Owners must neuter free-roaming cats, say animal welfare groups - by SwissInfo.ch

Having whitnessed first hand in Malta how rapidly uncontrolled feral cat colonies can grow, we, the authors Islands of Cats are ardent defenders of TNR - Trap-Neuter-Release. The call for a neuter/spay obligation has become louder recently, with an an estimate of 300'000 feral cats roaming the country. On June 12, Swissinfo.ch wrote online:

Swiss animal protection groups have collected more than 115,000 signatures calling for the obligatory castration of cats that go outside.

Symbolic image - stray cats in Floriana, Malta - © 2016 Gabriele Ruttloff-Bauer

The aim of the non-binding petition is to curb the number of stray cats and reduce unnecessary suffering. The Network for Animal Protection (NetAP) and Tier im Recht (TIR) handed in the petition, backed by more than 150 organisations, to parliament on Tuesday. They estimate that 100,000-300,000 stray cats live in Switzerland. One of the main causes of the stray-cat problem is that owners of free-roaming house cats don’t always neuter them, with the result that these cats mate with strays, producing offspring. ... read more.

For stray cats, the most humane options are also the most effective ones (via WP)

Washington Post 7 October 2016: "Regarding “Pet peeves: In a scathing new book, two bird lovers put the ‘cat’ in catastrophe,” the Sept. 20 Health & Science review of “Cat Wars: The Devastating Consequences of a Cuddly Killer”:

The book repeated myths about cats that were discredited years ago.

The authors of “Cat Wars” make no secret that killing millions of cats is their goal. Eighty percent of Americans believe that it’s more humane to leave a stray cat outside than to catch and kill her. This country will never accept large-scale killing of outdoor cats. Mass killing doesn’t work ; populations rebound quickly. Cities and counties have spent millions of taxpayer dollars on catch-and-kill efforts for decades. Trap-neuter-return programs do work. Adopted by more than 600 communities (and counting), they humanely stop the breeding cycle and have been scientifically proved to decrease the size of colonies over time.

As more people realize it, they’re seeing that the most humane options are also the most effective ones." »original post

Great Clip by Nolan River Animal Hospital, Texas, USA ....... "All About that Spay"

It couldn't be explained any better ... !

Japan Saves Native Rabbits by Neutering Thousands of Cats (via Catster)

To protect the Amami rabbit, a "living fossil," Japanese officials are using TNR rather than mass killing. Other nations should take notice. 

Catster 11 May 2016: "Japan really loves its cats. This makes managing stray overpopulation in ecologically vulnerable areas a challenge, at least if you believe it should be done in a way that doesn’t involve cruelty to animals. Other nations, including Australia and New Zealand, take a horrific and merciless approach with “culling” that often uses brutal tactics such as trapping and mass poisoning, even though these methods often have unintended consequences. For Japan, these options were a nonstarter when looking at how to protect the fragile Amami rabbits of Tokunoshima island, so the nation devised a better..." read on.

Newsletter #6: Update from 'Islands of Cats': hectic Kitten Season, upcoming Pre-Release

» read newsletter online   » newsletter auf Deutsch

Photo courtesy Antonella Bartolo

It's kitten season. Stray cat carers in Malta are very busy these days. Many kittens have been born all over the Islands - often as a result of careless pet owners who have abandoned their un-spayed cats and un-neutered tomcats in the streets. Those litters land on the doorsteps of the carers, with the mother-cat in distress, or in a worst case run over by a car. However, there are many good souls in networks of foster caregivers who raise the little ones, while the mother, along with other youngsters, are being trapped for sterilisation.
Recently we noticed a bunch of young cats in the colony opposite of the house where we live, ready to procreate. In agreement with their feeder, we were able to arrange for a dedicated volunteer to trap the felines and have them neutered by a non-government animal organisation's vets. Meanwhile the cats are back in their colony, happily minding their cat business, thanks to another soul with a big heart for stray animals.

From the distance: trapping one early evening in Marsaskala

Update on «Islands of Cats» - the photo-story book that highlights the dedication and devotion of stray cat carers in the Maltese Islands. All stories have been written, all 222 photos selected, layout has been finalised, and thanks to our contributors from our crowdfunding activity in February and March, the 20'000 English words have been translated to Maltese and German. We strive to pre-release «Islands of Cats» as ebook within the next couple of weeks, while the hardcover edition is still pending funds.

"Hello, I stray in Gozo."

Help us to help the stray cats carers. We are still looking for start-up support for the printing of the first 1000 hardcovers. Your contribution is very welcome, also sponsorship » click here.

Please like our page on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and regularly visit this blog. Thank you so much for your time and consideration, and stay tuned for more.

For today, our best wishes to all (cat) mothers !
Alexander Johnson & Gabriele Ruttloff-Bauer

Chilling at the Tomasina Cat Shelter in Malta

Trap-neuter-release works

Keys Info Net 31 March 2016:  Regarding Duff Smith's letter to the editor. 

Cats are not the problem. Never have been, nor will they ever be. Citizens abandoning and discarding these sentient creatures as garbage into the wild are the problem.

Rather than emphasizing an “accelerated killing program” for these innocent animals, perhaps a determined and collaborative mode of policing can apprehend and punish the guilty parties, which have chosen to recklessly abandon and cast away their cats into our extended community. Senselessly killing a beautiful creation because of its owner's negligence, is cruel and barbaric.   

We are in agreement, cats are best cared for when living indoors or under the supervision of their owners. However, what shall be done with those that have been released to roam outdoors, or those beaten to near death and deposited into a dumpster; after they've been taken into a cat colony and are now living a healthy and fruitful life under the supervision of a loving and dedicated caretaker?

Shall these innocent creatures be rounded up and killed, because of the sins and malfeasance of their previous owners; after they've been adopted and shown kindness by their present caregivers for an extended period of time (In one case, a 17-year relationship with the oldest cat)? Shall the supervisors of these colonies providing this service, at no cost to the taxpayer, be....read on.