Ashton: It’s a special day today: National Feral Cat Day. I want to tell you about it because I started out as a feral cat. I’m one of the lucky ones. I was rescued as an injured kitten and live a safe and well-fed life.
That isn’t how it is for a lot of other cats, though. An estimated 70 million cats just like me or Newton or Pierre live outdoors, getting by the best they can, often in social groups called colonies. Feral cats aren’t socialized with humans, so they are afraid of them, kind of like I am with men. So you can’t just adopt a feral cat that happens to live near you.
If you can’t adopt feral cats, what can you do for them? You can help take care of your local colonies by making sure they have food and shelter. And this is important: you need to get them neutered to prevent their having lots and lots of kittens. Areas like Florida where I was born have kittens all year round, and overpopulation can happen in a hurry. Feral cats can be trapped, neutered, eartipped to identify that they are neutered, and then returned (TNR) to their colonies where they can live out their lives but not continue to reproduce. Groups like Alley Cat Allies can teach you more about how that is done.
I’m not just lucky to be living life indoors, I also live in a community with an a group, CARE Feline TNR that actively helps organize affordable spays and neuters for feral cats going through the TNR process. They also have an agreement with our county shelter that they can get the ferals out and return them to their colonies. This is really unusual, and animal control in most areas of the country doesn’t make extra provisions for feral cats. In fact, feral cats usually die in shelters because they aren’t adoptable.
What can you do where you live to help feral cats? First of all, you can spay and neuter your own cats so that you don’t risk accidentally contributing to the feral cat population in your area. You can feed feral cats. If you do feed them, check to see if you have an organization in your community to help you with trap, neuter, and return.
Also, if you live in a cold climate, you can build shelters for feral cats. Winter is coming, and feral cats will appreciate a place to escape the weather.
Most important, spread the word that feral cats are part of the community, too, and that they deserve our care and concern.
Big winks and thank you from the bottom of my once-feral heart for helping raise awareness of feral cats!
Portrait of a Street Cat image courtesy Quinn Dombrowski on Flickr
Is there any left for me? image courtesy Beverly Goodwin on Flickr
We purr fer all ferals today, and are thankful we have a good warm dry home with steady foods and companionship…
Thank you for this post! You really sum up the problems feral kitties have! I wish Los Angeles was a smarter city about ferals.
Gweat posty.
Luv ya’
Dezi and Lexi
Thank you for the informative post, I shared hoping to reach out to people who are unaware of the true meaning of a feral cat and their communities. I also adore the ‘is there any left for me’ photo, so sweet and sad.
Ashton, thanks for getting the word out about the feral kitties. We’re glad you’re one of the lucky ones that made it inside. 🙂
Ashton, what a blessing you got a home, a wonderful, loving home. This is a great post. Lots to think about.
We love all feral kitties, especially the ones we care for every single day.
Thank you for sharing this important information, Ashton. That last little guy just tugs at my heartstrings.
We are so happy that you have a loving home Ashton.
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
Being safe, warm, cool when you need it…and fed and loved. Doesn’t get any better Ashton. We hope my BTC4C post counts as our Feral Cat Day post.
well said….it is so unfair the being unsocialized somehow makes these cats “less” in the eyes of some communities
ASHTON…THAT WAS TRULY YOU LUCKY DAY WHEN YOU WERE FOUND…
THANK YOU FOR THIS INFORMATIVE POST
HUGS MADI YOUR BFFF
I’m sorry your eye wasn’t as lucky as you were, Ashton. TW feeds all the feral kitties and talked with the guy who’s house they live in front. He said it was OK if she talked with our TNR group to get them taken care of. Our mayor gave the group $1000 to help defray costs.
Super post today!
We like how Jackson Galaxy calls these cats community cats. They have their own community (colony) and are a part of our community as well. The rescue/TNR group Mom volunteers with maintain several colonies. Mom and Dad always buy the huge bags of cat food when they go to Sam’s for the colonies. XOCK, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo
That is such a great, informative post, thank you sweet Ashton! We are so happy you are not a feral kitty any longer and that you are safe and loved in your great home.