A feral cat colony has invaded Oakland’s baseball league stadium following the pandemic. The TNR process aimed at population control has been put in place with animal welfare in mind. Many associations are involved in this process.
The RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland, California, United States, has been inhabited by about 50 feral cats as the pandemic made the 300-acre stadium a suitable place for them to live. Indeed, laid back and stocked with plenty of rodents to hunt, as well as trash cans full of food, it offers all the benefits that wild cats seek.
Wild cats are a plague in the United States. Their population will be about 32,000 throughout the territory, mostly in urban areas.
Unlike domestic cats, they cannot be given up for adoption. Unsocialized, they will not adjust to indoor life and will eventually be abandoned by their new owners.
And there can be no question of their displacement. “It would be tantamount to committing an act of cruelty,” explains Becky Robinson, president and founder of Alley Cat Allies, an association that specializes in low-cost neutering programs.
Humane Public Policy — TNR
As such, the TNR (Trap, Neutral, Return) human solution has been approved in partnership with the Island Cat Resources and Adoption Association, which manages the process. “The leaders of RingCentral Coliseum Oakland care about the welfare of cats and share our goals of a humane solution,” said Ann Dunn, director of Oakland Animal Services.
Therefore, feral cats are captured, spayed, vaccinated, and identified before being returned to their habitat. They will be able to fully enjoy life without danger. In addition, this solution makes it possible to control the development of individuals. “TNR is a sound government policy because it effectively manages the cat population without giving birth to new kittens,” confirms Becky Robinson.
A volunteer from Island Cat Resources and Adoption said they have already taken care of 19 cats. They also adopted 5 «adorable» kittens who are young enough to be socialized and offered for adoption.
