Ypsilanti Township piloting feral cat population program
A "community cat" with a tipped ear to signify it has been sterilized and treated for disease.
Photo Courtesy of the Humane Society of Huron Valley.
Ypsilanti Township is preparing to develop feral cat colonies in a new approach to controlling their population.
The “Trap-Neuter-Return” program will involve building shelters that will attract feral cats, which are then live-trapped and brought to the Humane Society of Huron Valley.
The Humane Society next sterilizes the cats, treats them for disease and releases each one back into the colony where they were found. Their ears are tipped so officials know the cat has been treated.
Sterilizing cats is key to controlling their population, especially because they can have up to three large litters annually, officials said.
Feral cats - or “community cats,” as the HSHV refers to a broader population of outdoor, wild cats averse to human contact - have particularly been an issue in Ypsilanti Township. On more than one occasion, township ordinance officers have encountered vacant homes sheltering up to 60 cats.
Six neighborhoods that were a source of a combined 160 orphaned cats brought to the Humane Society in 2012 will serve as the pilot neighborhoods. The township will spend $10,000 on the program, and the Humane Society is estimating that it will sterilize around 130 cats over six-week period.
“A growing overpopulation of feral cats, also known as community cats, has been identified as an issue of concern by various neighborhood watch groups,” said Mike Radzik, director of the office of community standards. “Resident complaints filed with the ordinance department and county animal control officers about feral cat colonies in neighborhoods have accelerated.”
HSHV officials say the TNR program is the only effective and humane way to control the feral cat population.
The HSHV put a similar program in place in 2007 and has seen a 23 percent drop in the number of strays brought in since then while assisting more than 8,500 cats. But the new program goes further.
In each neighborhood, volunteer “caretakers” will work with Humane Society staff to develop community cat “TNR colonies.” Brittany Keene, the HSHV’s community cat coordinator, explained the colonies will be in wooded, secluded areas adjacent to identified neighborhoods.
Each colony will include a shelter similar to a dog house with entrances that are too small for predators. Caretakers will provide food in the shelter, and Keene said that and the relative isolation and will pull the neighborhoods’ community cats away from other areas where they may be living inside the neighborhood.
“As long as there is food in these spots, they don’t have any reason to go anywhere else,” Keene said.
Each cat is then live trapped and treated at the Humane Society before being released back into the colony.
The problems associated with community cats in a neighborhood don’t threaten humans’ safety but the yowling, spraying and other similar behaviors can be a nuisance.
The six neighborhoods that will be a part of the pilot program include West Willow; a four subdivision area that includes Green Farms, Mill Point Whittaker Village and Amberly Village; an area comprised of the Whittaker-Tuttle Hill subdivision, Schooner Cove, Ford Lake Landings and Ford Lake Village subdivision; Smokler Textile subdivision; the Holmes Road neighborhood Watch area; Ecorse and Harris Roads neighborhood and Elmcrest Mobile Home Park.
Township officials will look at results at the end of the six weeks and determine how to proceed beyond the pilot. Radzik said officials will look at the number of cats sterilized and receiving medical treatment, but also assess the level of awareness raised and how many people sign on to be caretakers.
Radzik said more caretakers and public awareness will help generate more data on where there are issues in other parts of the township.
The Humane Society and township are mailing out information to and meeting with residents in the pilot neighborhoods prior to implementing the program. The Humane Society is asking that residents don’t feed feral cats during the program, which will pull the animals away from the TNR colonies.
Keene said the Humane Society also is looking for colony caretakers, who provide food, provide water, maintain the shelter, help track the cats, sometimes provide medical care and sometimes bring cats into shelters.
“A lot of these people care for them like they were indoor cats,” Keene said.
The Humane Society also is offering low-cost transportation and sterilization for domesticated cats as well as pit bulls during the pilot program, which begins in late March and runs through May.
“This is something new and positive for the community, animal welfare, and we’re excited to be part of this with the Humane Society,” Radzik said.
Contact the Humane Society at 734-662-5585.
Tom Perkins is a freelance reporter. Contact AnnArbor.com's news desk at news@annarbor.com.
Comments
arushing
Mon, Mar 18, 2013 : 7:17 p.m.
