AVMA Revises Policy on Feral Cats

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has revised its policy on “Free-roaming Abandoned and Feral Cats” to encourage collaboration among veterinarians, humane groups, and wildlife conservation entities “to reduce the number of free-roaming abandoned and feral cats in a humane and ethical manner."

The revised policy “encourages collaborative efforts to identify humane and effective alternatives to the destruction of healthy cats for animal control purposes, while minimizing their negative impact on native wildlife and public health."

The AVMA House of Delegates adopted revisions to the policy during its regular winter session, Jan. 9 in Chicago, after debating two contentious points regarding managed colonies of free-roaming cats. The first is the addition of a statement that the AVMA does not oppose euthanasia for colonies not achieving attrition and posing active threats to the area. The second is the absence of mention of enclosures for management of colonies.

Delegates voted 94.2 percent to 5.8 percent to adopt the new policy. (Read more).