AP Photo/Missing Pet Partnership, Kat Albrecht
Free roaming cats are a common concern in many communities. They colonize around office buildings, apartment complexes, shopping centers and neighborhoods. Some people consider them a nusiance to their communities. Others suggest they pose a concern to public health. Increasing populations of free roaming cats are a valid concern yet many people seem to be unaware that there are effective, long-term and humane solutions to this problem.
Feral versus Stray
Free roaming cats is a term often given to both stray and feral cats. So what is the difference between a stray cat and a feral cat? A stray cat is an unowned animal or a lost pet that is generally not afraid of human contact. A feral cat has had little or no human contact. It is born in the wild and typically hunts for its food.
Feral cats are usually not spayed or neutered. Therefore, they reproduce at an alarming rate. They tend to exhibit territorial behaviors, such as, marking, fighting, howling at night and sometimes destroying property. According to AlleyCat.org, there are as many stray and feral cats in the United States as there are cats living in households. Of the cats living in households, 80% are spayed and neutered – an impressive number. Unfortunately, less than 3% of stray and feral cats are ever spayed or neutered, and according to various studies, 80% of kittens born in the United States are produced from feral cats (AlleyCat.org).
Care Guide for Stray and Feral Cats
There are steps to care for stray and feral cat colonies that are humane and productive. These steps will help control the increasing populations. Meanwhile, they will make it easier for cats and people to co-exist peacefully. The following 5 Steps are suggestions provided by Alley Cat Allies:
- Conduct Trap-Neuter-Return for all cats.
The number one priority when discovering an individual cat or a colony of cats is to safely and humanely trap them and see that they are neutered and vaccinated. This ensures that the cats will live longer, healthier lives. Females will not get pregnant or need to nurse, and male cats will not fight or prowl for mates.
We recommend that you create a plan for the adoption of socialized cats, perhaps working with a local organization. Kittens and cats who are friendly to humans can be adopted into homes. Use our Trap-Neuter-Return guide for complete instructions. - Provide food and water.
Many people choose to provide food and water for the cats on a regular basis, year-round. If possible, feed on a regular schedule and remove uneaten food within 30 minutes. Food that sits out may attract insects and wildlife. Read more tips on feeding. - Provide shelter.
You might want to provide shelter for the cats. It can protect them from the elements and help you deter them from neighbors’ properties. Need more guidance? Use our photos and instructions for building shelters. - Monitor the colony and keep accurate records.
Keep track of all colony members, their health, new cats that might enter the colony, and your ongoing Trap-Neuter-Return effort. Monitor the cats and keep their medical records on file. These records will be useful for reference in the future. Use Alley Cat Allies’ colony tracking sheet. - Help cats and people co-exist.
As the colony caregiver, you become the cats’ public relations firm and can help maintain their good image and good neighbor status in your community. If neighbors do not know who “speaks for the cats,” they may contact the city with their concerns. Maintain good relations with neighbors by establishing a friendly dialogue and readily addressing their concerns through the use of humane cat deterrents and education. Make sure that residents know you are open to their feedback about the cats. Alley Cat Allies provides a number of useful tips.
Cat Management Workshop
On Wednesday July 22nd, Maricopa Animal Care and Control Services is holding an informative meeting regarding the issue of free-roaming cats in our communities. The workshop will provide information about humane long-term solutions for controlling cat populations.
Date: 7/22/2009
Time: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Registration Required: No
Contact: 602-410-2972
Maricopa County Animal Care and Control
2500 S. 27th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ
For more info:
http://www.maricopa.gov/Pets/Education.aspx
http://www.maricopa.gov/pets/pdf/livingwithferalcats.pdf
http://www.alteredtails.org/TNR-ferals.html
http://www.alleycat.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=643
Comments
Bravo! Thanks for covering this topic. Please let others know it is an act of cruelty (punishable by law) to injure, relocate to the desert, or otherwise harm these wild animals.
Great article! Thanks for bringing attention to this.
The Spay Neuter Hotline has a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program. Cats are humanely trapped, spayed and neutered, eartipped and returned to the caregiver. Traps are provided as part of the service. If you are feeding free-roaming cats, help is available! Please contact:
The The Spay Neuter Hotline
www.spayneuterhotline.org
feralcats@adlaz.org
602-265-7729 (SPAY)
Thanks for this interesting article. Covered very informative information on this topic.
You can help enforce laws that will hold cat owners accountable and responsible for there cats, by supervising there cats and being held accountable, promote people to be a responsible cat owner and keep there cats in the house where it is safe, Domesticated cats kill millions of law protected song birds a year, as well as billions of rodents a year,Cats are not natural predators to wildlife,some may say they are good rodent killers,yes they are, but domesticated cats kill for sport not eating what they kill, the owl and hawks are natural predators they will take care of any rodent problem you have outside, although when they see free roaming cats the owls leave due to in competion with the cats.
Spay/Neuter is a band aid, the root is having laws, why is it we have laws that protect songbirds,yet the cat is committing a crime everytime he is being neglected allowed to roam freely killing law protected song birds? This is backwards we need laws for cats in order for our law that protects wildlife to be a reality, as of now the law protecting song birds is ineffective when the cat is concerned.
Let me correct myself,It's the cat owners irresponsbility that is causing the cats to commit numerous lawlessness activitys within communitys as well as diminishing populations of certain species of wildlife ,it is the irrespsonsible cat owners who is taking advantage of not being held accountable for there cats.
spay/neuter programs such as TNR are only bandaids, it doesint take care of the wildlife or damage done by cats who are allowed to roam freely, we must stop being one sided and think of human-wildlife-and cats as a whole and what is in the best interest of ALL that are involved as a whole.Return to the caregiver so the caregiver can continue to unsupervise his/her cats to roam in neighborhoods,this still does not fix what is going on within the communitys, cats still spray when they are fixed, and spray all in neigborhoods on peoples propertys-as well as damage flower beds with digging and using flower beds as personal bathrooms,it is not the responsibility of people in your community to basically babysit your cats,it is an act of disrespect and not valueing your community.This cat guide is a enableing guide what we do not want because it enables people to not take responsibility for there cats period.
TNR only thinks about the cat,They do not think about the negative effects the cat has within the communitys that effects humans-wildlife-cats.TNR needs to ban together and enforce national laws to hold cat owners accountable for there cats, we then would see a drastic change in seeing feral cats as well as free roaming cats,This would help everyone involved this is what is in the best interest of All.Do your research regarding cats and wildlife be open minded and make a decision that benefits everyones health and safety.Stop taking advantage of not having cat laws to hold you accountable for your cats,be responsible in your communitys,advocate for laws that hold cat owners accountable.
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