No More Homeless Pets Forum
September 27, 2004

Feral Cats: Strategies for Success

Dona Baker

How can you raise resources and develop a support network for a feral cat program? What is the best way to talk with others about what you're doing to help cats in your community? Dona Baker of the Feral Cat Caretakers' Coalition and Susan Kilgore of Feral Friends will offer their advice and share their experiences.

Introduction from Dona Baker:

My inspiration for the founding of the Feral Cat Caretakers' Coalition came to me one day, some seven years ago, in an industrial business park located in Los Angeles, CA. The more than 150 feral cats and kittens struggling for survival under the most inhumane conditions moved me to a place that I had not been before.

I became a feral cat caretaker. As I began to realize the significance of what that truly meant, sharing my experience and insights became a driving force. The cats were not wanted. They had been disposed of in many inhumane ways. The managers of the property were threatening and ill informed. All of the elements that caretakers confront each day were present in this situation. It was the microcosm of the macrocosm of feral cat caretaking.

Education and support became my mantra. I began to create educational documents from my personal experience and those of other caretakers. Information from Alley Cat Allies and Neighborhood Cats NY was an invaluable resource. Continued support and encouragement from Best Friends Catnippers kept me going when times became difficult. I eventually authored a 19-document packet, which is mailed out in response to the many phone calls we receive each day. The documents are free, and they have current, valuable information that covers all aspects of TNR, with emphasis on negotiations and long-term humane managed care.

Our six-week Feral Cat Caretaking Workshop will debut in January 2005. It is a comprehensive compendium of information that provides guidelines and resources to implement all that is necessary for the compassionate care of feral cats and kittens. It is a two-year labor of love and we are very excited about taking it out into the community. It provides a solid foundation for a support network and raising funds. The workshop is a venue for bringing awareness about the plight of feral cats and their caretakers by providing a positive informed solution.

I would be happy to share my personal experiences in feral cat caretaking and how we negotiate with people, both friendly and hostile, regarding feral cats. I believe that we can grow and work together for the enrichment of one another and those we touch. Each life saved and nurtured can move us closer to an awareness of the significance of our contribution. Maybe someday, in the not too distant future, we can all experience what it means to care for and respect one another. It could begin with a feral cat or kitten.

Introduction from Susan Kilgore:

Recently, feral cats in the U.S. have become a hot topic. As a rescue group, have you considered incorporating a feral spay/neuter program into your existing operation? Don't know where to begin? Do you need the justification to convince your Board and volunteers that a feral cat program is important? Concerned about how rescue and pro-active spay/neuter programs can work together? Are you trying to develop a program that will best meet the needs of your community and be manageable with your group's resources?

Or, do you currently have a feral cat program but are frustrated by many of the day-to-day difficulties? Do you need advice on how to handle animal control, volunteers, people who just want the cats gone, relocation, finding vets, or funding?

There are excellent resources available to help explain the feral cat situation. These resources also offer a wealth of information on why TNR is the only effective, humane response available. However, translating the "big picture" into a program that works may be the biggest challenge. Often we simply need to hear how someone else did it to find the motivation we need. Feral Friends developed its program on a shoestring budget in response to our community's obstacles. We will share what we have done, and hope that our experience will help you develop and/or refine your program. It will take all of us to stabilize our nation's feral cat population.

Questions

When 1/2 the colony disappears after trapping
Should caretakers work to tame feral kittens when adoptable kittens are dying in local shelters?
Recognizing TNR volunteers' efforts when you don't want to reveal their names or colony locations
Finding people willing to trap and participate in TNR
Getting caretakers to feel comfortable approaching public officials about changing views on TNR
When a landowner threatens ferals that you are caring for on his property
What type of bedding to use in cat shelters?
When you are doing TNR and Animal control is trapping and killing
When there are spay/neuter clinics for ferals
Is returning the cats to the streets really the best option?
When relocation is the only choice how do you do it safely?
Finding people to transport and recover cats
TNR is good for long term but what about short-term problem of people wanting the cats gone?

When 1/2 the colony disappears after trapping

Should caretakers work to tame feral kittens when adoptable kittens are dying in local shelters?

Question from Susan:

I know that in an ideal world, we would want to tame the feral kittens and place them into loving homes. But I live in a town where there are healthy, adoptable kittens being euthanized every day. Still, our volunteers feel this compulsion to hold the kittens we trap and fix so they can be re-homed. How can I convince them this isn't the best way to go?

Susan Kilgore's response:

That is a wonderful question. I understand the positions that you and your volunteers find yourselves in and don't believe there is an incorrect answer. You have to consider what will work best for your group's resources and direction.

Sadly, your situation is like the majority of communities across the U.S. Despite our collective desire, it is an unfortunate fact that none of us has the ability to save all of the cats and kittens in need at this time. I believe that each of us must "step back" and take a look at our community's "big picture" in order to make a decision on what the best approach will be. Evaluation of the big picture allows us to identify the problem, its results, and the best solution. Our efforts can then be focused on actions that will make the most difference. The overwhelming number of cats and kittens in the local shelters and on the streets is the result of the problem, prolific breeding. Rescue addresses the result. Sterilization addresses the problem.

The feral and stray cat population has a direct impact on the number of cats and kittens in local shelters. Many of the kittens that wind up in shelters each year are from feral and stray mothers and are generally among the ones euthanized, because they are considered too fractious or are still on the bottle. Each kitten pulled from its colony not only removes a future, breeding cat from the streets but also potentially prevents a kitten from being killed in the shelter.

The vast majority of kittens in our adoption program are from feral and stray mothers. We pull kittens and cats from our local shelters when we have available foster homes. We have several policies that might be helpful to you as you consider what is best for your group. These policies were developed to prevent our foster homes being full of semi-feral cats that will not tolerate the adoption process well.

a) We do not accept feral kittens 12 weeks or older into our adoption program. These must be sterilized and returned to their colonies. While there are exceptions to every rule, we find that kittens at this age or older generally do not become socialized enough to tolerate the adoption process.

b) Feral kittens that do not tame within a three-week period must be sterilized and returned to their colonies. We put a time limit on it so the kittens won't forget how to survive in their original environment.

c) Semi-feral adults are not accepted into our adoption program.

An adopt-a-pet can be an extremely frightening environment for a semi-feral, which can result in bites and a thoroughly stressed kitty. It is simply not fair to them.

Good luck to you. All lives, whether on the street or in the shelter, are important. Each deserves respect and the right to live.

Dona Baker's response:

We understand there are healthy adoptable kittens being euthanized every day and this is very sad. It is also very sad that healthy adoptable feral kittens are also dying in the shelters and can be at risk when they are returned. Let us begin with the principle that all life is precious and that each little kitten has a right to be honored and respected. If we place our consciousness in this loving space, our decisions will be made in a more humane and responsible way. We are wandering into unknown territory when we make judgments on which life is important and which is not.

From my experience, most of the kittens within a certain age are easily readied for adoption. I have trapped a 10-week old feral kitten out of a storm drain and within 48 hours it was cuddling and purring and ready for a home. I have trapped a litter of 12-week old feral kittens that were transferred from the trap into my lap immediately after trapping. These are just a few examples and there are many more.

How the kittens are cared for during the bonding process, surgery, post-surgery care and all else, can impact how they will adjust. If the simple process of bonding is not done with care and effort, the kitten will probably not respond in a timely manner. For me, the first few hours are the most important. I touch the kittens immediately, even if it is with a towel around them. While they are in a trap, I put fleece bedding and other soft and cuddly stuff inside right away for comfort. I never leave them in a trap without something soft, with my smell on it, inside for them to hide behind. A shredded newspaper and cold wire of the trap is not conducive to alleviate fear. If possible, I transfer them into a carrier right away and provide the same comfort and food.

I believe that each kitten has a soul, and his/her journey with the caretaker can be magical if we allow ourselves to experience it. We become larger and better for the effort and love we provide. I prefer to look at it this way. By preparing a kitten for a home, we are not depriving other kittens, but rather we are taking responsibility for the ones on our watch and making every effort to provide them with a quality of life. It is heartbreaking that the kittens who were taken to the shelters were not given the same chance by those who had a choice.

Thank you for asking this question. I hope that I have been able to help you with your decisions.

Comment from Donna:

I have been trapping feral cats and kittens for many years and have been able to tame almost all of them. I've been involved in TNR programs and find it hard to put cats, and especially kittens, back on properties where there is no caretaker or shelter for them. It's senseless to put feral kittens back when most of them can be socialized. I have socialized cats that are both young and old. There is no magic formula for this. All it takes is a lot of time, patience, space and understanding.

