|
 |
||
|
Ask
Trapper John
Q: Why should I worry about trap, neuter, release (TNR) of feral cats, why not just trap them and send them to the county animal control to be dealt with? Q: I have been feeding a stray colony for over a year and recently someone is removing and throwing out my bowls and shelters. What can I do? Q: I have been feeding a stray colony for over a year and recently someone is removing and throwing out my bowls and shelters. What can I do? (Part 2) Q: How do you know if a trapped cat should be released? Q: I have caught a feral cat and had it fixed but what do I do for recovery? Q: How do I know if a cat I catch has been altered or not? Q: What vaccinations should I give cats that I trap and should I test them before letting them go? Q: There's a cat I've been trying to catch for weeks and it won't go into the trap. What can I do? Email Trapper John with your questions.
A: As solutions go, this is certainly "a solution" and one that has been tried ineffectively over and over again. There are a few reasons this fails. One is that if the whole colony is not collected quickly, the colony will begin to over-produce due to colony shrinkage. So in this case, you are making a bad situation worse. Two, if you can collect the whole colony in a short period of time, other feral cats will move into the now free territory. There must be some reason for these feral cats to be there; food source or a protected environment are the common ones. So you never quite get the area feral-free. Instead of euthanizing every cat you can find, you spay and neuter them. This is cheaper, or at least the same cost as euthanizing, in most counties where low cost spay and neuter programs are available. Focus on the problem, production of kittens, and you have a solution that is humane and effective. Studies provided by Alley Cat Allies and San Diego Feral Cat Coalition show it works. As Becky Robinson of Alley Cat Allies told a group at a recent convention, "If you were homeless and someone wanted to put you to sleep because they though it would be best for you what would you say?" It is a life, maybe not the best but it is what they know and have adapted to. It is our job to make that life as livable as we can and break the production cycle. 2: I have been feeding a stray colony for over a year and recently someone is removing and throwing out my bowls and shelters. What can I do?A: This is one of the most difficult and troubling areas in dealing with feral cats near public areas. It is not the cats, but those animals with two legs that don’t understand the issues. People want the problem to go away and they think that not feeding the stray is the answer? Well here are some suggestions.
This question came from one of the caregivers I work with and we are trying some of these suggestions and others. So far we do not have a clear idea who is causing the trouble. It is a business complex and we have permission from the property owner and the business leasing the property. The problem is from an adjacent office complex. We will hand out info sheets next to get support from the businesses in the area and maybe hear from the person causing problems. The shelters have been removed and feeding is scheduled. Unfortunately no other locations are possible. I will have more updates in future columns. 3: I have been feeding a stray colony for over a year and recently someone is removing and throwing out my bowls and shelters. What can I do? (Part 2)A: As promised in the last issue, I have a follow up to that question and an update to the situation. When I last discussed this, we were looking to relocate the cats and were preparing an information sheet that would be passed out to local businesses. The relocation possibility did not pan out, however we did pass out the information sheets and the tampering did stop. Now, everyone knows what's going on and who to contact for help. As it happens, I went to handle a related issue in this same location. The caregiver had been hearing a cat crying from inside a large warehouse. After talking to the owner, we arranged to meet the next morning when the warehouse opened, in order to release the cat. But just the noise of opening the big doors scared the cat deep into the warehouse. The owner agreed to allow a trap to be set inside the warehouse overnight and the next morning we had a very dirty, scared, female cat. Communication is the key to these issues. Talk to people and let them know you are there to help. When faced with the options of TNR or calling the County to catch and euthanize the cat, most people will want to work with you. 4: I caught a male during this escapade about 4+ weeks ago. I turned him over to a friend to try to socialize him along with 2 siblings, and 2 younger kittens. The older ones didn't adapt as well, and this one in particular is scared and nasty. It usually hisses and swipes when you come near him. He was allowed free run of a small room with the other 4. He played with them, but not humans. Last week he escaped into the duct work of the house, but came out hours later for food. He was a lot to handle and was even teaching the younger ones to be nasty. My friends and I decided to neuter/release. He had surgery and now I have him in a dog-sized carrier with food and litter. I am able to pet with a glove, he ate chicken handed to him and he is not swiping. I am torn--should we still release him? If I had the time to spend with him I would work on socializing him myself. Has he been in captivity too long? Will his mom, dad, and sister accept him? He is now about 15-16 weeks old, Is it worth trying to salvage him? How do I know if he is pet quality? A: This is a great question, very common for new trappers, and an on-going dilemma for experienced ones. FFR's policy is to only give the young ones a week or two to turn around. Some we will try a bit longer if they are showing improvement. Kittens that are 10 weeks or younger will turn very quickly in most cases. I have no reservations about TNR
(Trap/Neuter/Release) because our group just cannot spend the time with
each cat caught, domesticate it, and try and get the hundreds of others
out there fixed as well.
Once you have these items place the trap on the wood
pieces with newspaper under the trap and cover with a blanket. Place a
very shallow bowl with water only for the night before surgery or food and water for recovery after the surgery. A neat and useful tool available from
Tomahawk Live Trap is a trap divider. This makes it really easy to insert and remove food bowls while the cat is in recovery. Once the cat is eating, drinking, and looks alert it can be released. Typically in 1 to 2 days after surgery.
A: This could be a very difficult issue if some
form of marking is not used to indicate that a cat has been altered. A
number of marking methods have been tried such as ear tipping (cutting
approximately a quarter of an inch from the top of the ear), ear
notching (a triangular notch on the edge of the ear), and hole punching
(punching a circular hole in the upper part of the ear). Alley Cat
Allies, San Diego Feral Cat Coalition, San Francisco SPCA, CVMA, Maddies
Fund, and many others recommend a standard of ear tipping,, typically
the right ear. Without a standard, other trappers or caregivers will not
be able to tell when cats are altered. I have seen all three methods
used and have tried to determine if cats have been altered months later.
Ear tipping was the only reliable means of indicating an altered cat. We
have had to re-tip cats that had been marked by the other methods so
there would be no confusion in the future.
A: I would recommend that at a minimum they get
the FVRCP and Rabies. If your budget can afford it, then FeLV would be
nice as well. We only do the FCRCP and Rabies for cats we trap in an
effort to save as much money as we can for Spay & Neuter. We also do not
test all cats. We will spot test a new area with the focus on testing
male cats, especially those that look like they have been through a few
fights. If one tests positive, then we will test more often since we now
know we have an infected colony. You can discuss your options with your
veterinarian, weigh the pros and cons, and see what your budget can
afford.
A: This is a frustrating issue. You can't just make the cat go into the trap. The first step is to make sure all food sources are removed and the cat has not been fed for 24 to 48 hours. Then try various baits, such as mackerel, tuna, ocean fish flavored cat food, etc. If the cat still will not go into the trap, try locking the trap door into the open position (a clip or wire tie can be used to keep the door open) and then feed the cat as usual, but with the food inside the trap. Initially, place it close to the opening, and then move it farther and farther inside until the cat is going all the way into the trap to get to the food. When the cat is eating out of the trap regularly, remove the tie from the trap, set it as usual, and Pow!, you have a trapped cat! You can find additional ideas from the following Web sites devoted to feral cat issues. Alley Cat Allies:
www.alleycat.org
A: You will need a humane cat trap to catch the cats and transport them to a veterinarian. You can check with local rescue groups, veterinarians, and fed stores for traps to loan or rent. We offer the traps for loan with a refundable cash deposit on the trap. You can also buy the traps from various manufactures fro $40- $70 depending on the size and type of trap. A number of popular trap vendors are listed below. You will find the traps easy to use and setup.
Hav-A-Hart Traps 1-800-27-ATRAP www.livetrap.com Tru-Catch Traps 1-800-338-2237 www.animal-care.com
Hello to you, trappers, concerned residents, and anyone that just wants to do something about a very realistic and serious problem. FFR has the experience and resources to help you help the stray and feral cats in your area. All you need to do is provide the time and patience. Contact us with your questions so we can help. TJ Have a
question for Trapper John? |
|||
|
|
About Us
Folsom Feline Rescue All Rights Reserved