I don't hate cats, I hate lazy owners who let their cats out at night so they don't have to worry about them - it's the "not in my backyard" approach. Cats should be regulated in their outdoor manners just like dogs: licensed, on a leash, and contained in your yard. Wandering cats get in my trash, kill songbirds and taunt the two indoor cats I do have, They travel my property with no supervision from their so called "owners". Try that with a dog... LOOKING FOR MORE REVENUE??? HERE"S A GREAT WAY TO FIND SOME FREE MONEY !!!! Or, you just say the word and I'll handle the cats that get in my yard - free of charge....
hmsp
Sat, Mar 2, 2013 : 9:33 p.m.
@ Rork: I clicked on the link that guy from Montana posted, and it turns out his "Coyotes Won't Eat Cats" story is purely anecdotal and speculative. Interesting, though. And there are plenty of pics and YouTubes out there of coyotes eating cats... Also, I found this: "In a new study of coyotes living among people in the heart of Tucson, cats were the coyotes' most common meal, making up 42 percent of their diet, university researchers reported in the Journal of Wildlife Management. Among scores of confrontations between coyotes and cats, cats were killed more than half the time." So I vote with you on this. That guy's a bit over-the-top anyway.
hmsp
Sat, Mar 2, 2013 : 3:32 p.m.
Hey, Rork, Good to see you weigh in. You're always a thoughtful and informed commenter on ecological matters. Re: "It's better than doing nothing..." Yes and no: It takes huge resources to TNVR –– even some proponents peg the figure at $250 per cat. I say $100-up, so that no one can accuse me of exaggeration. Say $2000 for the inhabitants of one falling-down barn. And it's going to take years. A guy I work with tried for two years before he finally caught one especially wily cat. You could be talking several litters in that time, so the energy expended was completely wasted, from a population-growth standpoint. Also, in any other situation, releasing ANY animal into the wild has been illegal for a very long time, and for a lot of very good reasons. Why should this be any different? Especially when you are releasing an animal known to be one of the most destructive predators, one of the Top 100 Invasive Species. Against the law or not, IMO, it is a crime to release such a creature once you have finally trapped it, at great expense of time and energy. Re coyotes, some folks, (including that prolific international commenter on this subject, Nature Advocate) say that coyotes are not effective. I find it hard to believe that coyotes aren't at least ten times as effective as TNR! Some communities also modify their leash laws (if they even have them!) by limiting them to after-dark hours only. This at the very least pushes the colonies further out, and away from well-meaning feeders.
Rork Kuick
Sat, Mar 2, 2013 : 2:26 p.m.
"Mesopredator Release and Avifauna Extinctions in a Fragmented System" is the famous coyote paper. More coyote was correlated to less cats, but the reasons are perhaps many (for example, after yotes appear, cat owners behave better - it's not just more getting eaten). It appears to have worked near me but that is mere anecdote. Also, this probably isn't a practical strategy in Ypsi or AA, I know. In somewhat less urban settings though, it's interesting. Disclaim: I'm biased. Coyotes are cool. Might knock down the foxes though. It's not simple.
Rork Kuick
Sat, Mar 2, 2013 : 1:57 p.m.
It's better than doing nothing is what I'm understanding. But you just legalized people caring for and feeding feral cat colonies without them being captive. Can I do that for rats too? If the captured cats (or rats) were then confined, I might be more on-board. Otherwise you are still subjecting me to free roaming cats (or rats) that I don't want. What methods will be used to actually measure the success of this program, or is it good enough that it sounds like it might work in theory? Is the goal to reduce feral cat numbers, or reduce them compared to some theoretical number that could have been? Will there be controls for the experiment?
lefty48197
Sat, Mar 2, 2013 : 12:44 p.m.
Why not just have a hunt like they're doing with the deer in Barton Hills?
brian
Sat, Mar 2, 2013 : 3:48 a.m.
Big animal lover here. Excellent job Ypsi Township and HSHV.
dading dont delete me bro
Sat, Mar 2, 2013 : 1:54 a.m.
mr. perkins... Green Farms, Mill Point Whittaker Village and Amberly Village; should be Greene Farms, Mill Point, Whittaker Village, and Amberly Grove 'e' in Greene, Mill Point and Whittaker Village are two separate subs, and Amberly is a Grove NOT Village. you're welcome
dading dont delete me bro
Sat, Mar 2, 2013 : 2:43 a.m.
why i get a vote down for corrections, eh? me no understand
Justavoice
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 10:50 p.m.