While there are a lot of healthy, friendly cats and kittens that need to be adopted, we should not penalize these ferals just because they had the misfortune to have lived and been born in the wild.

I find that the harder they are to tame the more heartbreaking it is for me to adopt them out because of all the time and effort that I put into socializing them. But it is also a truly rewarding experience to see a cat that has lived a miserable life settled into a good and loving home.

Recognizing TNR volunteers' efforts when you don't want to reveal their names or colony locations

Question from Linda:

How can groups get better recognition for their volunteers' contribution to the community, when TNR is not yet the accepted approach to cat situations? We are tremendously proud of the work our caretakers do. But it is frustrating that revealing these people's names and work would effectively put them and the cats at greater risk. I'm sure that more people would look into TNR, if there were something positive in it for them, personally!

Dona Baker's response:

Your question has haunted me during the years I have been doing TNR. This inequity was the driving force behind my founding the Feral Cat Caretakers' Coalition. Several people advised me to change the name. I realized that without the caretakers (volunteers), TNR would not be able to live up to its expectations. The caretakers provide the very foundation of the movement. They need to be supported and recognized for the invaluable public service they provide. But, what can we do to acknowledge their remarkable contribution, under repressive circumstances?

I channeled my frustration into a two-year project called The Feral Cat Caretaking Workshop. It is a six-week, one night a week workshop, with certification, specifically created for the caretakers. I felt it would provide a venue to bring them together through education and valid recognition. We could begin forming a coalition. Instead of hiding in the bushes with the feral cats, it could be a way of getting our message out into the communities.

I began by contacting Neighborhood Cats NY. Bryan Kortis gave me the courage and support I needed when everything looked dark and unforgiving. He encouraged me and provided me with important resources to construct the workshop.

It is a caretaking workshop, honoring the caretakers and those who would like to do it better. I had no idea if anyone would be interested in it or read it. Then one day we took the workshop to LA County Animal Care and Control and they got excited. They are endorsing and hosting the workshop at their facility in Long Beach, CA and one of the representatives will be attending the workshop. We are most grateful for this opportunity and will be having 3 workshops per year. At some point, it will be available for mail order.

There are political avenues that can be explored by petitions to the local governments, etc. Some people in leadership positions have great ideas about how to go about making changes through local government. But, while everyone is waiting for the legal process to move forward, the caretakers are still out there in the trenches.

I can only advise you to bring your devoted volunteers and your organization together and see what you can do in your community to bring them the recognition they so richly deserve. Create a program, a one-day workshop, something that will honor them. We do a Walkathon each year. Create a new name just for the volunteer program. Utilize every opportunity to make the communities aware of their contribution. You can do all of this without revealing their names or where the colonies are located.

I hope this has been of some help. Please feel free to contact me.

Susan Kilgore's response:

This is a frustrating yet exciting time for feral cats in the U.S. The good news is that groups like yours are developing all over the country to help the ferals in their communities. TNR may not be accepted by all the powers that be yet, but they know what it is. I believe we will see many positive changes made over the next few years.

You have every right to be proud of the work your caregivers do. They are a key element to the success of your program. I'm sure the majority of them do it not for personal recognition but because they are deeply concerned about the cats they assist. However, a "thank you" and a pat on the back are always appreciated.

You might consider developing a newsletter (snail or virtual) that goes to supporters and caregivers. This provides a perfect vehicle to recognize caregivers' efforts. And what better audience? Their peers!

You could provide recognition collectively through newspaper articles, your website, etc. by acknowledging the group's efforts via articles and statistics. We track all of the cats that are sterilized and can generate reports that list our total sterilizations and how many kittens it is estimated that we prevented. A popular tool that illustrates our work is a map of our colonies (no addresses are apparent). These tools are excellent to let the community know what your caregivers are doing. They also provide a wonderful motivational tool for your caregivers.

Finding people willing to trap and participate in TNR

Question from C.T.:

Our municipal animal control shelter had their highest-ever incoming cat/kitten numbers this spring and summer. Along with our non-profit Friends of the Shelter group, amazingly we were able to overcome the money obstacle (to pay for a spay/neuter bus to come in twice a month), purchased traps and holding cages, had some nice newspaper articles, did a local cable program (repeats several times a month), removed income restrictions, etc. Also we are following the lead of Maricopa County in Arizona and will be petitioning our local government to proclaim TNR as the preferred method of dealing with feral and neighborhood cats, but we rarely get true ferals into the program! Mostly it is people's own pets or a few bring in strays they have been feeding. We are willing to spay/neuter these under our program, because we know that most won't ever be sterilized unless we intervene. However, no one seems to want to help trapping ferals.

It seems everyone agrees TNR is more desirable than trap and destroy, but we cannot get through to the people who call our municipal animal control to have free-roaming cats removed totally. We do try to educate them (thank you, Alley Cat Allies!), but most don't want any cats around. The self-professed cat lovers in our area don't want to trap outside of their own neighborhoods. We know we need to get a coalition of people together, willing to participate in trapping, but where do we find these angels?

Dona Baker's response:

You will probably find your angels in the neighborhoods that need to be TNR'd. Start with one neighborhood. Organize your program. Make it a community project. Educate and inspire the people who will be helping. Create a one-day workshop.

Since you have the funds for S/N, traps and holding cages, this is a plus and adds support to the program. Neighborhood Cats NY has a one-day workshop that has been very successful in training caretakers in TNR. You can contact them for their materials at www.neighborhoodcats.org.

Example of a recent project: We were informed of a large colony of over 50 cats in a neighborhood with no population control. The neighbors are complaining and there are unknown persons feeding the cats. Kittens were also running around the area.

1. We began by making up a simple flyer, asking for a neighborhood meeting regarding the cats and kittens and attached our document "For All Interested and Concerned Persons." Twenty-five copies of the flyers and attached document were distributed throughout the neighborhood with the phone number of the contact person. Within a short period of time, six persons volunteered their services.

2. A meeting was held at the home of one of the volunteers, and arrangements were made to do TNR. The trapping, transporting, boarding and return were organized in such a way that one person would do the trapping one-week, then possibly transport the following week. Others would be responsible for the return. This divided the labor intensive efforts of trapping and each person was educated in the various steps of TNR.

3. The persons who were feeding also became part of the project. They were provided with food, assisted in setting up feeding stations and instructed in long-term managed care. Please see our website www.feralcatcaretakers.org for additional information on long-term managed care and shelters.

The project is a total success. The kittens were taken out for adoption. With the exception of a couple of shy ones, all of the cats have been spayed and neutered and vaccinated. There are caretakers in place to monitor, feed and care for the cats, and they network with one another as well as the contact person.

It has been our experience that once a responsible program is in place and working, it can then be taken out into other areas and some of the original persons who were volunteering can spearhead another project. Building a plan for networking and bringing the communities and neighborhoods together is the important first step.

I have completed a six-week Feral Cat Caretaking Workshop that LA County Animal Care and Control has endorsed and will be hosting at their facility in January 2005. Bonney Brown of Best Friends has supported my efforts and provided me with essential materials. Her Community Outreach Program, which I began studying some 4 years ago, is an invaluable resource.

Put together a good program that will appeal to the community and you should get good results. People need to be inspired and supported if they are to take on the physical and emotional task of TNR. They also need to be educated about the importance of the RETURN. If you trap 50 cats and there is no humane long-term ongoing managed care, the area will be back where is started in a short time. It is all well worth the effort and can be an enlightening experience for those involved.

Thank you for asking this very important question. Contact me if you require additional information. I would be interested in learning about your petition.

Susan Kilgore's response:

Wow, you are doing great! I'm impressed with your progress to date. I will share a few aspects of our program that have helped overcome many of the obstacles you mentioned. Our feral program offers the following tools to concerned individuals in order to assist more feral cats -- education/convenience/low cost. Our volunteers do only a small percentage of the trapping. Instead the individuals that contact us do the trapping themselves and take their ferals to one of our 17 network vets. Each of the vets has the same negotiated rates for discounted services.

The education process is key to the success of our program. We have a team of volunteers that respond via phone or e-mail to each individual who contacts us for help. (They all have trapping experience, a good knowledge of feral cats and TNR.) They achieve several goals each time they contact these individuals.

- Assess their situation
- Explain the feral cat situation - locally and nationally
- Explain how our program can assist them through the benefits of TNR
- How to trap and where our trap checkout location is located
- List of our vets

Our volunteers also provide encouragement and some emotional support. Traps contain written instructions on proper trapping, transport, and post-surgical care techniques.

We have found that, in many cases, even the individuals who "just want to get rid of the cats" will agree and follow through the TNR process. Many caregivers share the information with other people. The individuals that we help are a wonderful source for potential volunteers. In fact, every volunteer we currently have was helped through our program.

Additionally, we have two general information brochures that offer an overview of the feral cat problem in our community and around the U.S., about TNR, and what our group is doing to address the problem locally. These are wonderful tools for getting the word out to the general public. One of the brochures is titled "Are you feeding stray cats?" Many people simply don't know what a feral cat is and this title offers an additional hook.

Getting caretakers to feel comfortable approaching public officials about changing views on TNR

Question from a member:

We know there are lots of people feeding feral cats in our community, but they do it in secrecy, and absolutely don't want to talk about how many cats they feed, where, or give their names. How can we get these people to feel comfortable with talking to City Council or animal control to change their views on TNR?

Dona Baker's response:

In order for the persons who are feeding to feel comfortable, you must offer them some type of protection. If the laws do not protect them, they will certainly not give their names or the cats they care for into a hostile environment.

My suggestion is that you take the initiative, be their representative, and start creating data directly connected to what it is you want to accomplish. You need not mention their names or locations. But, you can get a general consensus of how many people are involved and about how many cats. Is TNR being done? I am not sure if each person talking to the City Council or Animal Control would serve your purpose at this point.

They need someone in whom they have confidence, who will put together information and provide statistics to mediate change. What information is pertinent to City Council or Animal Control in making changes? Once you have a good presentation together, it can be discussed with the caretakers and presented to the authorities. If personal testimony is necessary, possibly some of the people will feel more comfortable after the initial presentation is ready and they are able to see what is being offered on their behalf and that no harm will come to them. Collectively a lot can be accomplished, but they do need someone to take a leadership position on their behalf.

Thank you for asking this sensitive question.

Susan Kilgore's response:

It sounds like your group is having difficulty breaking down the walls of distrust that so many long-time caregivers sometimes have. It's sometimes referred to as "being in the closet". Perhaps the door can be opened by offering these individuals a ray of hope.

You might want to gather information about feral programs that are operating around the country. This information could be given to the feeders. Perhaps knowing that there are many groups around the country successfully benefiting the feral cats in their communities would encourage the feeders to open up to you more.

You could approach a local newspaper and locate an animal friendly reporter. An article regarding the local feral cat population and the merits of TNR could prove beneficial. Set up some tables in front of local businesses distributing literature. Check into local libraries and businesses allowing your brochures to be displayed. Once you get the word out about your group, the feeders will, hopefully, come to you.

I don't know what extent your dealings with animal control have been. Spend a bit of time with the manager to share a bit about what your group does. If approached on a professional level many of the individuals in this position are quite open to having a discussion. Animal control does not have the authority to change the ordinances. This fact doesn't have to stand in the way of a good working relationship. Find out how many cats (feral/stray) are impounded and subsequently euthanized each year. Find out what the cost to the city is for each of these cats. This information is very helpful when approaching City Council. There are wonderful test cases available that illustrate TNR effectively reducing the cost to city governments. See Alley Cat Allies website for this information at www.alleycat.org.

Good luck to you!

When a landowner threatens ferals that you are caring for on his property

Question from Cindi:

I managed a colony of feral cats at a nursery in California for 7 years. My question is this: How do I educate the owner of the nursery? I have been fighting for my colony's right to exist for 7 years and the owner (my boss) has never wanted them there! His latest threat worries me. He has told everybody there he is going to bring his 22 gun and shoot them. I don't believe this (it is against the law) but who knows? I have tried in the past to give him literature on the subject, but he refuses to read it. He is not the owner of the property, Southern California Edison is. I told him it's not his decision what happens to the cats. I lied and also told him I got my cats a lawyer.

How many more years can I call his bluff? He has made it clear no one is to feed these cats, but he is only at the nursery on Tuesdays so most people don't listen to him. He has restricted my access to the property on a 24-hour basis, which really affects my access to trap at night. Do feral cats have rights? I need help and advice on education.

Susan Kilgore's response:

I applaud your commitment to this colony. Your boss' attitude is something we have to deal with on a daily basis. Some people simply don't want to hear the positive aspects of TNR. It appears that he has had this attitude for a long time but has never acted on it. It is possible that he doesn't like something else and "takes it out" on the cats. Has something happened recently that might have caused him to become more abrasive? If you haven't already, you might want to call a truce and ask him exactly what bothers him about the cats' presence. If he agrees to discuss it, perhaps he could be appealed to by addressing the specific concerns he has. I generally approach these situations in a calm, polite manner to avoid causing the individual to become defensive. Once the individual becomes defensive, the chances of a reasonable discussion plummet.

It is difficult to respond without knowing the following. I'm assuming that your colony has been sterilized so the primary nuisance behaviors have been eliminated. Are you their primary caretaker or do other employees share in this responsibility? If you are the primary, what is the attitude of the other employees? Do the cats stay on the nursery property all day or only show up at night? Are their feeding stations and sleeping areas kept clean and free of insects? Are any of them destructive to the nursery's inventory? Are your boss' threats worse than they have been in the past?

I am not familiar with California law, but your boss may have the final word on the cats. He is clearly the pivotal point. You approach Southern California Edison. It might be difficult to find the right department, but you could start with Community Relations. A large company of this type generally prefers to be seen in a good light and "animal friendly" usually falls under that banner.

Look forward to learning more about your situation.

Dona Baker's response:

Before I address the owner of the nursery, I would like to direct some important questions to you.

1. Is there a permanent feeding station at the nursery, where the cats are fed in one place, kept clean and neat, covered, and out of sight? A dry feeding station that is protected from the elements and fresh water would be essential. If wet food is being provided, is it supervised?

2. Are the cats randomly fed by various people all around the nursery, and is the food in sight and left out for flies and ants? Are food containers left out in the open? Is there a prevailing defiant attitude by persons who are concerned about the cats?

3. Are the cats using the nursery for litter? If there are potted plants and dirt piles, they will probably use them for litter. This can be a problem if it is not kept clean. If they are living at the nursery, feces can become a real problem.

4. In the seven years you have been caring for the cats, are they all neutered or is there scheduled, ongoing trapping?

5. Do you consider the colony to be well cared for and well managed under stringent guidelines?

6. Why has the owner over time become more angry and is now making threats? What has happened to cause this progression in hostility?

From my personal experience in managing and consulting about feral cat colonies, it all begins and ends with the caretaker. If you have been allowed to do TNR for seven years, this is a successful achievement. What happened to allow the situation to deteriorate can involve many factors.

An important rule of thumb - every action, every word, every plan, every confrontation, every attitude, and every way of feeding, all gossip, everything you do and say will impact upon the cats. Education, conciliation and humility about the importance of your responsibility are essential. You are feeding the cats on someone else's property, at a business owned by another person. That person is your main problem and he needs to be dealt with in most respectful and thoughtful manner, even though it may require all of your tact and courage.

Approach him in a gentle way (if you cannot do this, find another person who can) and find out what is bothering him the most about the cats and start from there. We have a packet we send out to all persons who call us, with 19 documents on how to negotiate, care for and maintain feral colonies. If you would like a packet sent to you, please email me at feralcatcenter@aol.com. There is also a simple document that explains about feral cats and other issues. It is called For All Interested and Concerned Persons regarding The Homeless Cat and Kittens, also known as Feral Cats. We have used this document in negotiating over back fences to negotiations in corporate boardrooms.

All nurseries have mice and rats and they can do a huge amount of damage to bags of feed and flowers. Nurseries benefit from having feral cats around so they can do the mice and rat patrol. The Flower Mart in downtown LA specifically asked for feral cats to protect their flowers and other things in the Mart. Some were located there and they now reside with good food and lodging. This could be a good selling point.

The fact is you will have to negotiate with the owner for the cats right to stay. He is renting the property from CA Edison and he has the last word. My advice is to find a way out of the present hostility or possibly feed the cats at a nearby more friendly location. The cats will return to the nursery for shelter, but if feeding is a problem, feeding stations could be set up in an adjacent area, if one is available.

Sit down and make notes of all of the problems you are having. Have a meeting with the other employees and brain storm as to how you can turn a negative into a positive. If you think an apology is in order, then do so, even though you may not feel you have much to apologize for.

Read the documents and educate yourself and the owner. You have seven years of your heart and soul invested in these beautiful cats. Try everything you can to continue to care for them, and maybe go down another path. Speak to him in a different way, slip little bits of feral cat information into his donut bag. Who knows?

