Education and Awareness: Feral Cats

What is a Feral Cat? How do feral cats survive? Protecting a Colony Controlling Feral Cats Effectively Managing a Colony For further information How Can You Help? Relocating a Colony

What is a Feral Cat?

• Feral cats are the 'wild' offspring of domestic cats and are primarily the result of pet owners' abandoning or not spaying/neutering their cats.
• Feral cats are generally elusive and do not trust humans; however, there can be a wide range of behavior in a feral cat colony.
• Sometimes tame cats or "friendlies" will join a feral colony in a desperate attempt for survival.
• Feral cat 'colonies' can be found behind shopping areas or businesses, in alleys, parks, abandoned buildings, and rural areas.

How Can Feral Cats Be Controlled Effectively?

• Feral cat colonies can be decimated with disease and starvation, so it is important to control their populations.
• Euthanizing feral cats has not proven to be an effective population control measure.
• A non-lethal method called TNR (Trap, Neuter and Release) has been shown to reduce feral cat populations dramatically over time.

How Can You Help?

• Volunteer with WCDC's Feral Cat Team!
• All types of volunteer activities are needed:
  • Trapping cats for TNR
  • Transporting cats to and from spay/neuter surgeries
  • Feeding cats and maintaining colonies
  • Educating people about TNR
  • Coordinating cat food drives to feed the colonies

How do feral cats survive?

• Scavenging for food from dumpsters, backyards or trash cans.
• Main food source is garbage.
• Also eat insects or rodents.
• Usually in urban areas — not generally a thread to birds.

Managing a Colony

• Start with a daily feeding and watering program.
• TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release)
• Young kittens are considered tameable.
• Removing tamable kittens or tame abandoned pets that have joined the colony, vetting, and placing them for adoption.

Relocating a Colony

• Hazards such as construction or poison may necessitate relocating.
• Suitable sites may include outdoor homes, farms, barns, stables.
• Cats must be crated and slowly acclimated to the new location.

Protecting a Colony

• Never tell or show anyone (except helpers) the exact location of the colony.
• Be as discreet as possible when feeding.
• Don't attract attention.
• Feed after hours or at night.
• Hide the feeding dishes out of plain site.

For further information

    Alley Cat Allies at http://www.alleycat.org/