The Cat Patrol

By Charles Martin

Feral, or free-roaming, cats on the campus of Auburn University are being trapped, operated on, and then set free again — all in an effort to control their population and keep away the off-campus strays.

Yet the participating Auburn veterinarians and students realize that many people will question the procedure at first, before learning of its advantage over the traditional approach of euthanasia.

“The trap-neuter-return method works much better because cats are territorial and if they are removed, more cats from off-campus simply move into their places,” said Dr. Brenda Griffin, assistant professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Scott-Ritchey Research Center.

These unowned cats are the wild offspring of domestic cats and are the result of students and other pet owners abandoning or failing to spay or neuter their cats, allowing them to breed uncontrollably.

To combat the problem, the university recently accepted a proposal by Dr. Griffin and veterinary student Kelly Hume to apply the trap-neuter-return program. The costs, which Dr. Griffin says are minimal, are covered by the Scott Ritchey Research Center for items such as traps, suture material and sterile gloves.

The program is endorsed by the American Veterinary Medical Association and has already proven effective at other universities, says Hume.

“Since cats are territorial, the on-campus ones that we spay and neuter will keep other cats away,” Hume said. “This way we can keep the population from increasing. It stabilizes the colonies and also eliminates the annoying behaviors associated with breeding, while providing the best possible lives for the cats themselves.”

At least eight colonies of feral cats have been identified on Auburn University’s main campus, ranging from four to 20 cats per colony.

“Some colonies have caretakers and some degree of management, but others have no caretakers and are breeding prolifically,” Hume said. “The people who help feed some of these colonies have said they are ready for us to help, and they are excited for our assistance with the unmanaged colonies.”

The College of Veterinary Medicine began a trap-neuter-return program on its campus in January 2000 to help control the feral cats that have taken up residence around barns and other facilities.

During the winter and spring quarters, veterinary students trapped cats over the weekends, and Dr. Griffin performed spay and neuter surgeries on Monday evenings. In all, eight males and seven females were spayed or neutered and released. In addition, three kittens were tamed and are in the process of being adopted into homes.

“We have had generous support from veterinary drug companies, so we have been able to test each cat for feline leukemia virus, and to provide each cat with vaccinations and flea and parasite control,” Dr. Griffin said. “We plan to do this on main campus as well.”

She added that plans are underway to work with Auburn’s pre-vet club to educate students about responsible cat ownership and the importance of spaying and neutering.