Background
Nationwide there are about 30 to 40 million feral and stray cats, with only 2 percent having been neutered or spayed.
In Lane County there are approximately 20,000 feral cats. I plan to find the percentage of feral cats spayed or neutered in Lane County.
The defining factor of a feral cat is, they are not socialized and have unapproachable personalities; they hiss, scratch and bite when humans try to interact with them.
A stray cat is a domesticated cat that has returned to the wild. Stray cats are more approachable than feral cats because of their familiarity with humans.
Most often feral cats are apart of a colony and are extremely territorial. In Eugene, feral cats are seen in various parts of town: alley dumpsters, residential neighborhoods and parks. They have a strong resistance to people, but still rely heavily on people for survival.
“Feral cats produce approximately 80% of the kittens born each year and are the most important source for cat overpopulation.” (Humane strategies for controlling the feral cat population)
There is a small window of hope for feral kittens. Kittens nurse for the first four weeks of life – this is where they first learn behavioral habits. Since we are able to nurse kittens without a mother cat, this is the best time to train a feral cat because food is the perfect incentive.
“The debate over feral cat control frequently hinges on the relative attributes of 3 approaches: removal of cats for adoption, life-long confinement, or euthanasia versus sterilization of cats followed by return to their colonies.” (Humane strategies for controlling the feral cat population)
Although argued, the best solution for controlling the feral cat population is trapping, spaying/neutering and returning the cats to their rightful colonies.
Locally
There are citizens throughout Eugene that put out food and water for feral cats. On Ferry Street, between 29th and 30th, there is a decent sized colony, and citizens of that neighborhood provide food and water for feral cats.
The city of Eugene has a significant amount of animal shelters and veterinarian clinics, where free or lost-cost sterilization is available.
Greenhill Humane Society, Eugene’s largest animal shelter, has a trap, neuter, release program. Once spayed or neutered, an ear of the cat is clipped so it can be identified as sterile once back in the wild.
Catch and kill is not a solution because when colonies lose a member they mate to replace them, in turn increasing the feral cat population.
The Story
Trap, neuter and release has shown to be the best way to control the feral cap population in Eugene. For this story, I want to capture the people who actively participate in controlling the feral cat population through TNR. I will also seek to capture the motive behind the care a feral cats. Why do citizens feel the need to help such unapproachable felines? There is obviously some emotion behind the motive, and I hope to capture that with at least one subject.
I will get multiple perspectives on the TNR solution by interviewing veterinarians, animal control officers, everyday citizens and volunteers.
I plan to ride along with Lt. Angie San Miguel, an animal control officer in Eugene, to explore the various cat colonies around the city, as well as getting her professional opinion on the feral cat control.
Tasha Roberts, operator of Stray & Feral Cat Rescue, will take me through the process of TNR. Roberts is well known in the community for her feral and stray cat outreach; she plays a large role in the education of Eugene’s feral cat situation.
Sources
Human Sources
1 Diana Huntington diana@green-hill.org – Diana is the TNR Coordinator at Greenhill Humane Society. She is a also a volunteer for Pro-Bone-O, a non-profit that provides care for the homeless pet population of Eugene.
2 Tasha Roberts tasha.roberts@rocketmail.com – Tasha is the operator of Stray & Feral Cat Rescue in Eugene. Her work consists of trapping stray/feral cats, sterilizing them and, if possible, training them. She has the experience of starting and running a cat rescue. She also offers training for people who wish to participate in the TNR program.
3 Priscilla Gibson 2415 Oakmont Way Eugene, OR, 97401 (541) 854-7308 – Priscilla works at Bush Animal Hospital. Her coworkers call her “The Cat Whisper”. Since Priscilla is a veterinarian, I can get her perspective on the process of sterilization versus the process of euthanasia.
4 Lt. Angie San Miguel (541)683-5748, angie.s.sanmiguel@ci.eugene.or.us – Angie is the Interim Animal Services Manager for the city of Eugene. She is well informed about the issues concerning the animal population in Eugene.
Non-Human Sources
1 Lane County Animal Resource – This is a document with an itemized list of resources for animals in and around Eugene. I can use this document to connect with veterinarians and volunteers.
http://westcoastdogandcat.org/wp-content/uploads/ANIMAL-RESOURCES.pdf
2 Life 9 Rescue – This non-profit was founded by Tasha Roberts (listed above). This resource includes contact information, background information about feral cats and education on how you can actively help the feral cat population.
http://www.life9rescue.org/
3 Humane strategies for controlling cat populations – This resource discusses the statistics of feral cats, control methods, public health concerns and the role of veterinarians in feral cat control. I can use this document in order to develop questions for interviews with primary resources.
http://www.medvet.umontreal.ca/infoGen/international/giv/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Humane_strategies_for_controlling_feral_cat.pdf