Snip and Tuck

"I thought they said tutored!"

This is the phrase my friend Vicki uses when she imagines what a cat is thinking after waking up to discover he's been neutered. It's as good a guess as any. It's not likely to be something like "Oh, thank God!" or "It's about time!" Yet, getting spayed or neutered is probably one of the best thing to happen in a cat's life.  

I recently began volunteering with a group called Operation Catnip that neuters and vaccinates feral and occasionally friendly stray cats. These cats are nobody's pets. They arrive at the vet school in the humane traps in which they were captured and probably will be released again in the same location. This is a Trap Neuter and Release program, considered part of a "no-kill" philosophy, in which the main object is to reduce the number of cats out there reproducing at an unbelievable rate. Now, believe it or not, TNR programs are somewhat controversial--we'll come back to that in a minute. For right now, let's focus on the part where there are incredibly generous people out there who serve as "colony caretakers," doing their best to make sure colonies of feral cats have enough food and are as safe as possible. That being a hard job, they'd like to do it for as few feral cats as possible, so trapping these guys and getting them neutered so that there will be no little ones to continue the tradition is an important part of the job. Through a combination of veterinarians, vet students, and volunteers all donating their time, feral cats are quickly being neutered and the feral cat population is being reduced.

But let me back up a moment. The last thing I need at the moment is any more cats--the one I've got is quite happy being the only princess in the house--so what in the world am I doing with these people? And their cats? Wanting to find a way to get involved in my new city, I began exploring groups with which I might be able to volunteer. Since I've got experience working with cats and know more than the average person about kitty health and medicine, it seemed logical to find a cat rescue organization of some kind with which to spend my time. Also, I just like cats. Since the last time I worked with a cat rescue work I ended up with five cats living at my house and refusing to leave ("Oh, we're just way too comfortable here," I could practically hear them say), I chose Operation Catnip as the group offering minimal opportunities to bring a new cat home. Feral cats, by definition, are essentially wild, and more importantly, have no interest in sitting in my lap while we read or watch a movie together. Working with Operation Catnip is the perfect solution and is Sasha approved.

So exactly what am I doing with them? It's sure not feeding a feral colony. I'm pretty sure they don't have a key card to get into my gated community. And it's not transporting. Please. I just got away from driving a minimum of 68 miles every day just to get to work. Do you really think I'm going to offer to play James the Chauffeur to some cats I don't even know? Instead, I'm volunteering at the monthly clinic at which many of the neuters take place (some take place during the course of the month depending on availability of vets and vet students). Hundreds of cats are brought to the vet school on a Sunday morning to be snipped and tucked, vaccinated, and have their ear tipped (it indicates to others down the road that the cat has already been neutered so it doesn't have to go through the stress of being trapped again). They are picked up by their caretakers (or, at least, someone who was willing to trap them long enough to be neutered) in the afternoon and returned to their colonies. It is hoped that they will live out their lives safely and without any more contributions to the overpopulation problem.

Perhaps you're confused at the reference to Sunday mornings. Anyone who knows me knows that they will not find me anywhere but under the covers on a Sunday morning. No, I seem to be settling into an afternoon schedule, primarily monitoring cats completing surgery to ensure they're coming out from under the anesthesia without a problem. It's rare, but occasionally someone has a bad reaction, so it's important to watch these guys as they recover so that they really do leave better off than when they came in. It's interesting to see the different reactions. Kittens, who you might think would return to their normal personalities fastest, what with being young, healthy, and generally quite busy, often take the longest to wake up. Their little lungs can't handle the anesthesia as well, so they stay groggy longer. Some cats will wake up so confused and disoriented that they actually hurt themselves thrashing around the trap (which they're returned immediately after surgery, before they've even woken). Then there are tummy troubles and respiratory issues that can pop up. All this is why volunteer monitors are needed. Having us watch the kitties wake and become alert allows the vet students and veterinarians to focus on the surgeries and any true issues that come up. Today, I began singing to the group I was monitoring (one tabby was WAY too interested in this), and a passing vet student commented "You know, that's probably the kindest thing anyone's ever going to do for these guys." I disagree. Getting them neutered surpasses my soggy soprano by far. But I leave knowing I've contributed to an effort to keep any more cats coming into the world who are likely to experience pain and suffering in a difficult and sometimes destructive life.

Not everyone feels this way about TNR programs. Opponents of such programs believe that it supports the lifespan of the feral colonies that are responsible for the deaths of many native species from birds to mammals and reptiles and other indigenous wildlife. They believe it does not really solve the problem and that it can in fact encourage illegal dumping of unwanted cats in areas known to be monitored by caretakers. Let me stop here and say I am no expert on this subject. There's some really great stuff on the internet about TNR programs, and I hope you'll take some time to at least read the Wikipedia article about it and form your own opinion. But I've seen too many cats in need of homes and heard too many stories about cats being euthanized simply for existing not to advocate for this kind of program. May I tell you why? The thing is, opponents are not wrong in their concern about wildlife and destruction caused by feral cats. However, it seems to me that the best way to resolve this problem is to reduce the number of feral cats. TNR programs certainly are not the only way to do this. Should you care to, you can read a lot about relocation efforts (moving colonies to places where they are less detrimental) and even deliberate eradication (which is exactly what it sounds like). But studies are showing that these methods are not nearly as effective at reducing the feral cat population as TNR programs. Move a colony somewhere else (we won't even discuss eradication), and you've taken away its knowledge of food sources, safe havens, and security, very possibly bringing on a difficult and painful death.
The problems feral and stray cats cause will not go away until their population does, and TNR makes that happen in a safe, effective, and humane way.

In my ideal world, there would be SO many fewer cats, particularly those forced to fend on their own, living uncomfortable lives and causing destruction to other animal lives. Instead, it would be rare to find cats living on their own in the wild. People will adopt from a shelter. Shelters will all be "no-kill" because they will not have to euthanize for lack of space. Owners will ensure their animals are spayed and neutered so that there will be no unexpected surprises and little lives about which to make difficult choices. Oh, and as a slight aside, we will not de-claw them and take away their main defense if they ever ARE forced to take care of themselves. We domesticated these animals. We must now take responsibility for ensuring they are safe and cared for...and that there aren't more of them than we can do that for.