We, the undersigned, respectfully vote "no" on your plan to hire a trapper to have the homeless cats of Courtney Palms removed and killed.

These cats are feral, so placing them into homes is not an option.   Relocation is not an option either, since they will try to find their way back, and likely be killed along the way, while crossing roads, etc. 

They live outside, but that doesn't mean they deserve to die.

As you are aware, over the past several years, several caretakers have maintained the feral/stray cat colony at Courtey Palms, via TNR (trap-neuter-return). 

Please understand what a unique position your community is in, in that most communities do not have people spending hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars out of their own pockets to have homeless cats fixed and vaccinated, FREE OF CHARGE to the community. 

It may seem like a good idea to just have the existing cats trapped/removed/killed, but it's not that simple.  20 years of studies have proved that this technique is not effective.   To do so anyway is frankly a waste of what ultimately will be thousands of dollars, when you have to re-hire a trapper/exterminator again, and again, as new cats move into the "available territory."

You will surely have many very upset owners/residents on your hands when they realize how costly this venture will ultimately total -- not to mention the fact that you are aware the cats will be killed by Animal Services.

Several people have tried to communicate with you, so that the board and community may be educated concerning the traits of feral cats and effectiveness of TNR, but we have experienced only resistance (from the board).

Fact is, there is a better alternative to trap/remove/kill.

The goal of this petition is to help you realize that there are many of us who don't want a trapper hired, nor the cats killed -- a much greater number than those few who don't understand the traits of feral cats, and therefore voted to have them trapped/removed (and ultimately killed). 

The signers of this petition hope you will reconsider supporting the caretakers' efforts, and be receptive to reviewing/reading printed information regarding the effectiveness of TNR, and reasons why trap/kill will NOT work. 

In essence, you will be throwing money down a bottomless pit if you hire a trapper/exterminator because MORE CATS WILL MOVE IN once the current ones are removed, and they WILL begin rapidly reproducing.  

The caretakers are more than happy to continue monitoring the existing colony, and TNR'ing any newcomers.  However, if you have the existing colony removed and killed, the caretakers will no longer be around to trap/neuter/vaccinate the newcomers -- and there absolutely will be newcomers.

Please note that one unsterilized female cat may have 16 to 36 kittens in ONE year, which means the problem would likely get out of hand very quickly, as people continue to move out and leave pets behind, or allow their unsterilized pets to occasionally go outdoors and breed. 

Please also understand that LIKE YOU, WE TOO want to keep the homeless cat population down, but the difference is the approach.... costly (to the homeowners) versus FREE, inhumane versus humane, wrong versus right, ineffective versus effective.

You may be interested to know that one caretaker spent 15 hours over a five-day period, trapping a newcomer who was very pregnant.  The cat was taken to the Humane Society the following day, the pregnancy aborted, and the cat returned to her home after being fixed and vaccinated.  Due to the intervention of this caretaker, one cat didn't turn into 7 or 8.... and eventually, 40 or 50 over a relatively short period of time.

Based on the rate that was provided to us by one professional trapper/exterminator who was contacted, in order for them to dedicate 15 hours on trapping ONE cat (as the caretaker did), it would break down to $6.25/hour -- and that does not include their fuel expense, or any other overhead expenses.

Furthermore, this pregnant cat was caught by the caretaker using a less intimidating drop-trap.  She would not even go near the wire traps (which were also set).  And it just so happens that professional trappers/exterminators do NOT use drop traps because they are much more labor-intensive and cannot be "left and checked on later"... someone must be present to pull the string/rope to drop the trap/net over the cat, then transfer him/her into a wire trap. 

Please keep in mind that exterminators like the one mentioned above are motivated only by profit.  Unlike the caretakers, they do not have the dedication/patience to spend as much time as necessary to prevent births/more homeless cats because they are not driven by compassion/love... but rather dollar signs.    

It only makes sense that if you hired a trapper, and they realized this particular cat was pregnant, they would prefer NOT to trap her right away, and instead wait for her to give birth, so that you will continue to have them come back again and again, and pay them PER cat/kitten!

A major benefit to having the cats around is fewer RATS, SNAKES, and BUGS  !!

One reason you gave for not wanting the cats around is that they are "unsightly".  However, I think we can agree that residents will surely find rats/snakes/bugs much more unsightly than cats.

A 2nd reason you gave for wanting the cats removed is because they are a danger to the community's residents and pets, but that simply is not accurate.  Feral cats fear people and will run away if approached.  Additionally, because they are vaccinated against rabies, Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, and Panleukopenia (aks FVRCP), they will not be spreading disease.  Fact is, feral cats have no higher rate of disease than pet cats.

Keep in mind that the caregivers did not create the over-population problem, but rather responded to it, without adding to the problem. 

Please consider working WITH them to control the population of homeless cats living at Courtney Palms, and also allow for specific feeding areas, away from the breezeways.  The cat-lovers in the community would be happy to cooperate with not feeding in inappropriate areas, if there were no concerns that the cats were being starved/neglected.

TNR works -- and we know it -- but don't just take our word for it.  Visit any of the following web sites for the many examples of how removal/killing would be like spinning your wheels and getting nowhere.... as money flies out the window:
 http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/, http://www.aspca.org/, http://www.bestfriends.org/, http://www.hsus.org/, http://www.humanesocietytampa.org/, http://www.nmhp.net/, http://www.alleycat.org/.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress, can be juged by the way its animals are treated." -- Gandhi