Under the supervision of the Cats Protection Association (CPA), a number of residents' groups in Dublin have now managed to trap all the stray cats in their neighbourhood and have them neutered . . . a course of action recommended as the only effective method of stabilising the feral population.

The CPA estimates that a group of six feral cats can multiply to well over 100 within a few years. An unspayed tom cat can father 20 kittens a night, while a female can produce three litters a year with up to six kittens in each. Most housing estates in the country now report problems with feral cats but the situation is most acute in Dublin, where the density of houses can sustain larger feral populations.

"We get a huge number of calls about feral cats, " said Florence O'Sullivan of the Cats Protection Association. "A small number of feral cats are a useful addition to an area because they keep rats and mice down, but uncontrolled breeding is a real problem. Too many cats can become a real nuisance."

In the past, the problem has been tackled by destroying all the feral cats in an area. However, the problem persisted because new cats simply moved onto the vacant patch. All studies now indicate that neutering is the only long-term solution to the scourge of feral cats. The Cats Protection Association recommends that feral cats be fed regularly so that they become easier to trap. The association will then round up all the strays in an area, neuter the healthy adults and destroy the sick or old cats. The cats are then returned to the area. "We put them back as long as it's a safe environment with an adequate food supply, " said O'Sullivan. "The cats will live out their natural lives, about 10 years, in that neighbourhood and they'll keep other feral cats away.

As long as people are willing to feed them, the population will be stable."