If all else fails, and the cats are in real jeopardy, then prepare a flyer, with documents attached, and go around the neighborhood and see if they can be relocated out of the nursery to a more friendly location. You would then need to provide them with shelters at the new location and oversee their care. This has been successfully accomplished many times. We recently moved 15 cats one block away on the same property to a friendlier business location, built five, off the shelf-type shelters for them, enough to house 10 cats, set up a permanent feeding station, covered and protected and in three weeks all of the cats had moved. This year, we will install 4 more shelters so everyone will have a warm and safe place to sleep at night.

You have a difficult situation to deal with and I know the feeling all too well. It is frustrating when you know you are doing the right and honorable thing and love the cats you are caring for. I have personally had and still have similar experiences with a colony I care for. If one person complains to the manager about the cats, negotiations begin all over again. Feral cats have no rights and no voice. The caretakers are the only protection they have, and we must do all in our power to insure their rightful place in our society.

Thank you for your thoughtful questions. I hope I have been able to help you in some way.

What type of bedding to use in cat shelters?

Question from Vicki:

I have been working with feral cats for about 4 years now. I have several of them living in my home now, and although they are very shy around other people, they are very loving and affectionate with me. I have also found a few good people who also have taken in feral cats after I have had them to the vets. However, I am still caring for a small group of ferals who I had to release back into my neighborhood. My question is what is the best bedding to use in a doghouse that is put out for a feral cat? I have cushions in the houses and doors on them, and in the summer I just put a big towel over the cushion.

With winter coming I need to put nice, warm bedding in the doghouses. I have tried straw and also cedar shavings, and it seemed that the cats peed in the houses when they had that kind of bedding in them. Also, the cats spread the straw and shavings around the outside of the houses. Some of my neighbors are touchy about the cats being near by, and I don't want the cats to make a mess. The doghouses are on community property, hidden in very large hedges. What do you think is the warmest and most dry bedding to use during the winter months?

Susan Kilgore's response:

You sound like a wonderful caregiver. I really like small shelters made of insulation foam. This foam can be purchased in 4'x8' sheets in 3/4" to 4" thickness. It can be easily cut with a jigsaw and glued together in a simple design. The outside can be painted to blend in with the surrounding area so that it's not very noticeable. The roof can be made to come off so that it is easy to maintain and keep clean.

Any shelter can be kept dryer by lifting it up on bricks or cinder blocks. This prevents water from running in during heavy rain.

I personally use towels and old bedding that can be washed periodically. In the winter, I use the microwave-able discs to keep the bedding toasty. These discs are wonderful and stay warm for 12 hours. I like the fact that they use no electricity so they do not present a fire hazard.

Hope that helps! I live in Texas and we consider 50 degrees to be nearly freezing!

Dona Baker's response:

So good to hear you are caring so lovingly for your feral cats and providing them with shelter. It can be their only safe haven. We build off the shelf type shelters and install them whenever possible. Even during the hot months in California, the cats will sleep in their shelters.

Since you are using a doghouse for their shelter, be sure you reduce the opening to about 7" x 7." It provides more safety from dogs and other animals. A plastic flap over the opening will keep out the rain and cold and give more protection. Be sure the doghouse is up off the ground and high enough for them to hide under if they feel threatened. Most doghouses do not have a second opening for escape. Keeping the shelters out of sight is essential. We use camouflage materials such as plastic plants, vines, pine, pieces of old wood and other types of materials.

We recommend a good quality of heavy fleece for bedding and under the bedding, reflector shield material, the kind used to reflect sun from windshields. This material reflects the warmth of the cat back into the bedding. Fleece is excellent as it is easily laundered and will absorb dampness and dries quickly. Several layers of fleece are best as they can be scooped up and are cozy.

Contact the fabric stores in your area and ask for donations of fleece, either pieces or yardage. Cats will have a tendency to urinate on straw and other types of shavings. I have not had any cats urinate on the fleece, but an occasional opossum does.

Thank you for being such a kind and caring person. Let me know how it works.

When you are doing TNR and Animal control is trapping and killing

Question from Donna:

It's extremely frustrating to be educating caring people on TNR and managed colonies, and knowing we are taking a positive step in controlling the population only to have the local Animal Control with the City Councils' (3 cities) blessing destroy cats that we have taken time, effort, and money to S/N and care for.

According to local laws a cat must be licensed and not leave your property. (This is what I was told by AC again today.) Feral cats going through our program are ear tipped and AC is aware of this. Animals trapped and brought to AC in traps (or implied feral when brought in) are put to death immediately, because they are a risk to AC personal to handle. It's hard to advise people to TNR, knowing this can be the end result.

City governments find it easier to keep with the old ways of killing rather than looking at a TNR method that works. Any suggestions?

All our communication with "the powers that be" seems to fall on deaf ears. There are lawsuits pending against AC for inhumane treatment of animals. The farm/influx community I live in doesn't seem to care about how AC functions, therefore I don't see city officials likely to be replaced any time soon because of their position on this matter

Susan Kilgore's response:

This situation you are describing is probably the saddest and most frustrating part of attempting to make a positive change for the feral cats in one's community. Sorry to say that you are not alone. Caring individuals, like you, in rural areas around the U.S. are running into the same mentality. It is extremely difficult to change the hearts and minds of those in power who have never considered animals anything except, perhaps, a commodity.

Take heart, because it is you and the others you work with that will make a change. If you let this situation get to you, nothing will be accomplished. Focus on the positive aspects of your efforts. Each cat that is sterilized offers that particular life a chance for a safer, healthier life. It also prevents thousands of additional lives from being born to potential suffering. Track your efforts and keep them in front of you.

Continue your education efforts and get the word out to as many individuals as possible. One by one, attitudes will change. Publicize your efforts in the local newspapers along with any arena you can find. The publicity should include data from Alley Cat Allies to lend credibility to what you are doing and explain the national feral situation. It is also important to note that there are many groups joining the TNR bandwagon and developing successful programs all over the country.

The powers that be in your community's government will most likely never be motivated by the same aspects that motivate you. I suspect they are motivated by dollars and cents. You stated that your animal control departments currently trap and kill any alleged feral cat that comes through its doors. Find out how many cats are trapped, killed, and disposed of on a yearly basis. Find out how much it costs the city per cat. Find out how much they spend annually on the overall housing/kill process. Once this information has been established, you can obtain studies of excellent, pilot programs in other communities that show that TNR is less expensive than trap and kill. A report that illustrates solid savings to the taxpayers by allowing TNR should get their attention (tax payers would also find this interesting).

Look to nearby urban communities that have feral groups and programs in place for additional examples of government and humane efforts working hand in hand. The sooner the cities change, the sooner the rural areas around them will change. TNR is having a big impact all over the country and it will come to your area, too. It will take your strength and determination to make this happen.

Dona Baker's response:

These outdated laws are prevalent throughout our country. Many organizations doing TNR, do so under these same repressive conditions.

The majority of phone calls FCCC receives each day are directly related to this problem. Caretakers who have been managing colonies for years can be confronted with a hostile neighbor or other circumstance that put the ferals and the caretakers in immediate jeopardy. It is an inequity of magnitude proportion that undermines and destroys a humane and responsible system of non-lethal population control and long-term managed care. Trying to save the cats through various methods of relocation, boarding and whatever we can do to keep them from being destroyed is like putting a finger in the dam.

No matter how difficult it may seem, you will need to continue to have a dialogue with Animal Control and City Councils. Working with them and having good examples of your program and success is essential. If you can obtain statistics as to how many feral cats are euthanized each year, the cost for each euthanasia and costs for Animal Control to respond to calls, approach them with a pilot project that could show how euthanasia and nuisance calls can be reduced by maintaining colony care with TNR. To add credibility to your endeavors, create a workshop and ask them to host it and attend.

If you have not already done so, keep confidential detailed records, colony numbers and locations. They could be used to your advantage.

Historically, laws are changed by the courage and perseverance of individuals who are determined to do what they know is right and honorable. I believe that this can happen at a grass roots level. By continuing to do TNR and being an example in your community, even though it is an uphill struggle, you can make a difference. It may not have an immediate effect on the laws, but your efforts can have an effect in your community.

Form a group of like-minded persons. Talk to your neighbors. Get a petition together and see how many signatures you can get. It has been my experience that many people who do not care much about feral cats, do not feel comfortable about having them destroyed. Find animal friendly people and have a community meeting. Be prepared to answer the tough questions. Bring the attention of your efforts to the local newspapers or put up flyers. Take out ads in the local newspapers.

Prepare an educational presentation on behalf of the feral cats that could be published or distributed in your area. Make it personal to your location. Use some of the materials already available and format them to your situation. Education can be the key that opens doors.

