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WHAT IS A FERAL CAT?

The definition of a feral cat, as per Webster’s Dictionary is: not domesticated or having escaped from domestication and become wild.  These are what we commonly call “barn” or “alley” cats.  Such cats originate from domestic cats who have been lost or abandoned and have learned to live outdoors or in structures such as warehouses, factories, abandoned buildings, or barns.  Cats that are obviously domesticated and friendly are not considered “Feral”.

Why is there a problem?

• Overpopulation
• Nuisance
• Disease

Why are feral cats good?  Pest Elimination – getting rid of rodents like rats and mice

How do we fix it humanely?  Trap/Neuter/Release

Why does it work?

It targets the problems!  Not only does spay/neuter prevent more kittens from being born, it also decreases behavior like spraying, fighting, howling, and roaming.  In addition, it greatly improves the cats’ health.

Neutering the cats resolves most quality of life issues.  The noxious odor associated with the spraying of unaltered males is caused by testosterone in the urine.  Once the cat is fixed, this is no longer a problem.  The cessation of reproductive activity also brings an end to mating behavior and the noise associated with it – both the yowling of females in heat and the fighting among male cats.  In addition, neutered feral colonies tend to roam less and so become much less visible.

How it affects the community…

Returning the cats into their respective colonies after being altered helps with the eventual dissemination of the colony as a whole.  If the population is immediately eradicated (Trapped and Killed) the result would be the “Vacuum Effect”.  Essentially, the presence of feral cats in a place indicates an ecologic niche for approximately that number of cats; the permanent removal of cats from a niche will create a vacuum that then will be filled through migration from outside or through reproduction within the colony.

Removal of cats from an established feral colony increases the population turnover, but does not decrease the number of cats in the colony.

As a result, if a colony is removed from its territory, but the habitat is left unchanged, neighboring cats will move right in to take advantage of the food source and shelter that remains.  Reproduction and population growth ensue until the natural ceiling is again reached, that being the number of cats the habitat can support.

Trap/Neuter/Release is the only effective way to reduce and eliminate feral cat colonies!

If you only wish to keep cats off of your property, try these!

• Spray cat repellent (available at pet supply stores) around the perimeter of you yard and along the top of the fences.