Feral cats in urban environments Research/Survey grant proposal

*Authors Note - I wrote this research paper while I was in college. Since then, we have more scientific data that tells us more about feral cats and the behavior of all cats that spend time outdoors. This was a topic I was passionate about then and that I am still passionate about today. I believe we should all, as pet owners, be responsible pet owners. Limit the time your cat spends outside if you can and have your dogs and cats spayed or neutered. Sorry not sorry to get all Bob Barker on y'all.

Proposal abstract

Feral and free roaming domestic cats (Felis catus) are a growing problem throughout the United States, rivaling the number of owned cats at approximately 60 million throughout the country (Whitcomb 2011). A grant of $5000 is being requested for an initial survey of feral and free roaming cats within the city of Spokane and Spokane County. The objective of this survey is to locate, monitor and track colonies of feral cats in Spokane for 2 years to better understand their population size and dynamics. The data gathered in this survey will be analyzed and used to develop a feral cat management plan for Spokane County. Other monies will be raised through donations and would be used for unforeseen problems and other budget issues

Partnerships and participants

The survey will be conducted by citizen and group volunteers from the greater Spokane area, the Spokane Audubon Society, the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council, students from the Natural Resource Management program at Spokane Community College as well as interested biology and veterinary students from around the county. The survey will be done in partnership with Spokanimal, SCRAPS, Spokane Humane Society and any willing veterinary clinics and staff. These groups are dedicated to the well-being of wildlife and the humane treatment of animals, including feral and free roaming cats. Supplies and services will be requested through donations while grant money would be used to cover what could not be donated.

Spokane Humane Society

Since 1897, the Spokane Humane Society (SHS), a local nonprofit charity, has provided shelter, care and homes for thousands of animals in Spokane that have been displaced, mistreated, abandoned and lost. In 2006, the SHS stopped euthanizing animals due to lack of space, this has reduced the number of animals they can take in but has increased permanent animal placement to 96% (2008). The SHS provides a low cost spay and neutering clinic, works with other agencies, including animal control to transfer animals when space has become an issue and educates the public about the mistreatment of animals and responsible pet care (Spokane Humane Society).

SpokAnimal

In 2010 SpokAnimal started a program called Farm livin', a cooperative program with local farms that need or want cats for rodent control. Programs like this are important because it offers another path to reducing the number of feral cats over time. SpokAnimal also offers multiple volunteer opportunities/programs, provides educational information to the public and works to develop legislation for the protection and health of animals. SpokAnimal also hosts training for animal welfare workers, students, volunteers and the general public (SpokAnimal).

SCRAPS – Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Services

As the primary animal control organization for Spokane County, SCRAPS is an important resource and partner for this survey. Clear and concise explanations of animal/pet welfare laws are provided on their website as well as options for filing complaints and the like. They offer educational programs and behavioral literature, spay and neutering vouchers and services, pet licensing and all inclusive pet adoptions (sterilization, registration, vet exam, vaccinations and microchip implant). They also provide cat traps and tips on how to handle and trap feral cats. Because this is such a hot button issue, it is important for Spokane County, the non-profit organizations and citizen volunteers to work together in developing a management plan for feral cats (SCRAPS).

Spokane Community College

Students from the Natural Resource Management program at Spokane Community College receive a high degree of education in their field. The instructors provide students with useful insight into their chosen careers as well as the means to get experience and find work. Many of the students will go on to careers in wildlife biology, ecology and management. Because they spend time in the field getting practical experience and expanding their knowledge, they are well suited and reliable for assisting with this study as volunteers (Community Colleges of Spokane).

Background

As feral and other free-roaming cat populations have increased over the years, so has the devastation on native wildlife including reptiles, small mammals and especially birds. A study from the University of Nebraska states that feral are responsible for $17 billion in economic impacts relating to bird-watching, hunting and bird-rearing (Hildreth et al 2010). The study goes on to say that feral cats are responsible for at least 33 bird extinctions while killing an estimated 480 million birds per year. While this seems like an extraordinary and almost unbelievable estimate, around 800 species of birds migrate in, through or winter in the United States, those species make up the millions of birds migrating and living throughout the United States every year (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2014). In fact, Dr. Dan Klem of Muhlenberg College estimates that 98 to 976 million birds are fatally injured from flying into windows (Wild Birds Unlimited). Another important note, is the fact that despite how well fed individual cats are or whether a cat is feral or owned, they do not lose their predatory nature (Hildreth et al 2010).

The Spokane Audubon Society's 2012 big year bird count tally was 238 species, down from 247 species in 2006 (Spokesman review 2013). The United States Fish and Wildlife service currently lists 97 different species of bird as threatened or endangered (USFWS: Environmental Conservation online system). While many species may not be as vulnerable to feral cat predation, the concern is for the species that are, even the species not currently listed. If these feral cat populations continue to grow, we will see far more dramatic consequences in the future. The need to educate the public about not feeding feral cats as well as ways to reduce predation on native bird species should be a priority, whether a management plan is in place or not.

Controversy is the most complex part of any management plan for feral cats, often playing the biggest role in the decisions being made. In 2013, the city of Los Angeles released a proposed policy that would provide sterilization services, traps and educational resources and workshops to feral cat colony caretakers. The policy also prohibits the feeding of any unsterilized cats or cats in parks or any other environmentally sensitive areas. The objectives as stated in the policy are to “increase spay/neuter of cats”, to “generally reduce” cat euthanasia in shelters and to improve the “management of cats in outdoor locations in a manner that minimizes their impacts on environmentally sensitive habitats” (Littlejohn 2013). Many opinions have been generated by this policy and as more coverage of this issue makes headlines, the need for a study to determine populations of feral cats in Spokane County becomes much more important.

Within the United States, there are an estimated 60 to 88 million cats that are owned, this includes free-roaming cats that may or may not be sterilized. Another 60 million cats within the United States are considered feral. As the amount of daylight increases, many cats with enter estrous and will then begin breeding (Hildreth et al 2010). A 2010 study reported that the wet season of November to April generally corresponds with breeding frequency, with less reproduction reported between May and October (Guttilla 2010). With 2-10 kittens per litter and up to five litters per year, the amount of time it takes for two cats to potentially produce 50 cats is frightening. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that in ideal conditions and with the assumption that none die, a single breeding pair of feral cats plus their offspring could produce up to 400,000 cats in seven years. A feral cat has a life expectancy of about 3 to 5 years; the life expectancy of most owned cats can be up to 15 years. Even though they are adaptable to many environments, they live a very rough and scary life. Disease is also a concern; Cat scratch fever, plague, rabies, ringworm, salmonella, toxoplasmosis and others disease that can be transferred by ticks or fleas all pose a serious health risk to humans, their pets and native wildlife. As more cats enter the population, the potential for the spread of disease between cats goes up significantly, creating an increased risk to humans in turn (Hildreth et al 2010).

The objective of any research or management actions always comes down to one thing: Stop the problem before it gets too out of control to handle. I would amend that statement to reflect the potential devastation of what management options would be available if or when a feral cat population becomes too out of control. The option of killing cats to reduce populations despite if they are healthy or not has been suggested. These methods would include shooting and the use of poison or toxins to kill colonies of feral cats; this has even been suggested within city limits if the law allows (Hildreth et al 2010).

Methods

Determining locations of feral cats and feral cat colonies

Our first objective in this study would be to determine where feral cats and colonies are located in the greater Spokane area. All locations would be marked on a GPS and put onto a map for reference. Some of this information can be provided by the Humane Society, SpokAnimal and SCRAPS, other methods for locating the cats would include citizen sightings and mobile surveys by foot or vehicle. Citizen volunteers and students from Spokane Community College would assist in gathering this information and performing the surveys.

Determining population sizes of colonies

After locating and marking the locations of as many individuals and colonies as possible, an approximate count, by sight, of the number of individuals at each site would be done. The locations would be revisited month to month to determine approximate population swings from season to season, for two years. Spotlight counts would also be done in conjunction with monthly sight counts. Volunteers and students would again assist in gathering this data (Guttilla 2010).

Radio tracking, mark and recapture and sterilization effects

Because we can never count all the cats in the population, a multi-method approach to gathering population estimates is recommended. Upon determining the locations of colonies, several random sites would be selected for the use of mark and recapture, radio tracking or PIT (passive integrated transponder aka microchips/v-chips) tag methods. The amount of money in the budget will ultimately determine how many sites would be chosen and how many radio collars and PIT tags could be used. If possible, it would be most beneficial to collar at least ten healthy cats (5 male and 5 female) from at least two different colonies or areas, preferably more. Relocations would be done three times per week. Radio relocations will be performed for the full two years of the study or until the radio fails or death of the radioed cat occurs (Guttilla 2010). This would provide useful data on their movements and home ranges as well as reducing the amount of time that death of the study animal would go unnoticed. Volunteers and students would assist in trapping and applying radio collars.

PIT tags or microchips are relatively cheap at around $25 (SCRAPS) and are easily implanted, therefor making them a good and reliable choice for tracking and obtaining specific information, including where the individual cat was first caught and marked. Again, the amount of cats that can be micro-chipped is dependent on budget constraints. Cats with the PIT tags would be marked by clipping a small portion (about 1 cm) of the tip of the left ear (Guttilla 2010) or with a small colored tag on the ear, specific to PIT tagged cats. Both marking methods are humane and should not change the cat's behavior or ability to survive. Recapture events would take place once a month for approximately 10 nights (depending on number of sites). Volunteers and students would assist in trapping while only those with the knowledge and ability would insert the PIT tags and mark the cats.

Every cat that is trapped would be put under anesthesia (performed by selected individuals), weighed and tested for feline immunodefiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) along with other detectable diseases. Cats found to have any diseases or that are otherwise unhealthy (attrition, broken bones or anything else that would make it unlikely to survive) would be humanely euthanized. This would be done to prevent suffering of the cat, to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and to prevent the death of feral cats important to the study (Guttilla 2010). Any kittens found during the study that are under 6 months old would be removed (if possible) from the population and placed up for adoption. Because of the unlikeliness that many kittens could be caught and the fact that we could keep track of the number of kittens removed, it is unlikely that their removal would have serious statistical impact on the study.

Targeted non-standardized trapping would be used to trap cats for radio tracking, PIT tags and ear marking. Systematic trap placement with humane traps obtained from Scraps would be used for the trapping and the bait would consist of wet, dry or mixed commercial cat food (Guttilla 2010). Approximately half of the cats caught for radio tracking and half caught for PIT tags would be sterilized, and half of each sterilized group would be male and half female. All sterilized cats would be marked by clipping the tip of the right ear, meaning cats with PIT tags that are not sterilized will have a tipped left ear, cats with PIT tags that are sterilized will have both ears tipped and cats that are sterilized with radio collars will have a tipped right ear. Unsterilized cats with radios will have no marks. Again, the tipped ear method can be replaced by small color coded tags. Trapping and marking methods would be consistent with the set guidelines provided by the American Society of mammologists (Gannon et al. 2007). Sterilization would be performed opportunistically based on potentially low catchability of feral cats and the availability of a veterinarian (Guttilla 2010). Grant money would be used to purchase supplies that could not be obtained through donations such as cat food and PIT tags and also to cover the cost essential aspects of the study including sterilization, anesthesia, and euthanasia. All trapped cats would be released in the same spot where they were caught.

Results

There are no current set laws or guidelines for trap, neuter and release programs in Spokane or Spokane County. Citizens are responsible for trapping (and renting the trap) feral cats and when they are brought to SCRAPS, they are then euthanized because they are feral cats, not just because they are sick or hurt (SCRAPS). Little is known of where and how many feral cat colonies there currently are in the greater Spokane area. With such little knowledge of this potentially devastating problem, we need a program now more than ever, that will benefit and motivate pet owners and the city alike. By the end of this study we would have an estimate of the feral and free-roaming cat populations within the greater Spokane area and the locations of those populations. We would have a better understanding of how far and where feral cats are moving (home ranges), what effects sterilization have on their movement and territorial behavior, and approximate decreases and increases in population sizes due to deaths, births, immigration and emigration. This information would allow us to analyze our feral cat populations to determine which management techniques or mix of techniques would work best, it would also help in determining how much of the population would need to be trapped and sterilized to see noticeable decreases in population.

No matter which way we look at it, multiple techniques must be deployed, including educating the public on responsible pet ownership, supplying resources to assist in responsible pet ownership and strict and unrelenting laws that will discourage the behavior that brought us to this point. These applied with management strategies plus incentives for registering, sterilizing and adopting cats would help the City of Spokane and Spokane County reduce and responsibly manage our feral and free-roaming cat populations.

Literature Cited

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Guttilla, Darcee A., and Paul Stapp. "Effects of Sterilization on Movements of Feral Cats at a Wildland-urban Interface." Journal of Mammalogy 91.2 (2010): 482-89. Web.

Hildreth, Aaron M., Stephan M. Vantassel, and Scott E. Hygnstom. Feral Cats and Their Management. Rep. Lincoln: Board of Regents of the U of Nebraska, 2010. Web.

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Whitcomb, Rachael. "AAHA Sounds off on Feral Cat Study." DVM Newsmagazine Jan. 2011: 22. Web.