As was recently reported in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, the University of Idaho is trapping cats around campus, having them evaluated by the campus veterinarian, and, depending on the cat's behavior, killed via gas chamber. Few cats are likely to survive such an evaluation since even pet cats will often act “feral” under such circumstances. And because many students have pet cats on campus, it’s likely these cats will be part of the roundup. Kittens that could easily have been removed and adopted out by the Humane Society of the Palouse have already lost their lives. These lethal roundups are inhumane and barbaric, and an exercise in futility. Even if the administration is successful in eradicating cats from our campus, it will only be temporarily. It’s only a matter of time before more cats turn up—unsterilized and unvaccinated—initiating the cycle once again. Hundreds of communities across the country have now adopted trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs, in which community cats are humanely trapped, sterilized, vaccinated, ear-tipped, and returned to their colony. Kittens that can be socialized can be adopted into homes. Grounded in science, TNR stops the breeding cycle, thereby improving the lives of community cats—and the communities in which they live. The administration’s lethal roundups do not reflect our values as a University and a community. Let's change the way our community treats our "community cats" by demanding that the University of Idaho immediately stop all trapping and gassing, and instead work with area organizations to address this issue humanely.