Critical assessment of claims regarding management of feral cats by trap-neuter-return

Conservation Biology

Volumn 23, Issue 4, 2009, Pages 887-894

  Longcore, Travis ^a,b   Rich, Catherine ^a   Sullivan, Lauren M ^c  

^a The Urban Wildlands Group   (United States)

^b UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA   (United States)

^c UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA   (United States)

Author keywords

Captura esterilizaci n liberaci n; CEL; Depredaci n; Ecolog a urbana; Especies ex ticas; No muerte

Indexed keywords

ANIMAL WELFARE; BIOLOGICAL INVASION; ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT; FELID; FERAL ORGANISM; ISLAND; NATIVE SPECIES; POLICY MAKING; WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT;

ANIMAL; CAT; ECOLOGY; FEMALE; MALE; ORCHIECTOMY; OVARIECTOMY; REVIEW; WILD ANIMAL;

ANIMALS; ANIMALS, WILD; CATS; ECOLOGY; FEMALE; MALE; ORCHIECTOMY; OVARIECTOMY;

ANIMALIA;

EID: 67650544654     PISSN: 08888892     EISSN: 15231739     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01174.x     Document Type: Review

References (91)

1. Adamec, R. E. 1976. The interaction of hunger and preying in the domestic cat (Felis catus): an adaptive hierarchy? Behavioral Biology 18 : 263 272.
2. Afonso, E., P. Thulliez, and E. Gilot-Fromont. 2006. Transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in an urban population of domestic cats (Felis catus). International Journal for Parasitology 36 : 1373 1382. (Pubitemid 44508683)
3. Akucewich, L. H., K. Philman, A. Clark, J. Gillespie, G. Kunkle, C. F. Nicklin, and E. C. Greiner. 2002. Prevalence of ectoparasites in a population of feral cats from north central Florida during the summer. Veterinary Parasitology 109 : 129 139. (Pubitemid 35279778)
4. Alley Cat Allies. 2005. Understanding cats and predation. Alley Cat Allies, Bethesda, Maryland.
5. Andersen, M. C., B. J. Martin, and G. W. Roemer. 2004. Use of matrix population models to estimate the efficacy of euthanasia versus trap-neuter-return for management of free-roaming cats. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 225 : 1871 1876. (Pubitemid 39644041)
6. Anderson, T. C., G. W. Foster, and D. J. Forrester. 2003. Hookworms of feral cats in Florida. Veterinary Parasitology 115 : 19 24. (Pubitemid 36829329)
7. Angold, P. G., et al. 2006. Biodiversity in urban habitat patches. Science of the Total Environment 360 : 196 204.
8. Askins, R. A. 1995. Hostile landscapes and the decline of migratory songbirds. Science 267 : 1956 1957.
9. Baker, P. J., R. J. Ansell, P. A. A. Dodds, C. E. Webber, and S. Harris. 2003. Factors affecting the distribution of small mammals in an urban area. Mammal Review 33 : 95 100. (Pubitemid 36364272)
10. Baker, P. J., A. J. Bentley, R. J. Ansell, and S. Harris. 2005. Impact of predation by domestic cats Felis catus in an urban area. Mammal Review 35 : 302 312. (Pubitemid 43834908)
11. Barrows, P. L. 2004. Professional, ethical, and legal dilemmas of trap-neuter-release. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 225 : 1365 1369. (Pubitemid 39441717)
12. Beckerman, A. P., M. Boots, and K. J. Gaston. 2007. Urban bird declines and the fear of cats. Animal Conservation 10 : 320 325. (Pubitemid 47244122)
13. Berkeley, E. P. 2004. TNR past present and future: a history of the trap-neuter-return movement. Alley Cat Allies, Washington, D.C.
14. Calhoon, R. E., and C. Haspel. 1989. Urban cat populations compared by season, subhabitat and supplemental feeding. Journal of Animal Ecology 58 : 321 328. (Pubitemid 19325434)
15. Castillo, D., and A. L. Clarke. 2003. Trap/neuter/release methods ineffective in controlling domestic cat "colonies" on public lands. Natural Areas Journal 23 : 247 253. (Pubitemid 36893158)
16. Centonze, L. A., and J. K. Levy. 2002. Characteristics of free-roaming cats and their caretakers. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 220 : 1627 1633. (Pubitemid 135689686)
