Paws In Need Update

This past week something extraordinary happened for the feline members of the Paws In Need. These lucky animals were spotted by an anonymous donor who has donated all of the funds needed for their surgeries. Thanks to the incredible generosity of this very special person these cats are able to start their journeys towards adoption.

To everyone who made donations to these animals, from everyone at MHS and on behalf of the Paws In Need, thank you. These animals are so special to us and it is impossible to describe the joy you’ve given us all by giving them the chance they need. With such amazing people thinking of them, they are sure to have many happy days ahead of them.



There is also good news for Tessa, one of the dogs with a mammary tumor. She had her surgery last week and is recovering well. She is enjoying her walks and bounding around in the grass, wiggling just as much as ever and loving every minute of her life without a tumor.

Inappropriate Elimination Solutions

One of the most common reasons cats are surrendered to shelters is because of inappropriate elimination. To put it simply, peeing on the couch instead of in the litterbox. This problem can seem unbearable, making it difficult to have guests over or even walk into your own house. The feeling of shame at the way your house smells when you have visiting family is really a unique experience. I know, because one of my cats went over a year without even approaching the litterbox.

Thankfully, a very clever man named Dr. Elsey invented a litter that is one of the greatest products I have ever used.



Cat Attract is a litter that was specifically designed for cats with an aversion to using the litterbox. There is a mixture of herbs mixed in with the litter to attract the problem cat to the box, and the texture of the litter and the particle size were designed to be appealing to the cat’s paws to keep them going back.

Not only will your cat love it, but you will, too. It’s almost completely dust-free and controls odors very well. It clumps to make it easy to scoop. If you have a cat with a litterbox problem, this is the best solution I have ever come across.

A major cause of inappropriate elimination is declawing. Declawing removes the cat’s toes up to the first joint, which is incredibly painful for an animal that doesn’t have the option of lying in bed during the recovery period. They still have to scratch in the litterbox, which can make them associate the box with pain in their feet. They might start to prefer urinating on softer surfaces, such as clothes or carpets. For cats like this, puppy training pads can be very helpful. They are absorbent and easy to clean up, and have the texture your cat prefers.

Remember, though, that not all cats that won’t use the litterbox have a behavioral problem. Litterbox aversion can also be caused by medical conditions such as urinary tract infections, kidney disease, and intestinal tract tumors. These conditions can be very uncomfortable, even painful, for the cat, and they may begin to associate this pain with the litterbox. This can lead to them avoiding it entirely, as they believe the box itself is hurting them. Because your cat’s problem may be caused by a medical issue, please have your cat examined by a veterinarian.

Tiny Noses, Tiny Paws, and Solutions to Tiny Problems!

Bringing home a new kitten can be very exciting. All those tiny noses and tiny paws are adorable as you watch your new baby wander around his new home. Kittens are also a bit of extra work and they need special considerations, but with proper care they grow up to be fantastic cats.

There are a few things you should have ready before your kitten comes home. You should have a litterbox and food bowls, toys, dry kitten food, wet cat food, litter, and a scratching post.

Toys and scratching posts are important to making sure your kitten grows up happy and friendly. Starting them with scratching posts young ensures that they’ll have good scratching habits as adults. Scratching is beneficial to the cats because it helps dull their claws and stretch their back muscles. Toys are also great for socializing with your kitten. Just be careful with any toys with strings, as kittens can get tangled and hurt themselves. Only play with these toys if the kitten is supervised. Also remember that kittens can be rough with their claws, because they haven’t learned to be gentle with people yet. You just have to be patient, as they will learn this.

There are many types of dry kitten food, but what we usually recommend is Purina Kitten Chow (in the yellow bag). You want to make sure there is no fish in whatever food you choose for your kitten and that the pieces are small enough for them to eat comfortably. Usually kittens remain on kitten food until six months, when they can switch to the adult formula. Kittens should eat canned food as well. We recommend feeding them wet food twice a day. Remember to look at the ingredients to make sure there is no fish in the food, because even some flavors where it is not the principal ingredient include fish. It is also easier for kittens to eat ground food, rather than chunks. Never give your kitten or adult cat cow’s milk, as it gives them diarrhea.

The type of litter you buy for your kitten depends on your preferences, but it is very important not to buy clumping litter for a kitten. If they lick it off their paws it can clog their intestines. If you want to switch to clumping litter later in life, you should wait until they are at least six months old. Good types of litter for kittens are Yesterday’s News and Feline Pine. These are biodegradable and you can even flush the solids. Make sure to scoop the litterbox daily, as keeping it clean will help encourage your kitten to start good litterbox habits.

