The contraceptive drug known as FeralStat (Megestrol Acetate) used to be available to individuals and groups as the most convenient and affordable method of controlling feral and stray cat colonies. It was working, but it is no longer available. Even the FeralStat website has disappeared.

Why are birth control methods for cats so controversial? What is the controversy?

On the one hand, we have a large number of people complaining about the overpopulation problem, so clearly we would like to see fewer cats produced.

On the other hand, there is great disagreement as to how to achieve it. Some would like to see the eradication of all cats, period, a concept explored in a recent article quoted on my blog (see below). The reality is that it is not feasible, even if it were possible.

Since humans have interfered with the natural order of everything, the balance has been upset and we find ourselves looking for ways to control those things that we have “unbalanced”.

If we kill predators we don’t like, their prey populations often multiply, causing new problems. So someone feels that it should be eradicated as well. Poison is the typical method of choice. Then the predators we like eat the poisoned creatures and also die. You can’t get rid of the coyotes and cats and keep the eagles if you poison their shared food supply.

Destroying the links one by one in a chain that we don’t understand is ineffective and highly destructive, because the chain is not linear…it’s a complicated web.

Another concept that none of those in charge of the killing seem to be able to grasp is this: if the killing worked, why hasn’t it worked yet?

For decades, community animal control departments have tried to “control” stray populations, especially cats, simply by killing them. So why do we still have them?

One explanation could be that we have three factions at work: those who love cats, those who hate cats, and those who don’t care.

Cat lovers are a diverse bunch, ranging from those who steal food from local stray dog ​​colonies out of pity for them, to those who work hard to implement trap and neuter campaigns.

As for cat haters, they’re not all inhuman monsters that trap and torture the unfortunate victims we hear about on the news. Many cat haters simply don’t care what happens to them as long as “someone” takes them out of their yard or neighborhood. It doesn’t work, of course, because more show up, no matter what.

Where do they come from?

There are various sources of new feral and stray cats, such as people who abandon their cats when they move, thinking they will be fine, due to the myth that cats “go feral.” They do not. But they give birth to many who will be feral to begin with, since they have no human contact. Of those that live long enough, more are born and now you have a feral population.

Another source of strays is unneutered pets that roam at night and belong to people who believe that cats need their freedom and who also believe that it is not good to disturb them. So they go out and multiply all night.

But the most important question today should be: “How can we truly and humanely control them?”

The most important first step for pet owners is spaying and neutering…the battle cry for quite some time. If all the pets were altered, at least they couldn’t reproduce if they escaped or were abandoned.

But colonies of stray and feral dogs are an ongoing problem for which local agencies rarely provide assistance. Most of them still have the killing mentality, a concept that has been proven to not work.

Many communities have dedicated volunteers who work hard to run these colonies, trapping, treating, and neutering thousands of cats each year. But that’s extremely difficult and expensive work without government grants or programs to help. Loose knit and underfunded, how long can this voluntary approach last?

A more useful idea is that of oral contraceptive products. It’s much less expensive, less risky because you don’t have to handle one cat at a time, and it’s easier to implement because it’s not complicated. One person can manage a fairly large colony alone.

But a new controversy has surfaced: Some (not all) vets are against any low-cost method of birth control because they feel it reduces their income with routine care. In fact, two vets specifically told me they “don’t do spay days” because it means less income. Therefore, they are also opposed to contraceptive drugs.

However, this is not the objection that is published. Most prefer to say that the drugs are risky because the long-term effects have not been charted, and that victims could suffer a painful death from tumors or other side effects later on.

Oh please! Long-term effects? How many stray dogs have a long-term life? And how many now die a painful death, from starvation, injury, fatal disease and giving birth to non-viable young at 5 months of age? And if officials just want to kill them, why would they care if they have side effects from birth control drugs years later? If they were really worried, why not work on the formula to make it safer? If they are waiting for permission or money, it will never happen.

Of course, drug birth control is not the optimal answer. Certainly side effects can be a real concern. Another is the difficulty of vaccinating against rabies, which is usually done during spaying or neutering, although an oral vaccine could also work in the field. Also, the wounded and sick may not get the care they need, even though they are easier to capture.

However, surgical sterilization is also not the optimal method. In a “steril day” atmosphere, I have witnessed overworked staff rushing to attend to patients for the day, skipping actions that ensure a completely sterile environment or attention to detail at the end of a long day. In my own experience, many of the cats did not survive this “routine procedure.”

For now, though, birth control drugs may be our most useful and cost-effective alternative until better options are developed.

So here is my call to action:

We need to contact vets and pharmaceutical companies to relaunch drugs that have been available for over 30 years. Please go to my website to find out how to contact them.