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keithw

"What about making life better for the actual people in the community...you know, the ones who have to deal with cats using their kids' play area as a litter box?"

Well Shannon, You are free to trap the cats and turn them over to Animal Control. Trap, Neuter, and Return is an alternitive for those who prefer it, not a mandate. In the county both TNR and T&R are legal. T&R is worked through Animal Control and TNR is worked through the non-profit groups. Make your choice and make it happen.

There are a growing number of neighborhoods where Trap, Neuter, and Return is being successful in reducing the number of feral cats and the associated problems. It is working on the scale we have resources to implement it. At this time we need two things. The first is for the cities to provide the ordinances so we can do it efficiently. The second is more caring individuals to get involved and make life better for the cats and the people of this community.

There are far too many free roaming unowned cats. That is something we can all agree with. Those who want to Trap and Remove and the ones that want to Trap, Neuter, and Return will never agree on much else. By allowing both, the resources available to manage the cats have been doubled. If you want to Trap and Remove cats, resources are available through Animal Control to support you. If you want to Trap, Neuter, and Return, then resources are available through the non-profit groups to support you. The end result is the same, fewer cats causing problems. With two legal alternitives there is no excuse to not get involved and do something to make a difference.

That's three cases in 15 years. More people are killed by dog attacks, bee stings, lightening, sharks, auto accidents, falling down stairs, food poisoning, the list goes on and on. Let's worry about something that is a real threat.

keithw

I have personal experience with implementing TNR in a colony and have been in contact with others who have also done so. One colony was reduced from 200 cats down to 14 over a period of three years. This was done by three volunteers utilizing local low cost spay/neuter clinics. It can work, it does work. No, the entire valley can't be done all at once. The problem has taken years to develop. Cat by cat, volunteer by volunteer, it can be done.

Domestic cats are not an apex predator. They are a mid level preditor. They have preditory habits but the high birth rate of a prey animal. Since we have removed them from the environment where the population is controlled naturally we need to step in and take that roll. TNR is an effective tool to manage the cat population.

keithw