17. Chomel, B. B., R. W. Kasten, K. Floyd-Hawkins, B. Chi, K. Yamamoto, J. Roberts-Wilson, A. N. Gurfield, R. C. Abbott, N. C. Pedersen, and J. E. Koehler. 1996. Experimental transmission of Bartonella henselae by the cat flea. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 34 : 1952 1956. (Pubitemid 26239231)
18. Churcher, P. B., and J. H. Lawton. 1987. Predation by domestic cats in an English village. Journal of Zoology, London 212 : 439 455.
19. Clifford, D. L., J. A. K. Mazet, E. J. Dubovi, D. K. Garcelon, T. J. Coonan, P. A. Conrad, and L. Munson. 2006. Pathogen exposure in endangered island fox (Urocyon littoralis) populations: implications for conservation management. Biological Conservation 131 : 230 243. (Pubitemid 43849647)
20. Coleman, J. S., and S. A. Temple. 1996. On the prowl. Wisconsin Natural Resources 20 : 4 8.
21. Conrad, P. A., M. A. Miller, C. Kreuder, E. R. James, J. Mazet, H. Dabritz, D. A. Jessup, F. Gulland, and M. E. Grigg. 2005. Transmission of Toxoplasma: clues from the study of sea otters as sentinels of Toxoplasma gondii flow into the marine environment. International Journal for Parasitology 35 : 1155 1168. (Pubitemid 41395177)
22. Courchamp, F., M. Langlais, and G. Sugihara. 2000. Rabbits killing birds: modelling the hyperpredation process. Journal of Animal Ecology 69 : 154 164. (Pubitemid 30065232)
23. Crooks, K. R. 2002. Relative sensitivities of mammalian carnivores to habitat fragmentation. Conservation Biology 16 : 488 502. (Pubitemid 34315824)
24. Crooks, K. R., and M. E. Soulé. 1999. Mesopredator release and avifaunal extinctions in a fragmented system. Nature 400 : 563 566. (Pubitemid 29381804)
25. Dabritz, H. A., E. R. Atwill, I. A. Gardner, M. A. Miller, and P. A. Conrad. 2006. Outdoor fecal deposition by free-roaming cats and attitudes of cat owners and nonowners toward stray pets, wildlife, and water pollution. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 229 : 74 81.
26. Dabritz, H. A., M. A. Miller, E. R. Atwill, I. A. Gardner, C. M. Leutenegger, A. C. Melli, and P. A. Conrad. 2007. Detection of Toxoplasma gondii-like oocysts in cat feces and estimates of the environmental oocyst burden. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 231 : 1676 1684. (Pubitemid 350305131)
27. Dubey, J. P. 1973. Feline toxoplasmosis and coccidiosis: a survey of domiciled and stray cats. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 162 : 873 877.
28. Dubná, S., I. Langrová, I. Jankovská, J. Vadlejch, S. Pekár, J. Nápravník, and J. Fechtner. 2007. Contamination of soil with Toxocara eggs in urban (Prague) and rural areas in the Czech Republic. Veterinary Parasitology 144 : 81 86. (Pubitemid 46186674)
29. Foley, P., J. E. Foley, J. K. Levy, and T. Paik. 2005. Analysis of the impact of trap-neuter-return programs on populations of feral cats. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 227 : 1775 1781. (Pubitemid 41739403)
30. Galbreath, R., and D. Brown. 2004. The tale of the lighthouse-keeper's cat: discovery and extinction of the Stephens Island wren (Traversia lyalli). Notornis 51 : 193 200. (Pubitemid 40077945)
31. George, W. G. 1974. Domestic cats as predators and factors in winter shortages of raptor prey. Wilson Bulletin 86 : 384 396.
32. Gibson, K. L., K. Keizer, and C. Golding. 2002. A trap, neuter, and release program for feral cats on Prince Edward Island. Canadian Veterinary Journal 43 : 695 698.
33. Gillies, C., and M. Clout. 2003. The prey of domestic cats (Felis catus) in two suburbs of Auckland City, New Zealand. Journal of Zoology, London 259 : 309 315. (Pubitemid 36317562)
34. Glasson, J., R. Therivel, and A. Chadwick. 1999. Introduction to environmental impact assessment: principles and procedures, process, practice and prospects. UCL Press, London.
