2014/12/20

野良猫への餌やりは、地域猫の基本

京都市では、本年度中に、野良猫への餌やりを禁止するような内容の条例が制定されようとしています。

野良猫に餌やるな、のかけ声は、猫という生き物の習性への無理解と、動物愛護精神の欠如を背景にしています。

ここで、野良猫の習性について、海外のサイトから情報共有をしておきたいと思います。

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「餌やるな」で、野良猫を消滅させることは可能だろうか？

捨てられた猫（stray　cats）や、それが産んだ人馴れしていない猫（feral　cats）が住みつくのは、

食べ物にありつけるゴミ捨て場だったり、身をひそめる場所がたくさんあるような場所だ。

そこに暮らす猫に餌を与えなくなれば、猫はいなくなるのか？

いいえ。

猫は、餌をもらえなくなったら、同じ町内の別の餌場に移動するだけで、

そこには新たな猫のコロニーが生まれ、問題はなくならない。

それに、どんなに禁止をしても、結局は与える人は与えるのだ。

自分の財産や時間をなげうってでも、飢えた捨て猫に餌を与える人は、決していなくならない。

猫をつかまえ、手術して里子に出すには、膨大な時間とお金と労力がかかる。

第一、日本には野良猫を引き受ける公的なシェルターがない。

民間シェルターや個人ボランティアの家に入れるしかないが、どこもあふれている。

人馴れしない猫を無理に保護して家に入れるのでなく、繫殖をしないよう手術して、

もとの住み慣れた場所に戻す、そのことで猫を減らしていく、いわゆる地域猫活動は

世界で行われている。

海外の情報を少しご紹介したい。

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■ASPCA

コミュニティー・キャット（地域猫）について、ASPCAが説明したサイトがある。

アメリカ動物虐待防止協会　ASPCA

https://www.aspca.org/

TNR　飼い主の不明な猫をどうするか？何がベストなの？

https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/cat-behavior/stray-and-feral-cats

Start by Making Friends with Food

（まずは餌を与えることからスタートしよう）

If you decide to help a stray cat, feeding her is the most effective way to strike up a friendship. Leave some strong-smelling food, like canned cat food, in an area where you’ve seen the stray cat. Be sure to deliver the food at the same time each day, in the same spot, so the cat learns when and where to expect a meal. After a few days of food delivery, stick around to see if the stray cat will approach while you’re in sight. Be sure to keep your distance at first so the cat doesn’t have to come too close to you to eat. It may also help to sit on the ground so you look less intimidating. If the cat doesn’t approach, go back to delivering food and leaving the area. After a few more days, try sticking around again. If the cat does approach, continue to keep your distance. Resist the urge to approach and try to pet her. Over the next couple of weeks, sit down closer and closer to the food dish.

手術のために捕まえるにはまず猫を慣らすこと。猫と友達になることだ。

このサイトには、慣れない猫の慣らし方についても触れてあり、勉強になる。

（たとえば、慣れない猫を保護してしまったら、スリゴロの慣れた２匹目の猫を迎えることで、慣れない猫に手本を見せる。そのことで、人を信頼しだんだんと心を開いていく、などが書かれている。大学猫アメショちゃんが富岡チャオ君の心を開かせていったこと、ともちゃんのヤスがシェルター新入りの猫の慣らし係になってくれていること、犬のゆめちゃんがグリとグラに人との接し方を教えたことなど、ほんとうにそうだなとうなずける。動物は動物から学ぶものだ。）

If you have only one feral cat as a pet and are discouraged that you aren’t able to touch her after months or years, consider adopting a second, very friendly cat as a companion (if she likes other cats). This will give you a pet that you can actually touch and provide companionship and a good example to the shy one. As an extra bonus, if you get your second cat from a shelter or the street, you’re saving two lives instead of one!

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■the　HUMANE　SOCIETY　of　the　U.S.

結成から６０年の全米人道協会のサイトをご紹介する。

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/feral_cats/qa/feral_cat_FAQs.html?credit=web_id83565963#Why_dont_feeding_bans_work_to_eliminate _

Outdoor Cats: Frequently Asked Questions

（飼い主のいない猫についてのQ＆Aコーナーです。）

Learn about the outdoor cats—community (feral and stray) and owned cats—you see outside in your community

cat feral barn

iStockphoto

Cats roam outside in most neighborhoods in the United States. Some are pets whose owners let (or put) outside, but many are community cats. Community cats may be feral or one-time pets who are stray, lost or abandoned.

