STRAY OR FERAL CATS Should I Feed Stray or Feral (Wild) Cats?
The desire to help a hungry cat is such a compassionate one, and it’s estimated that 10% of the population feed outdoor cats.There are stray cats in almost every neighborhood, although they will tend to concentrate around food sources – a sympathetic person, or a dumpster.While it is a kindness to feed a hungry cat, consider how you will cope with 20 hungry cats – because that’s where you may be heading in the near future, if the cat is female and not spayed – and you should assume that she is not. Where Do They Come From? They are stray or abandoned pets and their wild offspring.Cats have an amazing ability to reproduce, and kittens can get pregnant at four or five months of age.If they are well fed, more kittens will survive their infancy, to bear kittens themselves.This can quickly get out of hand, causing friction with the neighbors – with nocturnal fighting, spraying, and sick and dying kittens. If You Feed Cats Outdoors, Please Get Help! If your hungry cat is wild (you can’t pat or pick her up) and older than eight weeks, it is unlikely that a shelter can take her – she is not “adoptable.”However, there are increasing numbers of volunteers and rescue organizations who can help trap, spay/neuter and return (TNR) this cat so that she can happily live out her life without producing more homeless cats.She will be healthier and safe from injury.
Please see these websites for more information on TNR: www.neighborhoodcats.org www.alleycat.org
Call for information about local resources: (Boston Area)617-524-2867Hub Cats (North Shore)978-462-0760Merrimack River Feline Rescue (MetroWest) 978-779-8287 x3Second Chance Fund
Make That Stray Yours
A frightened dog or scared cat may appear to be searching for the perfect owner, but in fact it may be lost, or even sick and dangerous.Here are some steps to take before you fully welcome this animal into your home.
Let the Stray Approach You When you first meet the stray, kneel down, do not make any sudden movements and quietly call for the animal.If you have a dog biscuit, cat food or bowl of water handy, you’ll increase your chances of attracting the stray.
Is the Animal Truly a Stray? Check for a pet ID tag around the animal’s collar.If there is one, and if you make every attempt to contact the owner and receive no responses, you can proceed with adoption.
Don’t forget, some states register animals through their rabies identification number.If there is a rabies tag, but no pet ID tag, call your local animal control office for possible information.
Lastly, the stray may carry a microchip, which stores the owner’s contact information.Microchips can only be read by certified veterinarians, so a trip to the vet’s office should come next.
Post Signs in Your Area If you still can’t find the owner, resort to posting signs.Target highly trafficked streets and supermarket posting boards.
Stray Does Not Mean Free If you are unable to locate theowner and would like to adopt the animal, your first step is a trip to the vet’s office.Your vet will need to perform a full check up to verify the health of the animal.Beware, many strays were abandoned by owners who could simply not afford to pay for costly medical treatments.If this is the case, and you choose to .. adopt the animal, you could be looking at many expensive treatments to nurse the animal back to health.