Decrease in Population and Increase in Welfare of Community Cats in a Twenty-Three Year Trap-Neuter-Return Program in Key Largo, FL: The ORCAT Program

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a long-term (23-year) trap-neuter-return program on the population size of community cats in the Ocean Reef Community and to describe the demographic composition and outcome of enrolled cats. A retrospective study was performed using both cat census data collected between 1999 and 2013 as well as individual medical records for cats whose first visit occurred between 3/31/1995 and 12/31/2017. Medical record entries were reviewed to determine program inputs, cat outcomes, retroviral disease prevalence, and average age of first visit, sterilization, and death through 6/11/2018. Change over time was analyzed via linear regression. The free-roaming population decreased from 455 cats recorded in 1999 to 206 recorded in 2013 (55% decrease, P < 0.0001). There were 3,487 visits recorded for 2,529 community cats, with 869 ovariohysterectomies and 822 orchiectomies performed. At last recorded visit, there were 1,111 cats returned back to their original location, and 1,419 cats removed via adoption (510), transfer to the adoption center (201), euthanasia of unhealthy or retrovirus positive cats (441), died in care (58), or outcome of dead on arrival (209). The number of first visits per year decreased 80% from 348 in 1995 to 68 in 2017. The estimated average age of the active cat population increased by 0.003 months each year (P = 0.031) from 16.6 months in 1995 to 43.8 months in 2017. The mean age of cats at removal increased 1.9 months per year over time (P < 0.0001) from 6.4 months in 1995 to 77.3 months in 2017. The mean age of cats at return to the original location was 20.8 months, which did not change over time. The overall retrovirus prevalence over the entire duration was 6.5%, with FIV identified in 3.3% of cats and FeLV identified in 3.6%. Retrovirus prevalence decreased by 0.32% per year (P = 0.001), with FIV decreasing by 0.16% per year (P = 0.013) and FeLV decreasing 0.18% per year (P = 0.033). In conclusion, a trap-neuter-return program operating for over two decades achieved a decrease in population and an increase in population welfare as measured by increased average age of population and decreased retrovirus prevalence.

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

“…All articles focusing on free-roaming cats included a form of trap-neuter-return, as either the only method or one of the methods of cat population management, and, therefore, TNR appears to be the most widely accepted, or at least the most widely reported, non-lethal cat population management practice, though it is variable in delivery. Collectively, these TNR studies report varying degrees of success in controlling cat populations, with little to no effect on free-roaming cat populations reported in the short-term TNR programs in urban NYC [21] or rural Quebec [23], whereas the longer term (9-20 years) studies (n = 4) demonstrated significant decreases in free-roaming cat populations in rural and urban areas of the USA and Australia of between 54% and 100% [25][26][27][28]. However, all four long-term TNR programs were supplemented with removal (TR); mainly adoption/rehoming of social cats and the euthanasia of cats that tested positive to FeLV or FIV (feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus respectively).…”

“…Four articles assessed the impact of long-term conventional TNR programs on free-roaming cat populations in the United States [25][26][27], and in Australia [28], over extended periods of time; 23, 15, 10 and 9 years respectively. A US study [25] retrospectively evaluated a 23-year TNR program through census data collected before and during the program (program is ongoing).…”

“…Four articles assessed the impact of long-term conventional TNR programs on free-roaming cat populations in the United States [25][26][27], and in Australia [28], over extended periods of time; 23, 15, 10 and 9 years respectively. A US study [25] retrospectively evaluated a 23-year TNR program through census data collected before and during the program (program is ongoing). The population decreased significantly from 455 in 1999 to 206 in 2013 (decrease of 55%, p < 0.0001), with, over the period reported, a total of 3487 cats involved: 1111 returned, 510 adopted, 210 transferred to adoption centre, 441 unhealthy/retrovirus-positive cats euthanised, 58 dying in care and 209 dead on arrival.…”

Effects of the Community Cats Program on Population Control, Migration and Welfare Status of Free-Roaming Cats in Tokyo, Japan

“…The number of cats owned in Japan has kept increasing and was estimated at 9,649,000 in 2017, exceeding that of dogs (8,903,000) for the first time [5]. Despite this fact, cats have been euthanized in public animal shelters much more than dogs.…”

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.…”