poop

What sort of morons are reading this and voting to euthanise feral cats? Someone should euthanise these people - or at least spay and neuter THEM to stop the spread of this inferior gene pool!

Probably the same people who flooded a similar poll on the Laurel Patch website. The Laurel Patch poll was set so anyone could vote multiple times. I'm guessing this poll is set up the same way. I do not believe it is a true reflection of popular opinion.

Nature abhors a vaccum. If you kill all the feral cats, more will move in. TnR works, stupidity does not.

Who are all the IDIOTS that said yes to euthanizing???? TOTALLY WRONG! How about we euthanize all the unwanted kids who do drugs and wander the streets killing each other, robbing Innocent people, stealing cars, raping girls, kidnapping (Shall I go on????) THEY ARE FAR WORSE than stray cats!!!! And what do we do with them??? slap their hands and send them on their way. ....... They NEVER GET WHAT THEY DESERVE! Stray cats just are living TNR them and they will live QUITELY together... Unlike human kids...

"One of the reasons the United States has been so successful in avoiding this disease is due to “our pet vaccination and stray animal control. We pick up our stray animals and vaccinate our pets," she said."
By "picking up the strays" I assume she means they kill them. And I bet this person would be hard pressed to show a case where cats have spread the "scary disease." Also, why do these cats need to be vacinated every year?? Here in Iowa a rabies vaccine is good for 3 years. Sounds like scare tactics to support their stand.

Please please help save these animals!!! They are loving and beautiful and deserve to live!!!

It is uninformed and misleading of the police to say "*Often*" TNR projects vaccinate against rabies. IN EVERY INSTANCE WE KNOW ABOUT, TNR PROGRAMS ALWAYS VACCINATE AGAINST RABIES WHEN TNR'ING.

I wish we were far enough along with government agencies that they would require their spokespeople to find out the facts before, ahem, shooting their mouths off.

One vaccinate against rabies is always better than none. None is what current public health gets as a result of the failed catch-and-kill approach. One vaccine may, as epidemiologists now tell us, provide significantly long-lasting immunity. And it isn't unheard of for feral cats to be re-trapped, either, in programs across the globe. There can be hard-to-catch cats, but good TNR Programs quickly encourage people to become smarter and more skilled at capturing even those cats. It is NOT having a systemic approach to controlling community animals that really creates most of the danger today.

Most of us just do not want animals killed because of us. And when we find out it is not necessary, we start to question the true interest of the agencies that supposedly provide government services. The more agencies pretend that TNR programs don't exist or cannot work, the more they are eroding public trust in their skills and competence.

There is great information on this at www.alleycat.org. Studies show that trapping adn euthenasia will not eliminate a colony. Check out and share the web site. These cats are a result of a throw away society and it is not their fault. They need to be cared for not killed

TNR works. Period.

Smart, kind and caring people know that TNR works!! My neighborhood is a success story ... Love seeing happy ear tipped kitties :x)

I am a dog person...who got lucky and ended up with a colony of 13 feral cats/abandoned cats gone wild. I worked with an organization in Louisville KY (AlleyCat Advocates) to get all the animals neutered. I took care of them for 5 years. They loved and trusted me and I loved them. It's not their fault they are out there on their own...Rest assured it all started with one of those 'all knowing' people that abandoned the boy cat when they moved on. Through research I read that the typical lifespan of a feral cat is around 3 to 4 years so a rabies vaccination could generally last the cats lifetime. The don't deserved to be murdered they deserve a chance to live and have some kindness shown to them. TNR is the only HUMANE solution to a problem that HUMANS caused.

I have cared for feral cats for 20 years. TNR is the humane solution to controlling the cat population. Cats are great for rodent control, which spreads disease.

Education and the availability of free/low cost spay and neuter services for both the feral cats and the general pet population should be a top priority. We need to educate the "authorities and the general public" about TNR and have available resources easily within reach of the public and the county workers. We need to get that first phone call about a "stray cat" dumped or left behind when someone first notices it--not the following year when we get the call to TNR 12 pregnant cats in the field behind the empty house! Stray/community/feral cats and the public are all helped through TNR--cats are significantly healthier and the numbers are controlled. Dumped friendlies can be rehomed, feral kittens can be tamed and adopted out and the truly feral will be returned to the colony. For the health of the colony and the health of the public, all community cats should be S&N, have core vaccines (FVRCP and RV), flea control applied that also treats internal parasites, and the ear tipped to show that they are part of a colony that is under someone's care. I think that if the public was more aware what could be done to improve the lives of/help control the population of the community cats and are made aware of the many benefits of the TNR model--we would have more people voting yes to TNR.

"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." ~ Immanual Kant

NO, Euthanasia is not the answer to solve this issue. Agree TNR works, as well educating our community about he other choices does much better, our community is working very hard to end the unnecessary inhumane euthanasia.

