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November 22, 2009

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

Trap-neuter-return program is essential

Nancy Peterson, Washington

Saturday, Aug. 16, 2008 | 2:03 a.m.

Regarding a story in Wednesday’s Las Vegas Sun headlined “She’d ‘legalize’ feral cats to save them”:

I applaud Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani’s efforts to reduce the feral cat population and improve the cats’ and community’s quality of life through a recognized trap-neuter-return program.

Spay and neuter, an essential component of a trap-neuter-return program, prevents reproduction and results in an immediate reduction in the number of homeless cats. Further declines in population occur because feral kittens — which can be socialized — and lost or abandoned pet cats are removed from the streets and evaluated for adoption. Feral cat caretakers provide additional community service by trapping new cats for appropriate trap-neuter-return programs or adoption.

However, caretakers did not create cat homelessness and should not be expected to combat the issue alone. Low-cost spay and neuter must be available to them and to low-income pet owners. In addition to spaying and neutering pet cats before even one litter is born, it is essential to keep them indoors or safely confined to their property and provide them with visible identification so they do not contribute to cat overpopulation and homelessness.

Also critical to the effectiveness of trap-neuter-return programs are ordinances that do not make its practice immensely difficult for caretakers.

I urge Clark County officials and citizens to support a life- and money-saving trap-neuter-return program.

The writer is the feral cat program manager for the Humane Society of the United States.

Discussion: 12 comments so far…

  1. By ShannonK
    8/16/08 at 6:47 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    Since it is illegal for owners to let their cats out of their own yards, why is it okay to let people feed the feral cats, trap them, get them neutered, and then release them again...so they can then go in other people's yards.

    These cats should be trapped and immediately destroyed. They are not pets, they are vermin that must be eliminated. These "caretakers" are not performing a community service. They are actually creating more of a problem and, at the least, should be cited for creating a public nuisance.

  2. By feral
    8/16/08 at 9:14 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    It is legal because these cats are wild. We do not kill animals just because they are wild. We manage them. Trap, Neuter and Return is the best management program tried and true all over the world. The cats colonies are in a territory where there is prey. In Southern Nevada that is usually rodents. If the colony is properly managed by a caretaker, they pretty much stay in one place. After all, they sleep almost 20 hours and hunt 2 hours at dawn and 2 at dusk. Be thankful they control the rats which carry disease to mankind. What you are seeing is probably abandoned pets which are lost until they find their way into a colony. Killing something just because it's wild is inhumane and cruel. TNR. The caretakers are animal angels who are caring for God's creatures.

  3. By ShannonK
    8/16/08 at 9:55 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    feral:

    So, since these are wild animals and I don't want them in my yard, I can kill them as I would with rodents and insects? No? These cats are not indiginous to our area. They have no "right" to be running around all over the place, spreading disease and feces and urine all over my property or anyone else's property.

    If these cats are trapped and euthanized by a veterinarian, I wouldn't call that inhumane and cruel.

  4. By lemahj
    8/16/08 at 1:59 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    This is worthy of being posted again . . .

    Lokiloki wrote:

    http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/aug...

    This is idiotic.

    Feral cats are the main vector for TOXOPLASMOSIS. And that disease can spread to humans, and it is lifelong and leads to bizarre changes in behavior. (DO a search for toxoplasmosis if you don't believe me.)

    TNR is a waste of time. There are no "studies" that prove it works. It doesn't, because it assumes that if you euthanize cats, some other cats will step in. Well, that is true, save for the fact that you have X less cats.

    Toxoplasmosis is killing wildlife across the country, particularly wild otter populations on the California coast.

    Feral cats kills endangered birds in the millions. They are an introduced, apex predator. They should be euthanized.

  5. By ShannonK
    8/16/08 at 2:51 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Thanks for posting that link. It is interesting that some people think that it is okay for cats to go in other people's yards. It looks like "feral" likes to let her own cat roam. Another person stated that it is okay for cats to roam, that Oscar Goodman changed the law. I would like to know where exactly it states that one can let cats roam freely. The law seemed very clear when I looked it up.

    Someone else posted a snarky comment about covering the sandbox. It is a little difficult to do when you have a sandbox approximately 13 x 20 with a piece of playground equipment in the middle of it. It is reasonable for me to want to keep it clean for my children. It is reasonable for me to want to keep cats out of my yard.

  6. By feral
    8/16/08 at 6:45 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Gee lemahk, get a clue, if you want to kill wild animals in your yard why not start with the rats.Also if you research you will see that half the human race has Toxo with no bad effects. A bit of a lock the door after the horse is gone. The wild otters are dying because their immune system is compromised by poisons on our shores. Toxo has been around for centuries. Since cat lovers do the trapping and monitor the cats it will cost the state nothing. Most of us do not want our tax money spent to kill innocent, useful animals. I can teach you how to make the cats poop where you want them to poop. But you would probably prefer to hate than do anything constructive. And, PS there are thousands of studies proving that it works, worldwide studies. But again, you'd probably prefer to hate than learn.

  7. By ShannonK
    8/16/08 at 8:30 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    "I can teach you how to make the cats poop where you want them to poop."

    Please tell us more...hopefully making them defecate in someone else's yard, preferably yours!

  8. By feral
    8/18/08 at 2:45 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    When legal Shannonk, we'll give classes on how to manage the cats. It requires patience and someone who is smarter than the cats. You might not qualify.

  9. By katydid
    8/19/08 at 3:02 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Feral cats are domestic animals - not wild animals. Wild cats are bobcats and panthers.

    About toxo and marine life:

    http://www.magazine.noaa.gov/stories/mag...

    Funny, THOUSANDS of studies, and yet not one citation.

    Do you know how NOT to insult people, btw, feral?

  10. By lemahj
    8/26/08 at 8:04 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    One more reason to oppose the feral cat TNR program.

    http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/aug...

  11. By MZ
    9/19/08 at 5:03 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    KILL ALL FERAL CATS! For all of you who think cats are doing a service, YOU'RE WRONG!!!!!!!!!!! How stupid does it get?!!! This is a city. We have no problems with coyotes coming into town, and it's not because of cats. IT'S BECAUSE OF PEOPLE! Cats defecate everywhere, and ruin plants and spread disease. They crawl into small spaces and die. Do any of you know what that smells like? Are there any of you feral cat lovers that can tell me how to get a dead rotting cat out of the wall of my house that got in there god knows how. Can any of you cat lovers tell me what it's like to start your car and shred a cat that was sleeping in the motor? Can you tell me what it smells like a week later in 100 degree weather? Better yet can you explain the process for removing the carcass from the engine? And another one, are there any of you that enjoy picking up cat placentas and cannibalized kitten parts off your sidewalk? Oh and don't forget the maggots that feast on all the dead cats and then become flies which continue to spread more disease. It's all nice and good to love animals. Try living with these filthy animals before you speak. Feral cats are a nuisance and a health hazard. They are no different than rats or pigeons and should be exterminated just the same. Shame on all of you self-righteous do gooders. You're not helping cats, you're doing this to feel better about yourselves, and that's pathetic.

  12. By diamond
    10/27/08 at 11:34 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    Trap neuter return is the most effective way to reduce feral cat populations. The county has been using the round them up and destroy them method. It isn't working. TNR gradually reduces populations permanently.

    Please don't forget that the origins of today's feral cats are abandoned house cats. They are here because of people, not by their own choice.

    If you want to reduce cat waste in your yard, support trap neuter return, because it works! than the method we have now!

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