Happy National Feral Cats Day!
Got any kitties hangin’ around outdoors? This is a great day to toss out a little catnip for a special treat for them. If you’re aware of some “outdoor kitties” living near you, chances are you provide them with food and clean water. That makes you, at the very least, an unofficial colony caretaker.
In many communities there are people who take it upon themselves to care for the ferals in their neighborhood. As colony caretakers, they may be under some stricter regulations these days, depending on the laws of their community. So many people still don’t get it, that these kitties are just like the ones peering out from the lace curtains inside their homes – they’re cats, they have the same needs, and in fact many are not truly outdoors cats at all, just ones who’ve either been forced out by their previous “owners”, or accidentally got lost. The people who don’t understand, not to mention the ones who don’t particularly show compassion for these animals, have made it harder in some areas for caretakers to to do what they need to. But caretakers are a committed group.
There is a procedure known as TNR – trap/neuter/return – that has been heralded as the best method of handling a situation of feral cats in a neighborhood. Simply, someone catches the kitties, takes them in for spay/neuter and ear-tipping (the tip of the left ear is cut off while under anesthesia for the neuter, so they will be observed in the future as having been neutered), and perhaps vaccines as well – then returns them to their original location. Although there are still kitties around, it is the best solution in limiting the population, and definitely preventing the inevitable increase that would occur otherwise. It is humane, it is compassionate, it is the right thing to do.
Just about anyone can do TNR, but if you’re not sure you can handle stray cats, or you have difficulty when you try to trap, there is help. Alley Cat Allies is an organization dedicated to stray and feral cats, and offers wonderful advice on handling a feral cat situation. Oftentimes, you can enlist the help of someone experienced in TNR to handle it for you – check with the website, check with local rescues for references. This is their website: Alley Cat Allies
What can you yourself do for feral cats?
-Understand that ferals are cats who simply are not socialized; those from outdoors who have been (strays) can be adopted into homes, those who have not need to live with their other furry friends outdoors as they are accustomed to.
-Organize and become a feral colony caretaker, if you have ferals in your neighborhood. Check with local ordinances, Alley Cat Allies and local rescue groups for information and assistance.
-Contact your local TNR/rescue organization; volunteer or donate if you are able to.
-Help spread the word, so more people understand both the benefits of TNR and the beauty of these animals. Advocate for local compassionate ordinances.
There is no reason we should turn our backs on these beautiful creatures, simply because they were not fortunate enough to have been born into, or adopted into, someone’s home. Their lives are valuable, too. Pardon me…I’m going out to sprinkle some catnip….
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