Did you know that an estimated 70 million cats live outdoors, getting by the best they can? Some of these cats are homeless cats who have previously lived with humans and been lost or abandoned. But many others not socialized to humans and are afraid of them. Those cats are considered feral.
Feral cat. Photo credit: flickr creative commons/Quinn Dombrowski
How You Can Help Feral Cats
Since feral cats are afraid of humans, you can’t just pick them up and take them home with you. Their idea of family isn’t humans and a warm bed. Instead, they often live in groups of other feral cats called colonies.
You can help take care of your local feral cat colonies by making sure they have food and shelter. Feeding your community cats isn’t enough. It is important that you also get them neutered to prevent them having lots of kittens. With unaltered cats breeding in feral colonies, overpopulation can happen in a hurry.
Feral tuxedo cat. Photo credit: flickr creative commons/myri_bonnie
Since you can’t pick up a feral cat for a trip to the vet for a neuter the way you would a cat in your home, you can use a trap to catch a feral cat, then visit the vet for the cat’s neuter and vaccinations. Afterward, you return the kitty to the colony where she can live out her life without continuing to reproduce. This process is known as trap/neuter/vaccinate/return, or TNVR (sometimes shortened to TNR).
Cats who go through the TNVR process are usually identified by clipping the top of one ear while they are having their surgery. This allows you to tell a cat is already neutered without having to approach too closely.
Feral black cat. Photo credit: flickr creative commons/fauxto_digit
Many communities have groups that can help teach you to use a humane trap. You can search for one in your community in one handy place. Some of them even organize affordable spay and neuter surgeries for feral cats going through the TNVR process. If there isn’t a local group in your community, you can look to the national Alley Cat Allies organization for guidance.
Other Ways to Help Feral Cats
You may not have a feral colony near you needing a caretaker, so you might wonder what else you can do.
Feral cat. Photo credit: flickr creative commons/charlenesimmons
Here are some ideas:
- Spay and neuter your own cats so you don’t accidentally contribute to the feral cat population in your area.
- Contact your local organization that supports feral cat caretakers and see if they need help. Local organizations may need people to:
- Make followup phone calls
- Do clerical work
- Walk through the local animal shelter to identify feral cats so they can be returned to their colonies
- Build shelters for feral cat colonies, especially in cold climates
- Spread the word that feral cats are part of our community, and these cats deserve our care and concern.
Orange feral cat. Photo credit: flickr creative commons/charlenesimmons
I’m so glad you are helping spread the word about helping feral kitties!
Good practical advice. It’s interesting you’re skirting around Global cat day.
This is such a wonderful, significant post. I often can’t help but feel bad for ferals, but at the same time, that is the life that so many of them know and are comfortable with. But like you said, we can do our part for them by assisting with TNVR and offering them what care we can. Thank you for sharing!
There’s so much that people can do to help ferals without actually having to go out and take care of them. Thanks for sharing this info.
Such important information. We have the responsibility to help care for all kitties, both our own and community cats.
great advice and you are right that it is more than just trapping and feeding
You’re sharing important info that I hope is reaching the people it needs to reach. TW belongs to our local TNR. She’s never actually participated in their monthly TNR but she donates food and stuff and feeds when she can. Unfortunately, the head of our TNR is a real headcase.
We really like this topic and thank you for posting it. Our Mom and Dad try to do a lot for the ferals and strays in our neighborhood. We have two dedicated feeding stations with food and water added daily, and two warmed feral shelters as well as a partially enclosed dog house stuffed with straw. And you know? Ferals and strays use them all! Anyone can do this to help!
Thank you for spreading the word about this important topic. People have to work together for the safety of all community cats.
We love all the heroes who help community cats. I wish we could be more successful in my backyard.
Great tips and yay for spreading the word!
Great post, and great advice ! Thanks for spreading the word. Purrs
We are with you on feral cats and Global Cat Day! We have a major issue that has erupted here in New Zealand and its good to know we have the support of Alley Cat Allies even though we are far away.
I like your advice for those who want to help but can’t caretake.
Excellent post. I knew someone that was going to move ferals because they were going in his yard and I was sure to alert the caretakers and make sure it didn’t happen-even though it cost me a friendship because it was a friend’s step father.
Thank you for this really great list.
I was disgusted last year when it made the news that a local municipality was changing from extermination to TNR. Apparently, extermination of ferals is the norm around here. It just blows my mind. And the comments on the news story made me so angry and sad – most people support extermination. I truly don’t get it. I don’t know if it’s mis-perceptions or what.
If you feed them, fix them!
We dont think we have a feral colony here. The few introoders seem the same couple ones for months at a time. We think they have homes and just decide not to come in OUR yard after we hiss and charge them a few times.
it is sad just how many people want to kill them rather than let them live out their lives.