What can I do to help feral cats?
The kindest gift you can give to a feral cat is to become their dedicated feral caregiver, starting with the Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNR) of every cat in the group -- or colony.
TNR is a process by which individuals:
- safely trap a feral cat using a humane box trap
- bring the cat to a veterinarian for FeLV/FIV testing, sterilization, inoculations and left-ear tipping
- take care of the cat while he recovers from surgery
- return the cat to the exact location he was trapped
- continue to provide ongoing care for the cat, including providing shelter, fresh food and water daily, and required veterinary care for the remainder of the cat's life (sadly, for feral cats, that's about 3-4 years, depending on several factors)
Friendly strays and kittens over the age of six weeks should be pulled from the colony and placed for adoption through a local humane society or shelter. TNR is only for feral cats.
We usually start receiving calls about kittens being born outside in February. The calls continue until November or December. Female kittens can start to reproduce when they are only four months old!
