Counting Cats
We are in the middle of a study looking at the impact of TNR in areas of high stray-cat intake. Our goal is to measure the change in free-roaming cat populations after intensive trapping. The work is really pretty nifty – we have teamed up with some folks at the Lincoln Park Zoo who regularly count wildlife to help us count the cats.
The cats have been counted in both our experimental sites and our control sites using two methods: visual counting while walking particular transects, and motion-activated cameras. The cameras have captured some great shots of cats in NYC –
Young cats
Older cats
Acrobatic cats
and some that are not cats at all…
A wide array of cats were found during the visual cat counts. What was most interesting (and potentially important for your trapping work), however, is that the population of cats caught by the motion-activated camera was different than the population counted when the counters walked and counted the cats they saw. The cats observed through human eyes, as opposed to cameras, were at least minimally tolerant of human interaction if not fairly social, and are potentially significantly behaviorally different than the population counted through the motion-triggered cameras. These cats likely behave differently in regards to potential to trap, potential to be rehomed and more.
This cat was observed through visual count:
We also found that there were some distinct patterns of activity for the cats captured through the motion-triggered cameras – some cats are likely most active soon after midnight, others late morning, and many other cats were active around 5pm. If trapping occurs only at one or two times during a day or night, it is likely you could miss many cats!
We will continue to count the cats and publish the data around our findings – and we will continue to share our findings with you. For now, remember –
- The cats you see may be just a subset of the total free-roaming cats.
- If you are trapping at only 1 time of day, you may be missing a significant number of cats.
Related links:
Trap-Neuter-Return on ASPCApro.org
ASPCA Research: Is This Cat Feral?
“It’s About Community…Community Cats, That Is”
Tags: Feral Cats, Research, Research & Data, Spay/Neuter
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martina keil Says:
Great Observations. We have been using a camera in specific locations to help with our “clean up” trappings. One Of the biggest thrills are the AH Ha moments that caretakers get after seeing how many cats REALLY come for dinner. On average, we find caretakers underestimate the number of cats they actually feed by about 8. It also shows them that “their” cats are not as loyal to their particular food dish. With cooperative caretakers it really gets them in the game when we ask to adhere to specific feeding schedules. With uncooperative caretakers, it allows us more information to increase effectiveness.
lkreuzbu@mail.nysed.gov Says:
I truly believe that trapping and spaying and neutering and vaccinating the cats and returning them to their colonies is great because it is cutting down the overpopulation and the cats are not getting other cats sick with illness or diseases. I totally approve of TNR as a humane way to stop the overpopulation of feral and stray cats. I am a member, guardina, on the founders society, and on the advocacy brigade and I have sponosred cats ss well. I am a part-time criminal justice major at Hudson Valley Community College working on my Associates Degree in Criminal Justice so I can become a animal cruelty investigator in Albany where I live. Linda kreuzburg
Emily Weiss Says:
Martina – Thanks for the great comment and information! You have inspired us to think about getting cameras into the hands of some other programs!
Laura Says:
Hi Dr Weiss,
As a long-time high-volume TNR trapper I would go so far as to say that the cats you see on a walk-thru are definitely NOT all the cats. (The late-night cats are 99% male, in my experience). Perhaps things are different in Manhattan – but in most places, cats are in colonies, and they have feeders. The time to get a headcount is at feeding time, and then assume that there are more.
Out here, it’s so important to work with caretakers and feeding stations, and trap at feeding time. Even caretakers may not see all the cats they are feeding, but over time, the shy ones start to be more visible – especially if the bolder ones are getting neutered. This is also the difference between trapping for TNR, and sporadic, one-time trapping traditionally done by Animal Control. One of the main reasons TNR works is because of vigilance over a long time horizon. Caretakers, who know the cats, are our eyes on the street. One missed or new female is all it takes to trash your efforts at population management. If Animal Control could be as vigilant in removing new cats, that method would work, as well.