When your kitten first comes home you must decide where he’s going to live. Because kittens are small and curious, they’re going to try to climb inside your recliner and explore under your television stand. You don’t want your kitten to get lost or stuck under anything, so the best place for your kitten to grow up is in one room. It can be a bedroom, an office, anywhere he can’t hide too many places. He can come out and enjoy the house while supervised, of course, but when you’re not home he should go back to his room.

Giving your kitten his own room also ensures that he won’t get frightened by all of a sudden having a whole house to run around in. He’ll be able to get used to the way the house smells and sounds before being given the chance to explore. If he isn’t the first pet in the house it also gives the other pets time to get used to the smell of the kitten. Animals should always be introduced slowly and should be supervised at all times.

Kittens adopted from the Meriden Humane Society have already been given their first distemper vaccination, but they will need a second distemper and a rabies vaccination later on. The second distemper vaccination should be given about four weeks after the first and the rabies vaccination should be given at about four months old.

Your kitten should also get neutered, preferably before he turns six months old. Thanks to advances in veterinary technology they can even be altered as early as twelve weeks with very little risk. There are many advantages to neutering your male kitten, including stopping spraying before it starts, lowering their hormone levels so they won’t be as aggressive or territorial, and spaying females will prevent them from ever becoming pregnant or going into heat.

Most of all, have fun with your kitten and try to encourage good behavior from them. Lots of playtime and petting helps them grow into friendly adults that will love you for all the good work you’ve done for them.

Weekend Events

If you're looking for some fun this weekend, but want to do something for the animals as well, you're in luck! There are three events going on this weekend to benefit the animals.

The first is the Babes 'n' Bubbles Car Wash. Need some help with that dirty car? We're happy to take care of that for you! Join us at the Cloverleaf Building on East Main St. in Meriden between 9:00 and 4:00 on Saturday and for $5 we'll make that dirty car squeaky clean. For the ladies out there, we'll be holding a Studs 'n' Suds car wash soon, but details have yet to be announced.

On Saturday night you can take your nice clean car and drive on over to the Grange Hall at 540 Broad Street from 5:00 to 6:30 for a family-style roast pork dinner, with pie for dessert. Proceeds from this event will be split between MHS and the Grange, but the fun will be for everyone. Tickets are $10 (children under ten for $5) and can be purchased on the Meriden Humane Society, at the Babes 'n' Bubbles Car Wash, or by calling Cindy at (203) 237-4617.

There's yet another chance to get out and help the animals on Sunday night. We're holding an Italian dinner with ziti and homemade sauce, salad, bread, wine, and dessert. Dinner is at the Falcons Polish Club at 33 Knowles Ave in Southington from 4:30-7:00. There will also be raffles, information about the shelter, and a slideshow of animals. Tickets are $10 ($8 for seniors and children under ten) and can be purchased at the Meriden Humane Society or at the Babes 'n' Bubbles Car Wash.

Whatever you choose to do this weekend, thank you for supporting the animals of the Meriden Humane Society.

The Vast Killing Machine

A small cocker spaniel mix huddles in his blankets, fearful and in pain. Jethro was tied to a tree in Hubbard Park after being stabbed and doused in anti-freeze. Now he is terrified. A large black and white cat crouches in a carrier, hissing and lunging at the bars of the cage when approached. Carrie is a feral cat, unsocialized with people and incredibly aggressive out of fear. These are two animals very much like the four million that are killed in shelters annually. Thankfully they were not brought to a “traditional” shelter, but to the Meriden Humane Society, a no-kill shelter that will care for their medical and behavioral needs, regardless of cost or time. No-kill sheltering is the only effective and humane method of dealing with homeless pets, because it saves lives considered “unadoptable” by other shelters through affordable spay/neuter programs, trap-neuter-release for feral cats, and assessing every animal as an individual.