Wow...someone needs to quit feeding the trolls. You'd think people had better use of there time. I think I need to start a tinfoil hat store in Ann Arbor. I'll make a killing.
hmsp
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 10:07 p.m.
@ Billy, re: "You shouldn't cherry pick quotes and then give a link to source material..." On the contrary, I'm glad you read the article! And the study quoted there -- not Nebraska's own study, but another -- was a curious one. I myself had to read and re-read it to try to figure out their math. They came up with a population decline only when they ignored births and immigration. They admit that. So, some census! It was not explained how they determined the "decline" from 920 to 678 cats when the population actually grew to 983, but that is NOT a population decline in my book. I end up having to guess at how they did their math. Here goes: Obviously, their original census showed 920 cats. My guess is that when they did a subsequent count, 242 of the original cats were not found (Missing? Or hiding, as cats do?), so they listed a DECLINE down to 678. But they acknowledge that the ACTUAL population did not decline, it GREW to 983 through immigration and births. Anyway, no population decline. "Reducing the expansion" is the best that they could offer. And that only at huge cost. Speaking of cherry-picking, your edit sounds a lot more encouraging than the full quote does. I'll fill in the rest: (Models have estimated that more than)...70% of a population of feral cats must be spayed or neutered before the population will decline". (No real-world example of eliminating a colony through TNVR exists, and evidence of large-scale colony reduction is anecdotal. One study indicates that eliminating a colony would require 4 to 10 years.) And that last line reads quite differently from the way Boo misquotes me as saying, "...an entire colony could be eliminated is (sic) as few as four years."
Nature Advocate
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 7:52 p.m.
Licensing and laws do nothing to curb the problem. If cats are required to be licensed then cat-lovers just stop putting collars on their cats, as they did by me. And they won't even bother getting them micro-chipped, especially not that They want absolutely nothing that can hold them legally accountable for the actions of their cats. We're not talking about the topmost responsible citizens of the world. They don't want that responsibility of what their cat has done coming back on them. If they had even one iota of a sense of responsibility and respect for all other lives on this planet we wouldn't even be having these discussions. I found something that DOES work and works fast (relative to the years it takes trying to educate deceitful cat-lickers that accomplishes ABSOLUTELY NOTHING). Where I live cat-lickers have learned that _ALL_ cats, stray and feral, collared or not, ear-tipped or not (because TNR con-artists now just clip cats' ears only, WITHOUT sterilizing or vaccinating them, to protect their hoarded cats from being trapped and euthanized), _ALL_ their cats are shot on sight and buried whenever found away from supervised confinement. The ONLY thing that works is destroying any of their cats found outdoors off their property. They either learn to stop getting more cats that die under the wheels of cars or from animal attacks, or they finally learn how to be a responsible pet owner, respectful neighbor, and learn to keep their invasive species animal under confined supervision, as it should be. Win win win all around. You can't train a cat to stay home but I found that, in time, you CAN train a cat-owner into being a responsible pet-owner and a respectable neighbor. Most of them are so phenomenally stupid, disrespectful, and criminally irresponsible though that you have to make at least 12-15 of their cats permanently disappear before they even start to figure out what they've been doing wrong all during their sorry, useless, and pathetic lives.
Nature Advocate
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 7:47 p.m.
Let's take that last year's population of NYC and do calculus on it this time instead of the dumbed-down recursive math. With having them breed only 2X's per year (to GREATLY underestimate), not the 3 or 4 they are capable of, and with only a 70% survival rate this time, average of 5 per litter (common). Ending population in one year by using population growth calculus -- 17,995,361 Looks like that dumbed-down recursive math problem was pretty close to the mark for even a lower survival rate. Now if we run calculus on a 90% survival rate breeding only 2X's per year, we get 26,304,387 cats. And mind you, this is also greatly underestimated by them breeding only 2X's per year.
Nature Advocate
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 7:46 p.m.