I know it is a heartbreaking and frustrating uphill struggle. When I first began doing TNR, I was confronted with one hundred and thirty-six starving cats on 12 acres of private industrial property, being destroyed, abused, trapped and killed. There were no laws in place to protect them and there are still no laws to protect them. I began working with management and tenants, being confronted daily with threats and destruction of feeding stations and food. Cats were being poisoned with antifreeze. I was holding memorial services at the site on a daily basis for the cats I found when I arrived each morning. The more difficult it became, the more I was determined to change the situation. I was not going to go away and neither were the feral cats.

The rest is history for FCCC. Even though the laws have not changed, many people in Animal Control and concerned citizens have. We are working toward a successful solution and hope to achieve it in the near future. Meanwhile, we continue doing the work, keeping our standards high, loving the feral cats and finding ways to give them the quality of life they deserve. The courage and joyfulness of their presence makes it all worth the effort.

Keep up the good work and let nothing deter you from your ultimate goal. Work towards it every day, even if it is one small step at a time. Gather your friends together and support one another in positive ways. Talk to people at your church or synagogue. Get them involved if you can.

My good thoughts are with you and please feel free to contact me or use any materials on our website to prepare a presentation.

When there are spay/neuter clinics for ferals

Question from Karen:

I recently discovered a small feral colony near my work place. I'm not sure how many cats are there, but I've seen at least five different cats. I would like to get them fixed and release them, but there are no discount clinics anywhere near where I live. There's no way I can afford to get them all fixed at the standard prices the local vets charge. I've called all around town and can't find any help. The cats are just going to keep reproducing, and I'd like to help them, but I don't know where to turn. How can you help feral cats when there are no local programs?

Susan Kilgore's response:

Thank you for caring about these cats near your place of work. You are right; they will keep reproducing and need your help. You might check with Alley Cat Allies and see if they have anyone (group or individual) in their Feral Friends Network who lives in your area that is currently involved in TNR.

You might want to try taking up a collection at work to see if others might be willing to help with the cost of sterilizing these cats. If you approach one of the vets in your community with a specific story of these cats' situation, TNR information, and other veterinary care facts, I bet you can find one to help you. Perhaps you and a few friends could sponsor a garage sale to help pay for their vet care. There are all kinds of ways to help raise money for special projects.

If there is no one in your area... it appears there is a challenge before you. It sounds like you might have encountered the type situation that compelled many of us to begin a group to help ferals in our community. Alley Cat Allies has a new resource tool for us that contains a wealth of information on all types of spay/neuter programs, TNR info, feral info, etc. that could be invaluable as you begin such a journey. There are also many individuals who have already begun such a process who can provide quite a few tips along the way. You only need one trap and one willing vet to get started.

Our group started with a few traps and two vets. We currently have 17 vets in our network and will have sterilized over 4,000 by the end of this year. We have a long way to go but are greatly encouraged by the results to date. You don't have to start big to have an impact. Please let me know if I can provide more information to you. It is difficult to be specific without more details regarding your location and your community's situation.

Best of luck to you!

Dona Baker's response:

Is the small colony being fed regularly and will they continue to be fed and cared for? Do you have volunteers at your work who would be willing to help you with the TNR? These are the basic things you need to organize before you begin trapping, other than raising money.

When I first began to do TNR, there were no resources available for feral cats. Our city was fortunate to have Animal Birth Control, a spay/neuter clinic founded by Dr. Marvin Mackie, who offered a lost cost feral program, which included surgery, vaccinations, Rabies vaccination for adults, treatment for ear mites and worms and an injection of an antibiotic. The cost at that time was around $35.00 for males and $45.00 for females.

The following are some of the ways I received donations to help with the costs of spay and neuter. Begin by asking for donations from the people where you work, friends and family. This is the easiest place to begin. Estimate what the cost would be for ten cats. There are usually more than you see in the daytime. You can also ask local business people to help. Create an attractive flyer with a picture of cat on it that explains the situation and what they can do to help the homeless cats in the neighborhood. Take it to the local pets stores and even the vets in your area. They may decide to help. Put the flyer up in places where they have a bulletin board and around the neighborhood. You should get some response.

If not, then plan a fundraising party. Bonney Brown at Best Friends has a remarkable booklet called "Getting Your Paws on More Money," available at http://www.bestfriends.org/nomorehomelesspets/pdf/PawsMoreMoney.pdf. It is included in our The Feral Cat Caretaking Workshop as an excellent resource for raising funds.

Maybe your friends and neighbors will help you with this. Explain that everyone will benefit from his/her choice to get involved. Plan ahead for possible unknown vet expenses when you are asking for donations. For example: If the cost for each cat is $75.00, then your goal will be to raise $750.00 plus another $200.00. People want to know how much money you will need to do the job and it gives them an idea of the costs and effort involved.

After you receive your first donation, and you have made arrangements for surgery and aftercare, begin trapping and go from there.

By contacting people in the neighborhood, businesses and friends, you will be educating them about your project. It becomes more of a community endeavor. You might be surprised at the response you receive from your willingness to help the feral cats.

Thank you for making the humane choice to get involved and my good thoughts are with you. If I can be of further assistance, please contact me.

Comment from Celeste:

Our nonprofit refers callers from all over Oregon to spay/neuter options they can afford. Sometimes, there's nothing in a caller's town of residence. So we'll find them a resource as close as possible. Many, many people will travel an hour or more each way for low-cost spay/neuter. The trip is most worthwhile if several animals can be transported at once.

Have you had a chance to explore this option yet? Often the humane societies will be able to refer you to your local low-cost surgery options. It's in their best interests if as many of the community's animals as possible get altered so they can't produce more kits and pups to swarm the shelters!

When transporting feral cats, I never stack a wire trap on a wire trap, in case the cat above "goes to the bathroom" on the cat below, and to cut down on disease transmission. Stacking a trap with a carrier is okay, though, as long as the "tower of cats" can't topple during the drive. Also, I put a plastic tarp down on the seat before loading up, in case of potty accidents. I also keep the windows rolled up and the radio off to cut down on scary noises.

Is returning the cats to the streets really the best option?

Question from Jeannette:

I can understand the obvious good in TNR programs. It helps keep the overpopulation down. But can anyone convince me how the TNR programs are really all that good for these cats? I see the danger for the cats from being sent right back out on the streets to face all the dangers that any domestic animal faces living on the streets. I don't believe ANY domestic animal should be out on the street for ANY reason or at ANY time.

When the general public remains so irresponsible and continues to allow animals to breed and continues to dump more animals on the streets, aren't these TNR programs just spending a lot more money and a lot more time and a lot more energy on another band aid program that really gets us no where? Doesn't the mere fact that people feed these cats and go to the time, trouble, and expense to spay/neuter these animals, and it all being public knowledge, only encourage the public to continuing being so careless about the cats, because they know people are out there who will take care of them? It's another way of providing guilt free dumping for irresponsible people. Has anyone noted a marked decrease in these feral cat colonies locally or nationwide?

I still very strongly feel that if we as a united front, combining our efforts and dollars, and pushing for mandatory spaying/neutering of domestic cats and dogs, as the only true means of ending the killing and overpopulation of these animals. No one has ever produced any arguments or evidence to me to make be believe that I am wrong.

Susan Kilgore's response:

I appreciate your asking these questions. I'm sure there are many who wonder the same things and are resistant to TNR as a result. I can see that you are a very caring, concerned person and wish only the best for all creatures.

While TNR is certainly the only effective method to control the population, it also offers other aspects to the cats that are of equal importance. This is a subject very near and dear to my heart. Three years ago, we lost our home in a fire. A faulty, halogen lamp core took the lives of our beloved companion cats in a few short minutes shortly after we left to have dinner with friends. Our feline family were, in large part, special needs cats that had each been rescued from horrible fates and previous existences.

One thing that haunted me later was the fact that I told "Miss Spitty" (a semi-feral who had earned her earlier name of 'Spitfire' and trusted me implicitly), "Don't worry, I would never let anything bad ever happen to you." the evening before the fire because of anxiety she was feeling. In hindsight, it was clear... I could offer no such protection. Little did I know that she and the others 'knew' that something bad was about to happen. (They are so much smarter than we are.) I apologize for sharing this but I wanted to illustrate how strong my belief is about this subject. We simply cannot control very much. When it gets right down to it, we can only control our attitudes and actions.

I believe that, besides population control, TNR offers respect as well as the best opportunity for a safer, healthier, and happier life to each life it touches.

