A stray cat undergoes sterilization surgery at Shanghai's animal protection TNR (Trap Neuter Return) mobile van, the first in the country, which aims to effectively bring stray cat numbers under control and protect their health. Photo: IC

Shanghai recently announced it will provide free neutering services to stray cats and dogs as it faces the growing urban problem of feral cats and dogs excreting in communities, biting other animals, and even occasionally hurting humans.

Starting from December 30, Shanghai residents can book neutering services for stray cats they encounter at a newly-built small animal rescue and adoption center, Shanghai Public Service Foundation for Volunteers, which established the center and offers the neutering services, told the Global Times on Monday.

Reserving the neutering surgery for stray dogs is temporarily not available, as the foundation currently only accepts feral dogs from dog shelters built by local public security organs, the foundation said. 

The service for cats is nonetheless become so popular that all neuter surgeries scheduled for the following six months — approximately 200 — have been reserved by local residents within only five days, said Zha Zhenliang, a member of the foundation.

The foundation arranges eight surgeries each week, which are performed by its 50 volunteer veterinarians, who all have professional certificates and more than two years' working experience, Zha introduced.

A neutering surgery usually costs 300-500 yuan ($46.4-77.4) in Shanghai, said Zha. The price can be higher on female cats or dogs, he added.

It marks the first time that the Shanghai authority has worked with a non-government organization in neutering stray cats and dogs, as the city attempts to bring the number of feral small animals under control, according to the foundation.

It is necessary and urgent to reduce feral cat and dog numbers through trap-neuter-return (TNR), one of the most effective and humane methods, which is globally recognized, Zha said. "The disordered reproduction of homeless cats and dogs can lead to a series of environmental and sanitation problems in communities," he told the Global Times, revealing the spread of the deadly rabies virus and other bacteria can occur as a result.

The booming stray cat population may also destroy a regional ecosystem. In China, about 12.1 to 33 billion wild animals are killed by stray and cage-free cats each year, estimated Li Yuhang and Li Zhongqiu, scholars at the Lab of Animal Behavior and Conservation under Nanjing University.

"Various researches have shown that stray cats pose a big threat to biodiversity," the two scholars wrote in an article published on Chinese online science channel guokr.com on Saturday.

TNR, therefore, is a solution to the excessive reproduction of feral cats, Zha said. The foundation will either free a cat or seek adoption for it after it is neutered, he said.

Earlier, the foundation launched China's first TNR mobile van in December to perform neutering surgeries on stray cats at residential communities across the city. Residents can also apply for the van, which is equipped with a small operation room, to go to their communities for surgeries, Zha said.