Fish and Wildlife Service Eyes Cats

CAPE MAY — Should cats be licensed and should a trap, neuter, and a release (TNR) program here for feral cats be ended to protect piping plovers and least terns that nest on a beach a half mile away from the city?
Jim Cramer, a spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, told the Herald a policy has not been set on the feral cat issue.
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service doesn’t have any specific connection for dealing for feral cats per se,” he said.
Cramer said the service deals with migratory birds and endangered species such as the piping plover.
An Associated Press story last week reported cats are suspected to have killed three endangered birds statewide including a piping plover. Only 115 plovers remain in the state.
Cramer said it is difficult to determine what creature is responsible when a dead plover is found since there are no witnesses.
At a June city council meeting, where the issue of no longer supporting feral cat colonies was raised, Charlotte Todd, chairwoman of the city’s Environmental Commission said she had a number of questions concerning what would happen if cats in the wild were not neutered. She asked if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service knew the number of dead birds resulting from cat kills, raccoons eating eggs, fox kills and human impact.
Todd also asked if the service has data concerning the number of cats on the beach.
The Nature Conservancy owns a one-mile stretch of beach in Lower Township adjacent to the Cape May border. The beach, which is roped off in spring and summer serves as a nesting area for piping plovers and least terns.
Literature from the Nature Conservancy notes plover chicks are not fed by their parents and must run to the shoreline to feed where they are vulnerable to attacks.
“In one recent year, 10 nests produced 31 eggs with 14 chicks hatching but only three surviving,” said the conservancy’s self guided nature walk brochure.
It noted ghost crabs also prey on piping plover chicks.
“We’re really concerned about improving the numbers for piping plovers, so any predator of a piping plover that is helping to destroy their chance for survival is a concern for us, so of course we are not talking just about feral cats,” said Cramer.
He acknowledged cats are here to stay and the agency was “not out to destroy cats.” Cramer said the fish and wildlife service encourages cat owners to keep them indoors.
“The ideal thing would be to get all these feral cats, give them good homes and keep them inside, he said.
Cramer acknowledged that would be difficult if not impossible. He said feral cats needed to be released to “an area that is confined and away from the beaches.”
If the city does not comply with a request from U.S Fish and Wildlife Service to stop feeding feral cats and take steps to avoid bird kills, it could face violations of the Endangered Species Act known as the “take laws,” according to Kramer.
If TNR programs were eliminated, cats picked up by the city would be taken to the county Animal Shelter, where 70-80 cats per month are euthanized.
Cramer suggested the existence of feral cat colonies could encourage people to abandon cats. He said TNR colonies are needed at this time but he would like to see a situation where the need for the colonies would die out.
Cape May Animal Control Officer John Queenan said Cape May Point State Park has become a dumping ground for unwanted cats.
Two trailers housing the city’s TNR program administered through the non-profit Animal Outreach in the Canning House Lane public works yard caught fire on May 18 killing 35 cats inside.
Firefighters arrived to find both trailers fully involved. The fire was under control within 15 minutes, but both trailers were totally destroyed.
At an Aug. 7 council meeting, in a question from resident Jerry Gaffney if the city’s trailer would be replaced, City Manager Luciano V. Corea Jr. said it would not.
He said the trailer was rented from leasing company.
Queenan said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service planned to schedule a meeting with him and 20 other persons including representatives from New Jersey Audubon, the Nature Conservancy, veterinarians and feral cat advocates to come up with a compromise.
Queenan said TNR was continuing in the city and he was trapping some cats reported to be living near Henry’s on the Beach on the promenade.
“I think it is better to have a managed program than an unmanaged program,” he said. “These cats are going to breed out of control.”
The city has received national attention since 1995 for its successful TNR program