Feral Cats & Their Colonies
So What Exactly is a Feral Cat?
Feral cats are the 'wild' offspring of domestic cats and are the result of
pet owners' abandonment or failure to spay and neuter their animals,
which results in uncontrolled breeding. They are elusive and do not
trust humans.
Left Behind
Many people assume their animals will survive when they move away
and leave them behind. Contrary to popular belief, domestic animals do
not automatically return to their "natural" instincts and cannot fend for
themselves! Already, U.S. animal shelters are forced to kill an estimated
15 million homeless cats and dogs annually. The alternative to humane
euthanasia for almost every stray is a violent end or slow, painful death.
Many "throwaways" die mercilessly outdoors from starvation, disease,
abuse --- or as food to a predator.
What Exactly is a Colony?
Cats are social creatures to their own species and a 'Colony' is simply a
group of cats who live together providing each other companionship,
comfort, and care as best they can. They can be found living behind
shopping centers or businesses, grocery stores, in parks, alleys, rural
areas and abandoned buildings. Anywhere they can find shelter from
the elements near a food supply. A pair of breeding cats, who can have
two or more litters per year, can produce 420,000 offspring over a 7 year
period.
Feral Colony Management
Trap/Neuter/Return, also known as TNR, is the only method proven to
be humane and effective at controlling feral cat population growth.
Once again, folks, its the only one that works. Using this technique, all
the feral cats in a colony are trapped, neutered or spayed, vaccinated,
and then returned to their territory where caregivers provide them with
regular food and shelter. Young kittens who can still be socialized, as
well as friendly adults, are placed in foster care and eventually adopted
out to good homes. The advantages to TNR far outweigh the risks of
sterilization surgeries:
The concept of the Trap/Neuter/Release Program recognizes there is a
new balance in our urban and rural landscape, one that includes feral
cats. It seeks to manage this new population with humane techniques
that allow the cats to live out their lives and fulfill their natures, while
minimizing any possible negative impact.
The Feral Furbabies didn't ask to be brought into the lives they lead.
They are afraid of humans and will run away from them if possible; if
they are cornered, they can be aggressive because of their fear. The
lives they lead are difficult to say the least. So, please, think twice when
you see the feral cat hiding in the bushes or the shadows. Colony
Management starts with caring humans - it starts with you.
More Feral Cat Resources:
Feral cats are the 'wild' offspring of domestic cats and are the result of
pet owners' abandonment or failure to spay and neuter their animals,
which results in uncontrolled breeding. They are elusive and do not
trust humans.
Left Behind
Many people assume their animals will survive when they move away
and leave them behind. Contrary to popular belief, domestic animals do
not automatically return to their "natural" instincts and cannot fend for
themselves! Already, U.S. animal shelters are forced to kill an estimated
15 million homeless cats and dogs annually. The alternative to humane
euthanasia for almost every stray is a violent end or slow, painful death.
Many "throwaways" die mercilessly outdoors from starvation, disease,
abuse --- or as food to a predator.
What Exactly is a Colony?
Cats are social creatures to their own species and a 'Colony' is simply a
group of cats who live together providing each other companionship,
comfort, and care as best they can. They can be found living behind
shopping centers or businesses, grocery stores, in parks, alleys, rural
areas and abandoned buildings. Anywhere they can find shelter from
the elements near a food supply. A pair of breeding cats, who can have
two or more litters per year, can produce 420,000 offspring over a 7 year
period.
Feral Colony Management
Trap/Neuter/Return, also known as TNR, is the only method proven to
be humane and effective at controlling feral cat population growth.
Once again, folks, its the only one that works. Using this technique, all
the feral cats in a colony are trapped, neutered or spayed, vaccinated,
and then returned to their territory where caregivers provide them with
regular food and shelter. Young kittens who can still be socialized, as
well as friendly adults, are placed in foster care and eventually adopted
out to good homes. The advantages to TNR far outweigh the risks of
sterilization surgeries:
- It immediately stabilizes the size of the colony by eliminating new
litters. - The nuisance behavior often associated with feral cats is
dramatically reduced, including the yowling and fighting that come
with mating activity and the odor of unaltered males spraying to
mark their territory. - The returned colony also guards its territory, preventing unaltered
cats from moving in and beginning the cycle of overpopulation
and problem behavior anew. - They provide natural rodent control.
- Another significant advantage to this practice is that it lessens the
number of kittens and cats flowing into local shelters. This results
in substantially lower euthanasia rates and the increased adoption
of cats already in the shelters.
The concept of the Trap/Neuter/Release Program recognizes there is a
new balance in our urban and rural landscape, one that includes feral
cats. It seeks to manage this new population with humane techniques
that allow the cats to live out their lives and fulfill their natures, while
minimizing any possible negative impact.
The Feral Furbabies didn't ask to be brought into the lives they lead.
They are afraid of humans and will run away from them if possible; if
they are cornered, they can be aggressive because of their fear. The
lives they lead are difficult to say the least. So, please, think twice when
you see the feral cat hiding in the bushes or the shadows. Colony
Management starts with caring humans - it starts with you.
More Feral Cat Resources: