began, and the percentage adopted increased. The ratio of complaints to impounds decreased between the 2 periods, and the ratio of surgeries to impounds increased. Impoundments of cats were relatively steady in spite of the continually increasing human population. Euthanasias decreased for both cats and dogs since 1997. Since 1996, complaints decreased for both. Surgeries for both cats and dogs increased over the 12 years. Adoptions for cats and dogs increased greatly in fiscal year 1998/1999.

Orange County Vector Control and the County’s Feral Cat TNR Program: Ne’er the Twain Shall Meet?

“…However, at times reductions have been disappointingly small (Natoli et al 2006). In other attempts, feral cat numbers remain unchanged (Hughes et al 2002) or have shown increases (Castillo andClarke 2003, Winter 2004). Maintenance of outdoor cat populations through TNR often creates an attractive nuisance that only encourages immigration of unsterilized cats into colonies, illegal cat dumping by the public, and ultimately, increases in the feral cat population (Castillo andClarke 2003, Natoli et al 2006).…”

Critical Assessment of Claims Regarding Management of Feral Cats by Trap–Neuter–Return

“…Another seminal study used to support the notion that TNR works was based on the assumption that feral cats were desired at a location, in which case TNR would produce a “stable, healthy, and manageable colony” (Neville 1983). Similarly, a Florida county implemented TNR “to decrease the number of healthy cats euthanized, decrease the costs to the county, and decrease complaints” (Hughes et al 2002). In contrast, conservation scientists and wildlife veterinarians measure success of a feral cat management program by the decline and elimination of free‐roaming cats (e.g., Jessup 2004; Nogales et al 2004).…”

An accessible scheme for monitoring free‐roaming cat population trends

“…Free‐roaming cat management and monitoring programs are often conducted by local authorities, government officers, and animal rights organizations, and not by professional ecologists (Galvis et al, , Gunther et al, ; Hughes, Slater, & Haller, , Kreisler, Cornell, & Levy, , Natoli et al, , Zito, Aguilar, Vigeant, & Dale, ). Consequently, within this reality, there is a necessity to develop a monitoring scheme that is both reliable and valid on the one hand, and simple and applicable on the other hand.…”