Cats as a rule are natural born hunters and tend to sleep their days away and do their roaming at night. Their personalities tend to be very carefree, independent and extremely curious. The sudden movement of mouse darting up a wall will result in the cat bolting off to stalk his unknowing prey. A cat that has been raised around humans in a home like setting or social environment is known as a Domestic Cat. One which is commonly seen in most family households and often accompanied by a litter mate or family pet. This helps to socialize the cat as he grows into an adult. Domestic cats are fed by their pet owners, use a litter box and are not afraid of humans.
The site of a wandering cat in an empty alley jumping in and out of filled garbage dumpsters is something that is often overlooked. But in reality this can indicate other greater life threatening problems such as mice and rats. Wild cats known as a Feral Cat are the wild kittens of a domestic cat. When an unaltered domestic cat is abandoned a female cat can give birth to newborn kittens up to three times per year. Within a matter of time the female cat and her kitten will have multiplied by the thousands adding to the already overpopulation of stray and feral cats. A feral cat relies on his food from scraps and they are generally fearful of humans and tend to dwell in hidden places Such as abandoned sheds or underneath porches for protection. A feral cats only source of food is often times remnants from a garbage dumpster that is diseased and full of bacteria. Rats and mice run freely across the food and defecate on or near the surrounding area. Because of this the feral cat can quickly become diseased, sick or die.
A program that has been adopted by many Cat Rescue Organizations nationwide that helps to save and rescue feral cats in the wild and stop unwanted mating is known as T.N.R. – Trap Neuter Return. Because feral cats are familiar with the wild and this is where they feel secure. When they are brought to an animal shelter they cannot adapt and become a household pet and have to be euthanized. They can become tame and domesticated if rescued at an early age of a kitten. The cat rescues Orange County Cares about Cats OCCATS (Feral Cats) located at P.O. Box 6507 Huntington Beach, Ca. 92615 Provides assistants to low income pet owners with vet care and subsidized spay/neuter vouchers. The organization believes in helping the feral cats to remain in their familiar and safe environment while controlling the overpopulation of future cats. For more information you can contact OCCATS at http://www.wildaboutcats.com (714) 374 -7738 or any of the other Feral Cat resource numbers listed below.
Actors and Others
1-818-755-6045
Information about low cost spay/neuter clinics in your local area
Animal Assistance League of Orange County
(714) 978 - 7387
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