I know I hit this topic frequently but…
Yesterday I had a would-be client walk into our hospital requesting a treatment for mange on some outdoor cats in her neighborhood. She stormed out the door after the following exchange:
Her: I need something for mange on cats.
Receptionist: I’m sorry but by law we’re unable to provide specific care for animals the doctors haven’t examined directly.
Her: But what am I supposed to do for these strays?
Me (emerging from behind the desk after overhearing the exchange): The receptionist is correct but perhaps I can offer you an off-label use of some over-the-counter medication for that purpose, given your predicament. (I then pull a package of Revolution from behind the counter.) You must apply one tube directly to the cats today and again in two weeks. After that, administer it monthly to prevent their re-infection with the mite.
Her: You must be kidding—I can’t get near them!
Me: Consider trapping them, then. The Cat Network can lend you one or you can buy one for $45 at the local feed store. You can purchase certificates for low-cost spaying and neutering through the Network so they can get the full benefit of your attention.
Her: $45? Purchase certificates? You think we’re made of money? These cats are suffering and you vets are responsible for this problem. If you people demanded it we could have these animals cared for. I come from Canada where there are no cats on the street and they get humane treatment or euthanasia immediately. The vets there care about stray animals.
Me: (Thinking: That, or they die of the sub-freezing temperatures when winter rolls around.) Consider that we’re on your side but our community believes otherwise—unfortunately, most people like to have their cats go outside, something we vets [generally speaking] advise against.
Her: But cats deserve to go outside sometimes—it’s in their nature.
Me: Then you’re part of the problem, Ma’am. Cats reproduce quickly before most people care to spay and neuter them and our mild weather year-round doesn’t help.
Her: (storming out without comment, apparently insulted) You people are all the same!
Me: (to the receptionist) Well, that was fun.
Her: (making a brief reappearance) In case I wanted to buy some of that stuff, how much is it?
Me: It doesn’t matter—you won’t want to pay for it.
I admit to having been rude but I’d had a rough day and I seldom have patience for the in-principle-only bleeding-hearts of this world. Unless you put your money and your time where your [big] mouth is, you have no right to berate me or my staff for our culture’s failings.
But she’s right—we vets need to get more active about demanding that cats get the same treatment as dogs. They need to be contained, tagged and vaccinated just like our canines. Those who oppose and let their cats out? Their cats should run the risk of being trapped and—potentially, if they’re not tagged or chipped—even euthanized .
All cats outdoors are predatory offenders to our environment. They are a non-native species that has no intrinsic right to our wilds—urban, suburban or rural. No exceptions.
You give your cats free reign of the outdoors outside of your constant vigilance? Then, you, too, might be part of the problem—whether your cats are spayed, neutered and vaccinated—or not. Why? Because even healthy outdoor cats (according to basic epidemiologic principles) add to the proliferation of disease. Not to mention the safety concerns inherent in living (even partially) outdoors.
Sure, I have strays outside my house. I also have a trap. I catch them, euthanize the FIV or FeLV positive ones (sad as it may be) and have even been known to “fix” them on my kitchen table. If I choose to feed them as part of my “program,” I don’t consider that wrong. At least I’m doing my part to relieve their overall suffering and their impact on our environment.
I know some of you are going to hate me for writing this (and it makes me cringe to anticipate your [respectable and respectful] responses) but every girl’s got to get a little militant about something. This is my issue—not just because I love cats enough to want them safely indoors instead of sick and mangy, but also because I respect the claim of our songbirds, lizards, snakes and rodents to the feline-free safety of their native environment.
Dolittler
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Dr Patty,
I live in Toronto (Canada). One of this countries biggest cities and I have to adamantly disagree with the bleeding heart. We have a HUGE problem with feral colonies and stray cats. Different estimations I've heard put the number anywhere between a quarter and three quarter of a million homeless felines.
In fact, I recently recieved the minutes from the Annual General Meeting for the cat rescue organization that I volunteer with. They as an organization are actively involved in humane trapping, low cost spay/neuter as well as deworming and rabies vaccine for any feral cats colony's that we can help.
But it is an enormous undertaking and any body who believes that going outside 'is in a cats nature' is part of the problem.
