So, you ask, what exactly is a feral cat??? A Feral cat is any 'un-owned' cat living outdoors, in a colony of 5 or more.
Read on, and you'll learn more about a problem that's causing a lot of suffering --- and costing you money!!!
Feral cats are the 'wild' offspring of domestic cats and are primarily the result of pet owners' abandonment or failure to spay and neuter their animals, allowing them to breed uncontrolled. Feral cat 'colonies' can be found behind shopping areas or businesses, in alleys, parks, abandoned buildings, and rural areas. They are elusive and do not trust humans.
Many people assume their animals will survive when they move away and leave them behind. Contrary to popular belief, domestic animals do not automatically return to their "natural" instincts and cannot fend for themselves! Many "throwaways" die mercilessly outdoors from starvation, disease, abuse --- or as food to a predator.
A pair of breeding cats, which can have two or more litters per year, can exponentially produce 420,000 offspring over a seven-year period, And the overpopulation problem carries a hefty price tag.
Trap/Alter/Release Program
A feral cat is literally a lost or abandoned cat that has over time reverted to the wild state or a cat which was born to a stray or feral mother who has had little or no human contact. Adult feral cats are usually impossible to tame and are not cohabitating with people. They live in family groups called colonies that form near a source of food and shelter. Colonies consist of 5 or more cats. Feral cats can survive almost anywhere and are worldwide.
The most common preferred method put forth by Animal Control organizations for control of cats has traditionally been to capture and euthanize feral/unowned cats. Others, who refer to this means of control as the "trap and kill" method, consider it inhumane and objectionable on several fronts. A major factor has been that it has been shown that as soon as a cat is removed, a new one will move in to take over the food source. Additionally, unless the cat is making an unusual pest out of itself, why should a wild animal be euthanized simply for not having a humane address?
After a six-year study of a feral cat colony conducted in the United States, it has been documented that stray female cats start cycling when they are 4-6.9 months old, or as soon as the days are long enough. January and February are the start of the kitten season, with the litters born in March and April. These cats have an average of 2.1 litters per year of 4.25 kittens. 42% of the kittens will die by the age of two months of natural causes. Many more will end up at the Animal Control. Those who escape early death and the Animal Control go on to be prolific bearers of kittens over their lifespan.
Taking the mortality into account, along with birth and death rates, the average stray female will have 5.25 litters in her lifetime, encompassing 22.3 kittens. At maturity, roughly 2/3 of the stray cat population is male. This is due to the high mortality rate of females during their first pregnancy and birth. Over a 12 year period, one unspayed female, with all her unspayed female offspring, reasonably can be expected to be responsible for over 3200 kittens if there is no human intervention.
Some continue to advocate the trap and kill eradication approach. However, if eradication programs really work, we would not be faced with so many stray cats and their offspring at the local Animal Controls. The Trap/Alter/Release Program immediately stabilizes the size of the colony. In addition the nuisance behavior often associated with feral cats is dramatically reduced. This includes the yowling and noise that comes with fighting and mating activity and the odor of unaltered males spraying to mark their territory. The cats tend to roam less and so become less of a visible presence. The cats will continue to provide natural rodent control which is a particularly valuable benefit. Cats are territorial. They do not allow other cats into their territory. Remove the cat(s) from the habitat without changing the habitat and another cat will move in.
Once the offspring of feral cats are over six months of age, it is nearly impossible to socialize them to the degree necessary to be placed as house pets. An unsocialized cat is an unadoptable cat. The City pays for the handling of these stray cats and their offspring. Reducing the number of kittens born to these cats would substantially reduce the number of cats euthanized at the Animal Controls, thereby reducing cost borne by the taxpayers to handle and kill stray cats which cannot be socialized.
Un-owned/wild cats are routinely euthanized at Animal Controls. Even though the kittens can often be socialized for placement, it does take a minimum of two to three weeks of intensive work. Animal Controls do not have the time, personnel or cage space to socialize the kittens. Many do not have foster care available for this work and the alternative, for the most part, is euthanasia.
In October 2004, the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA met with a local veterinarian and the City of Hamilton Animal Control to discuss the Trap/Alter/Release Program in the Hamilton/Burlington area. In December 2004 the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA implemented the Trap/Alter/Release Program and to date has completed 13 colonies, sterilized approximately 100 cats and placed numerous kittens into foster care.
There are only three alternatives in dealing with the abundance of stray cats: 1) alter/release/management; 2) euthanize; 3) ignore. Our mission is to humanely eliminate the incredible surplus of unwanted cats and kittens. The Trap/Alter/Release Program will help us achieve that goal.
If you would like to participate in our Trap/Alter/Release Program please download the application forms and survey and return them to the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA (245 Dartnall Road, Hamilton, On. L8W 3V9) or fax to 905-574-9087
Please note that there is a huge demand for this program and all applications will be reviewed and applicants contacted as resources allow.
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