Shelters kill for many reasons, but the reason most often cited is for space. They claim not to have enough room for all the animals that are surrendered, especially open admission animal control facilities. Tours of these shelters show the opposite, which is that many cages are left empty purposely to make cleaning easier on staff. At the City of Los Angeles Animal Services Department a veterinarian was fired for trying to utilize all cages, due partly to complaints from staff that he created too much work by keeping animals alive (Winograd, “Redemption” 157). When it comes time to decide which animals will be killed to open more cages, the animals selected are easy to predict. Feral cats, aggressive dogs, “bully” breeds of dogs, shy animals, sick animals, animals too young to be without their mother, black cats, large dogs, old animals, animals that are not house or litter trained, and any other animal not deemed perfectly adoptable are the first to go. This ignores the simple fact that there are options for these animals, such as networking with breed rescues, TNR groups, utilizing foster homes for young, sick, or shy animals, and training animals in the shelter. Some groups refer to “kennel stress” as a reason for euthanasia, which is a behavior developed in the shelter as a direct result of improper housing and socialization (Leigh and Geyer 61). Killing an animal because it does not adapt well to living in a cage and being ignored for large portions of the day is horrendous. Shelter killing is a social problem because it is the public and the staff of these shelters that enable the murder of innocent animals to continue. It is only when everyone embraces the no-kill shelter model that we can reach a time when there are no more homeless pets.

The single most important component of the no-kill system is spay/neuter. The average unspayed feral female cat has 22 kittens per year, six of whom will be female and survive to an age where they can reproduce. Each of those six will produce their own 22 kittens per year, which is 132 kittens in a single year from one unspayed female (Johnson 1). Note that those are feral cats, so in domestic animals the numbers will be even higher due to a lack of natural predators. Thankfully, no-kill shelters have created many programs to stop this cycle. The target of these low-cost spay/neuter programs are people without the money to visit a veterinarian unassisted, so the fear that offering these programs will take business from veterinarians is unfounded. Examples of these programs are Best Friend Animal Sanctuary’s The Big Fix mobile spay/neuter clinic, which neuters up to 50 animals daily (No More Homeless Pets 1) and Tait’s Every Animal Matters clinic, which neuters 12,000 Connecticut animals annually (TEAM 1). Shelters that cannot support their own clinic often network with veterinarians to offer lost-cow or free spay/neuter to their adopters.

When a feral cat enters a “traditional” shelter its chance of surviving is nonexistent. Every feral cat to enter a shelter without a trap-neuter-release program is killed. Feral cats are wild animals unsuitable for adoption because they are unsocialized with people, but this does not mean they don’t deserve life. TNR is the process by which feral cats are trapped humanely, neutered, vaccinated, tested for disease, and released into colonies where they are cared for daily. The feral population is then gradually decreased by attrition. This approach has been used in all parts of the country to save feral cats. In West Valley City, Utah the euthanasia rate was reduced by 40% the same year they began using TNR (Monroe 1). In Cape May, New Jersey, TNR has been used for the last ten years to reduce the feral cat population from 450 to only 100 cats (Robinson 1). Stanford University had over 1,500 feral cats living on the campus as of 1989. Thanks to the TNR efforts supported by students, faculty, and members of the community there are now 200 cats on the campus. If TNR had not been implemented, the original 1,500 cats would have been taken to the Santa Clara Animal Control facility and killed. (Stanford Cat Network 2).

No-kill sheltering, despite the name, does not guarantee that no animals will be killed. All healthy or treatable animals will be saved, but animals that are suffering from health issues that cannot be treated or are irredeemably vicious will be euthanized by definition, meaning for the good of the animal. The key to deciding which animals cannot be saved lies with assessing every animal as an individual. This issue was brought to a head in 2008 when a dog fighting kennel was raided in North Carolina. All 145 pit bulls taken from the facility, including 70 puppies, some of which were born after the raid, were killed without being assessed. This course of action was supported by the Humane Society of the United States and PETA, groups who were swiftly called out and presented with evidence by Best Friends Animal Sanctuary as to the potential for rehabilitation of fighting dogs (Best Friends 1). Best Friends took 22 dogs from Michael Vick’s dog fighting operation and successfully rehabilitated them on the National Geographic program Dogtown. This group of dogs, known collectively as the Vicktory dogs, has proven without a doubt that fighting dogs can be saved. Many of the Vicktory dogs are in foster homes and two have been trained as therapy dogs (Saving the Michael Vick Dogs). The 145 dogs killed on the recommendation of the HSUS could have been saved and could have done good in the world had they only been assessed fairly. This especially applies to the puppies who hadn’t even been born in the fighting kennel and had never known abuse.