For all the idiots claiming that TNR is effective: "In NYC there are currently 465 registered TNR colonies. When TNR began in these colonies, 6047 cats were present – today, there are 4523 cats present, a decline of approximately 25 percent." (Quoted direct from an Alley Cat ALL-LIES member who was SO proud of this.) Of those 6,047 cats they've only REDUCED the total by 1,524 cats, about 127 PER YEAR. That's only 0.08% of the 1,806,310 feral-cats within the city's limits. (data taken direct from TNR-advocates' own resources) Guess how many have been born IN JUST THE LAST 6 MONTHS (hoping like hell that they're not breeding every 4 months). Let's do the math... (1/2 total = females) 903,155 X 5 (avg. number in a litter) = 4,515,775 NEW CATS. Which lowers the number of them that have been reduced by TNR idiots to only 0.024%. THEY ARE GOING BACKWARD. Guess how many will be born in another 6 months? (4,515,775 / 2) X 5 = 11,289,438. Remember. the first 903,155 females are still breeding. For another 4,515,775. Add in the pre-existing 1,806,310, bringing the grand total in just ONE YEAR to 17,611,523 CATS. NEARLY EIGHTEEN MILLION. Which means that TNR groups have only reduced the cat-population by 0.008% of them. That's not even ONE ONE-HUNDREDTH of ONE-PERCENT. 1,806,310 cats become nearly EIGHTEEN MILLION CATS ... IN JUST *ONE* YEAR. Keep in mind too, these are the numbers in JUST ONE CITY. They would have to trap approximately 48,250 cats PER DAY just to match how many are being born PER DAY. At an average cost of $170 per cat for a cost of $8,202,500.00 PER DAY, a cost that must be sustained INTO PERPETUITY if they cannot trap them faster than this. Catching on yet to how TNR people are just spinning wheels in the sand while sliding backward off the mountain and accomplishing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING?
Boo Radley
Sat, Mar 2, 2013 : 10:41 p.m.
From Nature Advocate: "For all the idiots claiming that TNR is effective: " I have had a lot of my comments deleted for less cause than that. That really falls within the "Conversation Guidelines"?
Jack Gladney
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 7:44 p.m.
TNR sounds like a good idea for the welfare class. The unintended feral cats and the cats of people who decide to let them roam free (get a shock fence like dog owners have) should just be trapped and put to sleep.
Nature Advocate
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 7:39 p.m.
The ONLY veterinarians (and groups) that support and condone the COMPLETELY INHUMANE practice of TNR are those that financially benefit from all the hundreds of thousands of dollars that PetSmart charities hand-out as "seed money" cash-grants and pleas for donations by exploiting suffering animals. The more suffering cat-mouths that they can all keep alive the more that they all benefit financially. This is ONLY about the money that they can all make by letting more cats and animals suffer. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HUMANE NOR ECOLOGICALLY CORRECT ABOUT TNR. Veterinarians (and all others) with the least bit of credible education (and morality) speak out strongly AGAINST TNR. I suggest you educate yourselves as well about this morally reprehensible TNR "business". You can start your education by Googling for (include quotes): "The TNR Con-Game"
TommyJ
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 7:28 p.m.
I live in one of those areas, and as I already have experience taking care of 2 feral colonies, I emailed Brittany Keene and volunteered to help out with these colonies. What a great program!
81wolverine
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 6:50 p.m.
Although the TNR program is better than doing nothing, it still does not remove the cats from the natural environment where they take a huge toll on wildlife such as mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. Even conservative studies have shown that cats roaming outside kills many tens of millions of native animals/birds every year. And people who think cats are better off somehow when they are allowed to roam outdoors are sadly mistaken. Research shows the average lifespan of an indoor cat is 12 years vs. only 5 years for outdoor cats. Roaming cats face a much higher instance of disease, poisoning, being hit by cars, attacked by dogs or wild animals, and starvation to name a few risks. I can't see that returning these cats to the colonies makes their lives better in the least.
hmsp
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 6:46 p.m.
@ Homeland Conspiracy, re: "Hit a nerve eh?" Not sure what you mean... You were the one who said, "Well then SHOW us this so call (sic) proof" And I did. But I'm sorry if my splitting it into two posts caused any confusion. The first half addressed the ineffectiveness of TNR in reducing predation, and the 2nd half addressed your question about population reduction. It would have been a lot clearer if I had posted the 2nd half first. Mea Culpa.
