FAQ
What is a feral cat/stray cat? A feral cat is one that may or may not have started out "domesticated" but is no longer comfortable with or around humans. A feral cat is considered to be wild as it once was in its natural state. These cats will run frantically when cornered and may become extremely aggressive. At the same time, a stray cat is a domestic cat that has been abandoned or has strayed from home and become lost. A stray cat may be skittish in your presence, but because stray cats once knew human companionship, they can usually be re-socialized and re-homed.
How can I tell if the cats are stray or feral? Observe the cat's appearance and behavior. A stray cat is likely to approach you, although usually not close enough for you to touch him. If you put food down, a stray cat will likely start to eat it right away. A stray cat is often vocal, sometimes talking insistently, and may look disheveled, as if unused to dealing with conditions on the street. A stray cat may be seen at all hours of the day. A feral cat is silent, will not approach humans, and generally will be seen only from dusk to dawn, unless extraordinarily hungry and foraging for food. A feral cat has adapted to conditions and is likely to appear well groomed. If you put food down for a feral cat, he will wait until you move away from the area before approaching the food.
What to do if you found some cats outside? Firstly, you should find out if the cats are tame or wild. If the cats are tame, they may belong to people living in the neighborhood. Observe the cats to determine if this is so. Post "lost cat" flyers throughout the neighborhood. Secondly, after a day or two, if you get no response and you decide they are lost or otherwise not owned, you can register the cats online at Pets 911 in the Found Pet section. If you must take the cats to a shelter, be certain it is a "no-kill" shelter. If the cats are feral (wild), animal control or a municipal shelter is the only agency that may come and get them, and the cats will most likely be killed. Even "no-kill" shelters find feral cats impossible to adopt out because they are wild.
Fortunately, there is a solution. Feral cats live in colonies and congregate near food sources. Feral cat colonies can be managed with a nonlethal method called Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), in which cats are humanely (and painlessly) trapped, spayed/neutered, and returned to their colony site where volunteer caregivers provide them with food, water, and shelter. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is the only chance feral cats have of living safe, healthy lives, while ceasing their reproduction. But TNR is a hands-on project requiring commitment from one or more volunteer caregivers, often with help from feral cat advocates living in the area.
Can a feral cat be tamed? It really depends on the cat and the caretaker. Generally speaking, the younger the cat, the better the chances of domesticating. However, I personally have been successful "taming" adult and senior ferals. The degree of domestication will also very from cat to cat. Some become friendly, some tolerate human presence, and very few become extremely friendly, again depending on the individual cat and its situation.
I have been feedingstrays for a while and they are reproducing. I can't feed them all. What should I do? As soon as possible, you must trap the cats using humane box traps and have them spayed or neutered. Contact local groups involved with feral cat issues to find out if there is a low- or no-cost spay/neuter clinic in your area. (Trapping feral cats sounds complicated; in reality, it's a simple and rewarding process, and it doesn't hurt the cats.) When the cats have been spay/neutered and vaccinated, return them to the place where they were trapped. (Kittens up to eight or ten weeks old can often be tamed, sterilized, and adopted out.) You and other volunteers must then provide ongoing food, shelter, and care to keep the feral cats healthy and safe. Check with local shelters to see if there is a food bank operating in your area that can defray part of the cost of food.
Why are feral cat colonies a problem? An unmanaged feral cat colony can be viewed as a problem by humans due to their sheer numbers and the possiblity of spreading disease. Most colonies are subject to abuse because they are viewed as a nuisance and as a possible threat to people from rabies. As long as there is a food source available, the cats will continue to breed and exist in a particular environment. They are unable to "take care of themselves" and do not know how to control their population. Feral cats generally live very short lives, often the victims of disease, nutritional deficiency, or they may be killed by vehicles or become prey for other animals.
What can a community do to help solve a feral cat problem? Well, for starters, spay or neuter your own pets! Encourage friends and family to do so as well! Anyone can manage a feral cat colony. If you become aware of a feral colony, here's what you can do: Find out what the law allows in your county or particular area. While I would not announce that you would like to manage a feral colony, find out what the laws are pertaining to the numbers of cats. Are rabies shots required? Are there any zoning restrictions? Check with your local shelter, or better yet with a volunteer-run ASPCA or Humane Society to see if you can borrow a live trap. You can also purchase them from some stores such as Southern States, or Tomahawk Live Trap Company. Check with your local vet to obtain contacts for rescue groups for help or advice. Some rescue groups hold adoptions at PetsMart and other pet stores.
