September 4-10, 2003

loose canon

Reigning Cats

by Bruce Schimmel

A friend of mine, a medical doctor no less, believes domestic cats secretly control the world. It turns out heís not too far from the truth.

Depending on whom you ask, cats are either little gods to be worshiped or invasive species to be eliminated. Either way, cats are raining down on us. And though science has yet to come up with solid figures, here are some telling trends.

There are presently some 70 million cats that people keep as pets; there are an additional estimated 60 million abandoned and feral felines. Depending on circumstances, cats in feral colonies will increase their numbers by half about every six years. Approximately four million cats are euthanized annually.

So, if you think you're seeing more homeless cats, you're right. But if you think that just stepping up efforts to kill more strays will solve the problem, you're wrong.

Cats are hard to trap and kill. They're every bit as wily -- and adaptable -- as some fear. As one scientist puts it, "If cats were so easy to kill, we wouldn't have a feral cat problem." Even if you wipe out an entire colony that may be pestering a neighborhood, new animals will simply move in.

Cats are a Darwinian's delight. If survival means cozying up to humans to get leftover food, that's what they'll do. If it means hunting at night, out of human sight, that'll be the strategy. They will create the niches they need to survive. Efficient predators, cats are now considered by animal-rehabilitation groups to be their number one scourge to wildlife, especially songbirds.

Quick breeding, hard to kill and highly adaptable, feral cats are multiplying also because of man's actions, both cruel and seemingly kindly.

The big reason, many say, for the feral-cat population explosion are people who have abandoned unneutered domestic animals. But those well-meaning souls who feed the breeding animals are also culpable.

So, what to do? That's the question that's vexing cat lovers, cat loathers and scientists of all stripes. This fall, the American Veterinary Medical Association will convene a special symposium to address the problem.

Essentially, there are three choices. None of them good and none alone will work.

First, selectively cull the feral population through euthanasia if there are immediate threats to wildlife or people's health.

Second, by catching, neutering and releasing cats into managed feral colonies, new research demonstrates their numbers will drop.

And finally, establish no-kill sanctuaries to encourage people to bring in unwanted cats for adoption instead of just abandoning them.

If you get a cat as a pet, have it neutered and keep it for life.

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