# TNR Colonies and sex ratio?



## FarmCatRescue (Aug 15, 2014)

The TNR colony that I manage has stabilized at 12 cats, consisting of 11 females and one remaining male. This colony is on a farm surrounded by woodlands, and over the last couple of years, all the males (all already neutered) other than this last one have vanished without a trace. I don't know what happened to the others, but I suspect predation as there are coyotes in our county as there are up and down the eastern US. I have put up game cameras, but have never caught anything other than some raccoons and possums. I don't believe that the males drove each other away via territorial behavior since they grew up together and seemed to get along just fine. 

I do think that the female cats stick closer to the farm buildings and are, thus, better protected.

Has anyone else taking care of a TNR colony noticed such a difference in male vs. female survival rates?


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## Venusworld21 (Oct 23, 2012)

I have worked with exactly one feral colony so far, but the sex ratio of that one is split exactly 50/50. There are 3 adult females and 4 adult males. There are currently 5 surviving kittens, 3 females and 2 males. So total of 6 each.


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## FarmCatRescue (Aug 15, 2014)

I think the difference I'm talking about is what happens once you reach 100% spay/neuter. The sex ratio of my colony used to be much closer to 50/50, but after 2-3 years of no more litters of kittens being born, the balance has shifted rather radically.


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## Dumine (Jun 30, 2014)

Neutering definitely plays a big roll. Especially if there's one intact male left. They might not have been driven off, but simply left on their own. Especially if they are a close family unit. They no longer feel the need to contest the intact male so strongly and even if they werent neutered, might also instinctively feel the need to leave to avoid inbreeding.


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## FarmCatRescue (Aug 15, 2014)

100% spay/neuter = no intact males left. Also, since they're in a somewhat isolated area, why would they leave a reliable food source? 

It is possible that someone else in the area is feeding cats, but I've checked around and haven't found anyone doing so.


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## deanna79 (Aug 13, 2014)

I have TNR 9 ferals, 5 females and 4 males. From this bunch only 1 adult male and 1 adult femals, the rest are kittens from 3 months to 5 months(?). From this batch of 9 only 6 comes to eat. I haven't seen the adult male and 2 of the other kittens. I have yet to catch another adult female and 1 more kitten. When I caught the adult male, he looks like 3+ years old and he seems to belong to someone, doesn't hiss at all but he was populating the feral colony since the kittens looks just like him.


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