Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 119, Issue 15, Pages -Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2119000119
Keywords
population management; TNR; free-roaming cats; fertility control; population compensatory mechanisms
Categories
Funding
- Ministry of Agriculture of Israel [705-0055, 12-11-0009]
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This article examines the effectiveness of trap-neuter-return/release (TNR) in controlling the population of domestic cats and suggests a management approach that emphasizes high intensity, continuity, and geographic contiguity. The study finds that TNR has some effectiveness in reducing the cat population, but the rebound increase in reproduction and longevity of cats limits the population reduction. To enhance management effectiveness and mitigate compensatory effects, the article recommends integrating TNR with complementary methods.
When free-roaming in natural areas, the domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) is ranked high among the most destructive alien species. Near human dwellings, it might pose a risk to humans, impair sanitation, and suffer from poor welfare. Cats' popularity as companion animals complicates their population control. Thus, culling is often replaced by a fertility control method called trap-neuter-return/release (TNR), considered more humane Despite the extensive application of TNR, a long-term controlled study was never performed to test its effectiveness. We present a uniquely designed controlled field experiment for examining TNR effectiveness. The study was performed over a 12-y period, divided into preintervention and mixed- and full-intervention phases, and spanned a 20-km 2 urban area. Trends of cat, intact-female, and kitten counts, cat reproduction, and carcass reports were compared among study phases and areas with different neutering intensities. The cat population increased during the first two study phases and did not decline in highly neutered populations, presumably due to cat immigration. Expansion of high-intensity neutering to the entire city in the full-intervention phase (>70% neutering percentage) reversed cat population growth, reaching an annual approximately 7% reduction. This population reduction was limited by a rebound increase in cat reproduction and longevity. We conclude that cat population management by TNR should be performed with high intensity, continuously, and in geographic contiguity to enable population reduction. To enhance management effectiveness and mitigate compensatory effects, we recommend further evaluating an integrated strategy that combines TNR with complementary methods (e.g., vital resource regulation, ill cat euthanasia, and adoption).
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