Billy
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 7:03 p.m.
Pssst....you never showed any proof....you showed some unrelated data...and omitted information that completely contradicted your assertions.... Please stop....
elganned
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 4:54 p.m.
The only effective method to reduce any feral population is to kill 'em. Period. If they can trap them to be neutered, then they can trap them to be euthenized. Both result in fewer cats hanging around, and the second method has the added bonus of relieving the little killers' depradations on the native fauna.
lefty48197
Sat, Mar 2, 2013 : 8:59 p.m.
Not to mention that with euthanasia, there are no rabid, diseased animals socializing with our own cats and children.
shutthefrtdoor
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 5:27 p.m.
Hit a nerve eh? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! =D
Treehugger
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 3:21 p.m.
You have to be kidding me, these creatures destroy more birds, and other wild life than any other animal just for the sake of killing. I cannot understand why the waste of funds to that is being spent on this never going to do anything program. There is a way to fix the problem, catch them and put them to sleep...forever. Take the money you save and feed some needy families or give a scolarship to a youth who can use it for the future. This save a ferel cat program is completly the most hiliarious program that a person can come up with. You could import some coyotes, that works in my neighboorhood. We haven't seen a ferel cat in a long time. Plus I don't have to pay a dime.
lefty48197
Sat, Mar 2, 2013 : 8:41 p.m.
Coyotes is a GREAT idea!
Nature Advocate
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 8:05 p.m.
Treehugger, I wish I could agree with you about native predators being able to keep cat populations under control, but this is a myth founded on an incomplete perception. The government of Australia found this out recently when they sadly discovered that raising Dingo populations did NOTHING to curtail cats breeding rates. I alerted them to something I discovered over a decade ago, that completely explains why -- that even though there might be larger native predators, you will inevitably be left with a "cats only" ecosystem. These man-made (through selective breeding) cats can completely wipe-out the whole food-chain (animal AND plant) in any ecosystem in which cats are left to procreate. Please read this post that explains why this perfectly natural anomaly happens: http://neighbors.denverpost.com/viewtopic.php?source=phpbb_art_viewall&t=22154584#p2781776 The ONLY predator on earth today that can balance the equation is the discerning eye of a human aiming a gun at every last free-roaming cat it sees. I strongly suspect that many of those missing cats are more due to ecologically responsible neighbors that are turning those cats into rose-bush fertilizer -- as so many do today.
Use Logic
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 3:40 p.m.
Amen. I did some back-of-napkin math, and found that if this program were to be continued all year at the rate of 130 cats over 6 weeks, using the cost estimates provided above, it would cost about $113,000/year. That's money that can be invested in fighting blight, raises to teachers, an extra police officer with car, or tax savings to us residents...ALL more worthy expenses than an ineffective, feel good program such as this.
EyeHeartA2
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 3:19 p.m.
The "Trap-Neuter-Return" Well, I agree with the first part anyway.
hmsp
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 3:15 p.m.
@ Billy, re: "lol...those are quotes about feral cats controlling populations of OTHER species....by killing them...." Exactly. Feral cats are a HUGE problem, which that paper, and the facts it presents, underscore. And re: "This program is about controlling the FERAL CAT population through TNR..." Which, as that paper notes, neither TNR, nor TNVR do. And people need to know that, instead of comforting themselves with the fantasy that they are actually doing something good with TNR. Try reading the paper, and a few others on the subject.
Tano
Sat, Mar 2, 2013 : 2:45 p.m.
@Billy Could you explain why it is that you consider it to be proof of the effectiveness of the program that the population went from 920 to 983? Counting the offspring born into the colony is obviously relevant. One of the problems with a partial sterilization program is that it may well not affect the size of the next generation at all because while there may be fewer offspring born, a higher percentage of those born might survive to adulthood because of reduced competition, and thus the number of adults in the next generation is the same. I imagine that is why their model found that you need to sterilize 70% of the population before you actually impact the size of the next generation. So the question then becomes - how many, by percentage, of the feral cats will this Ypsi Township program reach? IF it isn't well more than half the population, then it may well be a total waste...
Billy
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 6:16 p.m.
Sigh.... You shouldn't cherry pick quotes and then give a link to source material... This is written DIRECTLY before the quote in your comment above...which I will post a reply to also with this preceding quote in it. From your SAME cited paper: "Studies indicate TNVR can help to reduce the expanision of feral-cat colonies and may be effective in controlling their numbers. In one study, a population included about 920 cats before TNVR and 678 after. The estimate rose to 983 cats after including immigration and births into the colony. Models have estimated that more than 70 percent........" Your quote is regarding ELIMINATING them entirely...which is NOT what anyone is trying to do. TNVR is indeed effective for MANAGEMENT.
Homeland Conspiracy
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 5:56 p.m.
Hit a nerve eh?
Top Cat
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 3:11 p.m.
Hah, what do you people know about us cats and our ways. "I'm flat broke but I don't care. I strut right by with my tail in the air."
Ignatz
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 3:08 p.m.
I found my feral kitty last summer! I'm glad the spaying will occur, though.
hmsp
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 2:47 p.m.
Once again, from that University of Nebraska paper: "Models have suggested that more than 70% of a population of feral cats must be spayed or neutered before the population will decline. NO REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE OF ELIMINATING A COLONY THROUGH TNVR EXISTS (emphasis mine), and evidence of large-scale colony reduction is anecdotal. One study indicated that eliminating a colony would take 4-10 years. Furthermore, TNVR can cost over $100/cat (including trapping, spaying/neutering, vaccination, and transport), AND THE CATS ARE STILL ABLE TO PREY ON NATIVE BIRDS AND MAMMALS (emphasis mine)." If voting me down was all it took to change the facts, and make TNVR work, heck, I'd vote me down too. It is such a nice-sounding, feel-good program! Too bad it doesn't work, though.
Billy
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 6:16 p.m.
Your 'facts'....aren't. From your SAME cited paper: "Studies indicate TNVR can help to reduce the expanision of feral-cat colonies and may be effective in controlling their numbers. In one study, a population included about 920 cats before TNVR and 678 after. The estimate rose to 983 cats after including immigration and births into the colony. Models have estimated that more than 70 percent........"
Boo Radley
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 5:42 p.m.
I still don't see anything in these "facts" to suggest the program is not worthwhile. According to the paper you are quoting ... "70% of a population of feral cats must be spayed or neutered before the population will decline". So ... you agree that this program will reduce the population. You also quote that an entire colony could be eliminated is as few as four years. I think you have done a good job of proving the value of the TNR program. Thank You.
hmsp
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 2:42 p.m.
@ Homeland Conspiracy, re: "Well then SHOW us this so call (sic) proof" Sure. Here's a peer-reviewed paper published in the University of Nebraska––Lincoln's EXTENSION: (deenawinter.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/ec1781.pdf) Here's a quote: "Research shows that cats maintain their predatory instincts, no matter how well fed they are. The diets of well-fed house-based cats in Sweden consisted of 15% to 90% native prey, depending on availability." And re rodent control, I really don't know how successful cats were back in the day, but as for their success rate in today's world, that paper debunks the myth that cats control the populations of invasive species such as pigeons, house mice, Norway rats, and starlings. Here's another quote from it: "Feral cats do kill some of these animals, but they are not effective in controlling populations because [those animals] have adapted to living in close association with humans and human-related disturbance. In California, 67% of rodents, 95% of birds, and 100% of lizards brought home by cats were native species, and native species were twice as likely to be seen in areas without cats." I encourage you, and all the other down-voters here, to google the subject, and acquire some real, if disappointing, information.
Homeland Conspiracy
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 5:54 p.m.
Burn!
Boo Radley
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 5:37 p.m.
I kept reading your post to see what proof you were producing that TNR does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING (as you said) to control the feral cat population. That is, after all what the conversation was about you are referencing ... but I don't see anything from you here at all about population control. As Billy said, you seemed to have jumped topics on us. All you could find is a study about nothing being discussed here?
Billy
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 3:01 p.m.
lol...those are quotes about feral cats controlling populations of OTHER species....by killing them.... This program is about controlling the FERAL CAT population through TNR... Your quotes have zero bearing on this discussion... I encourage you to take a step back and gather yourself, maybe reread anything you plan on posting....because you're not making any sense.
Use Logic
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 2:35 p.m.
So a bunch of wild cats are preferable to an abundance of unobtrusive, peaceful critters like rabbits, squirrels and birds? This township must be losing its mind. A round of .22lr hollow point costs approximately a nickel, even these days - and I know I'm somehow paying for the much more expensive, less effective process of TNR.
shutthefrtdoor
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 5:16 p.m.
I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard while ready comments on AA.com. Awesome! =D
EyeHeartA2
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 3:22 p.m.
"Would you apply the same final solution to human overpopulation?" Are you saying that cat and people are equal? No? Then the question makes no sense.
Use Logic
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 3:16 p.m.
A better question would be: Would you mandate the forced sterilization of all humans as a result of overpopulation? Or, somewhat less extreme, be like China and have strict limits of one child per family? That worked so well, and wasn't roundly criticized by the global community. /sarcasm
Ignatz
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 3:07 p.m.
Would you apply the same final solution to human overpopulation?
GoNavy
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 2:21 p.m.
I see the bird haters are out in force on this thread.
hmsp
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 2:07 p.m.
Part of the problem is that, for over 30,000 years, humans have been blessed with one of the best symbiotic relationships that Mother Nature ever concocted, and now we think we are smarter than she is, and decide to chain, and lock up, one half of that relationship, thereby breaking down the symbiosis. Then The Law Of Unintended Consequences kicks in, and things go haywire: We have to talk of shooting deer in residential neighborhoods because they are doing so much damage http://www.annarbor.com/news/authorities-to-thin-deer-herd-in-barton-hills/) And we engage in futile, feel-good operations like TNR. Hopefully, if HSHV is going that far, they'll do TNVR, throwing in a "V" for vaccinate. That "V" stands for the only useful and worthwhile part of the entire program. But what was that symbiotic relationship we messed with? From prehistoric times, dogs have lived with humans, guarded them, their camps, and their livestock, and kept unwanted intruders at bay. It is impossible to study human life/history without studying dog life/history. The two species have been completely intertwined, and many scientists even go so far as to say that not only have humans changed dogs' evolutionary path, dogs have changed humans'! Now, for the first time in the history of human civilization, we have the Leash Law, and we are seeing what happens when you try to destroy a symbiotic relationship. And by the way, deer and feral cats are by no means the total extent of the problem that we have caused –– rabies, for instance, becomes more of a problem when carriers like raccoons move in.
Nature Advocate
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 8:51 p.m.
Brad, please explain to the class how an animal, your cats in this case, which can carry and spread the plague all on their own, could have prevented the plague in Europe? Google for: Cat-Transmitted Fatal Pneumonic Plague, for a fun one. Yes, the plague is alive and well today, and BEING SPREAD BY CATS. People have already died from cat-transmitted plague in the USA. Or Google for: Oregon man suffering plague Or: Taos cat has plague Or: (hundreds of others). Totally disproving that oft-spewed LIE cat-lovers tell about having more cats in Europe could have prevented the plague. No rats nor fleas even required if you have cats around. Cats themselves carry and transmit the plague all on their own. Now add in the fact that cats attract rodents right to them if the cats infect the rodents with their Toxoplasma gondii parasite (Google for: Parasite Hijacks the Mind of Its Host), and you'll see a plague the likes of which have never existed before. Especially when you breed super-strains of plague with your overuse and irresponsible use of antibiotics.
shutthefrtdoor
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 5:14 p.m.
LOL...Brad...I think he's attempting to tie the decline of civilization to the TNR program...curses Ypsi Township...curses I say...LOL!
Homeland Conspiracy
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 2:26 p.m.
Thanx Brad
Brad
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 2:19 p.m.
So then the decline of human civilization can be directly traced ... to leash laws? Don't forget how cats kept the rodents in check and protect grain stores. And then there was that whole "Black Death" thing when there weren't enough cats. Plus cats never attempt to mate with your leg.
hmsp
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 1:53 p.m.
@ Boo Radley, re: "...this IS the best and most effective way to reduce and control the feral cat population." It does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to reduce populations. Some people claim that it slows the growth of populations, but there is little scientific evidence to support that claim.
SonnyDog09
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 3:41 p.m.
but, reducing the rate of increase is a cut ... at least that's what the folks in Washington DC keep telling us.
Homeland Conspiracy
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 2:23 p.m.
Well then SHOW us this so call proof
Patty Bradley
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 1:18 p.m.
This is wonderful. Kudos to Ypsi Twp and HSHV. Trap-neuter-return HAS proven effective in slowing the growth of feral cat populations. In my opinion this is money well spent.
dading dont delete me bro
Sat, Mar 2, 2013 : 1:58 a.m.
22LR is cheaper
Boo Radley
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 1:10 p.m.
I applaud the Township and HSHV for setting up this program. Despite what all of the cat haters will say here, this IS the best and most effective way to reduce and control the feral cat population. I have taken advantage of the HSHV's low cost TNR spay and neuter program for feral cats who live in our barn. I appreciate their efforts.
Nature Advocate
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 8:16 p.m.
Tammy, and all kids on farms learn a valuable lesson about how to be a good steward of the land when it comes to working barn cats. With one simple comment told to them by their wise parents who are aware of what an invasive domesticated species can do if left to its own. "If you see a cat more'n 50 yards from any building -- shoot it. It's up to no good." Yes, that is the lesson that children learn on farms when it comes to barn-cats. How are your lessons going on how to be a good steward of the planet?
Boo Radley
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 5:28 p.m.
@Tammy ... I don't understand your point. Yes they are keeping the barn free of rodents. In return I give them food, shelter and water. However, they showed up here on their own, and could leave at any time on their own, but I at least made sure they would not be producing any more kittens.
SonnyDog09
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 3:40 p.m.
It seems to me that "the best and most effective way to reduce and control the feral cat population" would be to catch and NOT RELEASE them.
Tammy Mayrend
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 2:25 p.m.
It seems if the cats are living in your barn they are your cats. Not some random feral cats. Certainly they may not be "pet cats" but are there helping to keep the barn vermin free correct?
hmsp
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 12:48 p.m.
Expensive, completely ineffective, but, luckily, feel-good. Does absolutely nothing to reduce populations. At best, slightly slows their growth, but this has not been verified. And unless the feeding programs are excessive (think gallons of tuna), designed to fatten, and thereby slow, the cats, predation continues unabated.
TommyJ
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 7:21 p.m.
You couldn't be more wrong. TNR works and works well to prevent further population. Sterilized cats don't have more kittens, and fill a void to prevent more unsterilized cats from populating an area. TNR absolutely works.
shutthefrtdoor
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 5:09 p.m.
Are we suggesting "immaculate conception" with the "STERILIZED" cats? Please explain...
Homeland Conspiracy
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 2:23 p.m.
Yeah let's not even try...Let's stay at home & $%%^& about it on the computer
Jim Pryce
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 12:19 p.m.
Why re-release them to kill songbirds & other young wildlife?
dading dont delete me bro
Sat, Mar 2, 2013 : 1:59 a.m.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/feral-cat-US.html#cr
Brad
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 8:05 p.m.
Those songbirds start singing too early anyway. And why is nobody worrying about all the worms murdered by the songbirds?
TommyJ
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 7:30 p.m.
Why do we need more songbirds? There's too many of those already. Plus they poop all over.
Top Cat
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 6:13 p.m.
We cats kill mice, voles, moles, chipmunks and other critters that would otherwise be running around your kitchen.
shutthefrtdoor
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 5:07 p.m.
LOL GoNavy!!!
GoNavy
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 2:19 p.m.
Uh oh you've irritated the cat lovers.
Billy
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 1:22 p.m.
Sir...it would behoove you to read up on a little thing called the "Circle of Life."
golfer
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 12:05 p.m.
how about a law in ann arbor the same as dogs. cats run free and they deposit waste on the lawns. i think cats should be in doors except when in the country. look in my bushes in the summer and winter. look in my mulch. city is to scared to take this on. the dogs have to pick up waste why can the cats run free.
DennisP
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 9 p.m.
Same with those rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, birds, mice, chipmunks, deer, and the like. There ought to be a law that prohibits all animals from depositing their wastes on lawns and all of them should be on leashes. Ticket them all! Get Kunselman on this.
shutthefrtdoor
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 5:07 p.m.
Cats bury their waste.
Boo Radley
Fri, Mar 1, 2013 : 1:12 p.m.
This article is about feral cats, so it is completely different from the issue you describe.