Bonded Cats

Feral Cat Facts Feral cats are stray cats who were never socialized to humans. Populations can quickly get out of hand because a single female cat can birth about 24 kittens each year—and those kittens will go on to have kittens of their own. TNR (or trap, neuter, return) is the best way to help feral cats. In this article, we’ll talk about the problems feral cats face and how you can help the cats in your community. Problems feral cats face Cats allowed outdoors live shorter lifespans than indoor-only cats. This is especially true of feral cats who don’t receive help from a human caretaker. These cats have a life expectancy of just 2-5 years. Many problems contribute to this, but the most common causes of death in outdoor cats are disease and cat fights (source). Below are some common problems feral cats face and how you can help! Overpopulation Overpopulation is bad for cats, humans, and the environment. Outdoor cats have led to countless animal extinctions. Fights can occur when there are too many cats and not enough resources. Many consider stray cats a nuisance, but it’s humans who introduced them to the local environment! It’s our responsibility to manage their populations and, when we can, get them off the streets. The most efficient and humane way of doing this is with TNR or Trap, Neuter, Return. First, use a humane live trap to catch the cat. Then, have them neutered or spayed by a local veterinarian. Lastly, return them to their territory. A colony caretaker can then monitor the cats, providing them with assistance to live healthier, happier, and longer lives. Disease Diseases like Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) are contagious and deadly. They can take out entire colonies of cats. If you’re caring for a colony, consider getting them vaccinated yearly. This will reduce, not eliminate, their chances of catching FIV or FeLV. Parasites Fleas and ear mites are very common in outdoor cats. They may also be bitten by ticks or develop heartworm after a mosquito bite. All of these parasites are preventable using parasite prevention medications. Speak with a veterinarian in your area to see what the cats are most at risk for. A veterinarian can also advise you on the best plan for keeping a feral colony treated. For instance, they may suggest a yearly heartworm vaccine rather than monthly medication if the cats are feral. Catfights Not only can cats kill one another, but they can also spread disease through fighting or cause wounds that become infected. Cat bites and scratches become infected so commonly that there’s a name for it—cat scratch fever. Cats fight less when they have ample resources. Feeding a colony can help to prevent infighting. TNR can also help to reduce the population, thus allowing the existing cats more resources. Intact cats tend to be more territorial as well, especially males who will fight for a female’s attention. Predators Predators of cats include: Humans As we discussed above, some people view stray cats as a nuisance. These people may go so far as to leave out poison to kill them. Killing feral cats is illegal, but unfortunately, it is all too common. Traffic and automobiles Lastly, cats don’t know not to wander into the street. Their chances of being hit by oncoming traffic increase if they’re near main roads, but even on a less-traveled road, there’s still a chance. What should I do with a stray cat? Is it feral or tame? If you find a stray cat, first determine if it is feral or tame. Tame cats may let you approach (though not always). They’ve been socialized to humans and thus trust us more than feral cats. I’ve also had experience with tame cats meowing at me repetitively like a cry. Once, my own housecat escaped home by tearing through a window screen, then proceeded to hide behind the garage, crying for me but not letting me close enough to retrieve him! A neighbor’s cat once yelled in the same way after running across the yard, too nervous to come to me but still apparently wanting to talk. Feral cats don’t really interact with humans in this way. They’ll be very flighty, won’t let you come near, and may hiss or resort to violence if backed into a corner. Because they’re unsocialized, feral cats are incredibly afraid of people. In a live trap, feral cats are also less likely to stay calm than strays. Tame cats can be rehomed Try contacting your local rescue or even bringing the cat into your own home if you’d like! Tame cats may complain about being kept indoors at first, but they do well after an adjustment period. If you cannot find a rescue to help and cannot foster the cat yourself, the best thing to do is to leave the cat outdoors. Shelters are overrun with cats, and euthanasia rates are high—you don’t want to do more harm than good! TNR can help all strays—especially ferals TNR is the best thing to do for feral cats or tame strays who must stay outdoors. It lengthens their lifespan, reduces some behavioral issues like catfighting, and controls the population so it doesn’t get out of hand. If you’re struggling to TNR your local cats, contact a rescue or local organization that specializes in TNR. Also, look into low-cost spay and neuter programs. Monitoring the cats after TNR is also crucial to the feral cats’ well-being. Consider becoming a caretaker who feeds your local colony and brings them to the veterinarian as needed. (Check with your veterinarian for discounts or contact rescue organizations to see if they’ll help with funding!) Feral cats can also be brought indoors if you’d like, though it will be stressful for them. Most rescues won’t accept feral cats due to their abundance and the resources it takes to rehabilitate them. Help—there are too many strays! Has your neighborhood gone from a few stray

Cat colonies and community cats Outdoor cat colonies can contain anywhere from two stray cats to over thirty. Stray cats depend on humans for survival and often hover close to human populations, even when they’re feral. The best ways to help outdoor cat colonies are to donate either time or money to local organizations, participate in TNR programs, or become a colony caretaker for the strays in your neighborhood. In this article, we’ll talk all about cat colonies, how rapidly they grow, how large their territory ranges, and how you can get involved to help the cats in your area. What is a group of cats called?  A group of cats is known as a Clowder. You need three or more cats to have a clowder of them! If you have a group of kittens born to the same mother, they’re known as a litter. A group of cats living as strays outdoors is called a colony. There are actually many more names for a group of cats, including a Destruction and a Glaring. What is a cat colony? A cat colony is a group of stray cats living in the same territory outdoors. They can live anywhere from rural farmland to city streets but are typically located close to humans due to their dependency on us. It’s important that a cat colony has a human caretaker. This lengthens the lifespan of the cats and controls the population. When outdoor cats have a caretaker, we usually call them community cats! A good caretaker will ensure all cats receive veterinary care, including a spay or neuter surgery, vaccinations, and parasite prevention medication. They also typically feed the cats and help provide safe shelters. How many cats are in a colony? Cat colonies can begin with just two cats, but they usually multiply. Unless all of the cats are neutered or spayed, they’ll continue having kittens. Female cats can birth up to three litters each year. An average litter has 3-5 kittens, though some are much larger. One mother cat can produce over fifteen kittens each year—potentially many more if her litters are large. About half of these kittens will be female, and they’ll go on to have their own litters once they reach four months of age. By the time a mother cat births her third litter of five kittens each, the females from the first two litters—approximately five of them—will birth their own first or second litters. This adds over 35 more kittens to our count, all stemming from that first female cat within one year. This is how quickly a colony of two could turn into a colony of over 50 cats! Population control is our responsibility as humans because we’re the ones who domesticated cats and brought them into so many environments where they now live as invasive species. We promote TNR, or trap, neuter, return, as an ethical way to control stray and feral cat populations. How large is a feral cat’s territory? A feral cat’s territory can exceed 1300 acres, or about half a mile (source). Unaltered cats have more tendency to roam, as do those without a human caretaker to provide food. Unneutered male cats with no caretaker have the largest range. This is a far distance for a cat to travel, especially when you remember how much of their lives are spent sleeping! It’s also hazardous for the cat, as the study linked above shows them crossing roads and dying of disease. Do feral cats leave the colony? The closest members of the colony are the females. They will share food and even nurse each other’s kittens. Female cats interact within the colony regularly. Unneutered male cats have more tendency to wander and aren’t as interactive—at least, not until mating time rolls around. Cats don’t tend to leave their territory but instead linger near human dwellings as they get hungry. Remember, they’re domesticated animals—they rely on us for food, even if it’s via digging through our trash or eating the mice our garbage attracts. Male cats may wander away from the colony but typically remain in their territory and return as they please. How can I help a feral cat colony? There are many ways to help feral cat colonies. Here are some to consider:

Outdoor Cat Terms and Definitions If you’re new to cat rescue or advocacy, you might see many terms thrown around that you don’t understand! What is TNR, and how can you tell the difference between a stray and a feral cat? Stray cats are cats without owners, while feral cats are strays that aren’t human-friendly. TNR, or trap, neuter, return, is used to control the population growth of cat colonies (groups of cats who share territory). Cat colonies benefit from having a caretaker to feed them and bring them to the veterinarian when needed. In this article, we’ll talk more about these outdoor cat terms and definitions, what they mean, and how you can help stray cats in your area. What is a stray cat? A stray cat is a homeless outdoor cat with no owner. Stray cats may be feral or tame, depending on their upbringing and history. For instance, housecats are often dumped in rural areas. These cats have lived with humans their entire lives and are likely tame. They enjoy human contact and are used to living in a home. These cats are contenders for adoption. Often, they’re brought indoors by someone who’s fallen in love. (Ever heard the phrase, “we don’t choose cats, they choose us”?) Tame strays can also be fostered until a suitable home is found. Feral strays, on the other hand, aren’t used to living with humans and aren’t friendly. What is a feral cat? Feral cats avoid and fear humans. They grew up with minimal human contact and might even show fear or aggression when handled. It’s important to note that feral cats aren’t wild. All cats are domesticated animals and depend on humans to survive. This is why feral cats live just 2-5 years on average, compared to an indoor-only cat at 13-17 years (source). Many indoor cats these days are even living well into their twenties! Cats are also invasive species, not naturally occurring. They can decimate local ecosystems (source), and it’s our collective responsibility to control their population. Cat litter, on average, consists of 3-5 kittens. Female cats can have up to three litters per year. That can add up to over 100 kittens in her lifetime! The most humane way to manage this is TNR, or trap, neuter, return. Check out our other resources on Feral Cat Facts here. Stray cats vs feral cats All feral cats are stray cats—but not all strays are feral. As we discussed above, a feral cat is not human-friendly. They can sometimes be worked with to overcome their fear of humans and live successfully indoors. However, this takes a lot of effort. Stray cats are simply cats without owners. They may be feral or tame. Can feral cats be adopted? You may wonder, why not just tame feral cats and adopt them out instead? Unfortunately, it’s not so easy. The realistic answer is that there are simply too many cats in need of saving. Removing cats from the streets is a long process in overcrowded areas, and taming ferals takes up much more time and energy from the wonderful people doing this work. Sometimes the choice is, do we save and adopt out several litters of kittens or take the same amount of time to rehabilitate one feral cat? That one life is worthwhile—but you have to think of all the stress that a cat will go through in a human home and how many others will be born while cat rescuers focus on that work! Some people are passionate about taking in feral cats, and it’s not a bad thing at all. Just resource-intensive. Lastly, we’ll note that feral cats brought to shelters are euthanized as they’re considered unadoptable. This is why it’s better to leave them on the streets if you cannot take them in yourself. Here are some tips about caring for an outdoor cat. What are Community Cats? Community cats are stray cats. There is no difference! Like strays, community cats can be tame or feral. What is a cat colony? A cat colony is a group of cats that live together. They can consist of feral and tame cats. Often, they’re a group of related female cats and their kittens. Colonies share resources such as space and food. They’re cooperative, and female cats might even nurse another’s babies! What is a colony caretaker? Some colonies receive help from a human who cares for them. This person is known as a colony caretaker. They usually live nearby and provide food and medical care to the colony. If you’re interested in being a caretaker for your local cats, we highly recommend it! It can lengthen their lifespan considerably and keep the cats healthier and happier overall. For those short on funds, try reaching out to your local rescue and TNR groups. They may be able to help with expenses like veterinary care. Low-cost programs also exist for neutering and spaying cats. They often charge even lower for stray cats and will ear-tip them. What are domestic cats? Domestic cats are the species of cat domesticated by humans thousands of years ago. Some people falsely believe that a “domestic cat” refers to a housecat—but this isn’t true. Strays and pets are both domestic cats. Non-domestic cats are wild cats, such as tigers, lions, or bobcats. What is a cat foster? Earlier, we mentioned that tame strays can be fostered until a “forever home” is found. But you may be wondering, what is a cat foster? If you’re familiar with human foster homes, it’s the same concept. A volunteer brings the cat into their home until a more permanent solution is found. This helps keep cats out of shelter environments, whether to prevent overcrowding or because the cat isn’t suitable to live in a shelter. For instance, maybe they’re incredibly shy and need help coming out of their shell before adoption. Or, they may have a medical issue requiring more hands-on care than shelter workers can provide. Kittens without mothers