Shannon
Shannon April 4th, 2007 10:28:00 AM
No anger here, and it would not surprise me if you weren't singing to the choir again. I'd love to be more active with TNR in my own neighborhood, but I have enough trouble with my own bills. The best I can do to help is a lot of catnip toys to local shelters, including one that actively engages in TNR. (if there is anyone here not aware of TNR, it's trap, neuter, release, and means the cats are trapped, given medical care, and released back where they came from- it's the best way IMO to manage a feral colony). Helpful links about TNR include http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/ http://www.alleycat.org/ and http://www.americancat.net/
Georg April 4th, 2007 11:43:00 AM
We have a natural way of dealing with cats that are "outside pets" or strays. It's called coyotes.
My vet gives people the "Keep your cat indoors, or else!" speech all the time and the owners get all pissed off about it. It's usually within a few weeks to a few months later the come back asking if they can post a picture on the bulletin board because their cat has been amongst the missing for a couple of weeks and they are worried.
They weren't worried about it when they were warned. They only seem to worry when the warning becomes a reality.
My cats are strictly indoors, but they are also to lazy to run away. After all, who is going to feed them spaghetti and veggies if they leave.
Stacy April 4th, 2007 11:50:00 AM
TNR is great (it's what I do all the time) but it's only a stop-gap measure to make up for our collective unwillingness to keep cats indooors. I go one step beyond TNR which I wish would become the standard practice among all cat rescue leagues: I euthanize all chronically ill cats. Moreover, I'm in favor of rapidly eliminating colonies of feral cats in areas where threatened, cat-prey species live--that means euthanizing en masse sometimes. It's harsh but we have to get more serious about our cat problem, whether you think of them as kitties or vermin. For the record, ferals tend towards the dictionary definition of the latter.
Dr. Patty Khuly April 4th, 2007 12:08:00 PM
But Dr.Patty, here in MA it's simply a case of nature vs nurture.
The people that live here like to nurture their egos with over-sized houses, shopping malls, ect. Just like we talked about in your post about saving wolves.
If the "nurture" people would just live within their means, the coyotes wouldn't have to eat people's cats as the deer would be more available which would bring back nature as it's supposed to be.
It's no an accident that these things happen. People just like to convince themselves and others that it is.
Of course there is the matter of spaying and neutering as well, but that brings up the ugly subject of responsibility again. People really hate that topic as I've discovered lately.
Stacy April 4th, 2007 12:29:00 PM
Stacy, and all you thinking that coyotes solve feral cat problems. you'v got it all wrong.
coyotes aren't the cat killers they'r reputed to be? i know 1st'hand as i've got ferals, and they
eat at my back door? and i've got coyotes , and they often show up at house!! baying at my house!
and in spite of the presence ,i've yet to lose 1 cat to a coyote?
the deer are not a prime food for coyotes , and cats aren't either? rodents are.. and many other
foods .. why the little buggers even like fruit?
i feed my animals, and i have NO trouble from any of 'em.. and to be honest i deplore any killing
of any of 'em? it's unnesscary, as in due time nature claims it's choice.
i've lived in the country for nearly 40years. the susposed killer cats aren't the effecent bird killer
so many people claim? a FEW are able to catch a handful a year? that unusual to? as most cats
are rodent killers! kill the stray and you'l have rodents? why not just leave nature alone???
johnypaycut April 4th, 2007 12:56:00 PM
Stacy,
I agree. People do hate the subject of responsibility but in a perfect world those who shy away from it wouldn't become pet owners.
Dr Patty,
Feral cats are regarded by most as vermin. But in reality these are cats that as little as a generation ago were cute cuddly housecats living pampered lives.
I think I understand your take on euthanizing chronically ill cats. As a person invested in animal welfare my heart says do anything you can to save them all but if a cat is chronically ill and homeless with little chance of adoption you are probably doing it a favor to euthanize it painlessly and peacefully.
As for mass euthanizations I understand the neccessity in some cases. Australia is an extreme example (or so I thought) with a majority of their small (oftentimes nocturnal) rodents, birds etc. at risk of extintion from their massive feral cat population. During a trip through the outback a few years ago, we found the cat tree. This is literally (and my apologies to those with weak stomaches) a tree in which feral cats have been slaughtered are hung by their back legs. The idea is for the smell of the dead and decaying animals to keep live ones away from the area. Or that was just a line handed to tourists by macabre townspeople.
I think that you are doing what you can do. That is participate in a TNR program and more importantly strongly discourage people from letting their 'housecats' roam free. They are called housecats for a reason.
Shannon
Shannon April 4th, 2007 12:58:00 PM
From my experience, it seems the general public wants stray/feral cats to be "somebody else's" problem. Even when they personally contributed to the problem, they do not want to take responsibility, they just want their problem to disappear. Until EVERYONE takes responsibility and does something toward the solution, the problem will never go away.
