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Feral Cat Resources

FERAL CATS

A feral cat is defined as a cat who is relatively wild, shuns human contact, and cannot be picked up or handled by humans.  These are generally second-generation (or later) cats produced from cats that were originally abandoned by their owners.  However, some marginally feral cats are first-generation abandoned cats that have learned to be wary of people but can potentially revert back to a domestic state.

FREE-ROAMING CATS

Free-roaming cats can include owned domestic cats, abandoned domestic cats, and true feral cats. Feral colonies often include all three of these.

FERAL COLONIES

Feral colonies are generally composed of friendly, semi-friendly and feral, or undomesticated cats.

CONTROLLING FREE-ROAMING CAT NUMBERS AND COLONIES

It has been proven that trapping, removing, and destroying cats in a colony has no effect in the medium- and long-term towards eliminating the colony or the problem. Inevitably, there are remaining cats that aren't trapped or there are neighboring cats in the area that will refill the vacancy because the food source suddenly becomes abundant and available to them. Often, these new cats will produce offspring at a greater rate and number to achieve the balance between cat numbers and available food. Removing a food source is impossible given the natural and human opportunities.

The accepted and proven method of controlling a colony of cats (feral, tame, free-roaming) is TNR (Trap, Neuter, and Return). This creates a colony that is sterile, maintains its territory and biological balance, and eventually reduces the colony numbers through death or attrition.

The ultimate control of free-roaming cats rests directly upon the cat owner and his/her recognition of responsibility for these cats. Discarding cats, not spaying or neutering, abandonment, and general ignorance are the direct contributors to excessive numbers of cats.

FERAL/FREE ROAMING CATS AND HEALTH CONCERNS

Free-roaming cats are no more likely to carry disease than domestic cats. Generally, cat diseases are only transmissible to other cats and not to humans. There are a few diseases that transmit to humans but direct contact with the cat must occur. Some diseases that can transmittable are rabies (contact must occur and incidence is rare), fleas, ringworm (very uncommon in feral cats; indirect contact can transmit), infection from scratches, bites (contact must occur), toxoplasmosis (human must inhale spores from feces and most humans are immune to this). Humans who are not familiar with animal in general, or cats specifically, often have very poor information and assume that feral cats are disease-carriers that can transmit all sorts of things to humans. That is not true! Actually, managed feral colonies are composed of some of the most vaccinated, altered and cared for cats, often exceeding the care of domestic cats in households.

HOW DO YOU CARE FOR THE ABANDONED CAT?

Encourage people to alter the cats and return them to their original site, feeding and caring for them as much as possible. Surrendering them to a shelter and attempting to eliminate the colony will only result in short-term extermination. There are no sanctuaries for feral cats. A few cats can be relocated to a barn home but a great deal of effort has to be put towards that to assure the cats remain at the new location. Feral cats cannot be relocated into other colonies.

WHAT IS THE CURRENT PROCESS AT THE CITY SHELTER?

The City of Sacramento recognizes that feral cat colony caregivers are providing a tremendous service to the shelter by managing colonies, altering the cats, and generally reducing the need to house, feed, and euthanize these cats. It is estimated that it costs the shelter about $125 to house, feed, and euthanize each cat, while spaying and neutering a cat can cost as little as $15 with all feeding costs and care born by the caregiver. The city's stance on feral cats is that they are not owned and, therefore, are not subject to pet limits or licensing requirements. The city has felt that any colony caregiver who can prove that they are altering and managing the colony on an ongoing basis should not bear the burden of licensing or redemption fees and should be allowed to continue to manage and care for the colony.

At present, any ear-tipped cat that arrives at the shelter is noted. Claudia Schlachter, one of the shelter employees, is notified of the trapping location and description of the cat. She maintains a database that includes many of the known and managed colonies throughout the Sacramento/Yolo/Placer/El Dorado County areas and can often find the responsible colony caregiver. She locates the caregiver and the caregiver is allowed to redeem their cats with no fees attached. When there are strong complaints from the person who brings in the cats, she can help educate and possibly alleviate the issues with the complainant.

RESOURCES

When talking to a resident who is concerned and want to help the cats, please refer them to these various resources: