Recent news stories about the City of Yuma considering actions to control the feral cat situation have brought the issue of TNR up again. The idea behind trap, neuter, and release is that if the cats are sterilized and then released back into the cat colonies, that the feral cat population will be controlled. TNR proponents go on to say that cat colonies are self limiting, so the sterilized cats will take over the colonies and thereby deal with the issue.
The whole idea of TNR is complete hogwash. It is simply a feel good proposal that defies logic. If cat colonies are self limiting, then the size of the colony remains the same regardless of the ability to breed. It would also be impossible to spay and neuter every stray cat, so the cat population will continue to be replenished.
Another argument for TNR is that non breeding cats do not exhibit the behaviors that make them undesirable. While it may be true that a neutered cat may not fight and howl as much as before being neutered , this does not make sterile feral cats desirable. The neutered feral cat is still going to dig through the trash looking for food. The neutered feral cat will still carry diseases. The neutered feral cat will still be infested with fleas and ticks, that they will pass along to anyone nearby. The neutered feral cat will still crap in your garden. The neutered feral cat will still destroy the paint on your car. The neutered feral cat will still torment house pets. In other words the sterile feral cats are still destructive vermin.
One of the biggest problem in Yuma County is having an animal welfare group in charge of animal control. The fact of the matter is that the HSoY is all about protecting animals. As such their every effort to deal with the feral cat population puts the welfare of the cats above the welfare of the people impacted by the cats. This is seen by their instituting high charges to discourage beleaguered residents from bringing stray cats to the shelter.