Margaret April 4th, 2007 01:08:00 PM
You may have indeed made a difference with this woman – sometimes transformation is slow. Cats were typically indoor/outdoor not too many decades ago, until people kept them more as companions than mousers.
Keep cats inside…
Spay/neuter your cats…
Adopt a cat for a lifetime…
TNR is best for feral cats and the community…
I get sick of myself saying these things over and over again. Being in rescue, we are not regarded as professionals, but as either a kitten or cat dispenser, or a public servant. (OK, so we are volunteers, but we are experienced, with goals and guidelines for improving cat health in our area). Folks scream at us when we turn them down for adoption, because they’ve lost 4 cats to coyote. They gripe when we can’t take away the cat they no longer want TODAY. Others are angry that we don’t take the strays and euthanize. (One fellow did ask if a cat was in the trap, could he drown it? ARRGH!)
Sometimes I think I’ll cough up a hairball.
JD April 4th, 2007 01:19:00 PM
I have to agree with euthanizing the chronically ill cats- if they are ill and no one can give them proper care, how else can you be kind to them? It isn't good for the colony to return them ill.
My only kittens I ever took on as an adult were feral barn kittens rescued in the window of tamability. It down right broke my heart when I learned they had FeLV. Since then, I've only taken home realitively healthy adult cats, most ofwhich were seniors.
Georg April 4th, 2007 01:30:00 PM
As a child, on our little farm, for some reason we never had cats. Maybe my parents didn't like them. We did have snakes and many poisonous ones, as well as rats and mice. My dad took care of the vermin and snakes by buying a King Snake and turning it loose. It ate everything! Then it disappeared, probably to a neighboring farm. When the vermin eventually came back, my dad bought another King Snake.
I'm glad to read this post and the comments about indoor/outdoor cats. A dying friend gave me a wonderful Siamese cat years ago that had more personality than most humans. My friend lived in the country and often found cats nearby that had been dropped off by people just wanting to be rid of them. She'd take them to the vet to be checked out and neutered and usually find homes for them. So, what could I do but agree to take the little Siamese when asked? The little girl was indoors at night but I let her outside during the day. There was only one other cat in my neighborhood. There was also a man who hated cats, and mine and the other cat were found dead, poisoned.
Now, I've been thinking I'd like to get a cat (along with a dog), but after reading here today I definitely will keep it indoors. I'd already thought I'd do that, but only to protect it from poisoners. I hadn't considered the other concerns.
Peggy April 4th, 2007 01:53:00 PM
I would like to differentiate between "feral", "barn", and "house" cats. Barn cats are a type of feral cat that _responsible_ farmers vaccinate, allow select cats to be left to breed (to a point), and are expected to keep down vermin. These cats tend to be very good at what they do - or they are euthanized.
There is a world of difference between a working barn cat and a pet cat as well. (Ok, some barn cats are friendly enough...) The barn cat is akin to a working dog - but less friendly. Those cats spend all their time outdoors for a reason - as vermin killers. A "house" cat is a pet - sometimes a mouser, sometimes not. "House" cats should not be outdoor cats - unless you really love dealing with fleas and other illnesses. Or they are doubling as a mouser in a country area - and they better be neutered and have all their vaccinations!
I am all for catch, neuter, and release, but am unfamiliar with any charities involved with this in my neck of the woods. There are the semi-feral cats that have been neutered and are no longer a threat to anything but the excess squirrel population in our neighborhood. (They aren't doing a very good job in my mind.)
Now, no one even mentioned the fact that too many cat owners - including the ones who have "outdoor" cats - don't bother with rabies vaccine. Um... this is such a BAD idea that I find it hard to fathom. Especially since farmers can get a permit to vaccinate their own cats sans a veterinarian in many states.
Pax,
MLO
MLO April 4th, 2007 02:26:00 PM
If it eats on my front porch and doesn't wear a coller I get it speutered/vax/microchipped. I currently have 5 semi ferals eating at my house. Sadly several that I have TNR have disappeared and even chipped I never hear from them again.
Lena April 4th, 2007 02:35:00 PM
johnypaycut- What are you talking about?
I never said anything about killing coyotes, treating them poorly or anything else. I have pack of them that live behind my house. They don't bother me or my animals as my dogs are behind a 6 foot stockade fence and they are not really fond of dogs anyway.
While I'm glad you cat hasn't be eaten, but yes they do eat cats.
