"Managed" Cat Colonies in California

Feral Kittens. Photo: Marge Gibson

Some cat advocates strongly oppose humane trap and removal of stray and feral cats if the cats will be euthanized. Instead, they favor trap/neuter/release (TNR) or "managed" cat colonies. TNR varies, but in general, volunteers live-trap the cats and take them to a veterinarian to be spayed or neutered and vaccinated for rabies. The tip of one ear is usually clipped to easily identify a cat that has been altered (spayed or neutered). The volunteers then release the cats, usually at the trap site, and continue to feed them for as long as they stay in the colony. This could be a day, a month, or years.

TNR is highly controversial and strongly opposed by many conservationists, wildlife biologists, veterinarians, and animal welfare groups (see "Managed" Cat Colonies: The Wrong Solution to a Tragic Problem). It is often difficult to trap all of the cats, the cat food attracts more cats, and the colonies become dumping grounds for unwanted pets. The cat food also attracts other predators, such as raccoon, skunk and rats, that can spread disease and create a public health threat. Colony cats are not protected from: cars; fights with other cats, dogs, coyotes or other animals; poisons; diseases and parasites; or exposure to natural disasters or extreme weather (see The Great Outdoors is no Place for Cats). The well-fed colony cats still kill birds and other native wildlife.

Managed cat colonies occur throughout California, including public parks and beaches, and areas adjacent to sensitive wildlife habitat. TNR in California is so wide-spread that Maddie's Fund gave a $9.5 million grant to the California Veterinary Medical Association to reimburse more than 1,000 veterinarians responsible for spaying or neutering over 170,334 stray and feral cats for release since August 1999.

Some counties have amended their ordinances to legalize cat colonies if volunteers register their colonies with animal control. In 1994, San Mateo County exempted from the "ownership" definition people who register as caretakers of feral cat colonies and who trap or make, "a reasonable effort to trap all feral cats over the age of eight weeks in his/her care, and has them spayed or neutered." Santa Cruz and Santa Clara Counties also approved ordinances legalizing domestic cat colonies. Environmental reviews were not conducted before these ordinances were passed.

The decline of California Quail in Golden Gate Park can be directly correlated with the end of cat removal practices. Photo: Alan Hopkins

Golden Gate Park, San Francisco: Twenty years ago, cats in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park were routinely removed, and California Quail were numerous. However, in recent years, animal rights activists objected to the euthanasia of stray and feral cats trapped in the park. At the same time, underbrush was cleared from some areas of the park to discourage homeless people. As a result, the once abundant California Quail has all but disappeared from Golden Gate and other city parks. In response, Golden Gate Audubon Society initiated the "Save the Quail Campaign" to raise public awareness about this charismatic ground-nesting bird, and to restore habitat in the parks. The city's Commission on the Environment passed a resolution in July 2000 to designate the California Quail as the official city bird. However, the resolution also specifies that quail restoration must be accomplished, "without killing other animals." Saving the quail without controlling cats and other predators in this isolated habitat, or enforcing existing laws prohibiting feeding animals in the parks, is challenging, but worth the effort. For more information on the campaign and how you can help, click on the Save The Quail Campaign highlighted above.

Alameda Naval Air Station: In 1997, a group of stray cats abandoned by Alameda Naval Air Station personnel were being fed near a colony of California Least Tern, a federally-listed endangered species. Cats are known to prey on Least Tern and it was illegal to feed them on the base. Even so, animal rights groups protested the Navy's effort to trap and remove the cats and insisted that feeding cats on the base should be legalized. However, the Navy continued to trap and remove cats and other predators as required under the Endangered Species Act, and this effort has paid off. In 1983, there were only three nesting tern pairs left. In the summer of 2001, there were approximately 275 nests which fledged an estimated 320 chicks. The station is is proposed to be transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and designated a National Wildlife Refuge.

Ground-nesting birds such as Burrowing Owl, are particluarly vulnerable to cat predation. Photo: Alan Hopkins

East Bay Regional Parks, San Francisco Bay Area: The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) manages over 91,000 acres with 14 state or federally-listed threatened or endangered species and at least 27 state species of special concern. Rare ground-nesting birds found in EBRPD such as California Clapper Rail, California Least Tern, California Black Rail, Burrowing Owl, and Western Snowy Plover are particularly vulnerable to cat predation. Abandoning cats and feeding them and their offspring has been a significant problem in some of the district's parks, despite laws prohibiting these activities. Huge controversies erupted in the media whenever the district removed cats from the parks by humane trap and removal or by lethal control. In an effort to resolve this issue, in 1999 the district proposed the "Feral and Abandoned Volunteer Program" which would allow cat colony advocates who signed a liability waiver and volunteer guidelines to trap and remove cats on EBRPD lands. However, although 10 volunteers signed the waiver, only one actually removed the cats. The volunteer program has since been disbanded, and park staff are trapping and removing cats from the parks.

Bidwell Park, Chico-A Real Success Story: In 1997, the stray and feral cat population in Bidwell Park had reached an estimated 200-300 cats. The park was a convenient place for people to abandon cats they could no longer care for. People fed the cats in the park and the population grew out of control. At the same time, Alta Cal Audubon Society noticed that the park's California Quail population had been decimated, and asked the city's Park and Playground Commission to take action. The Commission began to enforce the state law prohibiting abandonment of animals and the city's anti-litter law. A citation was issued to one cat feeder for deliberately violating the law. The case was brought before the court and the cat feeder was ordered to do 80 hours of community service by helping to trap and remove cats from the park. Although cat advocates demanded to start a TNR program in the park, the Commissioners refused. In response, the Chico Cat Coalition was formed to rescue the cats and find homes for them instead of euthanizing them. Since 1998, the Coalition has trapped and removed 716 cats, found homes or foster homes for 567 of them, and about 70 cats un-suitable for adoption are living out their lives in the comfort of a fully enclosed barn on private property. The City of Chico pays for the spay and neuter of the cats, and the citizens support this solution. Not surprisingly, California Quail are once again seen in the park, and it is unusual to see a stray cat. The Chico Cat Coalition and the Park Commissioners are to be commended for finding a humane solution for the cats and the native wildlife that allows park visitors to once again enjoy this unique riverine park.

Related On-line Articles:

The Cat Rescue Movement vs. Wildlife Defenders. Pat Roberto. Summer 1995. California Coast & Ocean, California State Coastal Conservancy.

Should Feral Cats be Euthanized? R. Donald/Shelter Sense, HSUS. 1993.

Reducing Cat Predation on Wildlife. F. Gray, Calif. Dept. of Fish and Game. Outdoor California, May-June 1999