The no-kill equation has been proven to work across the country. Under Richard Avanzino, the San Francisco SPCA killed zero healthy cats and dogs. The Tompkins County SPCA in upstate New York became the first rural community to become entirely no-kill in 2001. In 2008, 92% of animals entering the Charlottesville Humane Society in Virginia were saved. In Reno, NV, the fastest developing city in the country, the save rate for dogs in 2008 was 92% and 83% for cats (Winograd, “It’s A Wonderful World” 3). No-kill is possible in every type of community, but only if all aspects are embraced.

As for Jethro and Carrie, both are doing wonderfully. Jethro recovered from his wounds and lives with a man who loves him dearly. His owner carries him into the shelter to visit the people who saved his life. Carrie lives in a feral colony with five other cats. She can often be found sitting on top of her dog house, waiting for her caretaker to arrive with breakfast. Both of these animals would have been killed immediately in a “traditional” shelter, but because they were found by a no-kill shelter they not only live, but they are loved and treasured by their caretakers. We could save those other four million animals murdered every year because they aren’t perfect, just by implementing the no-kill model. These animals deserve the chance of a happy life and not dying under the label of ‘unadoptable’. They were not born to please us and should not die because they have failed to do so.


Works Cited

Best Friends Staff. Coaltion Challenges Outdated Policy. December 2008.

Johnson, Karen. “A Report on Trap/Alter/Release Programs”. Stanford Cat Network. 1995.

Leigh, Diane, and Marilee Geyer. One at a Time A Week in an American Animal Shelter. New Delhi: No Voice Unheard, 2005.

Monroe, Estelle. “Living in the Gray Zone”. Best Friends Magazine. December 2003.

No More Homeless Pets Utah. The Big Fix. 2009.

Robinson, Becky. Alley Cat Allies. 2008.

Saving the Michael Vick Dogs. Dogtown. Darcy Dennet. National Geographic. September 5 2008.

Stanford Cat Network. Stanford Cat Network. 2002. < Catnet.standford.edu>

Tait’s Every Animal Matters. Tait’s Every Animal Matters. 2008.

Winograd, Nathan J. Redemption The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America. New York: Almaden Books, 2007.

Winograd, Nathan J. “It’s A Wonderful World”. No-Kill Conference. Washington DC. May 5 2009.

Paws In Need

While we wish all animals had happy days, some need a little special help before they can get back to the good life. These are animals that have special needs that must be corrected by surgery. All of them, regardless of age or temperment or their special needs, will be taken care of here at the Meriden Humane Society, but to do that we need your help. Every dollar donated towards surgery for these animals is appreciated not only by us, but by the ten Paws In Need that you're helping to save.

You can make a donation to any of these pets by clicking on the Paypal donation button below. Please specify which animal you would like your donation to go towards or leave that field blank if you'd like us to choose for you.

Beast



Beast is a big, impressive-looking feral cat, at least on the outside. He came to us covered in bite wounds from a rough fight with another cat. Thankfully, he recovered from his wounds just fine and has even been getting a little friendlier, though he is still very shy. Unfortunately, he needs dental surgery to correct a problem with his teeth. He has a difficult time chewing, so he swallows pieces of dry food whole, which irritates his throat. Sometimes when he’s eating he jumps away from his plate and growls at it, because he thinks the plate is hurting him. It is heartbreaking to watch. To make his life easier we feed him lots of wet food, even holding pieces out on our hands to make sure he only eats small bites. He licks your fingers clean when he’s finished and will stay still for gentle petting.

Ginger



Ginger is a very sweet old lady who loves a strange thing. She has the power to locate a pillow anywhere, no matter where you’ve hidden it. She just zeros in on them and cuddles herself right on top. Life would be good for her, she can have as many pillows as she likes, which is usually all of them, except for a tumor in her ear that must be removed.

Update on Ginger: Ginger has been adopted! Her new family even volunteered to take care of her medical needs. This sweet girl is going to lead a wonderful life with her loving family. Good luck, Ginger!

Staples



Staples arrived at MHS with a horrendous injury to his left hind leg. He was attacked by a dog and his leg was shattered. Because so much time passed between the attack and when he was brought to us, his leg cannot be repaired and will have to be amputated. Staples is a very rambunctious and outgoing cat, and we think he’ll adjust to his new life quickly. He is sometimes so excited to see people that he falls right over and just reaches out with his paws to touch you. His future looks exceptionally bright considering his injury, but until he gets his surgery he can’t move on to a forever home.

