Discover the truth about Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) as Alley Cat Allies exposes the misrepresentation in The New Yorker. Explore the facts and insights surrounding TNR and feline advocacy.

1. Alley Cat Allies exposes
misrepresentation of TNR in the
New Yorker

2.  Alley Cat Allies is compelled to address the shockingly biased and dangerously misinformed
portrayal of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), community cats, and the people who protect them in
the piece ‘How the ‘No Kill” Movement Betrays Its Name’ published in The New Yorker.
 The “article,” which should be labeled an opinion piece, uses debunked and antiquated
studies to advocate for lethal control of cats outdoors, all while desperately downplaying the
only humane and effective approach—Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)—and condescending to or
downright insulting the people who do the real legwork to benefit cats and communities.
 Writer Jonathan Franzen purports various cynical, imagined reasons why our movement calls
unowned cats who live outdoors “community cats.” We’re here to clear the air: Community
cats, who live and thrive in their natural outdoor homes among us, are called such to
acknowledge their thousands of years of history as members of our communities.
 Community cats are bonded to their outdoor homes and to their feline families, and they are
not generally candidates for adoption. TNR acknowledges their nature, their biology, and their
inherent value as beings deserving of respect and protection by allowing these cats to
continue their lives in familiar surroundings while ensuring their population stabilizes.

3.  TNR is the ONLY evidence-based, humane, and effective approach to cats outdoors.
Spaying or neutering means fewer kittens born outdoors and the reduction of behaviors
associated with mating—which are what people point to as “nuisance” behaviors.
Additionally, vaccinations provided during TNR improve the cats’ health and address
community health concerns—though it’s critical to note that cats are extremely unlikely to
spread rabies, toxoplasmosis, or any other diseases. The success of community TNR
programs is studied and documented.
 TNR is also the primary way community cats with other medical issues receive the care they
need— despite Franzen hammering in the idea that all cats are suffering outdoors (there’s a
sinister motive for this, as we’ll describe later), community cats are generally healthy and in
good condition and live long and fulfilling lives as pet cats.
 Developing objective, science-first best practices aimed at humane care for animals, building
peaceful communities, and protecting all species should be the top priority in our modern
world. That is why Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) has become mainstream practice. Beyond
saving cats’ lives, TNR is sound public policy that reduces calls to animal control, reduces the
number of cats entering shelters, and reduces taxpayer expense, all while meeting the
demands of the public for effective, meaningful, AND lifesaving action for cats in their
communities.

4.  Franzen writes about TNR as under-resourced in far too many communities. The logical
solution would be for local governments to devote more resources to TNR to improve its
reach and efficacy rather than continue to waste money on ineffective lethal schemes.
Franzen’s conclusion, though, is that lack of resources means TNR will never work. He
believes cats should be killed—and his portrayal of cats as constantly suffering outdoors is
meant to justify lethal schemes.
 TNR opponents’ proposed “alternatives” to TNR come down to rounding up and killing cats
over and over and over again. However, trapping cats and “euthanizing” them in shelters is
not some untested idea; it was the status quo for decades and failed miserably due to the
Vacuum Effect—a phenomenon in which other cats move in to take advantage of the
resources that sustained the colony that was removed. In fact, TNR rose from a history of
futile, cruel catch-and-kill cycles because communities recognized the need for change and
that compassionate and humane approaches worked.
 Franzen, like many in the anti-TNR crowd, cites the same piece of debunked junk “science”
that keeps coming back to haunt us within so-called “factual” articles. That “science” is an
exercise in Olympic gymnast-level contortion to fit the findings of older studies into a pre-
determined conclusion that cats are a major threat to birds and other wildlife species.

5.  Cats have an important place in ecosystems, and whenever they are removed in large
numbers, the consequences are dire—not just for the cats but for local wildlife. The reality is
cats are not a major threat to wildlife species, endangered or otherwise, and the “science”
that claims such is heavily flawed and funded by fringe interests and biased parties. As we
have seen time and time again, catch and kill leads to nothing but an endless cycle of
expensive and morally bankrupt slaughter that does not benefit cats, community, or wildlife.
 But, on a positive note, the reality is also that we can protect both cats and wildlife. The
interests are not mutually exclusive. By advocating for stronger TNR programs backed by
local governments AND policies that curb human-led activities that are the true threats to
wildlife—like habitat destruction and pollution—we improve the lives of cats, wildlife, and us
all.
 Like all worthwhile goals, communitywide effort is the key to humane and effective programs
and policies. Rather than condescending and stereotyping cat caregivers, as Franzen does
repeatedly in his article, Alley Cat Allies supports them with humane education on best
practices for TNR and community cat care.

6.  Rather than give community leaders an excuse to give up on humane programs and utilize
taxpayer dollars on an endless cycle of killing cats, we push them to work WITH members of
their communities and allot funds to what their people believe in—which overwhelmingly is
non-lethal approaches.
 It’s time for communities, local governments, and media outlets like The New Yorker to stop
wasting words, space, money, and time on calls to backtrack to the dark ages of killing cats
and kittens endlessly. TNR is the only way forward.