Chew on This
Feral Cats
Cade B. Coppenbarger, DVM
Monika Payne, DVM
They sleep in our parks, alleyways, barns, and deserted buildings. Abandoned by their human families or simply lost, unsterilized housecats eventually band together in groups called colonies. Without human contact for prolonged periods of time, the colonies become feral. They make homes wherever they can find food. Mothers teach their kittens to avoid humans and to defend themselves, and their numbers steadily increase, even if meager scraps are all the food to be had.
No one knows exactly how many feral cats live in the United States, but the number is estimated in the tens of millions. They are often thought of as disease-ridden nuisances living tragic lives and responsible for endangering native species. As a consequence, feral cat communities are frequently rounded up and because they have had little or no human contact, and are thus unadoptable, are killed.
But removing and killing feral cats does not reduce feral cat populations for the long run. It only provides space for more cats to move in and start the breeding process again. Unspayed, feral female cats spend most of their lives pregnant and hungry, as will the female kittens that survive. Unneutered tomcats roam to find, and fight to win, mates, and often suffer debilitating wounds in the process. Half of all kittens born in feral colonies die within their first year.
Stray and feral cats are everywhere you look and the Trap/Neuter/Release (TNR) methodology has proven an effective means of curbing feral cat overpopulation. Since feral cats are not domesticated and are not technically wild life, they fall into a "gray-area" of the law. As with many of the causes of animal suffering, feral cat problems can be traced back to irresponsible pet owners who allowed their cats to roam at-large or abandoned them without having them spayed or neutered.
Since many feral cats were born and have lived their lives as such, they have never developed trust for humans. When a feral cat is trapped, they can be very dangerous animals and deliver scratches and bites that require medical attention. This is to say nothing of the possibility of disease that might be transmitted. Needless to say, feral cats have to be handled with maximum caution and respect. Feral cats can be dangerous!
Talk to your local veterinarian about how you can help control the feral cat population.