Hancock



Hancock is a very handsome cat with a bit of a silly habit. When he first came to us he had a broken hip and, following his first surgery, he was a little nervous. So where did this big guy choose to hide? Right under his blankets, of course. It didn’t matter how hard we tried to keep him on top of the covers. When left alone for even a few minutes he burrowed right back under. Thankfully he’s a lot more confident now and chooses to grace us with his presence. He has had a pin holding his hip together and now that he’s fully healed he’s ready to have the pin taken out.

Thora



Thora is just the prettiest girl, with big bright eyes and a cutely folded ear. She has a bit of spunk and doesn't take to everyone, but when she likes you, she really likes you. She spends most of her time curled up in the kitchen, usually in a position that doesn't look comfortable by any stretch of the imagination, but she seems to like it. Thora is on daily medication for a heart murmur and has just been thrown another hurdle. A tumor has taken up residence on her hind right leg and needs to be removed badly.

Kay



Kay, affectionately known as Bathroom Cat, is very beautiful and loves getting to meet everyone who visits her. She sleeps in her basket for most of the day, but perks right up when it comes time for attention. If you sit down next to her she'll climb right into your lap and start purring before you've even touched her. When she's curled up with you, though, you'll notice something is off about her. Kay's head tilts to the side because of a tumor in her ear that must be removed. She keeps her spirits up very well, but is looking forward to the surgery to remove the tumor.

Elliot



Elliot is a silly and very fun guy. He loves playing and he doesn’t settle for just batting at a toy a few times. Sometimes he is so into his games that he just goes skidding across the floor in pursuit of whatever toy he’s spotted. He’ll even jump into the air for dangling toys or any flies unfortunate enough to have ended up in the cat room. Of course, there more to Elliot than how much fun it is to watch him run and leap. He’s also very sweet and likes to be pet and held. Sometimes he gets a little shy, but it’s never long before he remembers that he enjoys attention. Lately Elliot has been feeling a little down, because he needs surgery to repair a hernia. Can you help him start leaping with joy again?

Update on Elliot: Elliot has been adopted! He is going to be a companion for another young cat, a role which he's going to love. His hernia is going to be taken care of soon, so donations towards his surgery are still appreciated.

Daisy



Daisy is a young and frisky cat. She's always leaping around her cage, pausing only to keep an eye on the other cats. She is very vocal and makes sure to say hello to everyone who visits the cat room. Her eagerness for attention is entirely understandable, as she's only a year old and still wants to play with everything she sees. She makes herself quite impossible to ignore. Hopefully that skill comes in handy now that she's faced with surgery to repair a hernia. Can you resist helping this beautiful little girl?

Shilo & Tessa





Shilo and Tessa are two sweet old girls that absolutely love each other. Both just quiver with excitement when it’s time to go out for a walk and enjoy wiggling in the grass while they get their tummies rubbed. They crawl all over each other trying to be the first for treats and petting, which usually ends with them both looking very silly. Unfortunately, both of these great dogs need treatment for cancerous mammary tumors. The good news is that the cancer hasn't spread, but each dog will need surgery estimated at around $1,000.

Copulation, Copulation, Copulation

Copulation, Copulation, Copulation: Ending Feral Cat Overpopulation

There is a wild animal that lives in almost every country on Earth, that causes no harm and leaves no trace of its presence, but still nearly 100% of them are killed when brought to animal shelters and animal control facilities. These are stray cats, alley cats, and neighborhood cats. They are feral, wild animals. Trap-Neuter-Release is the only proven effective method for controlling the feral cat population. It saves not only lives, but money for shelters by reducing intake and euthanasia, reduces “annoying” behaviors, and preserves the ecosystem.

Feral cats are cats that have either been born outside or domestic cats that have been abandoned and returned to their wild instincts. They are found in every community in the country and across the world. Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) is the most effective and humane way of managing feral cat colonies. TNR is a process in which feral cats are humanely trapped, neutered, vaccinated, and released into safe areas called colonies. These colonies are maintained by volunteers, either from TNR organizations or simply people who want to help the cats, who leave food and water every day, as well as keep records on all the cats in the colony and monitor for new arrivals.

There is only one way to control the population of feral cats effectively, and that is to neuter all the cats in a colony and release them. By preventing new litters from being born the population will decrease naturally over time. The average unspayed female cat has 22 kittens per year, six of whom will be female and survive to an age where they can reproduce. Each of those six will produce their own 22 kittens per year, which is 132 kittens in a single year from one unspayed female (Stanford Cat Network).

