Population Dynamics of Community Cats Living in a Tourist Area of Onomichi City, Japan, before and after the Trap-Test-Vaccinate-Alter-Return-Monitor Event.

Abstract

The community cat program (CCP) was recommended by the Ministry of the Environment to reduce cats in local animal shelters and improve stray cat welfare in Japan. It is a non-lethal control measure with stray cats cared for as free-roaming cats for their lifetime in the community, while Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) or Trap-Test-Vaccinate-Alter-Return-Monitor (TTVARM) activities are carried out. In the CCP, community cat colonies are hypothesized to be closed and static populations. However, it remains unknown whether the cats stay in the colonies, without migration of non-neutered cats following TNR/TTVARM events. We examined the population dynamics of cats before and after a TTVARM event using route censuses (107 days), fixed-point observations, and GPS-tracking in a tourist area in Onomichi. Eleven out of the 30 cats remained in the CCP areas, whereas 13 non-neutered cats immigrated into the CCP areas, within a year, suggesting the CCP program has limited efficacy. Besides, the program cannot support the lifetime management of the cats due rapid turnover of cats. Our results reject the CCP hypothesis, so that the program neither restricts cat breeding nor enhances cat welfare.