Assessment of a Targeted Trap-Neuter-Return Pilot Study in Auckland, New Zealand

Abstract

Simple SummaryIt is generally accepted that stray cats need to be managed to minimise the associated negative impacts and there is a need for effective and humane management tools. One such potential tool is trap-neuter-return (TNR), which anecdotally has been used in New Zealand to manage stray cats, but no concerted and targeted implementation of this technique has been reported, nor any formal assessments conducted. A targeted TNR (TTNR) programme for urban stray cats was implemented and assessed in one Auckland suburb. Assessment was based on the number of incoming felines; stray, unsocialised cats euthanased; unsocialised, unowned cats sterilised and returned (independently of the TTNR programme); and neonatal/underage euthanasias. Incoming stray feline, underage euthanasia, and unsocialised stray cat euthanasia numbers all reduced for the targeted suburb when these outcome measures were compared for the years before and after the programme. These outcome measures had a greater reduction in the targeted suburb compared to the other Auckland suburbs not targeted by the TTNR programme, although causation cannot be inferred, as a variety of reasons could have contributed to the changes. This pilot programme suggests that TTNR could be a valuable humane cat management tool in urban New Zealand, and further assessment is warranted.AbstractThere is a need for effective and humane management tools to manage urban stray cats and minimise negative impacts associated with stray cats. One such tool is targeted trap-neuter-return (TTNR), but no concerted implementation of this technique or formal assessments have been reported. To address this deficit, a TTNR programme was implemented and assessed in one Auckland suburb from May 2015 to June 2016; the programme sterilised and returned 348 cats (4.2 cats/1000 residents). Assessment was based on the number of incoming felines; stray, unsocialised cats euthanased; unsocialised, unowned cats sterilised and returned (independently of the TTNR programme); and neonatal/underage euthanasias. Incoming stray felines, underage euthanasias, and unsocialised stray cat euthanasias were all reduced for the targeted suburb when compared for the years before and after the programme (the percentage reduction in these parameters was −39, −17, −34, −7, and −47, respectively). These outcome measures had a greater reduction in the targeted suburb compared to the Auckland suburbs not targeted by the TTNR programme (p < 0.01), although causation cannot be inferred, as a variety of reasons could have contributed to the changes. This pilot programme suggests that TTNR could be a valuable, humane cat management tool in urban New Zealand, and further assessment is warranted.

Global Strategies for Population Management of Domestic Cats (Felis catus): A Systematic Review to Inform Best Practice Management for Remote Indigenous Communities in Australia

“…Short-term field TNR programs again worked with consistently accessible TNR programs [14,22], except for the Canadian study [24] that had a one-off program. Contrary to the belief that TNR program success is strongly related to the proportion of individuals sterilised, this program had a low and temporary impact on the population, despite a mean of 92% sterilised.…”

“…Three studies evaluated TNR programs that ran for 12 months or less in New Zealand, the US and Canada respectively [14,22,24]. The Auckland study [14] evaluated their program by assessing the intake of stray cats into shelters in each of two designated suburbs (targeted and control) before and after the 12-month TNR program occurred in the targeted suburb. There were significant differences (p < 0.01) between the control and targeted groups' intake of adult cats and juvenile cats (control: increased by 17% adults and 43% juveniles; targeted: decreased by 39% adults and 17% juveniles).…”

“…It is generally accepted that there is a need for cat management, but that it must be humane [14]. Whilst much of Australia is lacking in coordinated cat management strategies, it has been suggested that feral cat management activity is greater in Australia than any other continent [1] (p. 169).…”

Application of a high-quality, high-volume trap–neuter–return model of community cats in Seoul, Korea

“…Therefore, it is necessary to modify the strategy to sterilize more cats within the limited budget. Several countries have modified the TNR strategy to focus on specific areas with larger feline populations, and implemented intensive sterilization with the goal of expanding TNR programs into surrounding areas (Nutter, 2006;Mendes-de Almeida et al, 2011;Johnson & Cicirelli, 2014;Spehar & Wolf, 2018;Zito et al, 2018). This targeted, high-impact TNR intervention is more effective than sporadic TNR in reducing the community cat population (Kortis, 2014;Levy, Isaza & Scott, 2014;Kilgour et al, 2017).…”

An accessible scheme for monitoring free‐roaming cat population trends

“…Free‐roaming cat management and monitoring programs are often conducted by local authorities, government officers, and animal rights organizations, and not by professional ecologists (Galvis et al, , Gunther et al, ; Hughes, Slater, & Haller, , Kreisler, Cornell, & Levy, , Natoli et al, , Zito, Aguilar, Vigeant, & Dale, ). Consequently, within this reality, there is a necessity to develop a monitoring scheme that is both reliable and valid on the one hand, and simple and applicable on the other hand.…”