Some legislator wants to pass a bill to allow feral cats to be caught neutered then released to appease some AR nut jobs.

What are they paying to denut cats.

No clue the AR folks would flip for the bill the reason the law has to be changed is that’s illegal by current law to catch, neuter and release I doubt it would fly but today who knows.

CNR is common around here, but the places that do it want big money if you bring cats in.

We had a neighbor that fed a large number of cats. Their overflow started coming over here and we fixed the ones that hung out. The neighbors moved and around 35 different cats showed up over the next few weeks at feeding time. I gave away or relocated most of those, fixed the others and still keep having more show up.

I like cats. They are useful to have on the farm for rodent control. I don't want a horde of cats around.

Keith

I know this comes up occasionally and people get angry about it. It seems like from a long term biological perspective a spayed cat has the same effect as a dead cat. The general public is never going to support large scale killing of cats but a spay and neuter program could accomplish the same goal.

That's not true. A dead cat does not kill anymore. A live cat can kill for an average of 15 years still.

I do agree that much of the general public is not ok with killing feral cats.

Keith

Except it's a miniscule amount they spay and release at taxpayers cost.

My mom is a completely insane cat lady. She makes crazy cat ladies look normal. A SNR company came to her house in NY and said they wanted to trap her cats, spay them, bring them back and release them. She agreed. They came down and caught 3 of the 50+ cats running around her yard, spayed them, and brought them back.

Big help!

A proven failure. To just maintain the feral population you would have to neuter 70% of the population.

Ask anyone who catches cats with cages only if 70% is realistic.

An individual cat might live 15 years but I'd be willing to bet the average lifespan of a feral cat is under 12 months. I'm in favor of lethal cat removal but it's never going to be accepted on a scale that's going to make a difference. Neither will spay and neuter programs for that matter. I'm not necessary supporting spay and release. I'm just saying statistically it would have about the same effect as lethal removal. Which realistically is probably zero anyway.

The average observed life span of feral cats, in a bunch of US studies, is 5 years.

Keith

That's interesting. I bet I've had a hundred barn cats around since I was a kid and I can only think of 2 that ever made it over a couple years

I have one barn cat that has made it 11 years now. There have been at least 100 hundred other cats come and go, many of which he was the father for. There are only currently 3 cats that hang around. I have no idea how he’s survived all these years while others barely make it a couple months. We have a population of close to zero feral cats. I believe we have enough aerial predators and open fields that it’s almost impossible for much of a population to exist. That’s fine by me. I don’t want a bunch of other cats hanging around.

I trap for people who do that...they feed outdoors. in an open barn.
I trap Skunks & Coons for them around cats.

My neighbor has kids. And free ranging cats. I have had all their females and two toms neutered. I have not told them. I am not going to kill a kids cats. The ones that show up here cause somebody dumped them dont survive.

They have several CNR programs around here. there is no charge if you bring them a feral cat. They lop the tip of one ear off to mark it as neutered.

We have always had outside cats. We prefer females because they are the best hunters.

Males spend their time roaming,harassing females and fighting other toms. They usually get themselves killed one way or another pretty quick.

We currently have two spayed females and the amount of dead mice, moles, voles and shrews I find is satisfying, it means they're earning their food. I also find the occasional rat,, squirrel, frog and sometimes even a songbird or two.

Free

This is way my business has exploded with feral cat calls. Animal control not trapping them.
People are fed up with the problem. I love cats, but, feral cats DO NOT get relocated.
Had a caller hang up on me yesterday when I said they don't get released.
Good for business.
Sarge

I say put this guy in charge of the problem.


[video:youtube]https://youtu.be/b93IBwJ_Yow?si=fteBDNL1jMW8oz_m[/video]

As concerned about species diversity as fish & game agencies claim to be, they remain SPINELESS on taking a hard stance on free-roaming cats. In SE PA we have numerous county, state, and federally owned park, and game lands. Drive into any one of them and you will see a cat prowling around one of the trash cans. Easy places for morons to dump their cats and kittens. Our PGC will write articles about song bird decline and maybe in “soft” way mention stray cats, or make no mention of free-roaming cat predation. On state game lands,paid for by hunters and trappers, cat owners, allowing their cats to trespass should fined.

I hate cats. My neighbor feeds them. Has over 30. Tom cats pee on the side of my house and garage. Still mice around. My pets stay in my yard and dont pee on anything the neighbor owns. If people want a pet keep it under control or its not a pet anymore.