Today is National Feral Cat Day and I want to bring up something that the city of Los Angeles does not want to talk about. I am telling you this as a cautionary story, so that you will keep your eyes and ears open in case it ever happens where you live.
For a couple of decades, the city of Los Angeles worked with nonprofit cat rescues that did T-N-R (Trap, Neuter, Return) to help the large population of feral cats in the city. Then in 2009, some ill-informed but very outspoken members of bird groups decided this had to stop. They sneakily came up with a technicality, using the California Environmental Quality Act. These groups claimed that the city of L.A. did not follow the CEQA’s procedure before supporting TNR and that it needed to perform an environmental review to continue doing it. Unfortunately, these people managed to get a court ruling in their favor.
This did not make TNR illegal — in fact it is done every day here in the city of Los Angeles — but it did a lot to hamper TNR efforts. Groups like Fixnation, Stray Cat Alliance and Kitty Bungalow used to be able to get vouchers to help offset the costs of spaying and neutering ferals. This was no longer allowed. Cat rescue groups, big and small, had to scramble to get private funding for their TNR efforts. Los Angeles City animal control was not even allowed to discuss TNR with citizens. Residents of Los Angeles who go to the city with a feral cat problem are told basically that their only recourse is to have them killed, because that is exactly what happens to any feral that is brought into L.A.’s animal control facilities. Even if the city employees know about the groups that do TNR, they are not allowed to mention them as an alternative. Fortunately word does get around about the TNR groups, but a lot of people still don’t know they exist.
In a lot of ways, this ruling makes the feral cat problem worse because many compassionate humans don’t want to have feral cats in their neighborhood killed this way, and if these people don’t know about TNR, the cats will only multiply. And people who don’t care and just have them removed soon find that more cats take their place (the vacuum effect Alley Cat Allies speaks about). Ironically, you can cross the street from the city of Los Angeles to the city of Burbank (which is surrounded by L.A. city) and find animal control services that are much friendlier to feral cats.
This terrible problem has been going on here for nearly five years (in fact you can read Sparkle’s 2010 story about it here). There is a movement right now to make Los Angeles a no-kill city, but it won’t be complete until the issue about Los Angeles’ feral cats is solved.
Take some time today to find out what is happening with feral cats in your city, and make sure it does not happen in your own backyard!
Note: if you are a southern California resident, stop by the Angel City Brewery tonight — 216 S. Alameda, Los Angeles, 90012 — where Kitty Bungalow is having an art show and a walk-in cattery, where you can pet and play with some reformed feral kitties. It’s from 6:30 to 10:30 — you can find out more details here.
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That is INSANE! It’s so sad that sometimes ill-informed and ignorant people can cause such huge roadblock for those who are trying to do good. We hope that LA will soon be no-kill. We hope the same for our city!
What idiots!!! TNR Is best!!!
It sounds like some of the stupid stuff that has happened around here. Not in our county thankfully, but in the neighboring county a lady that feed the ferals was arrested and charged with hoarding because she was WORKING WITH THE HUMANE SOCIETY of SOUTH MISSISSIPPI to TNR the ferals in her neighborhood and she was the person designated to feed them. Her nasty neighbors called the police on her and told the police she was hoarding the cats. Harrison County has a limit on the # of cats you can own http://www.hssm.org/2012/12/10/justice-for-biloxi-friends-of-ferals/
We hope that they can change the peep’s minds in your city. We made a huge difference with our local shelter – they came by to see how well the ferals we cared for were doing and were impressed.
Unexceptable !
People who choose to kill, you are absolutely EVIL !!! PURE ONE !
That’s just insane. Taxpayers have a right to know.
That is truly appalling. There is so much harm done to animals around the world by so-called “animal rights group” who are nothing more than uniformed extremist idiots.
Ugh.. people are so.. *sigh*
Very disappointing to hear. Thanks for sharing.
TNR is an on-going battle here, with the TNR/rescue group I volunteer with continually going up against the various city governments. Luckily lots and lots of grants are available to help out with the low cost spay and neuter, and Barn Cat Buddies has received many throughout the years. Thanks for speaking out Summer. Good luck with changing things in LA. XOCK, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo
This is just awful, Summer! We’re dealing with a similar situation. As you know, one of our no-kill shelters was told by the Dep’t of Ag that they could no longer accept cats because they had close to 700 of them (FAR too many for their small space!! And the cities in our area do NOT support TNR. In fact, TNR cannot occur until they repeal LEASH LAWS! We’re working hard to get these laws overturned so that people who TNR and care for feral colonies aren’t in danger of being arrested for doing so “because they’ve broken the leash law”.
Paws crossed that sensible heads will rule and that we WILL be able to be the change for community cats. SOON!
It’s amazing that in this day and age, people think the only way to deal with the overpopulation of animals is to have them killed. It will have to be us who spreads the word about TNR. I know I am doing my part in my neck of the woods.
How terrible that they aren’t allowed to TELL anyone about TNR. Talk about crazy rules! We hope that a push for sane change succeeds.
This is just crazy! You’d think people would realize that TNR works and things would change back. Thanks for spreading the word Summer!
