In the community, by flower beds, and even in hutongs, it is common to see caring people sprinkling cat food, attracting stray cats one after another. Over time, feeding and watching cats has also become a "landscape" that shows love. Food is plentiful, stray cats are increasing... In this regard, people can't help but ask: Can just feeding solve the problem of stray cats? Relevant experts said: Rescue stray cats should be rational, do not let "love" backfire. Unscientific feeding methods hurt both cats and people. If you really love it, don't abandon it, just take it home.
Rescue site
The Love Cat House houses more than 30 stray cats
In Zhangjiawan Town, Tongzhou, Lin Qi, a post-90s girl, led Cao Ling, who was willing to adopt, to a private house.
"You wait for me to come down, I'll go get some canned food for Mili." Lin Qiqi said.
Cao Ling picked up Mili. With a "meow" sound from Mili, it pressed the tip of its nose to Cao Ling's face.
"Mili is an abandoned cat cub, after treatment and rehabilitation, its coat is gray and white, very beautiful, but also with people are particularly close, see who will take the initiative to stick to it and rub it." Looking at Mili, who was close to Cao Ling, Lin Qi, said.
"Don't look like a little princess now, it's miserable to just get it back!" Lin Qiqi said that when the kittens were found in the cardboard box on the side of the road, they were festering and parasitic infections, and one of the kittens had rotten tongues... Now, after successful treatment, the two kittens have been adopted, and today Mili will have a home.
In this 100-square-meter loving cat house, there are more than 30 stray cats, including cat cubs that were abandoned at birth and "sick cats" who were dying.
They were all brought back by Lin Qi, who had been isolated for a period of time, sought medical treatment, and then sterilized and physically examined. Lin Qiqi hopes that these cats can find their own home after their bodies "meet the standards".
A shift in perceptions
8 years to help more than 700 stray cats find a home
"I've been rescuing stray cats since high school. At first it was just feeding, because I thought they were too pitiful. I have more contact with stray cats, only to find that they also need a warm home. Lin Qiqi said, "I have also experienced the transformation process from unprofessional to scientific and rational treatment of stray cats." ”
"Rescue is by no means a flood of love, there are many doorways inside." Lin Qiqi said.
Lin Qi's full proceeds from opening a pet supply store support the annual rescue cost of more than 100,000 yuan. In 8 years, she rescued more than 2,000 stray cats and helped more than 700 stray cats whose bodies "met the standards" find a home.
Now, more and more people advocate "adoption instead of buying", adoption walls, adoption homes, transit stations... Adoption platforms to help stray cats find a home have blossomed everywhere, and many people like Lin Qi's are contributing money to the scientific and rational rescue of stray animals.
Experts say
Blind feeding can lead to overbreeding
"Why are so many people willing to spend time and money protecting stray cats?" Contrary to Lin Qi's view, Li Zhen, who had been scratched because of feeding, did not have a good feeling for stray cats.
Indeed, stray cats do not all bring joy. Blind feeding not only hurts people, but also hurts cats.
Zhang Jinshuo, a senior engineer at the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said: "Stray cats are not equivalent to wild cats, it refers specifically to those cats that have been adopted by people, and then abandoned for some reasons and bred on their own after abandonment." Blind feeding or letting it go is not right, which can bring a series of harms. ”
Blind centralized feeding will form a gathering area of stray cats, and the biggest trouble is that over-breeding will lead to a surge in numbers. Stray cats have a strong reproductive ability, generally can reach sexual maturity after seven months of birth, the pregnancy cycle and lactation period are only about 60 days, and a fetus can give birth to 2 to 8. If left unchecked, it will soon produce "the second generation of the stream, the third generation of the stream..."
"Cats are also 'opportunistic' predators, from insects, lizards, toads to birds, bats, etc. are its prey, and mass breeding can put enormous pressure on urban ecosystems." Therefore, many countries and regions have introduced relevant laws and regulations to control it. Zhang Jinshuo said.
In addition to bringing disaster to small animals, stray cats are not as friendly as they seem on the surface to those who feed them - at least the virus on their bodies is not friendly.
Stray cats carry a lot of bacteria on their bodies; more importantly, because most stray cats have not been vaccinated, they are easily infected with diseases such as feline leukemia, of which the greatest threat to humans is rabies. In addition, stray cats may also transmit diseases such as toxoplasmosis and cat scratch fever. Therefore, people call unvaccinated stray cats "walking viruses".