Feral cats are not domestic cats. While they generally rely on humans for food to survive, they have no desire to be around them. They are wild. They would not be happiest being in someone's home, in front of the fireplace. They are happiest in their familiar surroundings.

While they may have been derived from domesticated pets, they revert to their wild state to survive. I've seen enough people who, out of kindness, force feral cats to live as "domesticated" cats. While some decide to trust, the majority does not and are not happy campers. Being inside is incredibly stressful to them. Being around unfamiliar people, places, smells, and sounds is extremely traumatic. Sterilization actually offers them safety from the behaviors that put them in danger. Fighting is diminished to the point of non-existence. This reduces and/or eliminates injuries and transfer of disease. It also removes the urge to roam and find the breeding females in their territory. Continual breeding wears out the females' bodies; this aspect is eliminated by sterilization. Cats are very intelligent. They know how to avoid most of the dangers of living on the streets. While we do lose some, most sterilized ferals survive. They live a far higher, quality existence due to being sterilized.

I don't believe that TNR encourages the general public. The general public needs little assistance to be irresponsible and ignorant. I believe it is our task to educate them. I also see rescue as the band aid program. While our group has a wonderful, rescue/adoption program, we realize that it does not address the "real" problem...the "real" problem is the ignorance and lack of respect, which results in the overpopulation problem. We simply cannot rescue them all, as much as we desire to. Ignoring and/or killing will never solve this aspect. Rescue addresses the symptom, and pro-active spay/neuter addresses the problem.

The general public dumps more animals than rescue groups can possibly care for. The numbers of animals killed in shelters every day demonstrates this. Animal control statistics should verify that the majority of cats that enter most shelters were either surrendered by their owners or were tame strays who were abandoned or were lost.

The TNR process is still relatively new to the U.S. Before being introduced by Alley Cat Allies it was utilized in other countries. The experiences, studies, and statistics of our predecessors' work speaks volumes as to the validity of TNR to not only control the population but also to allow a higher quality life for the cats it serves. We were taught TNR's merits and our experience proves it. I have only to look in my own backyard. The feral cat from our previous home is still there - a fat, happy, black & white feral named Mac who has not only survived but sleeps on his back in the sun. I just look at my sterilized ferals' glossy coats and relaxed demeanors to know that TNR works. While we can never provide absolute protection from harm, we can offer our respect and the opportunity for a safer future, happier future. I believe TNR provides this future.

You can find some excellent studies from various pilot programs that, not only, provide a decrease in colony sizes but also decreases in the number of complaint calls that are received by animal control.

I agree that we must all unite. While we differ on specific points, we do all agree that each creature deserves respect, the right to live and live well.

Dona Baker's response:

Thank you for asking these relevant questions. It is obvious that you are a caring person who feels strongly about very important issues. Since you have taken the time to reach out, I will try to provide you with answers to the
best of my ability.

It is a nationally established fact that TNR programs do reduce the population of feral colonies. Any number of organizations around the country has gathered statistics on the reduction in feral populations and these are available upon request. Alley Cat Allies is an excellent national resource for this information.

TNR with monitored long-term managed responsible care is being successfully implemented throughout our nation and the world. FCCC was founded on the premise that the R in return was an integral part of the TNR movement requiring education and community support for the feral cat caretakers.

Irresponsible people who dump animals into public places are not concerned if the animal is going to be fed or they would not perform such an inhumane act. When cats or any other animals are abandoned, it is a senseless act that cannot be justified or rationalized, under any circumstances.

Yes, spaying and neutering is the first step in humane care of our animals and there is much more to be accomplished. If only we could mandate laws that would guarantee that people would abide by them, Sainthood would be the next step. Community involvement, education and laws are a good place to start. We can't stop people from throwing trash around the neighborhoods, even though it is against the law and a $500.00 fine in many cities.

Population control must take place on multiple levels, because we are faced with multiple problems. Humane laws are part of this process. The organizations across our country address certain needs in their communities encompassing the total animal community and what issues need to be addressed. One of the large issues is population control of feral and stray cats. The basic idea behind population control of feral cats also known as TNR, is to reduce the feral cat population, rescue the kittens and strays, reduce the suffering, reduce euthanasia in the shelters and return the cats to their home site (if safe) with responsible long-term managed care.

With the exception of a few isolated cases, the general public has little interest in people who are feeding feral cats. The average citizen is not familiar with the word "feral cat." If there are people in our communities plotting to dump cats where food is available to absolve them from guilt, I would be very surprised. Cats are abandoned everywhere in our cities, including parking lots, on busy streets, thrown off the freeways, in vacant lots, industrial sites, and various other places that are not cat friendly nor provide any means for their survival.

The large picture of inhumane dumping of cats cannot be blamed on the too few kind persons in our communities who are providing food and care. There are devastating consequences for both the people and the cats when these innocent people are used as easy scapegoats, while the real responsibility for the situation is ignored or overlooked. Our shelters are overflowing with abandoned, starving, sickly cats left by persons who have no interest in whether there is food available for them.

I do want to address your concern about cats being "sent right back into the streets to face all of the dangers that any animal living on the streets faces." This is an important aspect of return that requires serious consideration. First, let me say that there are unsafe places where cats should not be returned. Return is the key to the success of humane managed care of feral cats and kittens as part of the TNR movement. What happens to the cats after surgery and boarding and how quality care and shelters are provided, is the driving force behind the founding of FCCC.

I do agree that in some cases, life after return can be difficult and dangerous, even under the best conditions. But, under the loving and dedicated care of the caretaker, many cats will have a good chance at survival and live to be 9-12 years of age. We do not kill healthy and vital cats because we think things are going to be tough. Things can be tough for us and yet we choose to live and make the best of our conditions.

Caring for feral cats, living out of doors is a sensitive endeavor that requires education, dedication, commitment and support. Our Six week Feral Cat Caretaking Workshop addresses the issues of return and offers education and support to the caretakers who are committed to a lifetime of care. We feel that all feral cats must be under the care of responsible dedicated caretakers who will feed and care for their needs for however many years they live.

When a wise and experienced woman in Animal Control said to me "there are some things worse than death," I knew what she meant. It reinforced how important is was for us to do everything possible to offer a quality of life to the feral cats and kittens we care for so this need never be an option.

I hope I have given you something of myself that will open a door for you and help you to expand and embrace the humane efforts that are now taking place throughout our country to alleviate the suffering of all living creatures. To learn more about our philosophy and feral cat caretaking, pleases visit our website at www.feralcatcaretakers.org.

Comment from C.T:

Just a few short years ago, I felt exactly the same way that Jeanette does. The guests' replies were excellent, but as a manager of a municipal animal control shelter (for sixteen years), I would like to share with Jeanette the reasons I have changed my attitude.

For years, our shelter provided traps for residents, would pick up any cats caught and if no one claimed or adopted them, we would put them to sleep. Our local ordinance was changed to require any cats kept outside to be spayed or neutered as well as vaccinated against rabies and diligently enforced this law. Every time we put a cat down, we smugly told ourselves we were saving dozens, if not more, from being born. We truly believed that aggressive enforcement, trapping and removal (killing) would eventually make a dent in cat numbers coming into our shelter.

Some background is pertinent. Nine years ago, through our Friends of the Shelter non-profit, we implemented a spay/neuter program for low-income residents. A S.N.I.P. van visited our small community once a month for four years straight (local vets would not help). The majority of animals done on the van were cats. When the van went out of commission, we were forced to contract with a vet outside our community to provide the spay/neuter services. Participation by cat owners plummeted and the majority sterilized were dogs.

Good animal control enforcement, as well as helping low-income people with spay/neuter, worked miracles for our dog overpopulation. No stray dogs on the street means less dogs coming together to breed. Our total dog/puppy incoming numbers have been declining over the past seven years. Incoming puppies have declined to the point that we rarely have problems adopting all of them out. Surely, the same would apply to cats/kittens... if we pick up all the stray cats, help low-income owners with spay/neuter, sooner or later their numbers must start to decline.

I was rudely awakened when I realized that after a four-year decline in cat numbers (during the S.N.I.P. van years) our shelter has been experiencing a three-year increase in incoming cats/kittens! The year 2003 brought in more cats than our shelter had ever taken in before. Together with our Friends group, we now contract a spay/neuter bus to come in twice a month just for cats -- with no income restriction. We decided the only way to solve the cat overpopulation problem in our community is to bite our tongues, bite the bullet and just fix the darn cats! Yes, we realize many of the people using our service can very well afford at least a low-cost clinic, but they weren't. Even the low-income people wouldn't take advantage of our program if it meant a twenty-minute car ride for a "stray" cat.

