BEFORE we talk about stray animals, let us first define what they are first. They community/stray cat or dog with no identified owner falling away from a behavioral range related to socialising with humans. It is born in the wild, or as a lost or abandoned pet.
It is routinely fed by certain people whereby a “home” is within the community rather than a single household.
Now with the stray population getting overwhelming, many are suggesting various ways to tackle the issue; albeit some being cruel.
Here I would to suggest to the authorities to embrace the “Trap Neuter Return (TNR)” system. The basic idea of this concept is simple. We capture a stray, take it to a veterinarian, vaccinate it, neuter or spay it and return it back to where we found it.
The benefits of the TNR programme are as follows:
- TNR can stabilise and reduce the stray population.
- It can address the needs of communities and improve interaction between these strays and humans.
- It is a humane and effective alternative to euthanasia, relocation or disposal
- It can save lives and reduce the number of strays entering animal shelters.
In addition to being humane, TNR is also cost-effective compared to the removal, euthanasia and relocation strategies practiced by several of our local councils.
Plus, the strategy also works in keeping the environment healthy. For example, a stray cat not only hunts down rodents, they also prey on other species such as birds, which helps keep both the latter population down and prevent diseases from spreading.
Population Stabilisation and Reduction
Research has shown that the TNR process works. Over time, the stray population managed through this process will decline. The method also makes it possible to remove kittens and potentially, social adults from stray colonies and get them adopted to homes.
We also have to understand that most times, people are the ones who cause the stray population to multiply.
When we abandon our pets, they tend to reproduce in their new settings without control. Worse, we ditch them without spaying or neutering them. With their offspring not being in contact with humans, they become “less social” and have lesser chance of getting adopted.
Hence, supporting TNR’s efforts allows strays to escape “shelter stress” as we will be returning them to their “original habitats”. Animal shelters usually have issues dealing with feral strays because these animals are often unsocialised and wary of human presence.
Therefore, placing these strays in shelters cause unnecessary stress to them, leading to illness and often result, in euthanasia. It is to note that places which adopt the TNR system see lesser intake of strays in animal shelters.
Therefore, I urge our local councils and the public to adopt the following:
- Provide TNR services to deal with stray population
- Support local TNR efforts in partnership with community members.
- Place a microchip on pets so that we can reunite them with their families in case they get lost somewhere.
- Recognise the left ear tilt as a universal sign of a cat that has already gone through the TNR process and proceed to the ear tip and tattoo during TNR process.
- Evaluate young kittens from feral colonies and attempt to socialise them with humans so as to find homes for the young ones.
- Accept human-socialised strays and poorly socialised kittens at shelters for adoption later on.
Manjit Singh is the Kuala Lumpur Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) head of environmental bureau.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
