Got Stray Cats or Kittens? Manageable Solutions

The information contained herein will give any individual, neighborhood, community or government entity some proactive alternatives to animal-related issues, specifically cat-related issues. For how to handle kittens and Mom cats, please read Castaway Critters information here: http://www.castawaycritters.org/info/display?PageID=6843.

PAWS has spayed or neutered more than 10,000 domestic felines in eight counties since our TNR Program began in early 2004, and facilitated almost 3,000 in 2008. As the leading feral cat organization in the area, we  have some recommendations and will also explain why removing food or removing the cats, for that matter, will not work.

Feral cats are the same species as companion cats - but they have no desire to snuggle with you on your couch. Feral cats aren't socialized to people, and so they are fearful of humans and are not adoptable. They live healthy, natural lives odn their own, content in their outdoor home.

Like all animals, feral cats make their home where they can find shelter and food. Often this is within close proximity to humans. It is nearly impossible to remove all food sources where humans live in close proximity to each other. Because feral cats cannot be socialized, they are unadoptable and should not be brought to most shelters, where they will likely be killed. Instead, feral cats should be sterilized, vaccinated, and returned to their territory.

We understand that not everyone enjoys living with cats and other wildlife in their yards. When dealing with these types of situations, the biggest success comes from actually talking directly to the neighbors who have the issues.  It is few and far between that someone will actually say they want the cats killed since that's really the only option.  From there its a hands on approach to curtailing the offensive behavior.

As far as contacting animal control to trap and remove to the shelter - where they will most likely be killed - a nice reminder is that trap and kill doesn't work AND WILL COST TAX PAYERS MORE MONEY. In fact, according to the research we have done thus far in a small handful of communities, it costs taxpayers anywhere from $130 to over $200 per cat .

In addition, the simple tips located in the Nuisance Prevention Tips for Feral (Wild/Stray) Cats will help you divert outdoor cats from specific areas. These quick solutions, coupled with Trap-Neuter-Return and ongoing management, can help you coexist with your neighborhood cats! For information on how to organize your community to support TNR and prevent threats to the cats, please read Alley Cat Allies Organizing Your Community for Strategic Change for Cats, Neighborhood Cats Resources Overview, and Neighborhood Cats Advocacy Materials. Join the Yahoo! Feral Cats in South Central PA Group at http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/feralcatsinsouthcentralpa/ for access to tools resources in the FILES and LINKS sections and also to coordinate with others in the community.

In fact, the method described below is an effective means in which to: (1) improve public health and safety, (2) reduce nuisance behaviors, (3) saves money, (4) improve neighborhood and constituent relations, (5) reduce nuisance complaints; and (6) reduce euthanasia of healthy cats at the shelter.

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) has been proven time and time again to be the only viable method of management which addresses these issues surrounding cats termed as feral.

TNR is a full management plan in which cats are humanely trapped, sterilized, ear-tipped, rabies vaccinated, and returned to the location in which they were initially trapped. Ear-tipping is an indiciation of the cat being sterilized. TNR is the most cost-effective and viable method to manage the population of cats outdoors. It is important to note that caretakers DO NOT create colonies. TNR addresses cats that are already there.

Feral cats are unsocialized offspring of unsterilized pet cats who were either abandoned or lost. Low-income people often cannot afford spay/neuter surgery for their pet cats (or dog for that matter), who are frequently displaced from their home for being intact and prone to roam and mate. Feral cats, while dependent on humans for food and veterinary care, cannot realistically be tamed and are not suited to living indoors with humans. 

The National Animal Control Association (NACA) voted in 2008 to revise its position regarding feral cats – moving from removal to management. The new policy, labeled “Community Cat Management,” calls for ACOs to be “empowered to manage all feral, stray and owned cats within the community.” Management may include law enforcement, education, public/private partnerships for cat care and control, spay/neuter programs, and regulated cat caretaker programs. 

Most cat-related calls to Animal Control, Police Departments, Community Associations, and Shelters involve:

A recent scientific survey revealed that 81% of Americans – believes that leaving a stray out outside to live out his life is more humane than having the cat caught and killed, even if they knew the cat would die a traumatic death in two years. In fact, Americans believe it so much that they have organized nonprofits to address this issue via TNR programs and spay/neuter clinics – of which we are representative. For-profit businesses have begun offering tools to this segment of society – such as drop traps, feral cat shelters, feeding stations, and more. PAWS spends well over $100,000 on our TNR program each year. Note this does not include volunteer hours nor the amount of money spent on food, shelter, etc. which caretakers take out of their own pockets. This issue IS a public policy issue.

PAWS implements our policies and procedures based on those of nationally recognized experts in the field, including Alley Cat Allies – www.alleycat.org. We are proud to have formed positive and collaborative relationships with other organizations, including the Humane Society of the Harrisburg Area, Inc.

For information on PAWS Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Program, click here.

Some brochures and handouts that will be helpful when talking to anyone about stray cats and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) are as follows:

Nuisance Prrevention Tips
Animal Directory
Local Institution's TNR Program
National Animal Control Association Feral Cat/TNR Policy
How to Live with Cats in your Neighborhood (Alley Cat Allies)
Easy Ways You Can Help Feral (Alley Cat Allies)
Do you believe she deserves to live even though she lives outdoors? (Alley Cat Allies)
What Americans Really Think About Stray Cats (Alley Cat Allies Truth Card)
Feral Cats (Alley Cat Allies Truth Card) 
The Vacuum Effect (Alley Cat Allies Truth Card) 
Why do Cats do That? (Alley Cat Allies)                     

Additional information can be found in the Feral Free Roaming Cat  Library here or check out the Cat Management document here. A great local example of success with Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) can be found here.

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