Improving and Evaluating Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Management for Outdoor Cats on the Human Landscape

John, Duke; Joyce, Ray; Hiby, Elly; Dennis, F. Lawler; Julie, K. Levy; Philip, Stephens; Felicia, B. Nutter; Margaret, Ryan; Zawistowski, S

doi:10.5070/v426110434

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…For TNR programs to be effective and achieve longterm declines in feral cat populations, designers should select a targeted area, emphasize colony-level targeting, accurately estimate the number of cats, and sterilize most (75-95%) of the free-roaming cats in the colony in order for attrition to outpace feline reproduction (Kortis 2014). TNR, as currently practiced by most municipalities, is rarely optimized for population control (Boone et al 2014). Instead, shelters measure the success of their TNR programs based on reduced euthanasia rates rather than determining if feral cat numbers actually decline in the field (Jessup 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Orange County Vector Control and the County’s Feral Cat TNR Program: Ne’er the Twain Shall Meet?

Cummings¹,

Krueger²,

Nguyen³

et al. 2016

vertebrate_pest_conference

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Orange County Vector Control and the County’s Feral Cat TNR Program: Ne’er the Twain Shall Meet?

Cummings¹,

Krueger²,

Nguyen³

et al. 2016

vertebrate_pest_conference

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“…Community cats are positioned in the intermediate range of this spectrum for Felis catus. In addition to the term "community cats", the domesticated cats that are unowned and free-roaming are also referred to as "stray cats" [8,9], "free-roaming cats" [6,10], "feral cats" [11,12], or "outdoor cats" [13,14]. The term "community cats" is widely employed, irrespective of their sociability, gaining popularity as a replacement for the terms stray cats or abandoned cats.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Survey of Public Opinion on Community Cats’ General Health and Relationship Quality with Residents in Urban China

Gu,

Zhang,

Peng

et al. 2024

Animals

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The management and coexistence of community cats in urban areas is a growing concern amid global urbanization. Through a survey-based investigation, we examine the residents’ perceptions of the general health of community cats and human-cat relationships in urban China. The data from 5382 participants revealed that approximately 70% of participants perceived community cats as being in good health, and 60% reported harmonious or non-conflict coexistence between residents and these cats. Around 45% of the participants rescued or helped community cats, 38% expressed their intention to adopt, and 18% complained about the issues of community cats to management staff. Linear, logistic, and multilevel-logistic regressions were employed to examine the associations between the types of cities and communities or the participants’ socio-demographics and the perceived well-being of community cats or human-cat relationships. The results show that the cats in fourth-tier cities (e.g., county-level cities) had poorer living conditions than in first-tier cities (e.g., Beijing), while the cats in urban village communities (e.g., villages in the city) were less likely to exhibit good health than in ordinary commercial housing communities. The results also show that socio-demographic variables, such as educational attainment, marital status, and income level, predicted participants’ relationships with community cats. This study is the first of its kind. It provides valuable insights for stakeholders to develop effective policies and interventions on cat management, emphasizing the need for tailored strategies in diverse urban settings and populations.

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“…Boon et al (58) called for a long-term and large-scale study in a cat metapopulation to close the knowledge gap and overcome shortcomings of previous studies. Here we present the results of a 12-year longitudinal large-scale experiment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reduction of free-roaming cat population requires high-intensity neutering in spatial contiguity to mitigate compensatory effects

Gunther¹,

Hawlena

Azriel³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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When free-roaming in natural areas, the domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) is ranked high among the most destructive alien species. Near human vacancy, it might risk humans, impair sanitation, and suffer from poor welfare. Cats’ popularity as companion animals complicates their population control. Thus, culling is often replaced by a fertility control method called “Trap-Neuter-Return/Release (TNR),” which is considered more humane. Despite the extensive application of TNR, a long-term controlled study was never performed to test its effectiveness. We present a uniquely designed controlled field experiment for examining TNR effectiveness. The study was performed over a twelve-year period, divided into pre-intervention, mixed- and full-intervention phases, and spanned a 20Km2 urban area. Trends of cat, queen, and kitten counts, cat reproduction, and carcass reports were compared among study phases and areas with different neutering intensities. The cat population increased during the first two study phases and did not decline in highly neutered populations, presumably due to cat immigration. Expansion of high-intensity neutering to the entire city in the full-intervention phase (>70% neutering percentage) reversed cat population growth, reaching an annual ca. 7% reduction. This population reduction was limited by a rebound increase in cat reproduction and longevity. We conclude that cat population management by TNR should be performed in high-intensity, continuously, and in geographic contiguity to enable population reduction. To enhance management effectiveness and mitigate compensatory effects, we recommend further evaluating an integrated strategy that combines TNR with complementary methods (e.g., vital resource regulation, ill cat euthanasia, and adoption).Significance StatementThough popular companion animals, domestic cats pose numerous problems when free-roaming, including predation of wildlife, hazards to humans, impaired sanitation, and a decrease in their welfare. Thus, managing their populations is essential. The Trap-Neuter-Return method (TNR, capturing, sterilizing, returning/releasing) is widely employed for managing cat populations. However, its use is under continuous debate due to the lack of long-term controlled evidence. We examined the outcomes of high-intensity TNR by performing a twelve-year controlled field experiment, the largest to date. Neutering over 70% of the cats caused population decline when applied over contiguous areas. However, it was limited by a rebound increase in reproduction and survival. These findings provide a robust quantification of the limitations and the long-term effectiveness of TNR.

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Improving and Evaluating Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Management for Outdoor Cats on the Human Landscape

Cited by 4 publications

References 24 publications

Orange County Vector Control and the County’s Feral Cat TNR Program: Ne’er the Twain Shall Meet?

Orange County Vector Control and the County’s Feral Cat TNR Program: Ne’er the Twain Shall Meet?

A Survey of Public Opinion on Community Cats’ General Health and Relationship Quality with Residents in Urban China

Reduction of free-roaming cat population requires high-intensity neutering in spatial contiguity to mitigate compensatory effects

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