Wellington Limits Number Of Cats For Owners

[Chellee]

57. Trap/euthanize or trap/relocate doesn't work as well as TNR.

Ferals choose a location based on the exploitable natural resources, something that every species does, including birds and humans. If you remove the colony it creates something called a vacuum effect, and more ferals will move into the area because those exact same resources still exist. TNR works by stabilizing the colony at a manageable size. The cats defend their own territory and keep new ferals from moving in. The majority of feral prey is rodents, not birds.

In rural areas nature takes care of stabilizing the size of the colony. In urban areas, with fewer natural predators, neutering is necessary. Cats are attracted to human populations, because rodents are attracted to human populations. Humans are rodent magnets. As a species, we spill a lot of food.

There is a difference between ferals and strays. You have to stop thinking of ferals as strays, they're not, they're wild. Strays can easily be re-homed and should be; the colony and the stray are both better off. There is a limited opportunity to socialize a feral kitten. A socialized feral kitten will grow up to be a domesticated cat.

A feral adult cat may learn to tolerate humans, but they will never be truly domesticated. Just like those idjits that keep chimpanzees and tigers in their apartments, someone keeping a feral cat should know that he could one day respond to a trigger that only he knows, and attack. Luckily he's small, so he probably won't kill anybody or rip someone's face off, like a tiger or a chimp, but still, don't ever think he's "tame."

I realize that it seems like euthanasia is the answer, but reality demonstrates that it doesn't work long term. Your concern for the birds is admirable. However, birds and cats have existed side by side for thousands of years and will continue to do so, without our interference. Unless of course we are interfering by creating artificial environments for the birds, with unnatural amounts of food and shelter. By luring them to places that they wouldn't normally be in great numbers, it throws off the balance of nature. People who do that, shouldn't then complain that the balance is off.