As a person who has been active in various aspects of animal rescue (mainly cats), I am a strong believer in TNR. I am also a strong believer in spay/neuter of ALL ANIMALS. It is healthier for them, and it is less expensive for the taxpayers to pay the cost of s/n of feral cats than paying to house all those animals in the stray ward for 7 days, and then euthanize them when they go unclaimed.It isn't the animals fault they were never spayed/neuterd, gone into "heat' and eventually were abandoned by their former humans.These cats didn't ask to be born, but they didn't ask to die either, so let them live their life out the way God intended, and do the responsible thing and have them spayed/neutered and vaccinated and for those too wild to be re-homed into new loving INDOOR ONLY homes, return those felines to their feral cat colony and just continue to feed them. Many animal shelters will give out free cat food to feral cat colony caregivers so they can feed their colony cats.

I have a friend who has a nationwide pet coupon exchange program. If anyone on her could use some coupons for pet food,treats,litter,flea medications,pet shampoos,pet bedding,etc, just contact her on her website and let her know which brands you typically use and she will be happy to mail you those coupons. If you happen to come across any pet related type coupons you won't be using for your own pets, she would like you to please mail them to her as she can pass those on to other pet owners/feral cat colony caregivers/rescues/shelters who will make use of those coupons. Even if the coupons you have are already expired, still send them to her,because military personal who are stationed overseas are allowed to use the expired coupons at their military base commissionary stores.
Here is my friends website/email address for more information...tell her Kitty in Wisconsin referred you to her.Thanks much!
www.petcouponscentral.com or email her at:
Rmissmeow @ aol.com (no spaces before or after the @ sign)

Poor cats...they have a right to live too. Get them fixed, shots, put them back and feed them. That is the right thing to do.

Amen, I hear you and agree with you over 100 %.
Kitty in Wisconsin

How to reduce feral-cats THE-TNR-WAY without having to trap & sterilize:

Aim your car for cats when it's safe for all else to do so. Put out poison for cats. Infect them with deadly diseases. Turn your dogs or other large predators loose on them. Starve them to death. Let them die of thirst. Put them in heated boxes until they die of heat exhaustion (emulate a warm summer). Throw them in freezers until they are dead (emulate a harsh winter). Shoot them.

Can you think of more ways that ALL TNR'ed cats die?

NONE of them die of old-age you know.

Any of the above methods are the perfectly natural ways that TNR'ed cats die (according to TNR-Advocates' own definition of how their cats die naturally) -- so TNR-advocates should have absolutely NO problems when you destroy their cats this way!

Right?

It's how THEY'RE doing it!

TO EVERY LAST ONE OF THEIR CATS.

If you kill their cats this way and they complain about it, they're just being whiny hypocrites. That's all. Simple as that.

You are one SUPER SICK PERSON! We who TNR feral cats are NOT KILLING the cats, we are still feeding them, giving them water, and having a very necessary surgery done to prevent them from mating and mass producing even more homeless kittens. That surgery, which actually keeps them healthier, and saves you the taxpayer lots & lots of money in the long run is called SPAY & NEUTER. We who are feral cat caregivers who believe in TNR actually LOVE cats, you, according to what you wrote is quite obvious are nothing more than a cat hater. YOU,Clark P. NEED LOTS & LOTS & LOTS OF COUNSELING HELP IMMEDIATLY, so leave these precious cats alone and getyou some counseling.

Group teaches ways to control feral cat population

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Trap-neuter-and-release-preferred-way-to-control-3413569.php#ixzz1pxzE40N1

We've trapped/rescued over 70 cats/kittens and spca neutered them and we brought them home,and grabbed them(got scratches to prove it ) and found them homes.we have 3 currently posted in sacramento bee,that we got fixed,microchiped,and shots.we don't believe in returning them to streets,however it helps to "trap" them or get them asap,after birth.

Its time consuming but rewarding...they will make great pets.(grateful pets)..but you have to find them young (3-5 weeks) bottle feed if need to,and get them used to humans. ..then when ready,find them homes....its not easy,but keeps them off the streets...and makes a lot of adoptees very happy w new cats/kittens.

