CARA
|
A feral cat is the semi-wild offspring of stray and abandoned cats.
They grow up without significant human interaction and generally
avoid contact with people.
A stray or abandoned cat originally lived with people. Whether or
not a stray can be rehabilitated and find an adoptive home
depends on how long he or she has been abandoned and what
experiences he or she has had with people during that time.
Where do feral cats come from?
A feral cat colony starts with just a few stray or abandoned cats
who have not been neutered. Every year each female produces two
litter of kittens, and soon there are dozens of feral cats.
How can I tell if a cat is feral?
It is difficult to tell unless one spends some time interacting with
the cat. Ferals will typically steer clear of people, but may come
closer over time if being fed. Even so they will stay out of reach.
Ferals will generally not meow to a person;
this is a trait that tame cats learn.
If trapped, a feral cat will often hiss and spit, or she may
become almost comatose with fear.
Can a feral cat be tamed?
Cats learn to trust humans when they are tiny kittens, typically
from the age of 4 to 8 weeks, as people handle them, pet them, and
feed them. We have had good success in taming
kittens at this age. As they become older, they become harder to
acclimate to humans. This can vary widely, depending on the cat.
A few 8-week old kittens never become tame, and a few one-year old cats
become tame.
If you decide to take in an older kitten or cat, be prepared to be
patient. One way is to confine the kittens or cat in a large cage.
It should be large enough to accomodate the litter pan, food, water,
and cat bed. The large "cat condos" with shelves work well. The
cat or kitten slowly gets used to your presence and associates you with good
things like food, a warm calming voice, and feather toys. They will shy
away at first, but eventually become bold enough to come up and meekly
sniff your finger through the cage. They will shy away from being petted
at first, but eventually grow to like it. If you don't confine the
cat, this process will take much longer.
Why should I help feral cats?
Feral cats live a grim life. Females are often exhausted and gaunt
from the effort of bearing and feeding kittens as well as themselves.
Many kittens perish, killed by other animals, sickness, or accidents.
Males fight other males and suffer nasty wounds to the ears and eyes.
Illnesses such as feline leukemia, distemper, and FIV spread
through the colonies quickly, leaving the cats to die slow
deaths. The cats are attacked by other animals, by uncaring
people, or are hit by cars. The lifespan of these cats is often
just a year or two.
Tame cats that go outside are at risk of contracting diseases or
getting into fights with feral cats. Feral cats can also contract
rabies from other rabid animals such as foxes and raccoons, which
can be transmitted to family pets if not vaccinated and then to
family members.
Ironically one benefit of the presence of feral cats is keeping
the rodent population in check. This is the reason that feral cats
are often welcome on agricultural and horse farms, i.e. "barn cats".
What can I do to help feral cats?
The typical official response to a colony of feral cats is to get
rid of them by trapping and euthanasia. However this response does
not work because the area is quickly repopulated by feral cats
from nearby locations.
The humane and most effective method is Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR).
In this case the cats are trapped, spayed/neutered, and then
released back to their area. Ferals should also
be vaccinated for rabies. They can no longer reproduce, but
they occupy their area so that few new cats come in. The females
are healthier because they no longer have to bear and feed kittens.
The males fight less. Ideally, there is someone who is committed
to looking after the colony by feeding them, catching any new
arrivals, and watching for disease or injuries.
Another concern is the presence of feline leukemia. Some
people recommend testing feral cats and euthanizing any cats
with feline leukemia so that they can't spread the disease to
other cats.
Sometimes people want feral cats removed and relocated. This can be
difficult since there are few places to locate them.
Sometimes it is possible to find people who would like
a few feral cats around their horse farm or barn. However one can't
drop the cats into a new location and expect them to thrive.
They need to be confined in the new location and fed until
they have become acclimated to the new place, usually a few weeks,
and learn that they can
come there for food. Their new caretakers must be willing to look after
them, feed them, and take action if they become sick or injured.
What can CARA do?
Our resources are limited, but we can advise and help
some people who are dealing with ferals. Some of our members are
experienced in trapping ferals and know which vets work with ferals.
However we do not have funds available to pay for the vet care.
There are programs in our area to help with TNR. These
are listed below, as well as some other resources and information.
Please note that not all vets will handle feral cats.
Where can I get more information?
These groups support feral TNR:
Cat Rescue of Maryland, Inc.
Alley Animals, Inc.
The Smith
Island Feral Cat Project
Alley Cat Rescue
VIRGINIA
Meower
Power Feral Cat Coalition
The Cat's Cradle
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Alley Cat Allies
|
Feral cats can be found almost anywhere. They tend to congregate in
colonies near a food source, which may be a person feeding the strays,
a dumpster, or a thriving rodent population. They find
shelter near apartment complexes, stores, restaurants, alleys, sheds, and
in the countryside, barns.
A tamed feral cat will be shy around strangers, but will usually bond
closely with their special humans. They typically love attention and
petting and can be very sweet companions. They prefer quiet homes
and are most at ease
when you are seated or lying down. They enjoy the company of other
cats and typically get along very well with them. Those of us who have adopted
these former feral cats become very fond of our special kitties.