Public Opinions on Feral Cat Management
TNR is seen as the most humane option for feral cats, survey shows.
By Zazie Todd, PhD
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By Zazie Todd, PhD
This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you.
What should be done about feral cats? A recent survey in
Athens, Georgia, investigated people’s preferences for three different methods:
catch and euthanize, trap neuter and release (TNR), and the establishment of a
feral cat sanctuary. Opponents of catch and euthanize schemes argue that it is
inhumane to kill cats, and simply creates a cat-free area into which new feral
cats will move. Trap, neuter and release programmes involve catching the cats
and neutering or spaying them before releasing them; the cats continue to live
in the same place, but are unable to breed. The third option in the survey was
to “capture and place feral cats in a sanctuary just for them”.
People were selected at random and mailed a card which asked them to take part in a survey on the internet. Questions were about knowledge of cats, experiences with feral and owned cats, beliefs about wildlife in the area, and opinions on different options for managing the feral cat population. There were 298 respondents which was a response rate of about 10%.
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Athens was an interesting place for the study, since the
issue of feral cats had been in the local news for some time. A new law was
passed just prior to the survey, which effectively meant that TNR was the only
option for dealing with feral cats. Previously, anyone who fed stray cats was
deemed to be their owner.
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Photo: Shutterstock |
People were selected at random and mailed a card which asked them to take part in a survey on the internet. Questions were about knowledge of cats, experiences with feral and owned cats, beliefs about wildlife in the area, and opinions on different options for managing the feral cat population. There were 298 respondents which was a response rate of about 10%.
About 60% of people had seen a feral cat in the last year,
and 28% reported seeing a feral cat almost every day. Half of people said that
feral cats were “a nuisance”, and 65% felt that something needed to be done
about them. The idea of cat sanctuaries
had the most support, with 56% of people agreeing this was an acceptable management
strategy; in contrast, 49% said TNR is acceptable and 46% said euthanasia is
acceptable.
This level of support for euthanasia reminds me of the American Humane Association's recent survey which found that cats have an image problem - 35% of non-cat owners said they just don't like cats. The survey in Athens found most people recognize that feral cats have a hard life; only 10% agreed that "feral cats live a healthy, happy life". On a more positive note, about a third of participants had adopted a feral cat at some point.
This level of support for euthanasia reminds me of the American Humane Association's recent survey which found that cats have an image problem - 35% of non-cat owners said they just don't like cats. The survey in Athens found most people recognize that feral cats have a hard life; only 10% agreed that "feral cats live a healthy, happy life". On a more positive note, about a third of participants had adopted a feral cat at some point.
So how did the public rate different management strategies? When questions compared catch-and-euthanize to TNR, TNR was
seen as less effective but the most humane, and also the method on which people
would prefer tax dollars to be spent. The survey does not seem to have asked
whether the cat sanctuary option was considered effective, humane, or a good
use of tax dollars.
The study also looked at whether people’s attitudes to cats,
knowledge about cats, and experiences of feral cats would predict their views on
management practices. Attitudes were important, but knowledge and experience
were not. People with positive attitudes about feral cats were more likely to
support TNR. Beliefs that were important in predicting support for TNR were
those about cat rights, preventing cat euthanasia, healthy ecosystems, and
protecting wildlife. Those who felt protecting wildlife and having healthy
ecosystems were important were less likely to support TNR, perhaps because they
perceived cats as a threat to wildlife. Those who felt cat rights and preventing cat euthanasia were important were more likely to support TNR.
The researchers say that although cat sanctuaries were
the preferred option, there are few examples of these in practice, and they
would be more expensive than TNR. Given the recent passage of TNR legislation
in Athens, they were surprised TNR was not the most supported option, and say
that public support for policies cannot be assumed.
The survey found widespread support for more education about
feral cats. This suggests that public education should be part of any feral cat
management strategy.
If you liked this post, check out my book Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy. Dr. Sarah Ellis says, "Purr is definitely a book your cat would want you to read!"
Do you have stray/feral cats in your neighbourhood?
Zazie Todd, PhD, is the award-winning author of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy. She is the creator of the popular blog, Companion Animal Psychology, writes The Pawsitive Post premium newsletter, and also has a column at Psychology Today. Todd lives in Maple Ridge, BC, with her husband, one dog, and two cats.
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Reference
Loyd, K., & Hernandez, S. (2012). Public Perceptions of Domestic Cats and Preferences for Feral Cat Management in the Southeastern United States Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals, 25 (3), 337-351 DOI: 10.2752/175303712X13403555186299As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As an Etsy affiliate and Marks and Spencer affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.