I've been told that cats should be indoors only, so why should we leave them outside? The safest place for your tame companion cats may be indoors, but the best and usually the only environment suitable for feral (wild) cats is outside. Feral cats who have undergone TNR and live in managed colonies can live healthy, content, and long lives-often as long as indoor cats. Finding homes for feral cats is not a realistic option. Humane societies, animal shelters, and other animal organizations rarely accept them for adoption because they cannot be touched or held by people and are, thus, "unadoptable." Shelters usually kill feral cats without a holding period and animal sanctuaries rarely have room for them.
Do you need to test the cats for Feline Leukemia(FeLV) or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus(FIV)? Usually, rescue organizations don't advocate universal testing of feral cats. They base this position on the experiences of large feral cat programs such as Operation Catnip in Florida and North Carolina, which has stopped testing altogether. Results at their clinics indicate:
- The percentage of feral cats infected with either FeLV or FIV is very low: three to seven percent are infected with FeLV; about two to five percent with FIV. These percentages are about the same as indoor cats.
- Because testing produces a significant rate of false positives, healthy cats are frequently misdiagnosed and killed.
- The cost of testing outweighs its benefit and diverts resources from more effective efforts, especially sterilization.
Increasing the number of animals who are spayed and neutered is the single most effective way to help control the feline overpopulation crisis and improve the health and living conditions of stray and feral cats. Despite concern over viruses, there is no feline disease that ends more lives than euthanasia due to overpopulation.
Why should the veterinarian eartip? Eartipping identifies feral cats who have been sterilized and vaccinated. Eartipping is completely safe and it is painless because the cat is under general anesthetic when the procedure is performed. Eartipping provides immediate visual identification which alerts animal control that a cat is part of a managed colony. It also helps colony caregivers track which cats have been trapped and vetted, and identify newcomers who have not.
I've been trying to trap a particular cat, but the cat refuses to go into the trap. What should I do? If after repeated attempts a cat will not go into a trap, take a break for a week or two (except in the case of an injured cat). A short break can reduce a cat's fear of the trap. During this time, feed that cat and others in unset traps for several days. Place the food first by the entrance of the trap, then inside, then over a period of days gradually move it closer to the back. Feed in the same place and time as always. The cat will see other cats eating inside the traps and will likely try it, too. When you are ready to trap again, withhold food for 24 hours up to three days (for a very "trap savvy" cat). Never withhold water. You can make a trap more enticing by dabbing bits of jarred baby food (not containing onions), or catnip on the outside of the trap. Also, cats love the smell of a pungent herb called valerian. Make a strong smelling broth by boiling valerian in water, then douse the trap with it.
A female cat had kittens outside. What should I do? You should trap and sterilize the whole family. How you proceed depends on the age of the kittens:
- Don't trap a mother who is nursing her kittens unless you can catch the kittens, too. Tiny kittens cannot survive away from their mothers for long.
- If the kittens are newly weaned (usually four to six weeks), ask if your veterinarian can perform surgery and return the mother within 48 hours. Even though eating solid food, very young kittens are unlikely to survive without their mother for body heat and protection. (If your vet cannot meet this time frame, wait until the kittens are older to trap the queen.)
- Try to trap the kittens no later than eight to ten weeks of age. The sooner they have human contact, the easier it will be to socialize them.
- At twelve weeks and older, kittens can be sterilized, vaccinated, and returned to the location where they were living outside.
I just found a newborn kitten and the mother is nowhere to be seen. What should I do? Do not be too hasty to move a kitten. The mother may be in the process of moving her litter to a safer area. Watch closely for several hours, but no more than a day, to see if the mother returns. If not, and the mother has abandoned one or more very young (neonatal) kittens, their only chance to survive is bottle-feeding. This is an intensive process not unlike caring for newborn human babies. There's a lot to learn, but once you know it, the process will become second nature.
What is the TNR program? Trap/Neuter/Return, or TNR for short is the way we manage these feral colonies. It is the only way to keep their numbers in check. Research has shown that there is a vacuum effect. This means that feral cats will breed according to their available food supply. If food is plentiful, females will have larger litters and they will grow up strong and healthy. When food is scarce, females have smaller litters, may stop cycling and/or producing kittens and they often die of malnutrition and disease at a very early age. If all the cats are destroyed and/or removed from the food source, others will move in to take their place, and the cycle begins again. Did you know that cats are induced ovulators? That means that the act of mating will cause the female to drop an egg. They are like bunnies-they don't miss. This is why a litter can have several different fathers and why female cats, once they have gone into heat, never seem to come out. As soon as a litter is born, the female cat will again become pregnant and the cycle begins again. A female cat can get pregnant while nursing and will attract males from miles around. This is why it is so difficult to get the population under control.