better life.'' That's how the Bermuda Feline Assistance Bureau (BFAB) sums up the end result of its work in tackling the Bermuda's burgeoning wild (feral) cat population.

Following the pattern of similar groups abroad, BFAB is working on what it sees as the most practical solution to a growing problem -- neutering and spaying feral cat colonies and returning them to their place of habitat backed by a regular feeding schedule operated by volunteers.

If this seems rather idealistic, members of BFAB assure that the traditional alternatives -- feeding wild cats and letting them roam and breed ad infinitum; trapping and destroying them; and simply letting them take their chances in the wild -- do not work.

This is because of the lifestyle of feral cats. They live in colonies and are fiercely territorial. When a colony is removed -- i.e. trapped and killed -- another colony simply moves in within three to six months.

"So the cycle simply starts all over again,'' BFAB member Miss Valerie Wallace explained. "Getting rid of a colony does not get rid of the problem.'' And then there is the prolific breeding aspect.

"Unlike cats in cold climates, Bermuda's cats breed all year 'round,'' BFAB member Miss Vanese Flood said. "Here, a female will have two to three litters a year of between three and five kittens per litter, so that's at least 15 kittens per annum. And a male can father up to 18 kittens per night if he visits six females per night.'' Within a year the kittens also begin to breed so it can readily be seen how rapidly the cat population grows.

An idea of just how large the feral cat problem is in Bermuda is best explained by Mr. Tom Gleeson, another BFAB member.

"We are aware of about 110 colonies, with approximately ten or more cats per colony. That's over 1000 cats that we know about,'' he said.

"And when we say we `know' about the colonies, we mean that we have somebody feeding and trapping them, or we have a situation where we know there is a problem, go the site, meet with its owner and then start managing the problem,'' Miss Wallace added.

So how does spaying and neutering solve the problem? "If you spay and neuter a colony the cats cannot reproduce, and because they are territorial they defend their territory from cats which are not fixed so you have a ten-year investment -- the (average) life of a cat versus the perpetual problem of trapping and destroying,'' Miss Wallace explained.

Spaying and neutering also helps prevent the spread of feline leukaemia and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) -- feline AIDS -- which can be transmitted through mating and fighting.

BFAB also maintains that this method of feline population control is cheaper in the long run than euthanasia because the effects of spaying and neutering a colony last ten years, whereas destroying a colony is an on-going expense because it does not eradicate the problem.

Large colonies of wild cats often have difficulty finding enough food. The result is scrawny, diseased cats causing havoc wherever garbage is stored or left -- in dumpsters or bags put out for regular garbage collection.

And wherever feral cats come into contact with visitors, the result is disturbing to them.

"Visitors are very upset when they see thin, pitiful looking cats. They feel sorry for them and want something done. Often they feed them themselves, and sometimes they take them home with them,'' Miss Wallace said. "It creates a bad image for Bermuda because they think we don't care about the animals.

"And, of course, they also see the unpleasant spectacle of wild cats who, through roaming in search of food, get hit by vehicles and wind up dead on the road.'' The advantages of controlling wild colonies are many. One is that "fixed'' wild cats no longer fight to defend their territory, thus reducing the incidence of injury and disease they would otherwise experience and spread.

Feral cats are good at catching rats and thus are biologically sound way of dealing with an unpleasant population.

Under the BFAB scheme of things, when a wild cat colony is pinpointed and assessed, members of the organisation will either work with the owner of the property on which they are found to begin a regular feeding programme, or undertake to feed the cats themselves.

Once the cats are aware of the availability of food, traps are set, and the cats are taken to a veterinarian to be spayed or neutered. They are also checked for disease and inoculated. Forty-eight hours later the cats are released back into their known habitat, there to resume life supported by regular feedings from co-operative property owners or BFAB volunteers.

To keep track of which cats in a colony have been spayed or neutered, a tiny "chip'' is made in the left ear.

The scheme gets the full support of the SPCA, which does not deal with wild cats, and also local veterinarians, who not only use self-dissolving stitches to eliminate a return trip to their surgeries, but also give a special discount to BFAB members who pay for the operations -- and anyone who arranges an operation through BFAB.

"BFAB is not a pest control service. We work with property owners to stabilise the wild cat population. It's give and take,'' Mr. Gleeson stressed.

"We ask something of them, otherwise they are on their own.'' Nor does BFAB lend traps, unless the person agrees to take the cats back and continue to feed them.

Asked what would happen if a domestic pet was trapped along with the wild ones, Miss Wallace replied, "The worst is that it will have a little snooze, be neutered or spayed and returned to the property within 48 hours. In a trap you can't tell the difference between a wild and a tame cat. They all behave the same.

"Such an occurrence is very unlikely, however, because we will have fed the colony for several months and have made contact with the neighbours to tell them what we are doing before we start the trapping.'' She also stressed that BFAB members and volunteers were punctilious about not trespassing on any property without prior permission of the owner -- including Government, hotels and business premises.

At present organisation members and volunteers are underwriting the feeding of feral feline colonies themselves -- a growing expense despite the assistance of the merchant community, some of whom give special discounts to BFAB members on pet food, and even donate outdated baby formula.

Because of the sheer size of the problem it is tackling and the expenses involved, BFAB has now become a registered charity and is appealing for public assistance with its programme.

"Obviously, money limits what BFAB can do,'' Miss Flood said. "We need more funds and welcome donations of any size. While between $500 and $1000 will provide a six months' supply of pet food, a donation of $20 or $30 is wonderful and we will be very, very grateful. Cheques should be made payable to Bermuda Feline Assistance Bureau and mailed to P.O. Box WK343, Warwick WKBX.'' The organisation also needs volunteers who will undertake to feed a wild colony on a regular, daily basis, as well as help in other areas, including identifying areas where wild cats breed, assisting in the trapping programme, and giving a home to a cat in need.

Finally, because it is sometimes necessary to remove a colony from a dangerous location -- i.e. where machinery or equipment presents a hazard -- BFAB would like to hear from anyone with sufficient property who is willing to have spayed and neutered wild cats relocated there.

For further information on the many ways you can help BFAB, please contact Mrs. Belle Hunt (tel. 236-3282) or Mrs. Cecelia Hackett (tel. 297-1795).

CHOW DOWN! A wild cat colony happily tucks into a meal courtesy of the Bermuda Feline Assistance Bureau.