A National No Kill Standard for Feral Cats

No Kill Solutions
P.O. Box 74926
San Clemente, CA 92673
www.nokillsolutions.com

Do Feral Cats Have a Right to Live?
A National No Kill Standard for Feral Cats

[Excerpt]
The humane movement makes many assumptions about feral cats, the quality of their lives, and how they should be treated. These assumptions, however, do not hold up under scrutiny and result in treating feral cats in ways that are in direct conflict with principles that should guide policies of shelters and animal welfare groups—principles which we advocate on behalf of other animals.

This article analyzes those assumptions in order to distill what those fundamental principles should be as it relates to the “cousin” of the most popular pet in America—the feral cat.

[Excerpt]
We have surely come a long way in the world of TNR from the point of view that “ownerless animals must be destroyed. It is as simple as that.” If anything should be simple, it is this: Unless they are sick or injured, with a poor prognosis for recovery, feral cats should never be executed. Caveats about location, proximity to wildlife, landowner opinions, and local ordinances are not relevant to the life and death calculus. They may play a part in where the cat is released, but not whether he or she should die. A No Kill plan which does not thoroughly address the unique nature and needs of feral cats and preserve their lives cannot, by definition, be No Kill.

A No Kill community must include a commitment to TNR. But that is only the first step. Since feral cats are the offspring of abandoned pets and are thriving, and since—as a general rule—feral cats are entering shelters relatively healthy and robust, then it is clear that they are doing well, with or without a caretaker. And while there are counter-examples, as there are with all animals, this is no reason to enact an unreasonable double standard for feral cats since we do not advocate death for all friendly stray cats.

[Excerpt]
From the No Kill position, the rights of feral cats are self-evident. These may not be legal rights, but they are fundamental to the No Kill position. And they include the right to life and the right to live in their habitats. And the right to have the animal welfare community fight to protect both. This position is no different than our views about habitat protection for raccoons and other animals.

And that is why our approach to TNR must include a platform which promotes the right of feral cats to their habitat, wherever that may be, and a right to their very existence, independent of their relationship to humans. They are animals who share our communities and whose needs must be accommodated.

[Excerpt]
Caught Between Two Worlds. Just like feral cats occupy a unique niche between wild and domestic, they also occupy a gray zone in the law. For many cats, their status as “domestic” animals means certain death in shelters. But wild animals tend to fare little better.

In those states where it is allowed, wildlife is subjected to trapping, poisoning and hunting, particularly if they are an unprotected species. Feral cats, in essence, are caught between two anachronistic world views. If they are legally domestic, they are subject to mass slaughter in shelters by the humane movement. If they are legally wild, they are subject to killing by hunting, trapping, and poisoning.

The feral cat, in this case, is a grim reminder of how far we have yet to go—as a humane movement and as a society.

This article is available as a downloadable pdf file from the website www.nokillsolutions.com.