Feral cats

Ferals are cats who have reverted back to a wild state after being abandoned or lost, or the offspring of such cats. They have learned to live outdoors with little human contact, but still depend on humans for food.

Feral cats generally live in colonies that can be managed through Trap-Neuter-Return. This means that cats are trapped (humanely and painlessly), spayed or neutered and returned to their colony. Colonies can be just a few cats to several dozen and are looked after by a volunteer caretaker who makes sure they have food, water, proper shelter and gets them vet care as needed.

TNR has become an accepted method of managing feral cats all over the world. We have provided some sources of information below for those wanting to know more about it.

While it is never the first option, there are times that feral cats need to be relocated. These cats would be unhappy living indoors but would be very content to live in a nice barn, shed or secure out building and come and go as they please.

Barn cats ask little of their people -- just an ample supply of fresh food and water each day, a safe and cozy area that is padded with straw for cold winter nights, and a commitment to providing veterinary attention when needed.

If you want to help ferals who need to be relocated, email us with the subject heading: Ferals Wanted. Please be prepared to accept multiple cats since ferals form strong bonds with their colony.

Feral Resources

• Alley Cat Allies is a national nonprofit clearing house for information on feral an stray cats. Their resource center offers dozens of tools, outreach strategies, building plans and downloadable guides to help feral caregivers. It's become a one stop shop for feral cat information. http://www.alleycat.org/resources.html

• Best Friends Animal Society is working with humane groups across the U.S. to bring about a time when there are No More Homeless Pets. Their sanctuary, at the heart of Southern Utah's Golden Circle of national parks, is home, on any given day, to about 1,500 animals.
  
  No More Homeless Pets Forum: Ferals Everywhere
  http://www.bestfriends.org/archives/forums/ferals.html
  
  Feral Cat Resources (mostly in pdf format).

• Neighborhood Cats was formed in 1999 to promote TNR as the most humane and effective means of solving New York City's severe feral cat overpopulation crisis. Their website provides step-by-step guidance for those who want to help ferals in their own community. This includes an online class in TNR. http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/
  
  In October 2004, Neighborhood Cats presented the National Feral Cat Summit. They have given us permission to post several papers presented at that conference. The documents are posted in Microsoft Word and PDF format.

• Trap-Neuter-Return: How to Manage a Feral Cat Colony -- Sample Workshop Outline    
  Word document (79 kb)     PDF (38 kb)

• The Nuts and Bolts of Implementing a Community-wide TNR program
  Word document (176 kb)     PDF (94 kb)

• Trap-Neuter-Return: Developing and Effective Strategy for the Permanent Reduction of Feral and Stray Cat Populations
  Word document (1056 kb)     PDF (143 kb)
  
  Note: Word Doc has highlights sections that can be filled in or adapted pursuant to the relevant facts and data in your community.

Feral-friendly vets and spay/neuter clinics in VA/MD/DC

Build a weather-proof, inexpensive shelter