As a result, some countries have made special regulations for stray cats: cats sold in pet stores must be obtained from shelters or charities, otherwise they will be subject to high fines. Others have tougher state measures: 3.2 million stray cats are sent to animal rescue agencies each year for a 2-week recruitment period. Only 30% of the lucky ones are adopted, and those who are not adopted can only be euthanized.
Emergency measures
5,400 public welfare sterilizations are arranged every year
"At the same time as the rescue, we must consider controlling the quantity, otherwise it will harm them." Zhou Jing, vice president of the Beijing Association for the Protection of Small Animals, said that in addition to calling for "adoption instead of purchase", it is also necessary to advocate "sterilization instead of hunting". Studies have shown that if a stray cat is neutered in a certain area, its breeding rate will not increase or even decrease.
"Don't hurt stray cats, if you want to do something more, take it for neutering!" Zeng Li, a volunteer who has been engaged in companion animal rescue for more than a decade, said.
Li Wenjie, president of the Pet Medical Hall Branch of Beijing Ornamental Animal Hospital, said: "In the clinic, it is also recommended to sterilize stray animals, and stray cats that have been neutered rarely have reproductive system diseases. ”
"In the environment where humans and animals get along, neutered stray cats rarely have the habit of migrating, and their stable life is conducive to the species balance of an area, and even effectively prevents rat infestation; in addition, the nuisance caused by fighting and estrus can also be solved, and even better adopted." Zhou Jing said that their job is not only to protect stray animals, but also to maintain a state of harmony between humans and animals.
So does that mean that stray cats can be caught and neutered? "That's definitely not OK!" Zhou Jing said that at the very least, it is necessary to consider whether it can provide a recovery environment and nursing costs for 3 to 10 days after surgery until it has the conditions for release; in addition, the stray cat that is healthy, vigilant and indifferent to food temptations should leave it alone, and its survival ability is very strong.
Neutering stray cats has almost become the consensus of stray animal activists at home and abroad. Nowadays, the next method of stray cat rescue is widely recognized, with three letters representing capture, sterilization, and release, which can avoid large breeding and do not require euthanasia.
"In 2006, we began to do free sterilization of stray animals, implemented the government public welfare project of 'controlling the number of stray animals and preventing the spread of animal diseases', cooperated with dozens of pet hospitals, issued an average of 450 coupons per month, and can arrange more than 5,400 surgeries a year." Zhou Jing said.
Scientific rescue
Areas where stray cats are relatively concentrated "group protection"
"Feeding only non-stop, or not caring about the living environment and the health of stray cats, will still hurt it." Therefore, at present, for communities, parks and other areas where stray cats are relatively concentrated, special personnel should supervise the stray animal communities in a certain area, including fixed-point feeding, arrest and sterilization, necessary communication with the property and residents, grasp the living conditions and health conditions of stray cats in the area, and give them the greatest degree of safety and stability. Volunteer Jiahui said, "This method is called 'group protection'." But "group protection" is not easy, especially when dealing with human-animal conflicts.
"The nature of the cat is to cause trouble, if someone is willing to 'pay' for the disaster it breaks into, and transform the contradiction between humans and animals into communication and consultation between humans, many things will be solved!" Zhou Jing believes that caring for stray animals cannot sacrifice the interests of residents, but to pursue the harmony between humans and animals, which requires someone to supervise.
However, many volunteers who rescue stray cats suffer from endless rescue. "After 20 years of feeding, there are still so many stray cats!" Group nurse Jiahui said. And volunteer Lao Cai is also suffering from a steady stream of people throwing cats at his doorstep: "People still have misunderstandings about rescue, thinking that rescue is shelter, in fact, refusing to abandon pets is the most fundamental way!" ”
In fact, the urban aid station has been saturated for a long time, unable to accept all stray cats, and the implementation of "adoption instead of purchase" is also very difficult, and many people are more willing to buy expensive cats.
"No matter what kind of pet you have, it's good, but remember not to abandon it at will, this is the real care for them, in order to fundamentally solve the problem of pets forced to wander." Zhang Jinshuo said that since feeding cannot fundamentally solve the problem, caring people should take action, truly care for them, and take them home.