b'Making A Paws-itiveImpact: The Benefits ofCommunity Cat TNVRby Stephanie Sabshin, DVMCatsdontbelonginshelters.Andthesedays,mostshelters agree.focusedTNVReffortsonthegrowthoftheferalcatpopulation.Whenconcertedeffortsarefocusedonspecificlocations/colonies,theferalcatpopulationcanquickly stabilize. During an 11-year study of TNVR at the University ofFlorida, the number of cats on campus declined by 66%,with no new kittens being born after the first four yearsof operation.A study of the impact of TNVR on feral cat colonies inRome, Italy, also observed colony size decrease between16% and 32% over a 10-year period.(Above): Dr. Cole operating, UF shelter vet student Sofiaoperating, The traditional approach of catch and kill, where feralDr. Sabshin operating, Eric monitoring at Harmony Vet Care. (Top cats are impounded and euthanized at the shelter, has provenRight): Taylor prepping a feral for a neuter at Harmony Vet Care.ineffectiveatcontrollingthelocalferalcatpopulation.Attempts to permanently remove cats from an area always failIf youre like a lot of people, your first instinct, when you because of a natural and scientifically-documented phenome-find a cat in need, is to call animal control or perhaps rush the non known as the vacuum effect. Essentially, whenever catscat to the shelter. Depending on your local policies, doing areremoved,newcatsmovein,orthesurvivingcatslefteither of these things may be a death sentence. behindbreedtocapacity.StatisticsfromthePetResourceBecause community cats are generally not socialized to Center in Hillsborough county support this phenomenon.Inpeople, they are unadoptablewhich historically has meant 2000, before TNR had taken roots in the community, 11,413that most of them were killed in shelters.The likelihood of cats were euthanized, and only two were released back into thecommunitycatsleavingashelteralive,evenfriendlycats, community through TNVR. In 2023, after years of TNVRthough improving, remain abysmally low nationwide. efforts, only 44 cats were euthanized at PRC while 234 wereThe good news is that an increasing number of animal TNVRdthroughPRC,2,463wereTNVRdthroughsheltersare embracing humane policies for cats. Many are Harmony Vet Care and 4,492 through the Humane SocietysupportingcommunityTNVReffortsorcreatingTNVR of Tampa Bay.programs of their own. Colony cats can have dramatically improved lives afterTNVR (Trap Neuter Vaccinate Return) is the effective TNVR.Sterilizing the cats removes the risk of certain cancers,andhumaneapproachforcontrolofthepopulationand pyometra (infection of the uterus), pregnancy complicationshealth of stray and feral cats. Now in practice for decades in such as dystocia (babies stuck in the birth canal), fighting, andthe US, scientific studies show that Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate- wandering (leading to injuries such as being hit by a car).ItReturnimprovesthelivesofferalcats,improvestheir reduces the stress from mating and helps them gain and main-relationships with the community, and decreases the size of tainahealthyweight.TNVRcatsarevaccinatedagainstcolonies over time. rabies, and often other diseases such as viral rhinotracheitis,Numerousstudieshavebeendoneontheeffectsof calicivirus, and panleukopenia. 60THE NEW BARKER www.TheNewBarker.com'