The more we understand outdoor cats and the complicated issues related to them, the more effectively we can help them, reduce cat overpopulation, and protect wildlife.

What is an outdoor cat?
How is a stray cat different from a feral cat?
Why are there feral cats?
Where do community (feral and stray) cats live?
Why are outdoor cats considered problems?
If my cats have been spayed or neutered, why shouldn't I let them outside?
How can the cat-overpopulation problem be solved?
What is Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)?
How does TNR eliminate common problems associated with community cats?
Do people take care of community (feral and stray) cats? How?
Why can't animal shelters care for feral cats?
Would it be better if feral cats were euthanized?
Won't removing community (feral and stray) cats from an area eliminate the problems they cause?
Why don't feeding bans work to eliminate community (feral and stray) cats?
What can I do to help outdoor cats?

Why don't feeding bans eliminate community (feral and stray) cats?

「なぜ餌やり禁止で野良猫が減らないのか？」

The logic behind bans against feeding feral cats is that if there is no food available, the cats will go away. This rarely happens.

First, cats are territorial animals who can survive for weeks without food and will not easily or quickly abandon their territory. As they grow hungrier and more desperate, they tend to venture closer to homes and businesses in search of food. Despite the effort to starve them out, the cats will also continue to reproduce, resulting in the deaths of many kittens.

Second, feeding bans are nearly impossible to enforce. A person who is determined to feed the cats will usually succeed without being detected. Repeated experience has shown that people who care about the cats will go to great lengths, risking their homes, jobs and even their liberty to feed starving animals. In addition, there may be more than one feeder and other sources of food, including dumpsters, garbage cans and other animals.

「猫はテリトリーのある動物であり、これまで住み慣れた餌場のある場所で生きていこうとするものなので、なかなか移動をしない。餌をもらえなくても数週間は生き延びる。いよいよ飢餓と絶望に襲われたら、餌を求めて人家や家屋に近づき餌をさがす。飢え死に寸前でも子どもを残そうとする。その結果、たくさんの子猫が産まれて逆効果。

餌やり人は禁止されてもどうにかして餌をあげるものだ。自分の財産や時間をつぎこんでも猫を助けようとする。また、そういう人はひとりではないのだ」

■cats　ONLINEより

Should You Feed Stray Cats?（野良猫にえさをあげるべきなの？）

The answer, of course, is yes, you should feed strays.

「答えはもちろんイエスです、餌を与えるべきなのです」

Since cats became domesticated they are no longer wild animals that can fend for themselves outside. They don't survive very well outdoors on their own without human intervention.

The best that stray cats can usually do is to eat from garbage cans. Every now and then they may find a mouse to eat, but in general most stray cats are starving. especially during the winter.

A lot of people are reluctant to feed strays for several different reasons. One of these is the idea that strays will breed out of control if you feed them. The truth is that strays can breed out of control whether or not they are fed. Not feeding stray cats will NOT reduce the stray population.

「餌を与えなくても猫は減りません」

Even very hungry cats can still breed and then they will produce starving and unhappy little kittens.

「おなかがすいていても、繫殖をし、ガリガリの不幸な子猫が増えていきます」

Also, remember that it isn't the cat's fault that he or she is a stray. Often strays are cats that have been abandoned by their owners for some reason. Other times, the strays are born outdoors to other stray cats. In any case, it isn't the cat's fault that they have no home. Also, cats are intelligent animals with feelings and individual personalities and it is cruel to let them go hungry.

A lot of people don't want to feed strays because they worry that if they feed a stray cat then it will hang around looking for more food.

飢えれば飢えるほど、子孫を残して死のうと、繫殖する野良猫。

不幸な子猫たちが増えていく。

餌を与えず減らすという残酷さ。

いまは、避妊手術で人道的に減らす方法がある。

全国の動物愛護団体が、トラップを持って駆け回っている。

困っていたら、みんなで手術をしましょう。

手術を繰り返し、数年かけて、１匹もいなくなった地域があります。

飢えさせないでください、

ただでさえ虐げられた不幸な野良猫を。

全国の、餌やり禁止条例を撤廃させなくてはいけません。

「人と動物の共生」、これが動物愛護法の柱のはずです。