Guest Edition- Feral Cats

I am taking the night off, so I will yield the floor to a very intelligent and benevolent friend who works with feral cats. Feral cats are cool. The floor is yours…

“How many cats DO you have?”

I hear this question at least weekly, usually at the check out at my local PetsMart. My cart, loaded with 200 pounds of cat litter, 50 pounds of cat kibble, and 16 cases of canned cat food, inevitably provokes the question. And, ok, it is really 2 or 3 carts.

The answer never comes easily and is never the same twice. Sometimes I answer “six,” which is the number of indoor cats I have. Sometimes I answer “ten” which is the number of mouths I feed, twice a day. However, when I count the number of cats that I have spayed/neutered, vetted, and care for, the number is much higher and incalculable. You see, I practice and advocate for trap-neuter-return.

Trap-neuter-return, or TNR, is the humane approach to controlling the outdoor free-roaming cat population. TNR is endorsed by Metro Ferals, the ASPCA, Alley Cat Allies, and the Humane Society of the United States as being both humane and effective. With TNR, caregivers are loaned a cat trap and given specific instructions on how to humanely trap cat(s) that they are currently feeding or see regularly around their home, their library, or their workplace. Trapping is conducted in coordination with local volunteers, and in conjunction with a low-cost clinic. Cats are spayed or neutered, receive rabies and distemper vaccines, are checked for fleas/ticks and treated as needed, for a reduced cost. The cats are also given a fashionable “eartip,” which is the surgical removal of a small tip of the top of the left ear. This is the universal sign of a fixed and vetted cat. This cost, usually paid by the caregiver, is usually around $60 but can increase based on individual circumstances.

The cats spend about 48 hours, from capture to release, in their trap, covered by a blanket or a sheet to keep them calm and allow them to recuperate. After a full night’s rest after the clinic, the cat is released in the same location as it was trapped. Dissolvable stitches mean no follow-up vet visit, and the cat lives out the remainder of its life in the out-of-doors.

Many, if not most, of these cats are feral. Feral cats, while they look like pets, are not and cannot be pets. From birth, these cats have had very little to no human contact. They are not able to be tamed and will not make good companion animals- ever.

Occasionally, semi-tame and tame cats are trapped alongside their feral friends. These cats come from a variety of backgrounds, but are very often dumped or abandoned by their human “friends.” In these cases, the cat is assessed for its health and appearance. If it is determined that the cat is not adapting to life out-of-doors, the cat is referred to a rescue where it awaits a permanent home. If the cat is healthy and adapted, it is returned to the out-of-doors. Why? As any person is well aware, animal shelters are inundated with cats abandoned by their owners, or strays picked up by well-meaning or misinformed cat lovers and turned over to animal control. There simply aren’t enough indoor-only homes to go around.

In many cases, semi-tame and tame cats have spent a significant period of time in the out-of-doors. They have shelter in barns or outbuildings, under decks, or hidden in thick bushes. They have access to food, either fed by caretakers or from the bowls of the neighbor’s indoor-outdoor cat. They also hunt, most often mice and other ground-dwelling rodents. The transition to an indoor-only home, as mandated by the animal shelter’s adoption guidelines, may not be easy for cats accustomed, either by birth or abandonment, to the outdoors. And the sheer numbers of cats looking for homes vs. the number of homes available, make the effort daunting if not impossible.

Kittens that are trapped while young are kept with their mom until weaned and are placed in foster homes. The kittens are socialized and are perfectly tame, and will be adopted to carefully-screened homes. Kittens that are not socialized and are past the age of intervention (usually 5 weeks) are fixed when of appropriate age and returned to their colony.

TNRd cats have vastly improved lives. Neutering reduces their need to roam and defend territory. This means that TNRd cats rarely engage in fights with your pet cat or other free-roaming cats. The vaccinations they receive protect them from rabies, and make them safer neighbors than the skunks and raccoons sharing your yard.

I am a relative newcomer to TNR, but I was won over instantly. I practice TNR around my home. The official policy of the house is that if a cat stays for dinner for a week, the cat is trapped, vetted, and returned to the yard. It is possible that some of these cats “belong” to our neighbors. However, if the cats have no collar and no eartip, we TNR. We made the mistake of wavering once, and had the pleasured company of a litter of 5 kittens as a result. Ever since, the “one week rule” has been followed.

We’ve TNRd 7 adult cats and 5 kittens in a little over 4 years. Some cats have chosen to stay, finding shelter in our garage and our barn, plus the benefit of twice-daily meals. Some have left, no doubt going back to from wherever it is they came. Most of our cats are tame and like to be petted and follow us around the yard. None are particularly interested in coming into the house, other than to see what is on the other side of the door. All are seemingly happy, judging by the wag of the tail I see when I approach. They play with sticks in the yard, or bat small stones from the driveway.

I have assisted neighbors with TNR as well. Some have had upwards of 20 cats. The story is the same- they started feeding one cat. Within a year or two, they have a gaggle. I have assisted families with the one “stray” they have been feeding, providing TNR and guidance as to how to accommodate an outdoor cat for all seasons. TNR is an easy solution, and effective. Over time, TNRd cat colonies decrease in number as the cats no longer breed, yet nature works her way. Caretakers watch for any newcomers, easily identified by the lack of an eartip, and TNR any new guests immediately.

TNR is humane and effective. Spaying and neutering the outdoor cat population will reduce the numbers of free-roaming cats. However, everyone needs to help. Pet owners should neuter their cats as soon as possible, usually 8 – 12 weeks for kittens. This is especially important for cats that go outside. Cats that are not altered will wander off, looking for love, find a mate, and there, a feral cat colony is born.

If you are feeding a cat, tame or feral, you should contact a local organization that advocates TNR. They can assist you in trapping and help you locate a reduced-cost clinic. If you are feeding a “stray,” you should file a found report with your local animal control office or animal shelter, then you should contact your local organization advocating TNR. Animal control is not a preferred outlet. Due to their limited resources, the only service they can offer for cats that seem feral is euthanasia. Feral cats cannot be adopted out from the shelter. The animal shelter is not a preferred outlet for “stray” cats either. Without knowing the background of the cat, it is unknown as to whether the cat has ever lived indoors and would make a good pet. Additionally, given the vast numbers of cats surrendered to the shelter every year, many of whom never find homes, the chance is high that the cat will be euthanized within days, as is allowed per many local jurisdictions. This isn’t a judgment, just the sad result of people not taking responsibility for their pets.

Until the happy day where all pet owners spay or neuter their pets, I will continue to practice and advocate the practice of TNR. And when people ask “how many cats DO you have” the answer will always be “not enough.”