When I went to a residential committee in Pudong for an interview about the community's successful management of free-roaming cats, my attention was first drawn to four framed notice boards.

The boards first explained TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release) as a widely accepted approach to roaming cats control involving 1. trapping stray cats; 2. having them spayed or neutered, and 3. returning them to their original territory.

The notices went on to extol TNR's efficacy in controlling the cat population, and enhancing cat-human relations, in the effort to build a 鈥渕odel community.鈥�

At the end of each board was a telephone number for the benefit of residents wishing to join in as volunteer caretakers.

I was referred to the community committee for its exemplary work in resident self-governance by Yangjing Subdistrict Office, in Pudong, after making known my intention to conduct an interview about stray cat management.

Stay cats control can be more complicated than it first appears.

When I first mentioned this program to a colleague who had been a veteran cat owner, it took me quite a while to explain why TNR, rather than another instance of meddlesome human evangelical fervor, is an eminently feasible compromise between those who care for cats, and those who view them more as nuisances.

Xiao Liao, who works at the Self-Governance Office, explained that the cat-control program was part of a zizhijin project, or 鈥渟elf-governance funding鈥� project, under the Yangjing Community Foundation. The project, which includes the cat control program, is an innovative initiative to catalyze residential self-governance by leveraging a modest amount of funds, which ultimately come from government and residents鈥� donations.

When a proposal for a project is submitted, it will be rated after rigorous expert assessment and evaluation. The current cat management program, given two stars in light of residential engagement and degree of self-governance, is entitled to a sum up to 30,000 yuan (US$4,700). Actual funding will be determined by adding up the itemized costs.

Lou Xia was one of the first to be actively engaged as volunteer in executing the program four years ago. She said the program first of all seeks to reconcile the seemingly confrontational stances of those who care for cats, and those who are more concerned about the growing numbers of stray cats, and their environment and hygiene impacts.

鈥淥bviously throwing those cats out of the neighborhood is no solution 鈥� not to mention this would further antagonize feline lovers, then there will be intake of new cats,鈥� Lou said.

鈥淭hus we approached the neighborhood committee, exploring the possibility of recruiting like-minded residents in search of a solution. The neighborhood committee, very encouraging and supportive, provided the funding platform which made effective management possible.鈥�

In proceeding with the management, two WeChat groups were set up: a 20-member group consisting of those solicitous about stray cats, and another 30-member group consisting of feline lovers.

By keeping a close tab on the number of the stray cats and preventing them from producing more kittens, the population of free roaming cats has now declined to 30, which are more or less manageable since all have been sterilized.

鈥淥f course, there is the possibility of more cats being introduced,鈥� Lou said. 鈥淚mmediately when this happened, they would be subject to TNR management. The sterilized cats will be easily recognizable for their 鈥榚artips鈥�.鈥�

The marked ears are easily recognized by volunteers, and would convince residents that the cats are being managed. Since cat food is provided at designated locations, and stray cats, particularly sterilized ones, tend to be more fixed in their territory, outsiders would be recognized at the earliest opportunity.

Spayed or neutered cats lend themselves to management. They fight less, and show less nuisance behaviors like yowling and territory marking, which is more associated with mating.

Another volunteer who preferred to be identified as Pipi got involved last year. At the beginning she was wary of joining the WeChat group, but thought otherwise after finding the other volunteers all so open and charitably minded.

鈥淚 would focus on one cat, feeding the one cat and those in its company, and if I fail to see the cat, I would ask in the WeChat group if anyone has seen it,鈥� Pipi said.

Sometimes the feeding site becomes educational.

鈥淲hen I feed, this is often in full sight of children and their parent,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he children would try to touch the cats, and from this you could see there is a sort of natural affinity between cats and human beings.鈥�

But there are those who detest cats, who would accuse the volunteers of being responsible for the many environmental problems, Pipi said.

鈥淎 couple of days ago, when I was feeding a cat, a middle-aged woman who happened to be passing by, instead of confronting me, tried to drive away the cats by stomping her feet,鈥� she said.

There are also those who added salt or water to the pet food provided, or simply dumped the food into garbage can.

Pipi felt wronged for being held culpable.

鈥淲e are actually managing the colony, for if we do not supply food, the cats would prowl the neighborhood for food, and some caring residents would supply leftovers, meat, even fish, that will definitely aggravate the environment,鈥� Pipi observed.

She added that she used to pick up quite a few containers for such food on an average day. Such containers are less seen today, as a result of improved management. There are even residents appealing that residents should stop supplying food and leave the task to volunteers.

Peng Bing, director of the neighborhood committee, said the subdistrict office has been very supportive because 鈥渢he volunteers are going about the program in a very responsible and earnest manner, with some seen cleaning up constantly.鈥�

鈥淭hey have their share of complaints, but then they would clean up the mess all the same,鈥� she said, having in mind the leftovers provided by residents.

Peng explained that the funding provided suffices for routine sterilization, which is essential for satisfying communal needs for population control, but is totally inadequate for treatment of the cats at a veterinarian clinic, which is 鈥渟uper expensive.鈥�

When cats are being neutered or spayed at a clinic, that would entail vaccination and pest control, and a few days of staying at the clinic for convalescence. All the treatment incidental to the surgery need to be subsidized by residents, through donations to the foundation. Access to funding is under the most rigorous screening and supervision.

Entities like TA (Think Adoption) Shanghai would hand out coupons regularly that would secure the most affordable surgery with some clinics.

鈥淎s the coupons are hotly competed for, we would go to a nearby clinic that is a cooperative partner of TA Shanghai, and, in view of our long-term partnership, we got the same preferential price without coupons,鈥� Peng said.

More importantly, the programs need to be universally implemented in all neighborhoods to be truly effective. Failing this, the plentiful supply of food and shelter in one neighborhood would create a vacuum for stray cats from other neighborhoods, thus frustrating attempts at effective control. Hence the need for coordinated effort throughout the city.