| Creator | Sabereh Samet |
| Media Form | Photography |
| Technique | Wildlife Photography |
| Date/Location of Creation | July 1st, 2021; Sint Maarten |
| Publication Information | This work is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 |
| Invasive Species Represented | Stray Cat Colony |
Stray cat colonies are one of my favorite things that exist in the world. In 2021, my family visited Sint Maarten, an island in the Caribbean. Near our Airbnb was an adorable cat colony of easily 15+ cats. Every day, when we were leaving, we would visit the cats and feed them. In this discovery, I also met a security guard for the complex we were in, who the cats were all hanging around. He did not speak a lot of English, but he explained that he feeds the cats and takes care of them. He even allowed us to use the food he kept in the security booth, which is what I was doing in the picture above. It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, being surrounded by that many cats. They were all very friendly and sweet. While hanging out with them, I noticed that a lot of the cats had clipped ears. Now, I have a cat colony in my neighborhood at home, so I already had an understanding of what this meant, but I did not fully understand why people did that.
Stray Cat in Sint Maarten with a Clipped Ear
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
Photography, for me, is not just about clicking pictures; it’s a story using pixels to tell it. Each photograph I take is like a chapter in my visual diary, an attempt to freeze once-in-a-lifetime moments and transform them into stories. In these photos, I find a profound appreciation for the beauty that cats bring into our lives. Sharing these visual tales of these adorable animals has become a way of inviting others into my world and the experiences I’ve had, in this case specifically with stray cats. For example, I mention in my caption that I included the picture because the cat had a clipped ear, but there is so much more to this simple photo. I could not believe this cat was so comfortable with me and let me get that close. I also was struck by what I believe is blood on their nose. Cats are naturally territorial creatures, so fighting among cats is pretty common. They often will fight over food and terrority, What is interesting is that it is most common among non-neutered/spayed cats, but this one has been spayed, so it is possible that it could be an injury that is either self-sustained or an accident in nature. It does seem to look like it is made from claws as it has thin lines, which points to it being either self-sustained or from another cat. It does take some time for cats’ hormones to leave their system, so it is possible that the cat was recently spayed.
In 1990, a group called Ally Cat Allies was formed to bring the idea of TNR, or trap-neuter-release, to the United States. Stray cat populations can have huge impacts on their environments, especially for birds. And, if you leave cats to their own devices and not control their populations at all, they can have a ton of kittens and it leads to colonies such as the one I saw in Sint Maarten. In my research, I was curious if there were any groups specific to the island that were dedicated to taking care of stray animals and I found a Facebook organization called St.Maarten Animal Welfare Foundation. They not only help with the stray cat population but also the dog population! They mainly repost people on the island who have discovered stray animals and rescued them. Still, I did notice a specific post where they were giving out spay/neuter certificates, which cover the cost of getting your pet or a stray neutered/spayed.
TNR was originally created in Great Britain in the 1950s. What is TNR exactly though? TNR is the act of trapping stray cats, neutering/spaying them, vaccinating them, and then releasing them back into nature. This is the most humane way to control cat populations since it prevents them from getting pregnant and creating a new generation of cats. Now this is not a foolproof plan. Cats are pretty smart and not all will fall victim to traps. It also requires a heavy community presence that cares about these cats and is willing to put in the effort. A lot of shelters and vet clinics nationwide are very encouraging of TNR, some even providing people with the traps and giving the care free of charge, but sometimes it would require people to pay out of pocket for the traps and vet care. Does TNR actually work though? According to an experiment done by the Gillis W. Long Hansen’s Disease Center in Louisiana, yes it does, and not only did it help with population control, but the cats were also observed having a decrease in negative behaviors, such as howling, and their overall health improved. But, other studies, usually long-term ones, show a very different result. According to a study done at public parks in Miami, Florida, the cat colonies that were TNR’ed actually had increased, which granted was due to the immigration of new cats in the colony. The issue with TNR is that it requires long-term care of these colonies after TNR has been done.
A stray cat in Turkey enjoying an expresso
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
The beautiful country of Turkey should be seen as a model of how Governments should treat stray animals. Now, believe it or not, this is a real picture of a stray cat I took while walking in the streets of Çeşme, which is in the westernmost part of Turkey. While I was there in 2020, I noticed how high their population was and also how well cared for they all seemed. Almost every store or restaurant I was at would leave out bowls of food and water for the strays, and while there was also a substantial stray dog population, there were many more cats. In my research, I discovered an animal welfare law that was passed in Turkey in 2021. It specifically classified stray animals as ‘living beings’ instead of commodities and also increased the punishment for hurting a stray animal. But my favorite thing that Turkey has done was the Municipality of Istanbul creating vending machines, where humans can insert coins that dispense food for the stray animals to eat. They generally live in co-existence with humans and are not treated negatively by the Government. An important thing to note is that the Government is in the early stages of stray animal welfare. The original bill that changed the classification of stray animals had planned to create a TNR program and is still can be revised in the future to include such things, as animal welfare is a big issue in the country and groups such as HAYTAP, which advocate for the safety of animals.
Works Referenced
“TNVR for Stray Cats: Overview.” Best Friends Animal Society, resources.bestfriends.org/article/tnvr-stray-cats-overview.
Alley Cat Allies. “Alley Cat Allies.” Alley Cat Allies, 2019, www.alleycat.org/our-work/trap-neuter-return/.
St.Maarten Animal Welfare Foundation. “Facebook.” Www.facebook.com, 4 Oct. 2023, www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=723268863160593&set=pb.100064324584036.-2207520000. Accessed 10 Nov. 2023.
“Capital of the Cats: Istanbul! True Lords and Ladies of the City.” Turkish Vibe, 13 Mar. 2022, www.turkishvibe.com/turkey/capital-of-the-cats-istanbul/. Accessed 10 Nov. 2023.
—. “Facebook.” Www.facebook.com, www.facebook.com/p/StMaarten-Animal-Welfare-Foundation-100064324584036/. Accessed 10 Nov. 2023.
“The Vacuum Effect.” Alley Cat Allies, www.alleycat.org/resources/the-vacuum-effect-why-catch-and-kill-doesnt-work/.
HAYTAP. “İNSANLAR İÇİN NE YAPIYORUZ? | BAĞIŞLARINIZI NEREDE KULLANIYORUZ? | HAYTAP – Hayvan Hakları Federasyonu.” İNSANLAR İÇİN NE YAPIYORUZ? | BAĞIŞLARINIZI NEREDE KULLANIYORUZ? | İNSANLAR İÇİN NE YAPIYORUZ? | BAĞIŞLARINIZI NEREDE KULLANIYORUZ? | HAYTAP – Hayvan Hakları Federasyonu, www.haytap.org/tr/bagislarinizi-nerede-kullaniyoruz/insanlar-icin-ne-yapiyoruz. Accessed 13 Dec. 2023.
Ally Cat Allies. “Cats Fighting.” Alley Cat Allies, www.alleycat.org/community-cat-care/cats-fighting/#:~:text=Cats%20are%20territorial%2C%20which%20can.