35. Gorman, S., and J. Levy. 2004. A public policy toward the management of feral cats. Pierce Law Review 2 : 157 181.
36. Hawkins, C. C. 1998. Impact of a subsidized exotic predator on native biota: effect of house cats (Felis catus) on California birds and rodents. Ph.D. dissertation. Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.
37. Hughes, K. L., and M. R. Slater. 2002. Implementation of a feral cat management program on a university campus. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 5 : 15 28. (Pubitemid 39172213)
38. Hughes, K. L., M. R. Slater, and L. Haller. 2002. The effects of implementing a feral cat spay/neuter program in a Florida county animal control service. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 5 : 285 298. (Pubitemid 39172237)
39. Hutchings, S. 2003. The diet of feral house cats (Felis catus) at a regional rubbish tip, Victoria. Wildlife Research 30 : 103 110. (Pubitemid 36579798)
40. Iverson, J. B. 1978. The impact of feral cats and dogs on populations of the West Indian rock iguana, Cyclura carinata. Biological Conservation 14 : 63 73.
41. Jessup, D. A. 2004. The welfare of feral cats and wildlife. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 225 : 1377 1383. (Pubitemid 39441719)
42. Jessup, D. A., K. C. Pettan, L. J. Lowenstine, and N. C. Pedersen. 1993. Feline leukemia virus infection and renal spirochetosis in free-ranging cougar (Felis concolor). Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 24 : 73 79.
43. Kays, R. W., and A. A. DeWan. 2004. Ecological impact of inside/outside house cats around a suburban nature preserve. Animal Conservation 7 : 273 283. (Pubitemid 40281135)
44. Lee, I. T., J. K. Levy, S. P. Gorman, P. C. Crawford, and M. R. Slater. 2002. Prevalence of feline leukemia virus infection and serum antibodies against feline immunodeficiency virus in unowned free-roaming cats. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 220 : 620 622. (Pubitemid 135690322)
45. Lepczyk, C. A., A. G. Mertig, and J. Liu. 2003. Landowners and cat predation across rural-to-urban landscapes. Biological Conservation 115 : 191 201.
46. Levy, J. K., and P. C. Crawford. 2004. Humane strategies for controlling feral cat populations. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 225 : 1354 1360. (Pubitemid 39441715)
47. Levy, J. K., D. W. Gale, and L. A. Gale. 2003. Evaluation of the effect of a long-term trap-neuter-return and adoption program on a free-roaming cat population. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 222 : 42 46. (Pubitemid 36033949)
48. Liberg, O. 1984. Food habits and prey impact by feral and house-based domestic cats in a rural area in southern Sweden. Journal of Mammalogy 65 : 424 432. (Pubitemid 16280289)
49. Liberg, O., M. Sandell, D. Pontier, and E. Natoli. 2000. Density, spatial organisation and reproductive tactics in the domestic cat and other felids. Pages 119 147 in D. C. Turner and P. Bateson, editors. The domestic cat: the biology of its behaviour. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
50. Lowe, S., M. Browne, and S. Boudjelas. 2000. 100 of the world's worst invasive alien species: a selection from the global invasive species database. Invasive Species Specialist Group, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Auckland, New Zealand.
51. Luria, B. J., J. K. Levy, M. R. Lappin, E. B. Breitschwerdt, A. M. Legendre, J. A. Hernandez, S. P. Gorman, and I. T. Lee. 2004. Prevalence of infectious diseases in feral cats in Northern Florida. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 6 : 287 296. (Pubitemid 40036593)
52. May, R. M. 1988. Control of feline delinquency. Nature 332 : 392 393.
53. Meckstroth, A. M., A. K. Miles, and S. Chandra. 2007. Diets of introduced predators using stable isotopes and stomach contents. Journal of Wildlife Management 71 : 2387 2392.
54. Miller, M. A., et al. 2002. Coastal freshwater runoff is a risk factor for Toxoplasma gondii infection of southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis). International Journal for Parasitology 32 : 997 1006. (Pubitemid 34655510)
55. Miller, M. A., et al. 2008. Type X Toxoplasma gondii in a wild mussel and terrestrial carnivores from coastal California: new linkages between terrestrial mammals, runoff and toxoplasmosis of sea otters. International Journal for Parasitology 38 : 1319 1328.
56. Moore, D. A., W. M. Sischo, A. Hunter, and T. Miles. 2000. Animal bite epidemiology and surveillance for rabies postexposure prophylaxis. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 217 : 190 194. (Pubitemid 30456945)
57. Natoli, E., L. Maragliano, G. Cariola, A. Faini, R. Bonanni, S. Cafazzo, and C. Fantini. 2006. Management of feral domestic cats in the urban environment of Rome (Italy). Preventive Veterinary Medicine 77 : 180 185. (Pubitemid 44780778)
58. Neville, P. 1983. Humane control of an urban cat colony. International Pest Control 25 : 144 145, 152.
59. Neville, P. N. 1989. Feral cats: management of urban populations and pest problems by neutering. Pages 261 268 in R. J. Putman, editor. Mammals as pests. Kluwer, London.
60. No Kill Advocacy Center. 2006a. A model feral cat policy. No Kill Sheltering November/December : 10 12.
61. No Kill Advocacy Center. 2006b. The no kill equation. No Kill Sheltering July/August : 7 11.
62. Nogales, M., A. Martín, B. R. Tershy, C. J. Donlan, D. Veitch, N. Puerta, B. Wood, and J. Alonso. 2004. A review of feral cat eradication on islands. Conservation Biology 18 : 310 319. (Pubitemid 38459095)
63. Norris, J. M., E. T. Bell, L. Hales, J. A. Toribio, J. D. White, D. I. Wigney, R. M. Baral, and R. Malik. 2007. Prevalence of feline immunodeficiency virus infection in domesticated and feral cats in eastern Australia. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 9 : 300 308. (Pubitemid 47078816)
64. Nowell, K., and P. Jackson, editors. 1996. Status survey and conservation action plan: wild cats. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, and Cambridge, United Kingdom.
65. Nutter, F. B., J. P. Dubey, J. F. Levine, E. B. Breitschwerdt, R. B. Ford, and M. K. Stoskopf. 2004. Seroprevalences of antibodies against Bartonella henselae and Toxoplasma gondii and fecal shedding of Cryptosporidium spp, Giardia spp, and Toxocara cati in feral and pet domestic cats. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 225 : 1394 1398. (Pubitemid 39441721)
66. Patronek, G. J. 1998. Free-roaming and feral cats - their impact on wildlife and human beings. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 212 : 218 226. (Pubitemid 128472859)
67. Pennington, D. N., J. Hansel, and R. B. Blair. 2008. The conservation value of urban riparian areas for landbirds during spring migration: land cover, scale, and vegetation effects. Biological Conservation 141 : 1235 1248.
68. Ram, J. L., B. Thompson, C. Turner, J. M. Nechvatal, H. Sheehan, and J. Bobrin. 2007. Identification of pets and raccoons as sources of bacterial contamination of urban storm sewers using a sequence-based bacterial source tracking method. Water Research 41 : 3605 3614. (Pubitemid 47189598)
69. Rimmelzwaan, G. F., D. van Riel, M. Baars, T. M. Bestebroer, G. van Amerongen, R. A. M. Fouchier, A. D. M. E. Osterhaus, and T. Kuiken. 2006. Influenza A virus (H5N1) infection in cats causes systemic disease with potential novel routes of virus spread within and between hosts. American Journal of Pathology 168 : 176 183. (Pubitemid 43062571)
70. Roelke, M. E., D. J. Forrester, E. R. Jacobson, G. V. Kollias, F. W. Scott, M. C. Barr, J. F. Evermann, and E. C. Pirtle. 1993. Seroprevalence of infectious disease agents in free-ranging Florida panthers (Felis concolor coryi). Journal of Wildlife Diseases 29 : 36 49.
71. Schmidt, P. M., R. R. Lopez, and B. A. Collier. 2007. Survival, fecundity, and movements of free-roaming cats. Journal of Wildlife Management 71 : 915 919.
72. Seewagen, C. L., and E. J. Slayton. 2008. Mass changes of migratory landbirds during stopovers in a New York City park. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 120 : 296 303. (Pubitemid 351831422)
73. Shaw, S. E., R. J. Birtles, and M. J. Day. 2001. Arthropod-transmitted infectious diseases of cats. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 3 : 193 209. (Pubitemid 33115040)
74. Slater, M. R. 2002. Community approaches to feral cats: problems, alternatives, and recommendations. Humane Society Press, Washington, D.C.
75. Slater, M. R. 2004. Understanding issues and solutions for unowned, free-roaming cat populations. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 225 : 1350 1354. (Pubitemid 39441714)
76. Soulé, M. E., D. T. Bolger, A. C. Alberts, J. Wright, M. Sorice, and S. Hill. 1988. Reconstructed dynamics of rapid extinctions of chaparral-requiring birds in urban habitat islands. Conservation Biology 2 : 75 92.
77. Stoskopf, M. K., and F. B. Nutter. 2004. Analyzing approaches to feral cat management - one size does not fit all. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 225 : 1361 1364. (Pubitemid 39441716)
78. Stull, G. B. 2007. Burlington County Feral Cat Initiative census/progress report 2007. Burlington County Feral Cat Initiative, Vincentown, New Jersey.
79. Terborgh, J. 1992. Why American songbirds are vanishing. Scientific American 266 : 98 104.
80. The Humane Society of the United States. 2008. Resources for helping feral cats. Washington, D.C. Available from http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues- affecting-our-pets/feral-cats/feral-cat-resources.html (accessed October 2008).
81. Tratalos, J., R. A. Fuller, P. H. Warren, R. G. Davies, and K. J. Gaston. 2007. Urban form, biodiversity potential and ecosystem services. Landscape and Urban Planning 83 : 308 317. (Pubitemid 350087302)
82. Uga, S., T. Minami, and K. Nagata. 1996. Defecation habits of cats and dogs and contamination by Toxocara eggs in public park sand pits. American Journal of Tropical Medicine 54 : 122 126. (Pubitemid 26083594)
83. Wallace, J. L., and J. K. Levy. 2006. Population characteristics of feral cats admitted to seven trap-neuter-return programs in the United States. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 8 : 279 284. (Pubitemid 44041223)
84. Walter, H. S. 2004. The mismeasure of islands: implications for biogeographical theory and the conservation of nature. Journal of Biogeography 31 : 177 197. (Pubitemid 38272242)
85. Wilcove, D. S. 1985. Nest predation in forest tracts and the decline of migratory songbirds. Ecology 66 : 1211 1214. (Pubitemid 17244596)
86. Wilcove, D. S., D. Rothstein, J. Dubow, A. Phillips, and E. Losos. 1998. Quantifying threats to imperiled species in the United States. BioScience 48 : 607 615.
87. Winograd, N. J. 2007. Redemption: the myth of pet overpopulation and the no kill revolution in America. Almaden Books, Los Angeles.
88. Winter, L. 2004. Trap-neuter-release programs: the reality and the impacts. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 225 : 1369 1376. (Pubitemid 39441718)
89. Winter, L. 2006. Impacts of feral and free-ranging cats on bird species of conservation concern: a five-state review of New York, New Jersey, Florida, California, and Hawaii. American Bird Conservancy, The Plains, Virginia.
90. Woods, M., R. A. McDonald, and S. Harris. 2003. Predation of wildlife by domestic cats Felis catus in Great Britain. Mammal Review 33 : 174 188. (Pubitemid 36784960)
91. Zaunbrecher, K. I., and R. E. Smith. 1993. Neutering of feral cats as an alternative to eradication programs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 203 : 449 452.