Saving Feral Cats

As one of the most adaptable mammals on earth, the domestic cat can revert to his wild state and form social colonies to live in. Many un-spayed/un-neutered (referred to as "intact") animals become lost while searching for mates, wandering too far from home. They often band together to form a feral colony. In the United States alone, surveys show that approximately 30 to 60% of un-neutered, lost or abandoned cats will eventually live in feral colonies.

Initially, when tame household cats are abandoned by inhumane people, they can suffer greatly. It may take a while for feral instincts to initiate a survival response in the cat. Many will never make it, but others can survive- which is the cause of the current overpopulation of feral cats. It is NEVER a good idea to abandon a cat to "fend for itself." Many cats do not and cannot make it since many cats do not have the survival skills needed.

Current U.S. Policies

High death rates or low birth rates are two methods that can be used to control an overpopulation crisis. The U.S. currently chooses the former. Millions of unwanted animals are destroyed each year. As resources dwindle, less is spent on education and few low-cost sterilization programs are offered. The public often does not realize the extent of the crisis. Many shelters do not reveal that relinquished animals will probably be killed for fear these animals will be abandoned. Killing these animals is not a pleasant subject for the general public so it is hidden.

The British were the first to accept the humane, nonlethal management of feral colonies. A committee of scientists and humane educators established a policy almost three decades ago. The RSPCA then accepted alternatives to lethal control, and in 1977, Cat Action Trust formed, a group with 24 chapters that neuters feral cats in the U.K.

AnnaBell Washburn, founder of Pet Adoption and Welfare Services of Martha's Vineyard, was one of the first to introduce non-lethal control methods to the U.S. After hearing U.K. animal behaviorist and feral cat expert Peter Neville speak at a conference in Boston, she started a sterilization program on Martha's Vineyard and spoke at conferences in the northeast. However there have always been individuals in this country who have realized independently that they need to trap and sterilize ferals to stop the breeding. One 82-year-old retired university professor from New Jersey called to tell me she had been doing this for fifteen years and thought she had invented the method!

What Do You Do When You Find a Feral Cat or a Colony?

Many people want to scoop up all ferals and place them in homes or sanctuaries, but we must understand that this is impossible. The U.S. currently has a population of about 60 million ferals and we are killing approximately 6 million domestic cats each year. There are simply not enough homes for friendly cats, and certainly not enough sanctuaries. Remember, most adult ferals would be very unhappy in our homes. Many are too wild to tame.

Finally, while there is still an overpopulation of stray cats, others will quickly fill the niches left by the removal of whole colonies and begin the breeding cycle all over again.