I Have a Feral Cat Colony...Now What?

As we looked a little further beyond the cans, we saw 10-15 cats hanging arond. I had always heard about feral cat colonies and have seen the occasional stray cat, but I had never seen so many wild cats in one place. It was a little surreal.

My husband's instinct was to round them all up and take them to the pound, but I knew that wasn't the right thing to do. Feral cats actually enjoy living on their own in the great outdoors.

Many feral cats were pets at one point in their lives and were either dumped or ran away and have lived in the wild ever since. Feral cats have lived their lives not socializing with humans and typically cannot be domesticated. So, its likely that they will be killed in shelters. If you have a feral cat colony in your community, here are a few tips from Alley Cat Allies to help the cats be more comfortable:

• Provide the cats with food and water year round. It's best to feed them during the day for your own safety and so you can assess the cats' health.
• Buy or build adequate shelter for the cats to provide safety and shelter from the elements.
• Monitor the health of the cats in the colony. Try to keep an eye out for cats that have left and new cats that may need to be spayed or neutered.
• As the caregiver, be the advocate for the colony. Be open about your care for the cats. Be calm and cool when dealing with neighborhood issues. If the community doesn't know who speaks for the cats, their next call will be to animal control.
• Have someone on call who can provide care for the cats when you are on vacation or are simply not around.

The spay or neuter of feral cats is critical to controlling the cat population. "Trap-and-Return" is the most common method of "catching" the cats, providing the necessary veterinary care and then releasing them back into the colony. Equipment and assistance with the Trap-and-Release program can provided through Alley Cat Allies.

At times, you may find that some of the cats are friendly and may be adoptable. Kittens born in a feral colony are likely friendly and can be socialized and adopted.Try working with your local rescue organizations to help find homes for animals that can be adopted.

Here are a few other organizations that help feral cats stay happy, healthy and safe.

• Feral Cat Project
• Feral Cat Coalition
• The Humane Society of the United States
• Best Friends Animal Society

Just remember that we made the feral cat issue, so it really is our responsibility to care for them if possible. Embrace your wild side and commune with the cats!