What is a feral street cat?

A feral is a cat born outside, never socialized to humans and in most cases very frightened of them. Many are descendants of domestic cats that were lost, abandoned or just let out. Most street or feral cats hide during the day and roam at night. Free-roaming street cats are composed of strays, (friendly cats that have been abandoned or lost) and feral cats.

An aggressive TNR Program markedly reduces the thousands of cats and kittens that are put to death each year. It also reduces the cats that are shot, run over, killed by another animal, used for dog fighting, sold to research, abused and tortured by humans, or starved or frozen to death.The usual animal control solution isn’t a solution.

Facts about free-roaming cats:

Feral cats do not deplete wildlife. Studies show that destruction of natural habitat, chemical pollution, pesticides and drought cause the depletion of wildlife. When a cat is fed, their need for wildlife as food is diminished. Feral cats are not diseased. When given food, water and shelter they’re healthy. TNR does remove unhealthy animals and seeks to provide a humane situation to live out their lives. Feral cats will not attack humans unless provoked. They’re afraid of humans and will run and hide when approached.

Lend a Hand to Cats and Residents in Your Community

Does someone in your neighborhood feed cats? It might be someone who’s isolated, or doesn’t know about TNR, or is fearful that their cats may be taken away and killed. You can help, and we can help you to help them. Simply download our ‘Seeing Street Cats’ brochure and put it in their door (not mailbox please). It would be best if you could talk to them or write a personal note. Remember, it wasn’t long ago that they may have been threatened with a citation or the threat of trap and remove.

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