Over the years, I can see a pattern at our shelter. Someone in a neighborhood would get fed-up with stray cats (not even true ferals), borrow a trap, rid the area of the strays, but in a few months, if not a year or so later, they again had stray cats running around the neighborhood, repeating the cycle over and over. And believe me, it is rare for people to claim lost cats; they just get another one! The point is, the cats are going to be there whether we like it or not. They are already out there and they will reproduce whether the community has TNR or not. I don't like the idea of tame cats/kittens being on the street either. But whether we concentrate on trap and kill or TNR, they are still going to be cats on the street -- at least TNR will prevent them from reproducing! True ferals are different. It could be considered cruel to confine them, as the guests made clear in their replies.

I have come to see that there are many people out there that will feed strays, but will never have them sterilized and will NEVER bring them to a shelter to be killed unless someone makes it as easy as possible for them. Our new strategy will be to fix all that we can -- even encourage people to bring in their neighbors' cats and turn them loose after. So what if the owners are irresponsible. By providing them with easy, no-guilt means to have the cats fixed, we are going to bring the cat numbers down. It boils down to either being sanctimonious (and correct) or just sucking it up and getting the cats fixed. I am tired of killing cats and kittens just because people are irresponsible. What we were doing wasn't working, so we are trying something that has made a difference in other communities.

Comment from Rosi:

I just read this story and I have to tell you the story about Apache, one of "our" feral cats...(like he's ours, or we "own" him, yeah right!)

Apache came to us at 2-3 months of age as a feral kitten February 3, 1996, with his 3 littermates. He's a Siamese Tabby Mix, with the bluest eyes you've ever seen. His littermates were two orange tabbies and a calico sister with blue eyes. I hadn't been rescuing then, just had some spare offices at my business (I owned an insurance agency back then), so I had used a couple spare offices to foster mom and kits for the local humane society. When they got adopted, I connected with a no kill group and they brought me Apache and sibs. Well Apache's sibs all got tamed and placed in homes within a few months. Laredo took longer, but Apache would have nothing to do with it! He'd lunge and attack when approached. We had a couple feral cats living in the bushes around the office that we had spayed and neutered, and fed, etc. So finally, after Apache escaped once then returned, (we went to all the surrounding businesses with his photo, but he ended up coming back on his own and we lured him back inside with KFC chicken) anyway, we decided to integrate him with Maya, Azteca and the other ferals we had at our office garden...

Well, Apache blended in perfectly, he and Maya became a pair with tails wrapped around each other, cuddling and being fed and lying in the sun and in the flowers. These ferals actually are happier and better cared for than many domestic cats I know of (we have a shelter and find homes for housecats, and you wouldn't believe the conditions they come in after living inside all their lives with their guardians). Anyway, over time Maya, Azteca, Naughty and the others in the colony passed away. Yes, some hit by cars, others from disease (we retrapped when ill and took to the vet); but domestic cats also pass on from these things, but I'd say their quality of life was very high.

Anyway, in 2003 I closed the insurance business and although Town Cats, the no kill shelter I founded in 1998, is domiciled in the same complex behind my old office, I decided to bring the remaining cats in the bushes there, Amber, Parker, Cinder, Renfield and Apache to my home.

Well, let me back up... all of sudden when Apache was about 5 years old, he decided we weren't going to eat him for dinner so he started rubbing against us and wanting to be petted. We gave him turkey treats and petted and picked him up, so we thought he'd love coming home and being a pet. However, anytime we brought him inside the office to make him an indoor office cat, he would totally freak out and bounce off the walls... he wanted out! When we took the 5 cats (including Apache) home in May 2003, we held them in a huge pen to acclimate them to my garden and meet my two cats plus a couple ferals who lived there too. We released them into the garden area around August 2003, and Apache disappeared October 2003.

Then March 2004, guess who's crying at me in the parking lot one day when I'm at Town Cats? You got it! Apache! He found his way back from our home, 12 miles away, all the way back to his territory. We can't move him. This is his home. There was still one male, Bootsie, who we couldn't retrap to take home with us and one new male cat showed up there, (of course he's neutered now too). They all hang out in the garden area and come over to TC to visit. We pick up Apache every morning and night; he is dying to be petted! But we cannot move him! It is too dangerous, and he absolutely loves it here! He patrols along the fences of the industrial park and he is the top cat there. The old top cat, Haj, passed away years ago, and Apache had taken his position.

Yes feral cats are not like little Fluffy. They are free, wonderful animals, much like their cousins in Africa, the lion and tiger and we are honored that Apache allows us to pet him and give him treats...

When relocation is the only choice how do you do it safely?

Question from Alisa:

A group of us have been trapping feral cats near our work place because that facility had decided to have them put down. We have caught 15, many very small and easily domesticated. We have one adult female and one adolescent (4-6 months) female that have both been spayed, vaccinated, FIV and feline Leuk negative. Placing these two will be more difficult.

I need a little advice on how to introduce them to a new home (i.e. someone is willing to take them as barn cats) and yet, not just "let them go" before they know where the food/water etc is. Suggestions? I thought about a large cage 54"x37"x45" that could be set up for a few days for them to get used to a new area and then open the doors so that they could go back in if they wanted. Leave food where they could see it outside as well as inside the cage.

We have two more adult females to go. There are two males, but they are only around sporadically. Thanks for any help!

Susan Kilgore's response:

Your dedication to this colony is wonderful - thank you!

Alley Cat Allies (www.alleycat.org) has some wonderful suggestions for successful relocation. It is often a tricky process. A group we work closely with has developed a successful protocol based on the formulas for success. Barncats, Inc. (www.barncats.org) utilizes "double or triple" long cages to house ferals in their new, relocated home. This works particularly well by utilizing a minimum of two cages that form a longer space. One "side" is used for food, water, litter. Self-feeders and waters are used. A carrier, box, or covered litter box is used in the other end to provide a "hidey-hole" and bedding. This system is easily tended without fear that the cats will escape during the cleaning process. The food/water/litter cage is separated from the bedding cage. The bedding cage is shut during this process. The food/water/litter can be cleaned and refreshed easily with little stress on the cat(s) and caregiver.

The two factors that offer success: minimum of 3 to 4 weeks of confinement and relocating multiple cats rather than a single to a new location. Leaving the cage open for a time after the cats are released is also helpful to complete a successful transition.

Best of luck with the rest of your colony!

Dona Baker's response:

Thank you for doing the work. I am always amazed and gratified by the dedication of loving people, such as you.

Please go to our website www.feralcatcaretakers.org under Managed Care. All of the pertinent information for relocating cats is available in this one document. We also have a packet that contains relocating information if you would like it sent to you. Please feel free to copy and distribute any information we have.

A large cage for holding is good, if it is in a protected place and covered. The cats should be held in the cage, room or whatever is being used at their relocation site for at least three weeks, after which the door can be opened, but the safe place remains where they have been staying until they discover a new one.

We have relocated feral cats to ranches and other places and used this method successfully. Assess the situation of relocation along the guidelines as noted in Managed Care. Be sure there are no predators or unfriendly dogs at the location.

Here is one of our relocation stories:
An old house in LA, that had been home to 6 or 8 feral cats was going to be torn down within a few weeks of our being notified of the situation, and a large storage facility would be constructed on the property. Behind the property there were apartment houses along the back alley. When we went to the location, we discovered there were 4 kittens living under the house as well as 6 or 8 adults. None of them had been spayed or neutered. We managed to get the kittens out and were now left with the adults and where to take them.

I wrote a relocation letter and mailed out 150 letters to various ranches, farms, nurseries, etc., within a 50-mile radius of LA. We received one response from a person with a ranch about 50 miles from LA. She said she would take 6 adults and would put them in the bridal room (it was a horse ranch) for 3-4 weeks before letting them out. The bridal room was beautiful with windows and sunshine and we were very pleased.

We set out 12 traps for 6-8 adults. Each time we trapped, only one cat went into the trap, so we had to drive one cat at a time to the relocation site after surgery and boarding, not knowing how long it would be before we actually managed to trap all of them. Six trips with one cat was a lot of work, but worth it. Our first cat, a beautiful thin gray female was the first to be taken to the ranch. While we were driving, the song Amazing Grace was being played on the radio, so we named her Grace. Eventually, all were installed in their new home at the ranch.

The weather turned very cold and the lady at the ranch wanted to keep the cats in the bridal room until the storm and rains stopped. After about 6 weeks of living the life of luxury, she opened a small door so they could go out and discover their new home... all but Gracie. No matter what the lady did to coax her out, she would not leave. The more intense her attempts, the more Gracie retreated behind the bookcase.