Pawsome post. I thought LA was leading the way with TNR and no kill. TW is working with a group that’s striving to make our county no-kill. The mayor of our town gave UCFCC $1000 to help offset the cost of the TNR so it only costs our residents $20 to get feral cats fixed. TW is working on catching the Maple Cats up the block. One is spayed and belongs to the owner of the liquor store but the other two aren’t.
Goodness, the T-N-R program was stopped due to a technicality without bothering or caring if the program works – only just because they can! Very sad.
Moe
Mindy
Cookie
Mike
It makes us sad and angry that there are humans who intentionally bring about such evil. We love that you and your human are speaking up about this!
Go Summer..Miss Sparkle would bes so proud of yous for speaking out and tellings the truths..Shames on bird peoples for causing kitties to bes kilt..My Mama says sometimes she ashamed of beings human cause they does such stoopid stuffs..
Yeah!! Mum is sitting here torn between tears and cheering you on Summer. Those b*****s (Mum said a very naughty word!!) Mumsays we ALL need to step up and let people know about ferals. They MATTER, they LIVE, they are OUR responsibility.
Thank you for a great post.
Phoebe
In my experience with the Farm cats they kill more rodents than birds
Everyone needs to out the bird-fanatic and anti-“invasive species” hate groups such as the Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy far and wide. Most people do not know that these groups have an agenda against cats and that they are flooding the mainstream media with their ignorant intolerant hate. Stop them! Education is power.
Too horrible and stupid, too. TNR is so good and now its treated like a bad idea. Sheesh:(
We are glad we live in an area where TNR is promoted.
It just sometimes makes your head hurt when knowing about all kinds of weird regulations and rules that are really against any human (or feline!) logic… Unfortunately the world is full of them…
That is awful. I thought L.A. would be more compassionate to the ferals.
Excellent article sweetie. We thought we knew the policy here in our city, but it was a few years ago that M got that information. She is going to make a couple of phone calls and find out how things are done now. Those bird people make us angry. M loves birds and feeds them, but there is room on this earth for birdies and feral cats too. We hope eventually there won’t be any feral cats left – that they will all have gone thru the TNR program and now live peacefully either in home with humans or in the wild yet – such as barn kitties. The bird group went way off on a tangent!!!!
We’re sad about LA and hope they “see the light” which the rest of us know shines on the powerful TNR program…………Thanks Summer!!
Hugs, sammy
thanks so much for this eye-opening post! We should all become more active in our own communities and check what is being done for ferals where we live! Thanks for the reminder!
Cruel and ridiculous! Well done for speaking out, Summer 🙂
Purrs xx
Athena and Marie
That’s just horrible Summer, and I’m glad you spoke out! (Of course, you don’t “stay silent” very often, my sweet little girlkitten! No muzzles on you–Sparkle would be proud!)
What’s going on in Los Angeles is too sad. TNR is a great program to help feral kitties.
SUMMER THAT IS ABSOLUTELY STUPID…BOO ON LA FOR BEING SO CARELESS.
HUGS MADI YOUR BFFF
Thank you so much Summer for bringing this up. So many people have no idea about this issue in Los Angeles. My human has been involved with TNR for several years in LA and it’s very frustrating that this issue can’t be resolved. And you are so right about LA trying to become a no kill city without this issue being addressed. TNR is the missing link and we will not ever be no kill without it!
Meow and Namaste!
Pippy the Feline Yogini
we will never understand why TNR can be so hated. you would think the “bird groups” would be all over population control…..
MOL at ‘Hannah and Lucy’ – poop on their pillows indeed. If the cats can’t be re-homed then TNR is a necessity – cats should not be roaming around outside – it’s not safe out there!
What a crazy situation. I’m so happy that there are still groups out there ready to help. I hope and purr that LA does become a no-kill city soon.
This is awful. So sad. TNR is such a good way to help with feral kitties.
Thanks for telling us about this.
That just proves that so many humans are absolute idiots!
Well, this is just plain stoopid. TNR works…and the word needs to be spread.
Darn it all, I didn’t know that today was feral cat day. Too much else going on here. That is awful about killing the feral cats. What is wrong with some people?? Makes me sick. Feral cats are just the best. I was just talking to my vet about them. They are not in the least bit mean and make great pets. I have lots of them here. Thanks for telling this story Summer as bad as it is. Feral cats get treated the same way here. You can’t put them in a shelter.
It is nuts that they can’t tell about TNR. we have a TNR program by my house and it has helped control the feral population by so much… it is a wonderful program
That’s nonsense ! TNR is one of the best answer to feral cats ! Purrs
The trouble with people in power is that they have nothing better to do than make things more difficult for others. We’d like to poop on their pillows.
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
It is sad that these people change rules due to ignorance.
It just means that other people must work harder to ensure the rights of cats
and other critters.
We purr that people ,working for TNR will prevail.
Purrs Georgia and Julie,
Treasure and JJ
We think that any group what arranges to have options (like TNR) “unmentionable” are hiding the truth and must have a weak argument.
When TBT moved here and set up a birdfeeder, there were only a couple of cardinals and no goldfinches. In spite of us very occasionally catching a bird, there are now 6 pairs of cardinals and a lot of goldfinches in our yard. We just catch the really dumb ones.
Isn’t MORE birds better to the birdy peoples?
That’s pretty ridiculous that the city employees can’t tell peeps about TNR.