Photo by Daniel Castillo

The number of cats in Florida is estimated to be as high as 19 million, and roughly half of that number are free-roaming and un-tame, or feral. It is estimated that cats kill as many as 271 million small mammals and 68 million birds each year in Florida, many of these members of threatened and endangered species. Advocates of feral cat colonies promote trap/neuter/release (TNR) programs as a more humane way than euthanasia to manage the feral cat problem. These groups are increasingly vocal in persuading local governments to enact ordinances that sanction feral cat colonies in their jurisdictions. But feral cats take a tremendous toll on native wildlife by direct predation, competition, and spread of disease. And people who release cats into the wild in Florida may be violating a number of wildlife laws.