About Feral Cats

What is a feral cat and what should we do
about them?

A feral cat is one that lives outside and is not socialized to humans. Feral cats can have the same lifespan, and the incidence of disease is just as low, as in companion cats. Feral cats can live long, healthy lives, content in their outdoor home.

Feral cats typically live in colonies where they have access to food and shelter. An unmanaged colony can become a problem, with rampant breeding, and the onset of problem mating behaviors (fighting, yowling, etc.). However, feral cats should not be taken to the animal shelter, as they are not adoptable and can only be euthanized. Catching and killing the cats does not work - when cats are removed from an area, survivors breed to capacity or new cats move in (this is known as the “vacuum effect,” and is well-documented)

What is TNR, and why does it work?

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is the most humane and effective method available to end the severe feral cat overpopulation crisis. This method has been endorsed by national animal
welfare groups, as well as many animal control departments,
as the best option for feral cats and the communities they inhabit.

Here’s how it works:

A feral cat colony is identified.
The cats are trapped humanely.
The cats are transported to a clinic for spay/neuter surgery and rabies vaccination
The cats have their left ear “tipped” for easy identification as “fixed”
The cats are returned to their colony within 24 – 48 hours.
Volunteers feed and care for the cat colony on a daily basis.
TNR stabilizes the colony size by eliminating new litters. It also reduces the nuisance behaviors associated with unsterilized cats. TNR’s most measurable effect is that fewer cats/kittens flow through animal shelters, resulting in lower euthanasia rates and increased adoptions of shelter cats.

(The above information is courtesy of Humane Alliance.)