F A Q s
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so that we might keep people as informed as possible.
What is a feral colony?
A "feral" cat is the offspring of a domestic cat that has been abandoned, lost or separated from their owners. Ferals can be one generation or two, three, etc. These cats will form a "colony" near dumpsites, restaurants and any area where there is a possible food source.
Colonies of two or three or many more cats will form in a desperate need to survive - it is NOT TRUE that cats can survive by themselves. The life span of a feral cat is extremely short if no compassionate person seeks to help these animals. Trap, neuter and return( TNR) programs are becoming the most successful, humane and least expensive method of controlling these colonies.
Some Misconceptions:
Feeding colonies of homeless cats adds to the problem.
Actually, the colonies have been shown to be more of a nuisance when they have to find their own food.
Cat colonies take over wild areas and are destructive to nature.
Actually, in the vast majority of cases, these colonies form in places near a food supply such as behind grocery and convenience stores where food is thrown away. While there may be other animals there for the same reason, (in which case, the cats are often welcome), these areas are rarely the pristine forest areas. Considering the amount of construction and urban sprawl continuously occurring, civilization will often encroach on what is left of natural areas and in some instances, the cats will compete with endangered wildlife for the same space. In these rare, but important cases, it is necessary to remove the entire colony for the sake of the endangered species.
It takes years for a colony to disappear.
This is partially true, and the dynamics of how and why colonies form and how large they become is dependent on many complicated factors. It turns out that when cats are removed from colonies the same number appear from somewhere to replace the ones taken. If it is determined that the colony is safe and healthy and poses no significant risk to the wildlife or the property owner, it is usually considered desirable by all to continue feeding and vaccinating, letting the colony remain there forever. This is currently considered by the TNR professionals to be the most humane and inexpensive method to solve the problem. This may change soon if money becomes available to set up additional sanctuaries and would be very beneficial to both the cats and the public because the ease and quality of care would be considerable.
It would cost too much to set up sanctuaries.
The only current alternative to sanctuaries is euthanasia, which involves labor to catch the cat, administrative costs, and the cost of the procedure, ($150 or more per cat); therefore, sanctuaries make quite good economical sense.
It is inhumane to leave cats in the colonies.
This is a very widespread belief. In fact even certain animal rights groups consider the only solution to be euthanasia. TRN professionals, however, are very experienced at determining the condition of the cats and the vast majority of these animals remain consistently healthy and normal when seen every day at feeding time. There is no evidence of any suffering. The insinuation by other groups that these cats are fending for themselves is not an accurate description and is not supported by evidence. It should also be noted again that the goal is not to maintain colonies, but to do the most humane thing for the cats. We are in a time of transition when the public is learning the importance of sterilization and also being made aware of the problem. It is not unreasonable to assume that this problem will completely disappear in the near future with all the hard work of the TNR professionals. It is understandable that other groups don't know this because they have been told that TNR doesn't work and they have no provision to deal with the problem other than to enact legislation.
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