evaluation of euthanasia and trap neuter return (tnr) programs.pdfVIP

CSIRO PUBLISHING www.publish.csiro.au/journals/wr Wildlife Research, 2009, 36, 117– 125 Evaluation of euthanasia and trap–neuter–return (TNR) programs in managing free-roaming cat populations Paige M. SchmidtA, D, Todd M. Swannack A, Roel R. Lopez A and Margaret R. Slater B,C A Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas AM University, 2258 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-2258, USA. BCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Texas AM University, 4458 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4458, USA. C Present address: Animal Services Program Office, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 1717 South Philo Ave, Suite 36, Urbana, IL 61802, USA. DCorresponding author. Email: pmhill@ Abstract. Global estimates of the number of domestic cats (Felis catus) are 400 million. Issues associated with free- roaming cats are of global importance because of animal-welfare and public-health concerns and impacts on native wildlife through predation, competition and disease transmission. In the United States, proposed control solutions for managing urban free-roaming cat populations include euthanasia and trap–neuter–return (TNR) programs. We evaluated control methods using a demographic population model for a 25-year period, with parameters estimated from an unmanaged, free-roaming cat population in Texas. We modelled euthanasia and TNR at 25%, 50% and 75% implementation rates and a 50 : 50 combination of euthanasia and TNR at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% implementation rates for 0%, 25% and 50% maximum immigration rates. We compared final population size, total number of cats treated and treatment effort relative to population reduction. Population decreases were comparable among euthanasia, TNR and a 50 : 50 combination for all treatment rates when the immigrat