Of all the zoonotic diseases, rabies is one of the most feared and misunderstood. Many discussions on rabies in the United States focus on feral cats; which misrepresents the issue, because studies show the main transmission of rabies to humans is from bats. The recent case of the 6-year-old boy dying in Florida after being scratched by a rabid bat illustrates the risk bats can pose. Bats are vital to our ecosystems as pollinator species and we should work to protect them and others from rabies.

Since the 1980s, the vast majority of human cases of rabies in the United States and Canada were from bats[1]. Bats and other species such as raccoons, skunks, and foxes are referred to as vector species, because they are the most common rabies carriers and pass the disease onto others. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported 23 cases of rabies in humans in the United States and Puerto Rico from January 2008-September 2017. Eleven of these cases were from bats and zero of these cases were from cats[2].

The risk of contracting rabies from bats may increase over time as climate change affects their range areas. As the temperatures get warmer, bats will expand their range, bringing the disease with them[3]. A study of over 200,000 bats found that 6-7% had rabies[4]. Rabies is a potentially fatal disease and our government should employ a robust, nonlethal program to combat rabies from bats. Bats make up 20% of the world’s mammals and are instrumental to the functioning of our ecosystems[5]. Similar to feral cats, efforts to eliminate rabies by killing bats would not only be cruel, but also ineffective, costly, and difficult to implement. Nonlethal control has proven to be more effective over the long term. Furthermore, programs to address climate change will help reduce the spread of rabies and will improve the overall health of our planet.

Alley Cat Rescue advocates for a three-step approach to nonlethal rabies control:

1. Implement widespread oral-vaccine immunization barriers for key wildlife vector species, primarily raccoons and skunks.
2. Continue to research rabies vaccines for bats[6].
2. Educate the public on steps to minimize human risk from contracting rabies from wildlife, including vaccinating outdoor cats and dogs and reporting sick bats to wildlife groups or the local health department. (Do not kill bats indiscriminately. They are a vital asset to our environment.)
3. Recognize and support the vaccination and nonlethal management of feral cat colonies as an effective and important part of a comprehensive rabies (and population) control program.


[1] De Serres, G., Dallaire, F., Cote, M. & Skowronski, D.M. (2008). Bat Rabies in the United States and Canada from 1950 through 2007: Human Cases with and without Bat Contact. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 46(9), 1329-1337.

[2] “Human Rabies.” N.d. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/location/usa/surveillance/human_rabies.html.

[3] Bazilchuk, N. (2005). “Warmer Weather May Bring Bats and Rabies.” Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 3(9), 464.

[4] Patyk, K., Turmelle, A., Blanton, J.D. & Rupprecht, C.E. (2012). “Trends in national surveillance data for bat rabies in the United States: 2001-2009.” Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 12(8), 666-673.

[5] “Arizona’s Bats”! N.d. Retrieved from https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/sce/grand-canyon-chapter/conservation/Bats%20and%20climate%20change.pdf.

[6] Stading, B., Ellison, J.A., Carson, W.C., Satheshkumar, P.S. & Rocke, T.E. (2017). “Protection of bats (Eptesicus fuscus) against rabies following topical or oronasal exposure to a recombinant raccoon poxvirus vaccine.” PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 11(10), e0005958.

Nearly one million healthy cats and kittens are euthanized annually at shelters across the country. Of these healthy cats, feral cats often face the bleakest outcome. This is because feral cats are born and raised in the wild and are generally unsocialized towards people. Feral cats are not good candidates for adoption; they often hide in the back of their cages and do not seek affection from people.

Thankfully, trap-neuter-return (TNR) provides an answer to a near certain death for feral cats. TNR involves trapping the cats, providing them with spay/neuter surgery and vaccinations, and returning them where they were found outside. The cats are ear-tipped to identify those who have gone through the TNR process. TNR’d cats will have a colony caregiver who will provide them with continued food, water, and veterinary care.

