It’s not just Sheriff Grady Judd who is not listening to the facts!

Written by: G. Robert Weedon, DVM, MPH Retired Clinical Assistant Professor, and Service Head Shelter Medicine University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine

I read with interest the excellent piece written by Coryn Julien, Associate Director of Communications, Alley Cat Allies, in the Lakeland Gazette on November 28, 2022. This thoughtful piece was based on the best available scientific evidence in the management of community cats (a term that encompasses feral and free-roaming cats) and urged Polk County residents to embrace Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR) programs to humanely, and effectively, manage their numbers.

I was shocked by some of the ignorant and misguided comments at the end of the article. As I read, I realized that it was not just Sheriff Grady Judd who was not listening to the facts! Having devoted my professional life to animal population control (having retired from the faculty of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and moved to Polk County in 2019) I felt compelled to address some of these ill-informed and erroneous comments, using peer-reviewed scientific evidence in support of my thoughts.

After careful consideration, the comments in need of addressing fell into three general categories:

• Complaints about damage caused by cats
• Effectiveness and cost of TNVR
• General ignorance

I felt that it would be best to take the easiest one, damage caused by cats, first. I will then address the effectiveness and cost of TNVR, which, hopefully, will help deal with the general ignorance comments.

Damage caused by cats

There were a couple of comments regarding damage caused by cats:

Linda says:

November 28, 2022 at 11:17 am

I guess no one wants to discuss the damage that they cause whether they are fixed or not. Who is paying to repaint my car from the scratches and gouges caused from these cats? Who 8s going to come take and shovel my yard every day for free. People feel sorry for these cats and start feeding them and that attracts opossums and raccoons which carry rabies. W have hardly any squirrel or rabbits around anymore because the cats are killing them and leaving them in the yard in pieces. If you are going to fix them and turn them loose, then turn them loose way out in the woods and let them survive, not in neighborhoods.

Mike says:

November 29, 2022 at 10:04 am

I agree 100%…I don’t own a cat. I can’t leave the top down on my Jeep because when I do the cats get inside and sleep on my seats leaving cat hair everywhere and scratch the paint when jumping up on the hood and fenders. And they crap all over my yard.

Alley Cat Allies has an excellent page listing resources for neighbors frustrated by community cats entitled, “How to Live With Cats in Your Neighborhood.”[1] This excellent article mentions suggestions for problems such as cats digging in gardens, lounging in your yard or porch, or in/on your car, as well as five easy steps to humanely deter cats. These suggestions are fairly simple to implement and have proven to be exceptionally effective.  

It is well documented that TNVR programs not only stop cats from breeding, but also cease nuisance behaviors associated with it. This will go a long way towards reducing neighbor complaints, and, when coupled with the aforementioned suggestions for problems that cats can cause in neighborhoods, should reduce their nuisance impact. Certainly, better than killing them.

Effectiveness and Cost of TNVR

There were a number of comments questioning the effectiveness and cost of TNVR, and some misstatements that need to be addressed. One of the more common misconceptions regarding TNVR programs is how they work. They are not an overnight cure; they take time and sufficient intensity in order to be effective.

Cherie says:

November 28, 2022 at 2:45 pm

I have 3 cats, I love them. I would prefer that the animals not be killed; however if killing them hasn’t reduced the population, how is TNR going to? Also, who wrote the title of this article? Why doesn’t the Sheriff NOT listen to facts? This doesn’t make sense.

How is TNVR going to reduce the population of community cats? Simply by preventing cats from having litter after litter and producing more kittens. The effect won’t be immediate, but there is peer-reviewed evidence that, when properly optimized, TNVR can, in fact, effectively reduce the population of community cats. It is important to note, however, that if we  fail  to  search  for  constructive  management  solutions  that  balance  the  interests  of  different stakeholder  groups,  the  cat  debate  will  continue  to  bedriven  by  strong  feelings,  premature  conclusions,  and selective  examples,  leading  to further  polarization  and management gridlock.[2] Another review article states, “improving the effectiveness of TNR as a population management tool can benefit both cats and wildlife, potentially on a broad scale. Making these advancements requires the diligent promotion, dissemination, and adoption of tools like population modeling, population monitoring and adaptive management. By virtue of their training and exposure to the scientific method, veterinarians are uniquely well positioned to translate the more technical aspects of these approaches to TNR practitioners, and to facilitate their wider use.”[3] Clearly, to be successful, we need to improve the effectiveness of TNVR as a population management tool in order to benefit both cats and wildlife. This can be accomplished by a targeted approach and performing TNVR with sufficient intensity in order to be effective. What is your alternative? Trapping and killing cats? We’ve been doing that for decades, and it hasn’t solved the problem.

