Feeding ban laws are an ineffective and cruel attempt to manage feral cat populations! The following information is adapted from the nation's leading advocate for feral cats, Alley Cat Allies.
Feeding bans do not work: Starving cats by prohibiting people from feeding them does not work because other food sources are always available. Cats are scavengers by nature ... they find food in garbage cans and dumpsters. If they have been fed on a consistent basis they can become dependent on their caregivers for food. To abrubtly disrupt this care is cruel and can lead to death of some cats. However they will not simply disappear because compassionate people can no longer legally feed them.
Feeding bans encourage cats to roam: When cats must scavenge for food, they leave their home territory and become more visible to the public. This causes more calls to animal control -- often the very thing the ban is supposed to reduce!
Feeding bans discourage organized TNR programs which are the only scientifically proven approach to stablizing feral cat populations. Scientific studies have given clear evidence that only TNR programs are effective in ending the breeding cycle while improving cats' health and eliminating mating behavior such as fighting and roaming.
Feeding bans punish compassionate caregivers who are actually trying to improve living conditions for the entire community of both cats and people. More than 250 organizations nationwide, including Catlink, are dedicated to improving the lives of stray and feral cats. In addition, many thousands of Americans invest their own money and time toward the same goal. Feeding bans force these volunteer caregivers to work in secrecy.
Feeding bans cannot be truly enforced. Compassionate people will continue to help cats.
Feeding bans ignore the root cause of the problem. Cat colonies and their caregivers need affordable spay/neuter services. Feeding bans only punish and detract focus from making services available that will actually help.
Please join Alley Cat Allies, Catlink and hundreds of other organizations in educating community leaders about the futility of feeding bans and encourage them to support effective trap-neuter-return methods.
Feeding bans encourage cats to roam: When cats must scavenge for food, they leave their home territory and become more visible to the public. This causes more calls to animal control -- often the very thing the ban is supposed to reduce!
Feeding bans discourage organized TNR programs which are the only scientifically proven approach to stablizing feral cat populations. Scientific studies have given clear evidence that only TNR programs are effective in ending the breeding cycle while improving cats' health and eliminating mating behavior such as fighting and roaming.
Feeding bans punish compassionate caregivers who are actually trying to improve living conditions for the entire community of both cats and people. More than 250 organizations nationwide, including Catlink, are dedicated to improving the lives of stray and feral cats. In addition, many thousands of Americans invest their own money and time toward the same goal. Feeding bans force these volunteer caregivers to work in secrecy.
Feeding bans cannot be truly enforced. Compassionate people will continue to help cats.
Feeding bans ignore the root cause of the problem. Cat colonies and their caregivers need affordable spay/neuter services. Feeding bans only punish and detract focus from making services available that will actually help.
Please join Alley Cat Allies, Catlink and hundreds of other organizations in educating community leaders about the futility of feeding bans and encourage them to support effective trap-neuter-return methods.
