Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Animal Control: Dr. David Reed, left, spays a feral cat while registered veterinarian technician Mary Sullivan monitors the cat's heart rate. During the surgery, the cat's right ear tip is docked so that it can be identified as having already been spayed.
Trapping feral cats for spaying and neutering essential, experts say
Neighbors give time and money to trap, feed, spay and neuter wild animals
By Erin Mayes
Sarah Kensler is a novice cat trapper. In fact, she's been trapping cats for about three weeks now and has managed to catch more than 10 by leaving food in humane traps in her neighbors' backyards.
These cats are not common house pets, and one would be wise to steer clear of them rather than attempt to scratch them behind the ears. They are feral cats that scrounge for food wherever they can get it, and of real concern is the fact that they are responsible for the large cat population in the Bay Area.
That is why dozens of Silicon Valley residents have taken to trapping the wild animals and bringing them to veterinary clinics that participate in programs that partially subsidize the spaying and neutering of feral cats.
David Reed, a veterinarian at Campbell's Bascom Animal Hospital, 2175 S. Bascom Ave., said he spays and neuters 20 to 25 cats per week.
"What exists out there is this huge feral cat population," Reed said. "It replicates upon itself. They breed, they have more. With the help of the public in trapping these cats, we're making a huge dent in this population."
Reed said it's important to minimize the feral cat population because many of the animals starve to death or get killed by predators. Another important factor is disease--wild cats may have feline leukemia or feline AIDS, which could spread among feral cat colonies and eventually to house cats. Each time he spays or neuters a cat, Reed checks for these two diseases. If the cat tests positive, he euthanizes it.
Another problem with feral cats is that they sometimes end up in fights with domesticated cats, which are not adapted to the wild and not as capable of defending themselves, Reed said.
The doctor said rabies is not a huge concern with feral cats, but it could definitely exist in some colonies.
The Bascom clinic has been participating in the Santa Clara County Feral Cat Spay and Neuter program for a little more than a year now, and Reed, who has been a veterinarian for almost 30 years, said this is his way of giving back to the community.
He believes, however, he doesn't deserve all of the credit for his involvement in helping to decrease the feral cat population.
"If there's credit to be given in a situation like this, it's to the trappers," Reed said. "They get nothing for doing it."
Trappers have to pay for the rental or purchase of traps, which can be pricey. Oftentimes, renting the traps involves a refundable payment of anywhere from $40 to $70 and a daily rental fee of up to $5. Sometimes the trappers even help pay for the spaying and neutering, which, at full price, is almost $200.
Kensler's boyfriend recently brought six feral cats to the Bascom clinic and paid the full price for at least one operation.
Kensler, a Los Gatos resident, works in the high-tech industry as a human resources representative and said she puts in about 60 work hours per week. An avid animal lover, she said trapping cats makes her feel like she's helping out the community and distracts her mind from work.
"It's so easy to get caught up in your work," Kensler said. "So it's good to be able to concentrate on something else. I've always been interested in trying to take care of ferals because there are so many of them in our neighborhood."
Whereas most cat trappers release feral cats back into their colonies after they've been spayed or neutered, Kensler managed to find someone who owns several acres of land in the Almaden Valley and is willing to have the cats released on her property. This way, she can be sure the cats will receive food and water.
So far, Kensler's method of trapping ferals has been to encourage her neighbors to supply food and water to any cats they notice in their yards. Once the cats are somewhat accustomed to human presence, she places a trap in the yard, and the animals usually enter the cage in search of food.
"The help and support of neighbors is just essential to this being successful," she said. "I'm traipsing around their backyards at 11 o'clock at night and seven in the morning, and they're so accommodating."
Kensler said many people have asked her how she knows if a cat is feral or domesticated.
"A lot of pet owners now are including a microchip in between the shoulders of their cats," she said. "In the event when a cat doesn't have a microchip or a collar and it's just been hanging around people's backyards, it's most likely feral."
Other telltale signs of feral cats are their appearance and behavior. Their fur is often ratty and dirty, and they will usually run for cover when approached. If they sense that they are being threatened, they will attack.
"I got attacked pretty badly," Kensler said. "That was just in my naive stage when I was trying to put some water in a cage and one of the mothers was just coming off her anesthesia."
Reed stressed that these cats are wild animals in every sense of the word.
"There's an art, if not a science, to being able to anesthetize the animals," he said. "Occasionally one will escape the trap and a chase will ensue."
One problem that both Reed and Kensler mentioned is that not enough people are having their domestic cats spayed and neutered.
Campbell, California
