One of the biggest hurdles to effective cat management is a lack of evidence-based approaches in Australia. Without targeted programs, resources are directed into the wrong areas and are wasted. The intake rates for cats remain steady and the killing goes on year after year, unabated.
A study has been published in this month’s Australian Veterinary Journal, ‘Cat admissions to RSPCA shelters in Queensland, Australia: description of cats and risk factors for euthanasia after entry’.
The study details 33,736 cats entering RSPCA Queensland shelters, from July 2006 to June 2008.
(One of the interesting factors of cat management in the state of Queensland, is that their tropical climate sees the kitten season extended by several months. They are known for moving kittens to other RSPCA shelters to place them.)
The results were as follows…
Of 33,736 cats admitted;
– 46% were adult cats, 3 months and older (15,492 cats)
– 54% were kittens, 
When this data is presented another way – we can see that there is nearly twice as many lost and stray cats being processed through the shelters (about 20,000), than owner surrenders (about 13,000).
The most likely outcome for these cats and kittens was to be killed (65%), followed by adoption (30%) – with just 894 (3%) of the cats reclaimed.
Just 13% of the 894 reclaimed cats were actually microchipped, suggesting that microchips are an almost insignificant factor when it comes to managing shelter cat populations.
Management of excess domestic cats in Australian society is a financial burden to the community, with local government spending an estimated A$82 million annually on management strategies. It is estimated that more than A$180 million is spent annually by animal welfare agencies to manage the problem of excess pets.
This system is not a good use of our resources. And this study proves it.
The researchers then take all this data, and go on to suggest the same things we’ve been trying for years.
– targeting ‘oopsie’ breedings of young, owned cats; which according to their own figures make up only a fraction of intakes.
…and…
– increasing microchipping; which seems to be, based on the study findings, an almost ridiculous aim.
They ignore however, the most glaring of obvious solutions – stop taking in cats that have no hope of getting out alive.
With less than 900 cats reclaimed (from over 30,000) the idea that these shelters are a central point for people to be reunited with their pets is simply a work of fiction.
Missing cats have almost NO chance of being reclaimed if the shelter takes them in; they have a much better chance if they are left where they are. A cat would be much more likely to simply walk home, than to be collected. It would be much more likely to find itself a new family in the community, than leave that shelter alive.
Stray and feral cats have almost no chance of surviving being impounded. They should be left where they are, or desexed if such a program is available – but if it’s not, leave them where they are.
Shelters are sources of stress, illness, and suffering for cats. Shelters should only be opening their doors to injured or sick cats they are going to treat, or those who are being desexed and returned to their outdoor homes (whether ‘feral’ or not).
If the facility cannot improve the cat’s situation by providing temporary care with the aim of getting a permanent placement, then they should limit their admissions. ‘Limiting admissions’ is not always a bad thing; when the only options a shelter realistically offers cats are being killed, or languishing for a while before getting sick and then being killed.
Dropping the ‘strays’ from the RSPCA QLD intakes, would remove around 2/3rds of the animals walking through their doors – leaving just owner surrenders to place. Without any extra effort at all, the shelters could be No Kill, given the current rate of adoptions sit at about 30%.
The idea that we’re ever going to eliminate the burden of killing tens of thousands of cats without desex and release, or limiting stray intakes, is backed up neither by our ongoing experiences, or the physical data of years of intakes.
We know it can’t work, because it never has.
We have to actually change something – if we want to ever see better outcomes for shelter cats.