We've trapped/rescued over 70 cats/kittens and spca neutered them and we brought them home,and grabbed them(got scratches to prove it ) and found them homes.we have 3 currently posted in sacramento bee,that we got fixed,microchiped,and shots.we don't believe in returning them to streets,however it helps to "trap" them or get them asap,after birth.contact me at nancyfrn@sbcglobal.net...nancy gardner

How much more EVIDENCE does one need to realize that TNR INCREASES the cat population! Are you sterilizing the mother or are you just "kitten mongers"? Do you know how much a mother cat grieves when you take her kittens away?Bottle feeding can also result in sickly kittens and kittens that have behavioral problems because their mother teaches them to be cats not YOU! How disturbing and cruel it is what you do! There is a right way to socialize kittens if they are born already and are still young. You use the kitten or the whole litter if very small, put them in a carrier if they are tiny, or trap them and keep them in the trap,(don't GRAB them), put another trap in front of the carrier or trap, cover both with sheet or blanket, set it ,and within an hour or ten hours the mother, who desperately wants to get to her kittens, will trap in the trap. Then you take mother and kittens home, transfer in a 36" crate,with food,water and litter box and cover the crate partially not to stress the cat too much. She can continue to nurse her kittens, she will learn to trust you with them and when old enough they get s/n, mother gets spayed and released again. Do you know cats can get aborted and any cat outdoor or in a home should be aborted. Don't you know we're killing millions and even your kittens most likely will not get a "forever" home.Only a few cats do.YOU ARE CAUSING MAYHEM! But you are only one in millions that need to keep their hands OFF the cats!! YOU ARE CAUSING SUFFERING!

The correct answer is: Feral Cats deserve to live equally as much as the rest of us walking this Earth. TNR works. It it proven. Get over it cat haters.

"TNR increase the cat population"?

(Buzzer Sound) Sorry, wrong answer. Minus $100 dollars.

TNR decreases the feral cat population, humanely. This is a scientific fact. Get used to it, cat hating freaks.

The experts on this issue: http://www.alleycat.org

TNR works to keep the cat population high and reduce the bird population.

How to reduce feral-cats THE-TNR-WAY without having to trap & sterilize:

1. Aim your car for cats when it's safe for all else to do so.

2. Put out poison for cats (Acetaminophen pain-killers (the most cat-species specific), poisonous plants or animals, antifreeze, etc. -- the ways all TNR'ed cats succumb to "attrition" by poisons).

3. Infect them with deadly diseases.

4. Turn your dogs or other large predators loose on them.

5. Starve them to death.

6. Let them die of thirst.

7. Put them in heated boxes until they die of heat exhaustion (emulate hot weather).

8. Throw them in freezers until they are dead (emulate a harsh winter).

9. Scratch the cat's eyes and gash their skin to emulate a cat-attack so they slowly die of infections. (Justifiably the same way they destroy all native animals. Though that involves more skinning-alive and disemboweling-alive so the cat can enjoy their play-toy twitch to death. The cat-lovers themselves also greatly enjoy this, or they wouldn't let their cats do it.)

10. Trap and drown.

11. Shoot them.

Any of these are TNR-advocates' "natural attrition".

It's how they're doing it!

The ONLY difference in destroying them immediately in the manner that ALL TNR'ed cats die; instead of trapping and sterilizing them first; is that some money isn't going into an HSUS board-member's pocket, veterinarian's pocket, cat-food company CEO's pocket, or a drug-company CEO's pocket. That's the ONLY difference.

Rock Creek Cats (www.rockcreekcats.org) is actually the only Montgomery-based group that does TNR. Alley Cat Allies does not perform TNR, and Metro Ferals is based in Virginia.

I have personally TNR'd more than 600 feral cats in dozens of colonies and have found TNR to be very effective at stabilizing and ultimately reducing the feral cat population. Trap-and-kill is inhumane for many reasons; I'll mention just one of the worst -- when a nursing/lactating feral mom is trapped and put down, her kittens are usually not found, which means they starve and/or freeze to death.

Rose, at both of the spay/neuter clinics I use, when a lactating cat is brought in, she is spayed and vaccinated like every other cat, but she is returned to the outdoors sooner than usual (roughly 12 hours after surgery instead of 24) so she can get back to her kittens as soon as possible. A cat can still nurse after being spayed.

True, but I've TNR'd many lactating moms and seen their kittens survive. These kittens would have had no chance if their moms had been killed by animal control.

Alley Cat Allies is a national cat advocacy and education organization based in Montgomery County. We applaud the incredible work that the many individuals and organizations in the area are doing to care for outdoor cats. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is the only humane and effective way to work with outdoor cat populations.

While Alley Cat Allies provides support and information to individuals and organizations all over the country and around the world, we also work with locally, including TNR as appropriate.

Metroferals volunteers conduct TNR and a feral cat spay-neuter clinic for Virginia and Maryland. Information on the clinic is below:
Eldersburg Veterinary Hospital – 1527 Liberty Road, Eldersburg, MD 21784
IMPORTANT: This clinic requires that you make a reservation. For reservations, or any other questions about this clinic, please contact us or call 443-255-4489.
CURRENT SPAY SUNDAY SCHEDULE FOR 2012: April 1, April 15, April 29, May 6, May 20, June 3, July 1, July 15, August 5, August 19, September 9, September 23, October 7, October 21, November 4, November 18 and December 9, 2012.

If you would like more information on Trap-Neuter-Return and feral cats, we invite you to visit www.alleycat.org.