Feeding ban for Urbana’s cats would fail

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We applaud the city of Urbana for taking a proposed feeding ban off the table, voting it down unanimously, and instead exploring implementing Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). TNR has widespread community support, and the citizens of Urbana understand that it’s a much better option for their community.

TNR is the process in which community cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, eartipped (to indicate that they have been neutered and vaccinated), and returned to their outdoor homes. It is the only scientifically proven, humane, effective approach for community cats, also called feral or outdoor cats. Studies show that it effectively stabilizes community cat populations, reduces shelter intake and the number of cats killed, cuts down on calls to animal control, and saves taxpayers money. TNR is good for cats and the community.

Starving cats through feeding bans is cruel, and it has proven ineffective. These bans deprive cats of their regular food source, increasing calls to animal control because cats become more visible scavenging for food. Punitive ordinances like feeding bans waste taxpayer money while punishing good Samaritan caregivers who are making the community a better place for cats and people.

TNR is practiced in thousands of towns and cities, and we have tracked more than 650 communities that have adopted official TNR policies and ordinances. As the world’s leading cat advocacy organization, Alley Cat Allies has helped hundreds of communities establish TNR programs, and would be happy to help Urbana do the same.

Becky Robinson

President and Founder

Alley Cat Allies

7920 Norfolk Ave. Suite 600

Bethesda, Md., 20814

240-482-1980

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