The Feral Animal Problem

Feral Cat Rescue

Taming Feral Cats

Why Is There a Feral Cat Problem?

What Can Be Done to Decrease Feral Cat Populations?

• First and foremost, never obtain a domestic animal if you are not aware of its needs and willing to accept full responsibility for its care and well-being for the length of its projected lifespan. Dogs in good health can typically live from 10 to 20 years, while cats can easily survive from 15 to 25 years with proper care and if kept indoors. Some birds and reptiles have even longer lifespans.
• Have your pet spayed or neutered at the proper age if this has not already been done. This eliminates the ability of the animal to breed and may also result in behavioral benefits and extended lifespan.
• Do not give in to the allure of a puppy or kitten when your child or sweetheart begs you for one. Puppies and kittens grow up to become dogs and cats with grown-up needs. Consider that, if you obtain an animal for a family member or friend, you may be the one who inherits responsibility for the animal if the person for whom it is intended grows tired of it or does not appreciate it. For this very reason, reputable animal adoption agencies will not permit you to adopt a pet for someone else. Never surprise someone with an animal as a gift; instead, make it a family project to determine the type of pet your family wants, to become educated about that animal’s needs, temperament and potential health problems, and finally to choose your actual pet together.
• Do not purchase animals from pet stores. This encourages continuance of disreputable and inhumane breeding practices such as puppy mills, and frequently results in a pet with health or behavioral problems. Instead, consider obtaining a pet from a pet rescue and adoption agency or from an animal shelter. Pet rescue and adoption agencies will usually take back an adopted pet if you discover that for some reason you cannot or do not want to keep it, and may actually require that it be returned to them if you cannot properly care for it.
• Microchip your pet so that it can be identified if it becomes lost and is found by a good samaritan or by local animal control. Always have your pet wear a collar with identification tags, and be certain that it is properly registered with your municipality. Do not consider a collar with ID tags to be a substitute for microchipping, as collars can be rubbed off (especially by cats) or can otherwise be removed. ASIDE:  I was in a vet’s office when a man came in with a dog he had found running loose in the street. The vet had a microchip reader (Most vets do.), the dog had been microchipped, and within five minutes the dog’s owner had been identified. Happy ending.
• Never abandon a pet. The idea that domestic animals can care for themselves in the wild is patently false and just so, so wrong! Pet abandonment is considered to be a criminal offense in many states. Just don’t do it! If you really don’t want your pet any more, find a responsible friend or a pet adoption agency that will accept it and, for heaven’s sake, don’t get another one!
• If you feel your pet may survive you (especially true if you are elderly), make provisions in advance for its care and placement, such as in your will, in the event of your demise or incapacitation. Anyone who has a pet should be willing to insure its future well-being, just as you would do for a child. Conversely, being elderly is no reason to avoid having a pet, especially a cat, provided that you are physically and financially able to care for it and make provisions for its care if you become unable to care for it.
• Seek friends and family members who are willing to care for your pet if something unexpected happens to you.
• In an unfortunate circumstance in which you do have to give up a pet, seek a pet adoption and rescue agency or no-kill animal shelter that can assure you the animal will not be euthanized. Turning your pet over to the local animal shelter is almost certain to result in termination of its life, unless it is extremely fortunate, due to the large number of animals that shelters receive and their limited space and budget. Be prepared to pay to have a rescue agency or no-kill shelter accept your pet, although this is not always required.
• Support feral cat rescue agencies, either through monetary donation or by volunteering time or services.
• If you are aware of a feral cat in your neighborhood, report it to a feral cat rescue agency. If your community does not have such an agency, report a feral cat to your local humane society, S.P.C.A. or animal control facility. You may be provided with a humane trap which can be used to capture the animal. Be aware that, if animal control takes charge of the animal, it is likely that it will be euthanized.
  CAUTION:  For your own protection, never attempt to capture a feral cat without the use of a humane trap, and always wear protective gloves if for some reason you must handle one. Feral cats are frightened of humans and behave as wild animals. You could be severely scratched or bitten.
• If you are especially ambitious and care about cats, you may wish to establish a feral cat rescue if one does not already exist in your community. Your local humane society, S.P.C.A. or animal shelter should be able to provide guidance and may provide limited assistance. Grants may also be available, although they will almost certainly be hard to come by, especially for a startup organization. Neighbors may object to a feral cat rescue being located in the neighborhood, even if a feral cat population already exists; this is the NIMBY factor at work (Not In My Back Yard). You may need to convince your neighbors that such a project will be beneficial by limiting cat foraging and bird catching (the latter being not really as big a problem as bird lovers believe it is) and ultimately reducing the feral cat population.