Background

      Look hard enough around the University of Idaho’s idilic campus and the surrounding town.  You will see them.  They may dart, quickly and untrustingly, across the Administration Building’s lawn.  They may perch precariously on the dumpsters behind Greek row.  Perhaps you’ll catch a glimpse of them as they slip behind a bush in front of the Continuing Education Building.  These cats, who are seldom seen and easily ignored, are the unlucky ones.  Rather than end up at the Humane Society of the Palouse, their previous owner, who might not have liked the shelter’s long waiting list, simply dropped them off on the side of the road and sped away, leaving their once pampered house pet to a short life marked by brutally hot summers and freezing temperatures come winter.

            The abandonment and subsequent reproduction of these once-tame cats is a problem not only in Moscow, Idaho, but nationwide.  The number of feral cats in the United States is estimated to be at 73 million - ironically equal to the number of cats with homes (Levy & Crawford, 2004).  To further complicate the issue, these cats are not cute, fluffy house pets any longer.  More like wild animals than companion animals, the very definition of a “feral cat” is a cat who has become “untamed and evasive” (Levy & Crawford, 2004).  The vast majority are completely unadoptable.

            And there are consequences to this overabundance of feral cats - diseases, bites, and wildlife depredation, just to name a few.  Solutions are scarce, costly, and controversial, but as feral cats continue to be regarded as nuisance to some individuals and as an animal welfare issue to others, it becomes increasingly clear that something must be done.

 Project Problem  

            What are “feral cats,” what are their consequences, and what are some solutions available on both the community and the individual level?  Students and administrators on the UI campus need...

Objectives

To solve this problem, I propose to write a feature-length article on feral cat and management strategies for them.

Thesis: The control of feral cats is a complicated issue and the possible consequences of feral cats, including disease, bites, wildlife depredation, and public disruption, must be considered before selecting a management strategy.

     Outline:

   I. Introduction

   II. What are “feral cats”?

                        A. Definitions

                        B. Prevalence

                        C. Habitat and behavior

   III. What are the consequences of feral cats?

                        A. Disease

                                                1. Cats to cats

                                                2. Cats to other domestic animals and wildlife

                                                3. Cats to humans

                        B. Bites

                        C. Wildlife depredation

                                                1. Birds

                                                2. Other animals

                        D. Public disruption

   IV. What is the quality of life for a feral cat?

   V. What are available solutions for feral cats?

                        A. Hunting

                        B. On-site euthanasia

                        C. Removal and euthanasia

                        D. Removal and relocation, placement in sanctuaries, or adoption

                        E. Trap-neuter-release

                        F. Education

   VI. Conclusion