Chances are you’ve seen, or at least have heard of outdoor cats. Some may be cats who are allowed to roam outdoors by their guardians, other may be community (feral or stray) cats who call the outdoors home. In fact, theĀ ASPCAĀ currently estimates that there aboutĀ 20 million free-roaming catsĀ in this U.S. That figure includes a mix of truly feral cats, semi-socialized cats, and lost or abandoned cats.
For many, it’s hard to see felines living outdoors. The first instinct may be to give them a can of cat food, which is certainly a kind gesture, but in reality, feral cats are often just as safe and healthy as our own house cats. Itās been shown that feral catsĀ have equally low ratesĀ of disease as indoor cats. The lean physique of some feral cats sometimes leads people to believe that they are starving or ill, butĀ studiesĀ findĀ that feral cats have healthy body weights and fat distribution. Outdoor cats tend to live much more active lives than the house cats who sleep on the side of our beds.
If a cat looksĀ well cared for, they are more likely to return home without your help. If they do hang around,Ā chat with your neighbors orĀ post signsĀ to see if you can find their family.Ā Ā Feral catsĀ are afraid of people and usually, run if approached. They will not allow you toĀ touch them and you shouldnāt try because it can endanger you or the cat. Theyāll only eatĀ food youāve provided after youāve moved away. A cat is probably feral if heās stillĀ unapproachable after several days of feeding.
Of the 70 million stray animals that live in the U.S. only aboutĀ six to eight millionĀ make their way into the shelter system. Only aboutĀ three or four million of animalsĀ in shelters are adopted into homes. Knowing these heart-wrenching statistics, animal lovers undoubtedly want to help their feline friends. If you want to help feral community cats, other than providing them with food, hereĀ are some suggestions that may go a longer way than food.
Ways to Help Feral CatsĀ
Make a Shelter
You can build a feral cat shelter yourselfĀ by constructing insulated shelter boxes to help to keep them warm and dry even on the coldest and snowiest days. ThisĀ videoĀ tutorial will walk you through the necessary steps.Ā Smaller shelters work best, as they help to recirculate catsā own body heat. Also,Ā be sure that cats donāt become snowed into their shelters by keeping doorways free of blowing snow and drifts.
VolunteerĀ
One of the best ways to help cats is toĀ volunteer with a rescue organization that helps manageĀ feral cat colonies. Colonies are groups of cats that live in the same area and form a sort of family bond. Some volunteer groups work toĀ provide shelterĀ and food for colonies to help them get by. Although feral cats are usually very wary of people, they can come to trust volunteers ā or at least, trust them enough to happily accept much-needed supplies.Ā You can help even more cats byĀ organizing a group of volunteersĀ to aid feral cats while allowing them to keep their freedom.
Trap-Neuter-Release
Another way to help your community cats is toĀ participate inĀ Trap-Neuter-Release, orĀ TNR, programs during the warmer months. This will help keep their populations under control in the winter. ExpertsĀ debateĀ whether TNR should be done in the winter since it requires a portion of a catāsĀ winter coat to be shavedĀ and the trapping process may expose the cats to the winter elements.Ā If TNR is attempted in the winter months, be sure thatĀ adequate shelterĀ is provided through each step of the trapping and recovery processes.
If thereās no local group helping community cats, you can TNR the cats! Youāll find lotsĀ of great information to get the skills and confidence you need in theĀ Neighborhood CatsĀ TNR Handbook.
If you’ve never helped community cats before, don’t worry, you can still be an advocate.There are lotsĀ of resources, such as The Humane Society of the United StatesāĀ Lobbying 101 for CatĀ Advocates, to help you be the most effective advocate possible. You can also check outĀ āManaging Community Cats: A Guide for Municipal Leaders,ā which can be purchasedĀ in print form or downloaded for free.
Do you have experience with helping community cats? Leave a comment below and share with the One Green Planet community!
Lead image source: hkase/Flickr
Janet, how on earth have you never seen a cat kill a bird? That is just… nuts. I āadoptedā a semi-feral for awhile, who brought me birds all the time! I watched that cat pounce on numerous birds! Iād shoo him, because I felt bad for the bird, but oh yeah! Heck, I have a hysterical photo of that little guy on the roof of my next door neighborās garage so he could be eye-level with my birdhouse which is on a 10 ft post. Seriously HOW have you āneverā in 30 years, witnessed a cat kill a bird?? What have you been doing all of this time? š
Canāt help but to agree with Rick that Sophia is a bit dim. When I moved into this house 12 years ago, there was a gorgeous and strong female feral cat who roamed the neighborhood. No one could get near her, and she had zero interest in any kind of man-made kibble. One afternoon, as we were heading out to run errands, I happened to glance across the street, and there she was crossing a neighborās lawn with a full grown rabbit in her mouth. Itās one of the most incredible things Iāve ever seen, and it completely changed what I thought I knew about the cats I see wandering the streets. They are survivors, and will take what they need when they need it. Yes, itās true that they are exposed to the elements, and they do run into dangerous situations, mostly because of stupid humans, and so my cat friends stay indoors. This cat, though. She was spectacular. Wow. Respect ā
Sophia is correct. It may be hard to hear, but the fact is that the domestic cat has no natural niche in North America. It is bred from a small North African cat. Whether owned and loose or truly feral, they have a devastating impact on the natural world. Many birds nest on or near the ground or are ground foragers. Someone callously suggested in their comment on this thread that birds should “stay in the air.” That shows a alarming ignorance of nature. In another comment, someone suggested that feral cats do not kill birds because they have not seen it happen. Well, it happens, and it happens to the degree that some bird species are being pushed to the point of being threatened and even endangered as a species. I worked in cat rescue at my own expense for several years while on a military base where many cats were dumped. It breaks my heart to say that Sophia is right, but she is, and all of you know it, too. Legislation is catching up with this issue. Many cities now make it illegal to feed feral cats, or to release them once trapped and spayed/neutered. Many cities now make their Duty To Restrain ordinances applicable to both dogs and cats. The way of the future will be to exterminate feral cats, and hopefully it will not be too late for many native bird species and other small wildlife.