By Susan Weidel, Best Friends Network Newswriter
National Feral Cat Day was October 16. On October 26, a local Wrangell, Alaska business owner had at least 18 feral cats killed in a brutal and inhumane manner. The business owner compounded the tragedy by obtaining the assistance of a local teenager to carry out the killing mission.
http://www.thewrangellsentinel.com/Stories/110608cats.htmKilling feral cats is not the answer to a national problem in either urban or rural areas. It also wasn’t the solution in Wrangell, Alaska. Many citizens in Wrangell were horrified by the news of the killing spree. Wrangell has a dedicated group of volunteers who are working to raise funds to trap and neuter feral cats. They have been successful in helping over 20 animals since Summer, 2008. Now they have an educational mission with the local business owner who engaged in the whole-sale execution of cats. The business owner has agreed to allow the use of live traps for TNR -- trap, neuter and release – a program that has been very successful nationally.
The incident in Wrangell, Alaska is only one of the many such acts of ignorance and inhumane treatment that occurs all over the country as cities, towns and individuals struggle to find solutions to the feral cat issue. The solution doesn’t have to be extermination for these animals. Hundreds of communities and organizations have adopted humane programs that work.
A feral cat is an animal who has lived in the wild with little or no human contact and who is not socialized with people. Feral animals who are not spayed or neutered may reproduce at an alarming rate causing enormous increases in the feral community.
A feral cat may also be a stray cat who has become lost and been away from a domestic situation long enough to turn “wild.” Stray cats may often be “re-homed.” Truly feral cats can rarely make the transition. But living in the wild can be a viable alternative for feral cats. Caring people and organizations can make the difference. Through trap/neuter/release programs and established feeding stations, feral cat colonies can be stabilized and the cats ultimately live healthier lives as the colonies decrease in size.
There are model programs all across America. Recently the City of Jacksonville, Florida teamed up with Best Friends and First Coast No More Homeless Pets to try a different approach.
http://network.bestfriends.org/jacksonville/news/30528.html. Feral cats are trapped, neutered, vaccinated, micro-chipped and fed prior to being released back into their colonies. According to Paul Berry, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society,
Best Friends Network the “goal is to create a paradigm shift in the way society relates to community cats. These cats are not nuisances to be destroyed. They are part of the fabric of our communities.” The feral cats of Jacksonville are no longer placed in the shelter system where euthanasia was the most likely option. They are now returned to live out their natural lives in a healthier and safer manner
There are resources and research aplenty on the Web that can help fledgling groups begin the process of creating humane programs for feral cats.
http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/resourcelibrary/feralindex.cfm]. Informational brochures, videos and step-by-step guides have been created to help educate and transform public attitudes about feral cat colonies. The group of concerned citizens in Wrangell, Alaska has started to solve the problem in their community. The work isn’t easy but feral cats deserve a chance at healthy, stable lives in a safe environment. Life doesn’t have to be so cruel.