DECATUR, Ill., July 1, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fairview Hospital for Animals is participating in a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program to control the population of feral cats in Macon County. According to veterinarian Dr. Shelly Stevens, the clinic has partnered with the Decatur-Macon County Animal Shelter Foundation (DMCASF) to provide rabies vaccinations and spay and neuter surgeries for feral cats. Before cats are released, their ears are notched so everyone knows they have been fixed. Dr. Stevens says this method is more humane and successful at controlling cat overpopulation than catch and kill programs. Residents with a feral cat problem can call DMCASF at 217-423-7387 to have traps set in their neighborhood.
Veterinarian Dr. Stevens says that their Decatur animal hospital is one of a few veterinary hospitals in the area that provides veterinary services like vaccinations and spay and neuter surgeries for cats coming into DMCASF. "For decades, people have viewed feral cats as a nuisance fit only to be euthanized. That's what happens to more than 70% of the cats that enter shelters. This euthanization is unnecessary. Studies show that once a feral cat population has been killed, more cats only come in to take their place. The TNR solution is far more humane and helps stabilize the population."
Dr. Stevens says that several studies have shown clear benefits of the TNR program over the previous capture and kill programs. She explains that when feral cats are removed and euthanized, other cats move in and reproduce to the extent that the local environment will support their needs. Under the TNR program, however, feral cats are trapped, then spayed or neutered and given vaccinations. These cats' ears are notched as a universal form of identification, and then released back into their original habitat. After spay and neuter surgeries, the male cats stop fighting, screeching and roaming to compete for females. Females stop having kittens.
Dr. Stevens cites other studies that demonstrate how managed TNR feral cat populations decrease in size over time. Depending on the area studied, these managed populations decreased anywhere from 16 to 66 percent over 10 years. The cats in these communities also remained within the community instead of roaming and increasing the populations in other areas. These cats also performed the service of controlling the local rodent population while peacefully coexisting with their human neighbors.
The Decatur veterinarian urges community members to call 217-423-7387 to have feral cat traps set up in their area. She adds, "Many of these cats are cared for by people who don't have the means to have all of these cats fixed. Now we have a program that not only helps control the population, but saves lives and lets these cats be a useful part of our local ecosystem."
Fairview Hospital for Animals has provided routine and emergency veterinary services for pets in the Macon County area since 1989.