How to help feral and stray cats

Do you want to help all the cute cats you see in the street? We do too. To do it right, however, you must know the difference between feral and stray cats.

What’s the difference

Stray and feral cats can be described as free-roaming domestic cats living outside. The cats may be completely wild, or they can be cared for by their neighbors as community cats. The difference between the two is their comfort level with humans.

Stray Cats live outside and do not have a human home, but they were socialized once. Although they may have lost or left their human family, they are still familiar with people and are more receptive to food, affection, and touch from humans. Strays can often be resocialized to become pets again. However, they may lose their socialization with time and become feral.

Feral Cats are cats that live outdoors and are not friendly to humans. These cats may have been feral kittens raised outdoors or pets that lost their human socialization. They tend to fear or be hostile toward humans and do not respond well when socialized. Vets recommend that you socialize feral kittens when they are young. However, it’s not recommended if the kitten is older than four months. Most feral adult cats won’t be happy to live indoors or with humans.

How can you help your local feral cats

Feral cats can be negatively affected by attempting to trap and rehome each adorable cat you encounter. What’s the best thing to do?

You can make feral cats live happy, healthy lives by giving them food and a safe shelter. Coordinate with your neighbors so that you can take care of the colony. They’ll also help control the rodent population. If you are not careful, this loving care could allow the cats to reproduce and produce more feral cats, which is bad for wildlife in your area and leads to more unhoused cat populations. Experts recommend TNR for wild cat programs.

What are TNR Programs (Transnational Reproductive Programs)

Trap, neuter, and return are also known as “TNR.” The best way to help feral cats is by reducing their population. Community members trap feral and stray cats using humane traps and then take them to veterinarians for neutering or spaying. In addition to the spay/neuter, cats receive vaccinations and checkups before being ear tipped. This is a universal mark that shows they’ve been neutered.

These TNR programs have been proven to be humane and efficient. These programs allow feral cats to remain in their colonies and communities while preventing mothers from having more kittens. Treating animals with kindness and respect while reducing the number of cats on the street is important.

Shelter Systems: How Can They Help

Animal shelters are wonderful organizations designed to get pets into loving homes. Ask your local shelters for recommendations and learn about their programs if you want to help the community cats. Many shelters use TNR programs to manage local populations. They may also have space for friendly stray kittens who would be good candidates for adoption.

You are NOT recommended to drop feral cats off at your local shelter without prior notice or call animal control to deal with community cat populations. Some shelters may not be equipped to handle an influx of unfriendly cats. Also, poorly socialized cats are more likely than others to end up in shelters or be put down. TNR is a humane way to control the feral cat population as long as they are healthy and happy.

Community cats can thrive and survive With little attention and care from their neighbors. Isn’t this what it means to be a good neighbor? You can help your neighborhood cats by looking into TNR programs in your area.