Trap-Neuter-Release has been proven to work in many areas of the country. In Cape May, New Jersey, TNR has been used for the last ten years to reduce the feral cat population from 450 to only 100 cats (Alley Cat Allies). Stanford University had over 1,500 feral cats living on the campus as of 1989. Thanks to the TNR efforts supported by students, faculty, and members of the community there are now 200 cats on the campus. The colonies are watched over by the Stanford Cat Network, which provides medical care, food, and fresh water to all the cats. If TNR had not been implemented, the original 1,500 cats would have been taken to the Santa Clara Animal Control facility and killed. This would not have stopped students from dumping their pets at the end of term, which is how the cats arrived on the campus, and the number of cats would quickly rise again. Using TNR, however, raises awareness of the issue, preventing students from abandoning their pets.

By stopping the animals from reproducing, but not removing them from their territory, they can continue keeping new cats from arriving. Simply killing (note that the word euthanasia does not apply to feral cats because their death not does fit the definition of “putting to death painlessly an animal suffering from an incurable, esp. a painful, disease or condition” [American Heritage Dictionary]) the cats will not prevent new animals from taking over the empty territory. To continue trapping and killing the cats is expensive for animal shelters and does not solve the problem.

A popular argument against TNR is that feral cats do not lead a quality life, and so the only humane thing to do is euthanize them. However, feral cats are vaccinated against disease, neutered, and have a caretaker to provide fresh food and water. They therefore have a much higher quality of life than most wildlife. According to groups such as TNR Reality Check, feral cats meet gruesome deaths on the street when they are hit by cars and many simply go missing. As a comparison, think of the number of squirrels you see dead on the road each week. Does this mean we should trap and kill squirrels because they might get hit by cars? No, that would be absurd.

Because cats that have been through TNR are vaccinated against rabies and distemper they are much less likely to ever contract these diseases. According to Alley Cat Allies, a national TNR organization, the infection rate in feral cats is 4%, the same as in indoor cats, and a study conducted in 1989 (“Experimental Rabies in Cats”) reports full protection against rabies for three years after a single vaccination.

The lives of the cats are also improved by removing the possibility of breeding. Breeding for cats is a violent and painful process, especially for the females. Male cats have small barbs on the penis which stimulate ovulation in the female by scraping against the inner walls of the vagina. This is one of the reasons cats scream during breeding. The drive to mate also causes fighting and yowling among males, which is prevented by neutering them. This keeps the cats safer and more comfortable, as well as appeasing humans living near feral cat colonies that do not wish to listen to such things. Neutering will also prevent cats from spraying, which creates a very offensive odor, and prevents fighting over territory. This makes life more pleasant for people in the area, but if they still don’t wish to live near feral cats, colonies can be trapped and moved to more secluded areas.

As stated, the only alternative to TNR is to kill feral cats. Some can be rehabilitated and adopted out, certainly, but some cats are simply too wild. For cats entering kill shelters there are only three options. They can be adopted, “euthanized”, or returned to their owners. Feral cats require more time to be socialized than the majority of facilities will give them and they have no owner in the traditional sense to claim them. 100% of feral cats to enter kill shelters are killed. By using TNR, all these lives are saved. In West Valley City, Utah the euthanasia rate was reduced by 40% the same year they began using TNR (Best Friends Animal Society).

It is common knowledge that veterinary care has become extraordinarily expensive, but this is not a barrier to TNR efforts. In fact, TNR saves money for taxpayers and shelters. Santa Clara Animal Control, the shelter that would have handled the Stanford University cats had TNR not been implemented, estimates a cost of $70 to hold a feral cat for the required three days, “euthanize”, and dispose of the body. However, they also place the cost to test, vaccinate, and neuter a cat at only $52. The Stanford Cat Network estimates that 41% of cats in Santa Clara County are feral, for a total of 168,463 feral cats. To kill all these cats, at $70 each, would cost $11,792,410. However, to test, vaccinate, and neuter those same cats would cost $8,760,076. This not only saves over three million dollars immediately, but it prevents Santa Clara Animal Control from taking in the offspring of feral cats and having to pay to kill those as well. Because so much money is being saved, the cost of TNR can be taken right from a shelter’s budget.

It is not only large organizations, however, that practice TNR. Any ordinary person can do this with their neighborhood cats. For these people the cost can seem prohibitive, but many low-cost spay/neuter options exist. In Connecticut the most well-known program is TEAM, Tait’s Every Animal Matters. For $70 any cat, even ferals, can be neutered, vaccinated, and given a physical exam. In 2008 alone they sterilized 12,000 cats (TEAM). TEAM services all of Connecticut, but other programs serve specific areas, such as Rehab-A-Cat in New Haven, Creature Kindness in Hamden, and The Greater New Haven Cat Project. Thanks to programs like these any person can afford to care for their colony properly.

Possibly the most insistent opponents of TNR are the people concerned for wildlife, especially birds. This ignores many of the basic facts about cats. Cats are opportunistic feeders. They will go for the easiest prey, which are rodents. Birds are simply too much effort to catch. This isn’t to say that no cats ever kill birds. Certainly some birds are killed by cats, but the major of cause of bird death is habitat destruction caused by humans. In a New Zealand study in which stomach contents of feral cats were examined, it was shown that on average 93% of the cats’ diets consisted of mammals and only 4.5% consisted of birds (Meower Power Feral Coalition). A similar study of feral cats living in urban areas in Pennsylvannia showed something even more startling, which is that 85% of the stomach contents of the cats was garbage, and only 15% was from rodents and birds (Meower Power Feral Coalition). This way of thinking also assumes that birds are more deserving of life than cats. Often the argument that cats are non-native is used, but starlings and sparrows are also non-native (Best Friends Animal Society).

In fact, efforts to protect birds on Macquarie Island, near Australia, by killing all the feral cats went terribly wrong. When the cats were all killed the rabbit population exploded, and the rabbits decimated the plant life that the birds relied on for shelter and food. The birds died. The feral cats turned out to have been protecting the birds, not killing them, and it isn’t only birds that are going to suffer because of the removal of the cats. There are plans to begin dropping poisonous bait starting in 2010 to attract rabbits, rats, and mice, in order to kill every specimen of these three species (Michael Casey – Associated Press). Roger Tabor, chairperson of the British Naturalist Association, said it best when he said, "You have to be very, very careful when…doing anything that changes the ecosystem…This happened in New Zealand. People argued that wildlife there was at risk, and that the terrible cats were causing the problem. So they got rid of them. What happened? The more significant predator turned out to be rats, whose population exploded because you removed the one check on the rat population: the feral cats,” (Best Friends Animal Society). The ecosystem is a very delicate thing, and oftentimes the effects of removing a single species can be disastrous. Far from being a danger to other species, cats are actually protecting them from far more dangerous threats.

If Trap-Neuter-Release is implemented nation-wide then the quality of life for cats will improve and humans will benefit from the lack of “annoying” feline behaviors and the lower cost of TNR. At the Meriden Humane Society there is one feral cat we call No-Tail. She is a beautiful calico that we took in as an older kitten. Her tail was infested with maggots and it had to be amputated. After her recovery she was released into our colony. She is fed wet and dry food every morning, and without fail she can be found in the evening sitting in front of the door waiting for her dinner. She’ll walk off a few steps when the door is opened, and won’t approach the plate until her caretaker pretends to look away from her, but no matter how shy she appears, there is no doubt that she appreciates our presence. In most shelters, this cat would stand no chance. She would have been killed immediately. However, she now leads a fantastic life, free to roam, but can still rely on us when she needs something. Getting involved with feral cats is extremely rewarding, knowing that you personally have saved a life, and it is easy to do yourself. Individuals can practice TNR in their own yards or volunteer for an establish TNR group. Even the smallest donations to TNR groups are appreciated so much, because every dollar or old towel or bag of cat food is helping to save the lives of some of the least valued animals in America.

Works Cited

Casey, Michael. “Removing cats to protect wildlife on island backfires”. January 13, 2009. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090113/ap_on_re_au_an/as_australia_rabbit_infestation

Meower Power Feral Cat Coalition. Meower Power Feral Cat Coalition. 2008.

Miller, Sandy. “Hiding in Plain Sight: Feral Cat Colonies Thrive With TLC and TNR”. Best Friends Magazine May, 2008. 17+.

Monroe, Estelle. “Living in the Gray Zone”. Best Friends Magazine. December, 2003.

Mountain, Michael. “Blaming the Victims”. Best Friends Magazine July, 2003.

Robinson, Becky. Alley Cat Allies. 2008. www.alleycat.org

Stanford Cat Network. Stanford Cat Network. 2002.

Tait’s Every Animal Matters. Tait’s Every Animal Matters. 2008. www.everyanimalmatters.com