The people at the ranch needed access to the bridal room, so it was essential that Gracie leave to her new quarters in the barns and other good places of safety. Finally, after 3 months, the lady threw a towel over her, stuffed her into a large carrier and took her to a beautiful guest bedroom where 6 other ferals cats lived and slept on an antique bed. Gracie settled right down and from the last report, has a special place on the antique bed along with the other cats. The lady has never been able to touch Gracie with her hands, but they touch one another with their hearts.

We negotiated with tenants in the apartment houses behind the property to feed and care for the remaining cats, which were probably two or three. We set up a feeding station for them and monitored their feeding and care until we felt everything was in place. One of the tenants in the building offered to help us with the additional trapping. Relocation is always the last resort, but in many cases with feral cats and kittens, they are living in conditions that are the last resort.

My good thoughts are with you in this most rewarding endeavor. Thank you for caring. I hope I have been of some help.

Finding people to transport and recover cats

Question from Crystal:

How do you handle situations where there are traps available, caretakers are willing and eager to trap and neuter the ferals in a colony, but the caretakers do not have adequate transportation or a sheltered area where cats can recover? For transporting a large number of cats all at once, sometimes nothing but an SUV or truck will do; needless to say caretakers might not have access to a large vehicle. And there's the issue of caretakers who live in an apartment and don't have a garage or room for the neutered cats to recover before being returned to their colony. In these cases should volunteers step in to provide transportation and/or recovery space for caretakers who are otherwise willing to take on the job of trapping?

Thank you for participating in the forum!

Susan Kilgore's response:

What a great question! Transporting large numbers can be handled in several ways. We generally rent temperature-controlled vans or utilize volunteers' vehicles to form caravans to our vets. Renting a van generally costs $25 plus gas. I'm sure there are other creative answers to this situation.

We often "borrow" garages, covered porches, etc. from willing volunteers for the recovery and pre-transport space needed for many colonies.

Dona Baker's response:

Before you begin trapping, organize what needs to be done prior to and following trapping. There is comprehensive information about organizing and postoperative care under Instructions for Humane Trapping on our website, www.feralcatcaretakers.org.

If you have volunteers ready and eager to help, bring them together to make the project run more smoothly. People helping others during the stress and efforts involved in TNR are a true blessing. Welcome them with open arms! Be sure everyone is educated as to what his/her part will be in the project.

1. Make sure you have the feeding and caretaking situation planned in advance of trapping.
2. Find the vet you will be using and inform the office of your plans.
3. Plan your postoperative boarding prior to trapping
4. If there are kittens or nursing mothers, best to trap in the morning rather than hold overnight.

With dedicated commitment as indicated in your email, things should go well and everyone will benefit. I am sure the caretakers will be very relieved to have others step in and help them with some of the tasks that they cannot perform. Thank you for caring and being sensitive to the needs of the caretakers and those they care for.

TNR is good for long term but what about short-term problem of people wanting the cats gone?

Question from Sheila:

One of the reasons our animal control is not supportive of TNR is because, while they acknowledge that it does help reduce populations in the long term, it does nothing for the short term to alleviate nuisance complaints about cats walking on cars, or defecating in gardens, or just roaming a neighborhood. Animal Control says it is their main focus to alleviate the problem now and if they don't, they will get in trouble. So they need to have a short-term solution, which is most often removing the cats.

I do understand their point and don't know what to say. I have tried explaining that the cats will just come back, but all they are concerned about is that they responded to the initial complaint.

Susan Kilgore's response:

I've never stopped being amazed at the people that feel that these actions justify the death of an animal. Of course, that doesn't change their attitudes.

I can understand animal control's concern for the initial complaint. That is their job. Perhaps you can address the situation pro-actively by offering them an alternative to their normal response of trap and kill. After all, not having to trap and kill these cats saves the taxpayers' money.

You could develop a flyer that has an eye-catching, headline along the lines of "should paw prints mean a death sentence". The remainder of the flyer could list suggestions for preventing many of the nuisance behaviors along with a short explanation as to why feral cats exist. Give your contact information for people who are open to humane alternatives. This flyer could be given to animal control and could be given to individuals making the complaints. Take them (animal control) cookies and/or candy, too, to add more impact to your request to consider handing these out.

Animal control staff always appreciates understanding from those of us in rescue. Understanding the confines of their job and enlisting them as allies is often extremely effective. I've always felt the real "enemy" to our cause have never been animal control but the individuals in our communities with whom the problem originates. They have forced animal control into becoming "population control".

You could also contact local newspapers and find an animal friendly reporter who is willing to do a story on this subject. Newspaper articles go a long way in getting the message out.

Best of luck to you!

Dona Baker's response:

This is an excellent question. FCCC will be having the first Feral Cat Caretaking Workshop in LA, on January 20, 2005. It is a six-week workshop, one night a week from 7-9 PM. LA County Animal Care and Control will be hosting it at their facility in Long Beach, CA, and a representative will be attending the workshop.

The workshop gives the caretakers the necessary information, instruction and support on how to care for their feral cats and kittens, how to negotiate, relocate without trapping, feed properly, make simple shelters, network with one another and all else required for the RETURN to be successful.

I have been taken aback by the calls I have received daily, over the years, on how many people, once the cats are returned to them after surgery, do not know how to care for or keep them out of harm's way. Feral cats live in our cities and neighborhoods, usually in close proximity to humans, children, dogs and traffic. The people who are caring for them, whom we call the feral cat caretakers, need to have all of the information and support necessary to make the R in TNR a success.

Caretakers are confronted with situations they are not equipped to deal with, and because of this, heartbreaking circumstances and destruction of their cats is the sad outcome. This issue has daunted me from the beginning of my journey and I hope we can help the courageous people who are out there fighting for the lives and a quality of life for the ferals they care for.

By educating the caretakers, the nuisance complaints can be kept to a minimum and many can be taken care of long before Animal Control is called. Good will and understanding can take the place of hostility and ignorance. Knowing ahead of time what problems can arise and having a solution for them will create respect for the feral cats and their caretakers. We are at the beginning of a vision, and if it is carried out with responsibility and commitment, great strides can be made in our communities.

Animal Control will see the value of what is being done on behalf of all concerned. We can all work together and make our communities a better and safer place for the homeless ones and the loving people who care for them. As feral cat caretaking gains respect and recognition, we hope to attract more people to become dedicated caretakers.

This is my purpose in life and the driving force behind the two years it has taken me to complete the workshop. We are very fortunate to have LA County Animal Care and Control see the value and necessity of our Feral Cat Caretaking Workshop. We plan to have it ready for mail order in the fall of 2005. It is an important undertaking and urgently needed in our communities.

Feral Cats: Strategies for Success

Introduction from Dona Baker:

Introduction from Susan Kilgore:

Questions

When 1/2 the colony disappears after trapping

Question from Wendy:

Susan Kilgore's response:

Dona Baker's response:

Comment from Karyl:

Should caretakers work to tame feral kittens when adoptable kittens are dying in local shelters?

Question from Susan:

Susan Kilgore's response:

Dona Baker's response:

Comment from Donna:

Recognizing TNR volunteers' efforts when you don't want to reveal their names or colony locations

Question from Linda:

Dona Baker's response:

Susan Kilgore's response:

Finding people willing to trap and participate in TNR

Question from C.T.:

Dona Baker's response:

Susan Kilgore's response:

Getting caretakers to feel comfortable approaching public officials about changing views on TNR

Question from a member:

Dona Baker's response:

Susan Kilgore's response:

When a landowner threatens ferals that you are caring for on his property

Question from Cindi:

Susan Kilgore's response:

Dona Baker's response:

What type of bedding to use in cat shelters?

Question from Vicki:

Susan Kilgore's response:

Dona Baker's response:

When you are doing TNR and Animal control is trapping and killing

Question from Donna:

Susan Kilgore's response:

Dona Baker's response:

When there are spay/neuter clinics for ferals

Question from Karen:

Susan Kilgore's response:

Dona Baker's response:

Comment from Celeste:

Is returning the cats to the streets really the best option?

Question from Jeannette:

Susan Kilgore's response:

Dona Baker's response:

Comment from C.T:

Comment from Rosi:

When relocation is the only choice how do you do it safely?

Question from Alisa:

Susan Kilgore's response:

Dona Baker's response:

Finding people to transport and recover cats

Question from Crystal:

Susan Kilgore's response:

Dona Baker's response:

TNR is good for long term but what about short-term problem of people wanting the cats gone?

Question from Sheila:

Susan Kilgore's response:

Dona Baker's response: