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Feral Cat Population Explosion in Suffolk County, New York - A Threat to the Public Health, Pets and Wildlife.
by W.Giebel, B.S. M.A.

Introduction

Based upon repeated field observations in Suffolk County , I have observed that the feral cat population is expanding at an alarming rate.
Feral cats represent a significant health hazard to the communities in which they are found as they are vectors for a host of diseases transmitted to the human population. These diseases include rabies and toxoplasmosis.
Feral cats destroy native wildlife species.
Misguided people feeding, ranching and otherwise subsidizing these cats are a large part of the problem.

Rabies

Feral cats are a nonnative species. Feral cats are not wildlife. This species of cat is thought to have originally come from Africa.

Rabies is a fatal disease in humans. Feral cats on Long Island routinely interact with Long Island's raccoon populations at natural food sources, human garbage/food supplies and feeding stations set up by feral cat support groups. Long Island's raccoon population is currently carrying rabies. seventy one rabid raccoons have been discovered in Suffolk County since 2004. Feral cats are known to carry rabies.

"Raccoon rabies entered the New York State in the 1990's. A total of 57,000 specimens were sent to New York State Laboratory from 1993-1998. Sixteen percent of the animals were rabid. Over eighteen thousand persons received post exposure treatment for rabies during this period at a cost between $1000-4200 per person. 13.9 million dollars was spent state wide on rabies control/prevention activities. Reported animal rabies cases in the United States have increased dramatically since 1990 in association with raccoon rabies epizootic in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern states. In 1991, New York State accounted for 14% of all reported rabid animals in the U.S. An estimated 16,000-39,000 persons /year are receiving post exposure treatment for rabies annually in the U.S.

(http://www.medscape.comPublic - Health impact of reemergence of rabies in New York. 2002). The United States spends approximately 560 million dollars annually in rabies control and prevention. ( http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheet...

Developing nations suffer tens of thousands of deaths annually from rabies. Asia suffers approximately 31,000 and Africa approximately 24,000 annually. The reason the United States avoids similar or greater numbers of fatalities is twofold.

1) The United States has a well developed hospital/ treatment system.

2) The United States has actively controlled feral animal populations known to carry rabies.

RABIES IN FERAL CATS

Rabies cases in feral cats are usually twice or three times more numerous than dog or cattle populations. Feral cats are a significant vector of rabies. Rabies cases in feral cats have increases over eight percent and is growing. Because more rabies cases are reported annually in cats (299 in 2002) than dogs, the United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) advocates rabies vaccinations for all pet cats.

(http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/Ep...

TOXOPLASMOSIS IN FERAL CATS

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease spread by feral cats.

"On average in the U.S., one out of a thousand babies is born with toxoplasmosis each year. But that doesn't tell the whole story. The March of Dimes reports that up to 90% of infected babies appear normal at birth, and 55-85% of them develop symptoms months to years later, suffering from eye infections, hearing loss, and learning disabilities." (http://nwco.net/o44-wildlifeDiseases/4-4...

Toxoplasmosis is passed by an infected mother to the fetus.

"Pathogenesis: The fetus is infected hematogenously via the placenta during parasitemia in the mother. Ocular toxoplasmosis causes irreversible damage to the retina in utero. The fetus and infant mount inflammatory responses that may contribute to ocular damage (2).

Diagnosis: The classic triad of signs suggestive of congenital toxoplasmosis includes chorioretinitis, intracranial calcifications and hydrocephalus. However, most infants infected in utero are born with no obvious signs of toxoplasmosis on routine examination, but many develop learning and visual disabilities later in life. If untreated, congenital toxoplasmosis can be associated with severe and even fatal disease. Another findings include microcephaly, encephalomyelitis, seizures, mental retardation, ascites and hepatosplenomegaly. Although the diagnosis used to be made by serologic techniques and cultures, it can now be done with polymerase chain reaction detection of Toxoplasmosis gondii in fetal tissues." (http://www.thefetus.net/page.php?id=156). Toxoplasmosis is now suspected in causing schizophrenia in children and adults. (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol9no11/0...

Severe mental retardation in children and hydrocephalus are caused in children by the parasite. Toxoplasmosis can be fatal in humans. Typically one could expect up to 750 fatalities annually in the US from the disease. Many adults go undiagnosed as the symptoms can mimic a mild flu, thus pregnant females are unaware of the risk to their fetuses.

Toxoplasmosis is spread by dehydrated cat urine and feces. The dust or wind blown soil/sand carrying these cat products is infectious.

Cat feces and urine introduced into coastal waters may aid in the transmission of toxoplasmosis to human swimmers and their pets. Feral cat colonies along California coasts are blamed for large sea otter die off.

A parasite carried by cats is killing off sea otters, a veterinary specialist has told a major US science conference. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/natur...

Feral cats are known to act as reservoirs for the following vectors and diseases transmittable to humans and their pets.

H5N1 bird flu, ringworm, Lyme disease, ticks, fleas, mites, Chlamydiosis, Campylobacter, Salmonella, cat scratch fever, distemper, roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, bubonic plague, Brucellosis.

FERAL CATS DECIMATE WILDLIFE

Feral cats are a nonindiginous (nonnative) predator of small mammals , birds , rodents, insects, lizards, reptiles , amphibians, fish and turtles. Feral cats are carnivores , they are meat eaters. An ever increasing population of feral cats is now estimated to exceed 40 million cats in the US. This population is being subsidized by cat support groups. Conservation biologists worldwide recognize the feral cats as being one of the most destructive animals that has been introduced to ecosystems by the human population.

Feral cats are directly responsible for a large percentage of global extinctions, particularly on islands. We reviewed feral cat eradication programs with the intent of providing information for future island conservation actions. Most insular cat introductions date from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, whereas successful eradication programs have been carried out in the last 30 years, most in the last decade. Globally, feral cats have been removed from at least 48 islands: 16 in Baja California (Mexico), 10 in New Zealand, 5 in Australia, 4 in the Pacific Ocean, 4 in Seychelles, 3 in the sub-Antarctic, 3 in Macaronesia (Atlantic Ocean), 2 in Mauritius, and 1 in the Caribbean. The majority of these islands (75%; n= 36) are small (=5 km2). The largest successful eradication campaign took place on Marion Island (290 km2), but cats have been successfully removed from only 10 islands (21%) of =10 km2. On Cousine Island (Seychelles) cat density reached 243 cats/km2, but on most islands densities did not exceed 79.2 cats/km2 (n= 22; 81%). The most common methods in successful eradication programs were trapping and hunting (often with dogs; 91% from a total of 43 islands). Frequently, these methods were used together. Other methods included poisoning (1080; monofluoracetate in fish baits; n= 13; 31%), secondary poisoning from poisoned rats (n= 4; 10%), and introduction of viral disease (feline panleucopaenia; n= 2; 5%). Impacts from cat predation and, more recently, the benefits of cat eradications have been increasingly documented. These impacts and benefits, combined with the continued success of eradication campaigns on larger islands, show the value and role of feral cat eradications in biodiversity conservation. However, new and more efficient techniques used in combination with current techniques will likely be needed for success on larger islands.

(http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs...

Feral and free-ranging cats kill millions of native birds and other small animals annually;

Birds constitute approximately 20%-30% of the prey of feral and free-ranging domestic cats;
The American Ornithologists' Union, American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians, International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc., and the Cooper Ornithological Society have concluded that feral, homeless, lost, abandoned, or free-ranging domestic cats are proven to have serious negative impacts on bird populations, and have contributed to the decline of many bird species. Worldwide, cats may have been involved in the extinction of more bird species than any other cause, except habitat destruction;
Feral cat colony management programs known by the acronym TTVNR (Trapped, Tested, Vaccinated, Neutered, Released) are not effective solutions to the problem. In fact, these cat colonies are usually fed by very well-meaning cat welfare groups. The unnatural colonies form around food sources and grow to the limits of the food supply. Feeding these strays does not prevent them from hunting; it only maintains high densities of cats that dramatically increase predation on and competition with native wildlife populations;
Free-roaming cats are likely to come in contact with rabid wild animals and thus spread the disease to people. They pose a risk to the general public through transmission of other diseases like toxoplasmosis, feline leukemia, distemper, and roundworm.(http://www.audubon.org/local/cn/98march/...
"Ron Jurek, a wildlife biologist for the California Department of Fish and Game, has kept a close eye on the impact feral and free-roaming domestic cats have on native species, like the California least tern, a federal endangered bird that nests along the coast. "Cats do kill wildlife to a significant degree, which is not a popular notion with a lot of people," he said. In urban areas, he said, there are hundreds of cats per square mile (1.6 square kilometers)-more cats than nature can support. Exact numbers are unknown, but some experts estimate that each year domestic and feral cats kill hundreds of millions of birds, and more than a billion small mammals, such as rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks. Feline predators are believed to prey on common species, such as cardinals, blue jays, and house wrens, as well as rare and endangered species, such as piping plovers and Florida scrub jays. For more than ten years, Jurek says, feral and domestic cats have been a persistent problem in California, killing one or two colonies of least terns each year. The small white birds are part of an intense monitoring program with a tremendous number of volunteers who watch the colonies throughout the six-month nesting season." (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/...

Releasing feral cats into the wild or into neighborhoods is a very bad idea. Releasing any cat will result in continued predation by the cat for the lifetime of the cat. Studies indicate a single feral cat may kill a hundred wild prey items annually. Additionally, these released animals act as vectors for a host of diseases known to be transmitted to people. (http://biology.usgs.gov/pierc/Fact_Sheet...

TRAPPING, NEUTERING, RELEASING DOES NOT REDUCE CAT POPULATIONS AND DOES NOT MITIGATE THE RISK POSED BY THE CATS TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH, WILDLIFE, LIVESTOCK AND PETS.

Trapping and returning cats to cat colonies only returns the animals to a life of deprivation, pain and disease. Releasing cats in any condition is a dangerous behavior and cannot be considered humane treatment. Trapped cats, unsuited for adoption, should be humanely and painlessly euthanized at properly equipped shelters. Ferals, once trapped, become trap shy and are nearly impossible to retrap for time sensitive and costly revaccinations. Ingrid Newkirk of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals states:
"In theory, the sterilization of feral cat populations could be acceptable under the right circumstances. But finding the right circumstances can be problematic. Ingrid Newkirk, national director of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), says this method is acceptable as long as the cats are 1) isolated from roads, people, and other animals who could harm them; 2) constantly attended to by people who not only feed them but care for their medical needs; and 3) lodged in an area where the weather is constantly temperate. As Newkirk says, "I don't think this kind of place exists in America."
Newkirk worked in animal control for 16 years. In that time, she saw a lot of feral cats. "The ones I picked up always had something wrong with them--they just can't get along in a concrete society." Newkirk is not an advocate of the neuter-and-release method. She believes, as does The Humane Society of the U.S., that euthanasia, although unpopular, is the best solution to the problem.

"The usual responsibility we have for pet cats is suspended when it comes to ferals. It's not responsible to leave a child on the railroad tracks and walk away. It's not responsible to essentially do the same thing to cats by re-releasing them to the streets, even if they're neutered. You have to play God whether you neuter and release or euthanize. It's a matter of responsibility."

Newkirk believes that part of the reason why those who neuter and release are so vehement that their methods are preferable is because they don't see what eventually happens to their charges. The feeders see the cats at feeding time. If one or more doesn't show up, they may miss the animal, but they don't see what has happened to him or her. "They are operating in a bit of a vacuum," she says. "The caretakers don't realize that if the cats aren't there, something bad happened to them. They're not on holiday in the Bahamas."

Because animal control officers often do see what happens to these cats, they know what their fates are. The animal control officer [ACO] picks up the cats after they've been hit by cars, ingested poison, succumbed to illness, or suffered a terrible injury. Newkirk advises ACOs not to "ignore the many experiences they've had--the many bad endings that these animals meet." She wants to encourage those in shelters who must deal with this problem: "You are doing the right thing. And a lot of people think you are. I wouldn't have believed that life for cats is as hard as it is if I hadn't seen it for myself."
(http://www.dfg.ca.gov/hcpb/species/nuis_...

Feral cat colonies are not eliminated by Trap, Neuter, Release ( TNR) method. The colonies persist and the threats the cats impose remain intact. The presence and notoriety of the colonies encourages people to abandon cats at the colony instead of driving unwanted animals to approved municipal shelters. Cat colonies are exasperating the situation.

A Florida International University study fails to support beliefs held by cat colony proponents that: 1) cats are territorial and will prevent additional cats from joining the colony, 2) cat colonies decline in size over time through natural processes; and 3) well-fed cats do not kill wildlife. Two cat colonies in Miami-Dade County (Crandon Marina and A.D. Barnes Park) were observed by masters student Dan Castillo for 13 months. The number of cats in each colony remained relatively stable (with approximately 91 cats at Crandon and 37 cats at Barnes), but the population dynamics changed. Almost every month, some cats disappeared and new cats joined the colonies. Adult cats and kittens were abandoned at each park during the study, despite state and county laws making it illegal to abandon any animals in these areas. Cats that had not been spayed or neutered were observed at both sites, and some were not trapped for several months. Other cats were never captured. At Crandon, several females became pregnant and two of them gave birth in the park.(http://www.abcbirds.org/cats/states/flor...

Feral cat populations do not effectively control unwanted rodent populations. Releasing cats will not improve the public health by eliminating disease transmitting rodents.

However, wildlife and rodent control experts indicate that cats do not provide effective rodent control in the majority of cases (see Pork Industry Fact Sheet 107). Indeed mouse and rat colonies can be found living in hog farm buildings in close association with barn cats. The only truly effective means to reduce and control mouse and rat problems on hog farms involves debris removal, excellent sanitation, proper feed storage and handling, and routine use of bait stations with approved rodenticides (http://www.ext.vt.edu/news/periodicals/l...

Managers of feral cat colonies impose their cats on the public without properly informing the public of the health risks. These risks are clearly and repeatedly expressed by the cat support groups web pages. Feral cat support groups recommend the following safety precautions when interacting with feral cats. It is interesting to note that these cat groups have no program for warning residents living near the coloniescat ranches of the health risks the cats pose to the managers.community. The Alley Cat Allies and Feral Cat Coalition recommend that the followingcat ranchers should " Wear padded gloves, a shirt or jacket with long thick sleeves, and perhaps most important , get a pre-exposure rabies vaccination.

(http://www.feral cat.com/hcffc.html) There is never been a program installed with the cat ranches to inform people of basic protective measures, no children or resident living near the colonycat ranches or exposed to the cats are issued the warning. Note the clear and concise rabies precaution in the statement. These feral cat support groups are aware of the rabies danger.

Wear padded gloves, a shirt or jacket with long, thick sleeves, and perhaps most important, get a pre-exposure rabies vaccination (http://www.feralcat.com/hcffc.html)

Review and conclusions

1) Feral cats are not a wildlife species.

2) Feral cats are a vector for many diseases. These diseases infect people, live stock and pets and represent a significant public health hazard.

3) Although the threat of rabies infection remains low in the US , this is due to the expenditure of over 560 million dollars annually to check this disease.

4) Rabies is reemerging in the US and the number of rabid animals is increasing.

5) Feral cats are twice as likely to be rabid when compared to feral dogs.

6) A long list of diseases and parasites are carried by feral cats and are able to infect people and their pets.

6) Biologists worldwide recognize the feral cat as a nuisance, pest species responsible for extinction and destruction of native wildlife.

7) Biologists worldwide are eradicating and attempting to eradicate feral cat populations to preserve damaged wildlife populations being predated upon and destroyed by feral cats. These efforts have included and currently include islands in US.

8) Feral cats continue to hunt even when fed and may kill a hundred wildlife prey items per year.

9) Trap, neuter, release (TNR) does not work effectively to reduce cat populations and simply leaves cats at large in the community. Feeding cats subsidizes their dietary requirements and reduces natural mortality rates thereby increasing the total numbers of cats in an area. Trap, neuter and abandon is a more accurate description of the behavior.

10) Feral cats populations do not act as an effective rodent control.

11) Releasing feral cats back into communities is a death sentence in most cases and exposes the cat to a short life of pain and suffering. PETA supports euthanizing ferals in most cases as it recognizes the inhumanity of abandoning cats in any condition.

12) Feral cat eradication is a laudable goal for any community and is part of a municipal governments responsibility to protect the public heath and biodiversity enjoyed by tax payers. This a clear and historic responsibility of local governments regardless of the behavior of a small minority of cat supporters.

13) Cat support groups are a major part of the problem in setting up and supporting feral cat colonies in parks and on private property. Feral cat support groups badger, harass, propagandize and threaten politicians to achieve their goals of establishing " No Kill" policies in municipal animal shelters and fraudulently " adopting " cats scheduled for euthanasia at the shelters. These fraudulently adopted cats are then releases en mass into feral colonies set up in the community further exasperating efforts to control feral cat populations. Cat support groups lobby politicians continuously for taxpayer's money to purchase food and gasoline to support their colonies.

14) Humanly trapping and euthanizing unadoptable feral cats is the only permanent, cost effective and proven solution to effectively reducing the risk posed by the animals. This has been and should remain the historic solution to protecting the public health and our biodiversity.

15) Local laws preventing "feeders" from feeding cats on government owned lands is a necessary first step in reducing feral cat numbers and the negative impacts they have on communities.

Sample Ordinance

ORDINANCE #______

AN ORDINANCE PROHIBITING THE FEEDING OF FERAL

CATS ON COUNTY PROPERTY

WHEREAS, the Suffolk County Legislature has determined that there are an undetermined number of feral cats in the county , feral cats being otherwise known as wild, stray, unowned individuals of the species Felis domestica, and

WHEREAS, the Suffolk county Legislature has determined that feral cats may pose a health risk to humans and domestic animals in the County of Suffolk , and

WHEREAS, the Suffolk County Legislature has determined that no person should be allowed to feed feral cats on County property,

NOW, THEREFORE, the Suffolk County Legislature, State of New York, does ordain as follows:

3) 1. It is unlawful for any person to feed feral cats on any property owned by the County of Suffolk.

4) 2. Any person who violates the provisions of this Ordinance shall be guilty of an infraction and shall be fined in a sum not to exceed Three Hundred Dollars ($300.00).

This Ordinance shall become effective five days after its passage, approval, and publication in the manner provided by law.

DATED

Signed: ___________________________________

-- posted by james50