Feral Cat FAQ

What exactly makes a cat “feral?”
A feral cat is a cat that was born in the wild. Sometimes they are lost house cats who have adapted to survival free from human contact. Most of them are too fearful for humans to approach or pick up. Often you will find them in “colonies” in abandoned buildings, cars, etc. They often hunt rodents and eat discarded trash as a means of survival. The life is a feral cat is a very difficult one. They must endure temperature extremes, hunger, and attacks from other animals. Almost half of feral kittens will not make it to see their first birthday. Unfortunately the lifespan for most feral cats is only two years due to inhospitable living conditions, diseases, injuries, etc. If the colony is “managed” cats can live up to five years. (See below for more information on managed colonies.)

So how is that different from a “stray” cat?
Stray cats are pets that have simply lost their way.  In most cases they were not wearing identification tags, and their owners never found them.  Often stray cats will hang out in places where humans are – on back porches, in garages, on your front stoop.  They might be skittish around humans, but they will allow human contact.  These cats can most definitely be taken in and put up for adoption.  They are socialized cats who fell on bad luck.  They still need humans to feed them, as they are not adapted to life on the streets.  A declawed cat cannot hunt, so without human help, they will soon die of starvation if there is no suitable food source.

How do animal control agencies deal with feral cat colonies?
Unfortunately, many agencies simply killed the cats. Various methods have been used – poisoning, gassing, steal leg traps, etc. The problem with this method is that it creates what is called a “vacuum” effect. When the cats are removed from the colony, almost immediately a new set of feral cats will take over. Considering that a single female cat and her offspring can yeild 420,000 cats – we can’t simply kill them all. Not only is it cruel, it simply doesn’t work. In the past few years a new method has emerged, TNR.

What is TNR?
TNR stands for Trap-Neuter-Release. It’s an internationally recognized, humane method for managing feral cat colonies without euthanasia. The idea is simple: Feral cats are trapped, fixed, vaccinated & returned to their original location. Friendly stray cats or kittens are often fostered and adopted into forever homes. Most of the time the colonies will have a human caregiver who will feed the cats and take them to the vet if needed. The colony then becomes “managed.” The caretaker will also keep “tabs” on the cats in the colony and take new cats to the vet (or rescue organization) to be fixed and vaccinated.

Wouldn’t the cats be better off if they were adopted? Why can’t they just be socialized?
Feral cats are not the same creatures as house cats.  They look exactly alike, but are vastly different.  Most will NEVER be able to be socialized, even under the best of circumstances.  Also consider this: most shelters are packed to capacity with socialized cats that need homes.  Imagine the burden that would be placed on shelters to intake terrified cats who will never be ready for adoption?  In most cases, they would simply be destroyed in the shelters anyway.  TNR is the most effective, humane ways of dealing with the cat overpopulation crisis.

How does TNR benefit the cats?
First and foremost it protects them against diseases.  Many of the diseases that kill feral cats are the same diseases that cats are vaccinated against.  Fixing the cats also stops the endless litters of kittens from being born which frees up space and resources for the older cats.  After being neutered many of the male cats will show less territorial aggression, lessening the number of cat fights.  Spaying the females keeps them from going into heat, which will attract less tom cats, keeping the fighting even lower.  (Many cats die of infection after bad fights.)  With a dedicated caretaker, most colonies can become much more hospitable places for the cats living in them.

How does TNR benefit communities?
It really helps the animal welfare associations by reducing the number of kittens being brought into the shelters.  It frees up space for other homeless pets and increases the number of pets that can be adopted.  Aggressive TNR campaigns will eventually stabilize cat colonies and will prevent future generations of homeless cats.  At the same time, unwanted behaviors associated with the colonies such as spraying, fighting, and the spread of disease are tackled at the same time.

Surely we can’t trap ALL of the feral cats.  What more needs to be done?
Feral cats are where they are due to humans not being responsible about getting their pets fixed.  This is where pet owner education comes in.  Many people mistakenly think that if they have an indoor cat that they do not need to get their cat altered.   This could not be further from the truth.  The feral cat colonies descended from escaped pets.  Consider the number of cats that are created from a SINGLE female cat: 420,000 – and you’ll realize how important it is to educate pet owners about the importance of spaying and neutering.  Likewise, male cats are obviously a part of the problem too.  Many people never get their male neutered assuming they’ll never have to deal with the offspring.  Not only does fixing your cat assure that your loved feline won’t add to the cat overpopulation problem, it also will keep him/her healthier and thwart unwanted behaviors.

How can I help feral cats in my community?
Thankfully, there are national organizations dedicated to the plight of the feral cats.  Alley Cat Allies is a great resource for people interested in how they can help.  Also – if you live in an urban area, there is a very good chance there is a local group dedicated to feral cats.  Try calling a few organizations and most will be able to put you in touch with someone who can lead you.  Or simply search online for “YOUR TOWN feral cat rescue.”