Mary says:

November 29, 2022 at 6:20 pm

No, TNR doesn’t work and is horrible for wildlife, people in the county, and the cats themselves.

This statement is just plain ignorant. There is substantial peer-reviewed evidence that TNVR programs are, indeed, effective. One such study (here in Florida, actually), entitled “Decrease in Population and Increase in Welfare of Community Cats in a Twenty-Three Year Trap-Neuter-Return Program in Key Largo, FL: The ORCAT Program,” published in the February 1, 2019, issue of Frontiers in Veterinary Science, documents the reduction in free-roaming cat population over time from 455 cats recorded in 1999 to 206 recorded in 2013 (55% decrease). The article states, “The decrease was linear and significant, with a slope of −0.06, P < 0.0001.”[4] There are numerous other studies which show that TNVR, when applied with proper intensity, led to a decrease in population over time.

A couple of comments questioned the cost of TNVR programs, erroneously conjecturing that TNVR was more costly than trap and kill.

Marcus says:

November 28, 2022 at 3:48 pm

The costs of the capture and kill process is probably about the same or less than the costs of TNR. As long as people do not spay/neuter and abandon/lose their pets, this will be a huge problem.

Peter says:

November 28, 2022 at 8:44 pm

“TNVR is not free – cost approaches $100 per cat.”
“Feral cats cost US $17 Billion per year.”
“Cats kill 500 million birds and small mammals per year”
Lots of headlines out there. https://www.audubon.org/news/feral-cat-predation-birds-costs-billions-dollars-year

Well, I am sorry to say that you should probably check (or at the very least, consider) your references. The article you provided a link to is NOT a peer-reviewed publication, nor is the article by Nebraska Extension on which it is based. I do have a peer-reviewed publication that states the cost of TNVR ranges from $20.33-$97.13 per cat (average: $58.73), whereas the cost of removal and euthanasia ranges from $51.54-$123.08 per cat, with an average of $87.31.[5] I would encourage you to give it a look.

General ignorance

There were a couple of comments that I could only describe as “general ignorance.” Some of the statements are so ludicrous as to defy logic.

Mary says:

November 29, 2022 at 10:28 am

This article is complete trash. There are many studies that show that TNR is not effective and can be catastrophic to local wildlife. These cats kill birds and other small animals at an alarming rate. That is why it is illegal to release Non-indigenous animals in this state. Are you asking the Sheriff to just ignore the law because you don’t agree? These cats are a safety hazard for other animals and people they come in contact with. They spread disease and destroy property. If you really want to save them build a shelter and keep them confined. TNR is a horrible program and a lot of people in this county don’t want it here.

How can you say that the article is complete trash, and that TNVR is a “horrible program?” What is your alternative? “Build them a shelter and keep them confined?” Really? And who is going to fund that? And maintain it? Ever heard of Caboodle Ranch? A Madison County man bought 30 acres as “cat sanctuary,” but ended up as a hoarding situation, and the man charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty, where 636 cats were confiscated after sick and dead cats were found on the site. Is that really what you are advocating for?

Predation is the most commonly cited form of wildlife impact, in part because it is more visible than indirect mortalities or those associated with disease transmission. And it’s also received considerable attention from researchers, especially as it relates to possible impacts on birds. It’s important to remember that even large mortality estimates must be compared with population estimates — and at a geographic scale small enough to be meaningful from a management perspective. Estimates of the number of birds killed annually across the contiguous Unites States, for example, might make for good headlines, but these numbers — often published without context — provide little guidance for those interested in effectively managing bird (or cat) populations.[6]

It’s also important to distinguish between mortality estimates and population impacts. It’s well understood that predators — including cats — tend to prey on vulnerable individuals (e.g., sick, weak, young) considered the “doomed surplus,” resulting in little or no impact on the population of a species.[7]^,[8] In fact, two peer-reviewed studies have shown that birds killed by cats are, on average, significantly less healthy than birds killed in collisions with windows or cars.[9]^,[10]

There is no arguing that cats do kill native wildlife species, but to the extent estimated? Current scientific evidence just doesn’t support that. There are peer-reviewed studies that show that predation is lower in community cats that have been sterilized and provided resources (food).[11] This is intuitively obvious. Think about a neutered tomcat; he has no drive to reproduce or fight, and if he’s provided resources, less of a desire to hunt. He’ll likely just curl up in the sun and take a nap. Regardless, it is critically important to recognize that trapping and killing cats will not remove enough of them to protect wildlife. TNVR will, over time, reduce the population of cats which will reduce wildlife predation.

Mary says:

November 29, 2022 at 5:55 pm

Where are yours? This whole article is just fluff and people should trust it because you said so? The FWC talks about the devastation domesticated cats cause to native wildlife. The U.S Department of Agriculture, hell even PETA is against it. I could list sources all day but How about we address the fact that it is illegal to release non native animals in this state. So you are advocating for people to commit a crime. Please do your research

Mary, I would encourage you to check out some legitimate resources for peer-reviewed scientific evidence on the management of feral and free-roaming (community) cats. One outstanding resource is the National Feline Research Council. The mission of the National Feline Research Council (NFRC) is to compile, analyze, and disseminate rigorous scientific research relevant to the efficient management of free-roaming cats. Like all public policy, guidelines for the effective management of free-roaming cats (aka unowned, stray, or feral cats) must be based on sound science. To this end, the NFRC supports evidence-based community cat policies that take into consideration a broad range of factors important to various stakeholders (e.g., effectiveness, public health, economic impact, public opinion, etc.).[12] One of Weedon’s Laws is: “Minds are like parachutes, they only function when they are open.” Do yourself a favor and open up your parachute! Remember what I said earlier in this piece: “If  we  fail  to  search  for  constructive  management  solutions  that  balance  the  interests  of  different stakeholder  groups,  the  cat  debate  will  continue  to  bedriven  by  strong  feelings,  premature  conclusions,  and selective  examples,  leading  to further  polarization  and management gridlock.” That does nothing to help the residents of Polk County, the wildlife, and especially, the cats. Think about it.

In Conclusion

We’ve been killing cats for decades, and that hasn’t solved the problem. TNVR programs aren’t just “more humane,” and “beneficial for the cats,” they actually protect the health of the public by vaccinating these cats against rabies, thereby creating a barrier to the disease between wildlife and pets and people. TNVR programs are also beneficial to wildlife because they result in fewer cats to prey on the birds and small mammals in our communities.

There is substantial evidence that in order to be effective, TNVR programs must be applied with sufficient intensity to make a positive effect on population size. But, what about the wellbeing of individual cats? I am reminded of the Parable of the Starfish:

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed boy picking up and gently throwing things into the ocean.

Approaching the boy he asked, “Young man, what are you doing?”

“Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up, and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die,” the boy replied.

The man laughed to himself and said, “Do you realize there are miles of miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t possibly make any difference.”

After listening politely, the boy bent down to pick up another starfish and threw it into the surf. Then, he smiled at the man and said, “I made a difference to that one.”

Jane Goodall has been famously quoted as saying, “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” TNVR will make a difference. For the citizens of Polk County. For the wildlife. And, especially for the cats.

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[1] https://www.alleycat.org/resources/how-to-live-with-cats-in-your-neighborhood/

[2] Proc. 26^th Vertebr. Pest Conf.(R. M. Timm and J. M. O’Brien, Eds.)Published at Univ. of Calif., Davis. 2014.Pp.229-234.

[3] Boone, JD et al. (2015) Better trap-neuter-return for free-roaming cats: Using models and monitoring to improve population management. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. Volume 17, Issue 9.

[4] Kreisler RE, Cornell HN and Levy JK (2019) Decrease in Population and Increase in Welfare of Community Cats in a Twenty-Three Year Trap-Neuter-Return Program in Key Largo, FL: The ORCAT Program. Front. Vet. Sci. 6:7. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00007

[5] Valerie A Benka, et al. Guidance for management of free-roaming community cats: a bioeconomic analysis. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. 24:10, 975-985.

[6] Loss, S.R.; Will, T.; Marra, P.P. The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States. Nature Communications 2013, 4.

[7] Gill, F.B. Ornithology; 3rd ed.; W.H. Freeman: New York, 2007; ISBN 978-0-7167-4983-7.

[8] RSPB. Are cats causing bird declines? 2016.

[9] Møller, A.P.; Erritzøe, J. Predation against birds with low immunocompetence. Oecologia 2000, 122, 500–504.

[10] Baker, P.J.; Molony, S.E.; Stone, E.; Cuthill, I.C.; Harris, S. Cats about town: Is predation by free-ranging pet cats Felis catus likely to affect urban bird populations? Ibis 2008, 150, 86–99.

[11] Woods, M, et al. Predation of wildlife by domestic cats Felis catus in Great Britain. Mammal Review. 2003. Vol. 33, Issue 2. 174-188.

[12] https://www.felineresearch.org/about