All the plants in gardens in my yard are non-toxic, I have toad "huts" hidden within the gardens, we have bird houses everywhere, we've had 3 generations of rabbits reside in our yard, a family of chipmunks that have been here pretty much since we've moved in that we make sure are fed and watered during the summer months, a family of garter snakes that live under the patio and so the list goes on. So please don't tell me about unfriendly I am with nature...okay?
Stacy April 4th, 2007 03:24:00 PM
So what happens to the bodies of the euthanized cats and dogs from your practice?
S April 4th, 2007 03:58:00 PM
I have been the "resident" cat expert at my work since 1997. I have been using the TNR method to try to contain the cat population here since then. We at one point had 14 ferals, but it has recently dropped down to 3. I found out the reason was because we have a family of coyotes who moved in ad are living on the edge of our property. They were accessing the property via a hole in our fencing. I had our maintance dept fix the hole, and the disapearances have stopped. The property is on the edge of a large city, and the coyotes were trapped when urban sprawl hedged them in. The local residents have no problem abandoning their dogs and cats here, or letting them roam, get lost, and end up here looking for food. I wonder if it would change if they knew about the local coyote family...! I have found homes for all of the dogs and adoptable cats to date, but it gets harder and harder each time to find willing homes or just help in general. The company is not willing to help with money for food or finding adoptees.
I have 5 cats of my own that I have adopted, raised from kittens that were take from their feral mothers...all indoor cats with access to an enclosure for their "outdoor time" and it works great.
Mrs. B April 4th, 2007 04:26:00 PM
Mrs. B: The enclosure is an excellent approach. Many of my clients have screened-in enclosures that work well for outdoor time. I think that's the best approach. It gives them access to the outside world without all the safety concerns.
S: Umm...they go to a place called "Pet Heaven." It's a pet cremation service in business for over 40 years in our area. I love them to death (no pun intended). They've given me plenty of breaks over the years on my strays. Why do you ask?
Dr. Patty Khuly April 4th, 2007 08:21:00 PM
As a wildlife rehab worker, you'd be amazed at what still lives in your urban areas! Not only in the suburbs close to the edge of town, but in areas that have been built up for 60 years or so. Mostly you don't even notice the wildlife - until you trim back a tree and find a family of genets. Or catch a glimpse of a mongoose sunning itself. Or see a jackal crossing the road.
Our feral cat groups mostly operate on TNR, but will also try get a specific volunteer to feed and monitor the group.
In SA it's more the exception than the rule that cats are outdoors - I'm one of the few people I know who restricts my cats. They get outdoor time in a safe area of the garden every day, where they loudly tell me and all the birds what fearsome hunters they are. So far...in a total of 14 cat years, they've managed 4 teeny lizards!
jcat April 5th, 2007 02:20:00 PM
RE: Dr. Khuly and S
Pet Heaven? cremation? Wha What??
I've always heard carcasses (cat, dog, etc.) are sent to the old reclamation plant, ground up, cooked up and made into pet food, irregardless of whether they suffered a diseased condition prior to euthanasia. Of course I'm not in Florida, maybe your state is different or... I've been fed a load of bull on that one.
Wha April 5th, 2007 06:49:00 PM
When I worked at the animal shelter, we didn't have our own crematorium. Therefore we had a lot of freezers. Dead animals were put in plastic bags and frozen. Then a truck from another animal shelter would come and we'd load it full of the frozen bodies. That shelter would use their crematorium on the truckload. The one crematorium served several area shelters.
You've probably been fed a load of bull that dead cats and dogs are used for pet food.
Georg April 6th, 2007 07:57:00 AM
WOW!! This one has went in all different directions!! My cats are indoor cats PERIOD! People think its cruel, I think it's cruel to let them get killed by the coyotes/foxes or vehicles! I met a great lady that ends up with about 40 "wild" cats a year (drop offs no doubt) she captures, neuters and re homes them. She has had two wild cats at her home for 15 years in a VERY cold climate in Northern Michigan, these cats decided this was the winter they would become house cats. She's an angel in my eyes. And Dr. Khuly, you should not feel bad one bit! You give so much, and not everyone knows that. I do understand frustration to see an animal that's hurting and you can't help. But you need to keep posting about this and remind the WORLD that we all need to help and do our part....Not just the vets! If you feed the wild cats they are now your responsibility... take it to heart and do the best thing for the wild and domesticated ones! They may be hurting and to let "nature" takes its choice... well that's just plain BS... get em fixed, tested and helped!!! Otherwise call your local humane society and ask them to start trapping!! I read an article of the number of cats of the US and the percentage of them that are homeless and reproducing is UNBELIEVABLE!!
Silly Me April 6th, 2007 04:21:00 PM
Sadly, 'Wha' is correct. Many Vets and workers at animal shelters truly think that where they send thier dead is a 'crematorium', when in reality these bodies ultimately end up in a rendering plant. Take a moment if you like to Google and check into the info about rendering plants if you doubt it. Pet food ingredients such as "meat by-product" is a tipoff. Rendering plants (also known as the Silent Industry) are a multi-billion dollar industry with nearly 300 in the U.S. alone. They best way to avoid buying pet food that contains this is to look for 'human grade' chicken, beef, ect. on the labels of better food brands.
Here is an excellent article that everyone should read:
http://www.earthisland.org/eijournal/new_articles....
Peace to all our furry friends :)
Dee Dee April 6th, 2007 04:41:00 PM
Dee Dee: I've also read reasonably credible, *isolated* reports about domesticated pets ending up in pet foods by way of the supposed crematorium. *However*--do not assume this is true across the board.
IMO, It's just as wrong to propagate an erroneous assumption about all pet cremation and burial services as it is to fail to recognize that there are some bad actors out there who engage in these reprehensible practices.
Is the practice widespread? I don't know. All I know is that the place I send to accepts my visual inspection and my clients have always been happy abut their burials and viewings and thought the place had extremely nice staff. Do they cart off the bodies to a rendering plant the next day? Who knows? But I don't think there's a rendering plant for about 400 miles so...I don't think it would be cost effective.
What an excellent Good Friday conversation!
BTW, I have no idea what "better food brands" means. Perhaps you can enlighten us. Oh, and "human grade"? Is there a sub-grade if it's "human grade" from China?
OK so it must be getting late. Forgive me. I don't usually get so prickly. Good night, all.
And peace, Dee Dee.
Dr. Patty Khuly April 6th, 2007 09:32:00 PM
Actually, the "dead cats and dogs going to rendering plants" stuff was true at one time, although I believe it's been frowned upon for at least the last decade because of consumer outcry. Here's a reprint of a 2002 article from the LA Times on the subject: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0106-03.ht... . The process may still go on in Canada, and I know Quebec has a huge number of questionable rendering plants, but I haven't read any recent information about it.
One of the big problems for vets/shelters/disposal companies a decade ago was just a lack of crematoriums. Because of public outcry and political response, crematoriums now seem to be a dime a dozen in most communities. Every vet convention I've been to has featured a number of different models for sale, so now it's not out of the question for a clinic or shelter to maintain their own.
So, it's not to say that no vet was ever duped into sending dead pets off to a rendering plant, but I'm sure that concern has been just about eliminated.
Leigh-Ann April 8th, 2007 09:56:00 AM
Leigh-Ann: I think the problem was just as you say, related to the lack of private facilities. But since vets now pay a service to cremate their patients, it's no longer a possibility (rather, it's an issue of serious fraud should it still occur). When I read about this happening it was to vets and shelters who weren't contracting a specific cremation service. I'd like to think all vets and rescues know better by now. Still, I do get my hackles up when the integrity of my service gets questioned in this regard. Sorry if I got testy.
Dr. Patty Khuly April 9th, 2007 10:31:00 AM
I’m behind you 110%. I live in an apartment complex on a canal, which is full of stray cats and muscovy ducks because people feed them and provide them shelter. This is a huge issue for me because I know it has exacerbated the tick situation (the cats, anyway),. I’ve had a hell of a time trying to control ticks on my dog (and myself and apartment for that matter), and I’ve spent a lot of time and money in the process. However, there’s only so much I can do given my situation. I’m now approaching it from a human health perspective, and trying to convince my apartment manager of the risks. If this doesn’t bear fruit soon, my next move is going to be to contact the County’s Dept of Consumer Services and the Health Dept. I love animals as much as the next person, but I’m also a pragmatist. A lot of these stray cats are in bad shape, and quite frankly should be put down. However, as it is we have irresponsible “animal lovers” who think they are helping by putting food out and removing the grates to the crawl spaces to allow the cats to shelter underneath the buildings. These people are either blissfully ignorant or have a total disregard for anyone else’s animals. They talk a big game, but don’t have the desire to actually do anything about the problem.
Chip April 18th, 2007 11:01:00 AM
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