What are Community Cats?

ABOUT COMMUNITY CATS

Community cats include feral (or unsocial) cats, stray and abandoned cats, and interdependent groups of unowned, free-roaming cats. They occupy our porches, backyards, alleys, barns, and neighborhoods. Without a human address to call home, these “neighborhood cats” live where food and shelter are available.

Community cats are generally the offspring of stray or abandoned household pets. When raised without human contact, they avoid people. Because these cats rarely learn to trust people, most do not make good pets. Even young feral kittens can be difficult to socialize for adoption, and are often ignored by pet rescue groups, or are euthanized at animal shelters.

The plight of community cats has captured the hearts of animal lovers for many years, but only recently has a non-lethal option for their control become available. Called Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), this humane and effective alternative involves spaying or neutering unowned, free-roaming community cats and returning them to their outside homes where they were thriving. Community members who feed and look after these cats are called caregivers. This solution successfully decreases the population, reduces birth rates and improves the overall health of the cats. Performed on a large scale, the success of such programs is felt at animal shelters where fewer cats are admitted for adoption or euthanasia.

The plight of feral cats has captured the hearts of animal lovers for many years, but only recently has a non-lethal option for their control become available. Called Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), this humane and effective alternative involves spaying or neutering feral cats, then returning them to their colonies were they are looked after and fed by caretakers. This solution successfully decreases the population, reduces birth rates and improves the overall health of the colony. Performed on a large scale, the success of such programs is felt at animal shelters where fewer cats are admitted for euthanasia.