This method humanely handles cat overpopulation, while allowing the cats to live out their lives. TNR acknowledges that feral cats are unsuitable for indoor living and at the same time, helps shelters reduce their intake and euthanasia rates. Furthermore, the number of cats living in outdoor colonies will decrease over time because the cats can no longer reproduce.
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TNR is not only the most humane option but the most practical. Trap-and-kill plans have proven to be ineffective because these plans do not address the root problem of reproduction. A study in Tasmania found that killing feral cats actually led to an increase in population. Researchers stated that this was probably due to new individuals taking over the area after dominant cats were removed[1]. TNR is also much less costly than trap-and-kill plans. One reason TNR is more cost-effective is because it reduces shelter intake and shelter euthanasia, saving local governments’ time and resources. Lastly, TNR also helps curb problem behaviors such as wandering, howling, spraying, and fighting that eradication plans do not address; again, because TNR focuses on reproductive/mating issues.

TNR Reduces Shelter Intake and Euthanasia Rates

• After implementing TNR at The Fairfax County Animal Shelter in Virginia, the shelter noted a significant decrease in the number of feline offspring entering the shelter’s foster care program. The shelter saw a 58% decrease in the number of feral offspring in the shelter’s foster care program in 2011 versus in 2010.  In addition, foster data from 2008 through 2011 showed a 41% decrease in the number of bottle-fed kittens entering the shelter and a 9% decrease in the total number of kittens needing foster care when comparing 2010 to 2011[2]. 
• Arlington, Texas had a 48% decrease in cat intake at the Arlington Animal Shelter after implementing a TNR program[3].

• In Alachua County, Florida a TNR program led to a 70% decline in animal control cat intake in the targeted area and a 13% decline in other areas. Further, per capita shelter intake was 3.5 times higher and per capita shelter euthanasia was 17.5 times higher in the non-target area compared to the TNR target area[4].
• A TNR and spay/neuter voucher program resulted in a 50% increase in animals saved and a 50% decline in animals euthanized in Aiken County, South Carolina[5].
• In an 8 year period of implementing TNR, San Jose county shelter reduced its cat euthanasia rate from 66.6% down to 34.9%[6].

 
TNR Reduces Colony Size

• During an 11-year study at the University of Florida, the number of cats on campus declined by 66% after implementing TNR with no kittens being born after the first four years[7].
• The University of Texas at A&M began a TNR program and saw no kittens in the subsequent years and saw a decrease in cat-related complaints[8].
• The Stanford University Cat Network reduced its feral population from 1500 cats down to 300 over a ten-year period by implementing a campus TNR program[9].
• A city-wide TNR program decreased colony sizes in Rome, Italy by 21%, despite cat immigration (abandonment and spontaneous arrival)[10].

[1] Lazenby, B.T., Mooney, N.J. & Dickman, C.R. (2015). Effects of low-level culling of feral cats in open populations: a case study from the forests of southern Tasmania. Wildlife Research, 41(5), 407-420.

[2] Scott, E. (January 19, 2012). Trap, Neuter, Return Program Decreases Homeless Feral Cat Population. Retrieved https://springfield.wusa9.com/news/news/89821-trap-neuter-return-program-decreases-homeless-feral-cat-population.

[3] Trap-neuter-return. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.faastexas.org/.

[4] Levy, J.K., Isaza, N.M. & Scott, K.C. (2014). Effect of high-impact targeted trap-neuter-return and adoption of community cats on cat intake to a shelter. The Veterinary Journal, 201(3), 269-274.

[5] Cleveland, C. (March 24, 2017). FOTAS: ‘Rigorous’ community cat diversion program solution to shelter intake issue. Retrieved from https://www.aikenstandard.com/news/fotas-rigorous-community-cat-diversion-program-solution-to-shelter-intake/article_77140b66-0f1a-11e7-a197-af86f1a48d73.html.

[6] Edinboro, C., Watson, H. & Fairbrother, A. (2016). Association between a shelter-neuter-return program and cat health at a large municipal animal shelter. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 248(3), 298-308.

[7] Levy, J. K., Gale, D.W., and Gale, L.A. (2003). Evaluation of the effect of a long-term trap-neuter-return and adoption program on a free-roaming cat population. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 222(1), 42-46.

[8] Hughes, K.L. & Slater, M.R. (2002). Implementation of a feral cat management program on a university campus. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 5(1), 15-28.

[9] Trap-Neuter-Return. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.feralcats.com/tnr/.

[10] Natoli, Eugenia, et. al. (2006). Management of Feral Domestic Cats in the Urban Environment of Rome (Italy). Preventative Veterinary Medicine, 77, 180-185.