The O'Malley Alley Cat Organization
Easy Ways you can help feral cats
Are they stray or feral?
Here is how to tell: Establish a daily feeding routine…same place, same time…for at least two weeks. Watch the cats' behavior. A stray will let you get close, and may even allow petting. Strays are vocal (They 'talk'.) having lived with humans. They are more curious than cautious. On the other hand, feral cats will run when they see you. Even as you keep feeding them, they will continue to avoid you.
ASK! Every stray cat is a possible lost cat. Ask neighbors if they have lost a pet. If you can't re-unite her with her owner, try to find her a new home. Put up flyers. Call local rescue and adoption groups. If necessary, take her to a no-kill shelter. Check out "How to find homes for homeless pets" at www.alleycat.org/resources_care.html
Three "solutions" that are really deadly traps
- Bringing feral cats to a shelter where they are killed because they are un-adoptable.
- Contacting Animal Control to trap the feral cat and kittens. They will kill them.
- Accepting a shelter's offer to lend you a trap. Realize…there are strings attached.
In return, you must bring in the cat or kitten, which is then speedily killed.
The only real solution is Trap-Neuter-Return.
- Trap using drop or cage traps to humanely trap the cats in the feral colony.
- Neuter. Take the ferals in the cage to you vet of choice to be spayed or neutered, ear-tipped, vaccinated and treated as needed.
- Return the ferals back to their established outdoor area. Provide food and water daily. Make a simple shelter and keep an eye on their well being.
Spay/Neuter on your budget
Before you trap even one cat…have a plan! Contact your vet and discuss the situation. They may already be knowledgeable and involved in feral cat care. They may point you to experienced sources in Trap-Neuter-Return-Manage.
Your trapping should coincide with the vet's ability to spay/neuter right away, so the cats don't remain in their traps for long. Find out how may of your cats the vet can accommodate on a single day and let this guide your trapping activity. Communication is vital to success! Each cat will need to be spayed/neutered under anesthesia, given rabies vaccination and ear-tipped. They may also require ear-mite treatment or other care.
Ear-tipping is removing a quarter off the top of a feral cat's left ear while the cat is being spay/neutered. It is a recognized sign and will tell a caretaker who has already been 'taken care of'.
You-yes you-can trap!
Visit The O'Malley Alley Cat Organization site. Read the article on Humane Trapping before you began. http://www.alleycat.org/pdf/humane.pdf
This step assumes you have been feeding feral cats on a regular schedule. Now withhold food from the cats you intend to trap 24 hours before trapping. Continue to offer fresh, clean water but no food.
- Prepare one box trap per cat. Line it with newspaper on the bottom and bait with a minimal amount canned tuna, sardines or mackerel to get their attention.
- Locate the box trap in the area the cats are used to eating in. Use a towel to cover all but the entry and get out of sight. Trap in the evenings NOT the heat of the day. The cat should be hungry and go right on in.
- After the trap has been sprung, cover the rest of the trap with a towel and wait a few minutes. It is natural for them to be afraid and upset. (This is why you only use a minimal amount of bait to keep it from flying everywhere.)
- Take the cats that you have trapped to the vet that day or the following day, which ever you and the vet have already planned out. (Remember! The number of cats you trap at one time depends on how many the vet can handle in one day. It is best to capture all of a colony at one time but it can still be done in sections.)
What do I do now?
Congratulations! You have now trapped nine cats, sterilized and vaccinated them, ear-tipped them for identification and returned the to where you found them. Great! You have prolonged their lives and definitely improved their health. AND you have stopped the breeding cycle. Now what?!
Mainly know that you aren't in this alone. There are a great number of places that you can go and people to contact that have already 'Been there. Done that!'
