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No More Homeless Pets Forum
December 9, 2002 Working With Ferals |
Practical and down-to-earth advice provided by Zoe Carson of Alley Cat Allies about dealing with feral cats.
Introduction from Zoe Carson:
Before working with Alley Cat Allies, I had never even heard of a feral cat and knew even less about how to improve their quality of life. However, I learned quickly!One day I received a call from a woman who was concerned about feral cats being eradicated under the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey. I called the Atlantic County Executive and explained the benefits of non-lethal feral cat population control. That conversation led to a moratorium on trapping the boardwalk cats and a pilot project with the Atlantic City Health Department and Humane Society of Atlantic County. Nearly three years later, over 300 cats and kittens have been trapped, sterilized, vaccinated, and either adopted or eartipped and returned to their home under the boardwalk. (Kim Kean, our Field Representative, ensures that all the cats are fed regularly by volunteers and provided with warm, weatherproof shelter).
In addition to fielding general inquiries and referring people to our Feral Friends Network (a national listing of individuals who offer assistance with feral cat care), Alley Cat Allies targets places where feral cats are a primary concern. College and university campuses, correctional facilities, parks and beaches, military installations, and apartment complexes all have prolific populations of feral cats. To accommodate individuals helping feral cats in these areas, Alley Cat Allies provides customized information packets and online listserves. We've discovered an increasing number of "feral cat advocates" that want to change local policies pertaining to feral cats. These advocates are often feral cat caretakers who have assisted feral cat colonies over the years, only to discover that their city ordinance doesn't support "free-roaming cats."
Alley Cat Allies shares the mission of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary's No More Homeless Pets campaign. We speak at No More Homeless Pets conferences on non-lethal, cost-efficient feral cat population control, and offer fact sheets, videos, and other resources for shelters and grassroots activists on how to convert to a "no kill" philosophy for feral cats. Alley Cat Allies aims to assist individuals and public officials to implement change for feral cats in their communities on a comprehensive scale, one state at a time.
I'm happy to discuss my contribution to any of the activities described above. I hope I can answer your questions or at least refer you to the appropriate resource. I look forward to hearing from you!
Questions
Testing for FeLV and FIV or not
Catching trap wary cats and relocation
Trapping a hard-to-catch cat
Telling the difference between stray and feral
Socializing ferals and what makes them ferals
Convincing gov offices not to remove cats
Cleaning traps after accidentally trapping skunks
Trapping in winter
Changing laws prohibiting free roaming cats
How to trap for a large spay day
What if I am feeding a colony but moving?
Working with animal control when they kill ferals
What to do when a feeder won't allow TNR
Testing for FeLV and FIV
Question from Member:
Please address the question of testing feral cats for Feline leukemia/ FIV. Vets in my area are torn on this issue. What is right? What argument is available to deal with vets willing to do low cost spay & neuter but want testing?Response from Zoe Carson:
Most high-volume spay/neuter clinics for feral cats have discovered that it is cost-prohibitive to pay for testing when those funds could otherwise go toward additional spays and neuters. Dr. July Levy, who runs Operation Catnip (a high volume spay/neuter clinic for feral cats) in Gainesville, Florida also discovered that the percentage of feral cats infected with FeLV and FIV was comparable to the percentage of domestic, pet cats infected.The decision regarding whether or not to test feral cats in your area will ultimately depend on the decision made by your group of feral cat trappers. However, it is important that you're informed about this issue and able to provide your veterinarian(s) with documentation supporting your decision. Please also visit our web site at www.alleycat.org, click on "Info Center" and then on " Fact sheets" and scroll down to our article, "To Test or Not To Test." There are also several articles discussing FeLV and FIV in the "Articles" section of our web site under "Info Center."
Catching trap-wary cats and relocation
Question from Member:
I am so glad that you're here. I don't know what to do. I would like to move BUT I feed 5 feral cats in my backyard and I've grown to love them and want to take them with me. My problem is, they were all trapped and neutered/spayed once. Since then they will not go NEAR the trap. Can they maybe be darted from a distance? I'm just beside myself with worry over what to do with these precious kitties.Also, once we have relocated, how do I introduce them to their new home without them running away? Three of them will not come near me and, in fact, run away from me.
Response from Zoe Carson:
First and foremost, do not try darting the cats. Sedated cats have a tendency to use their last bit of energy to find a nice quiet, secluded place to hide. If they're not lucky enough to reach a hiding spot in time, they are left vulnerable to humans, cars, and predators in a sedated state.You may want to try a few of the trapping tips suggested in my answer to the following forum question (how to trap a hard to catch cat). Once you have trapped the cats, relocation is a delicate process. It's extremely important that the cats are confined for two to three weeks in their new location in a large caged-in enclosure that is protected from the elements.
Under no circumstances, can you immediately release the cats to the outdoors at the new location. Being unfamiliar with their new surroundings, they are likely to scatter in all directions, never to return. During the confinement period, it's important to feed (canned food is preferable during this stressful time) and visit twice daily with the cats. Continuing to have you as their caretaker in their new home will go a long way toward acclimating them to their new surroundings. For more information on relocation, visit our web site at www.alleycat.org, click on "Info Center" and then on "Factsheets" for our factsheet titled, "Relocation: Safe Relocation Guidelines for Feral Cats."
If it seems entirely unfeasible to retrap and relocate the cats, you might consider asking a trusted neighbor to continue caring for the cats from their backyard. Alley Cat Allies typically recommends relocation only as a last result because, in most cases, feral colony members are separated from one another and moved to a new location with a new caretaker. However, many caretakers in your situation have decided to move with their feral cats. I personally find this to be more responsible than expecting a new caretaker (even in your neighborhood) to provide the level of care you have so far provided for the cats.
You will trap them, just be persistent. Try my trapping tips!
Trapping a hard-to-catch cat
Question from Member:
I need help. How does one go about trapping a mommy kitty who has graced us with kittens and, I'm sure, will do so again soon? She is trap-wise and won't get close enough to even think about using a snare. I've been able to trap two of her kitties, neuter them, and release them back, but I've GOT to get her! I feed about eight cats on a daily basis, and she's one of them; the rest of them have been neutered.Response from Zoe Carson:
For especially trap-wise cats, you have to try all the tricks in the book. With persistence, you will trap her. Forgive me if you've tried some (or all) of the suggestions offered below:1. Accustom her to a trap by feeding her out of the trap's open backdoor for several weeks. Start by placing her food a few feet from the trap and gradually place her food closer to the entrance of the trap, until her food is all the way at the back of the trap. Let her eat comfortably from the trap and exit at will for a few days. On trap day, don't do anything different (e.g., no special bait) other than to set the trap, so that when she goes in, she's trapped! (You'll have to feed all of the feral cats you feed out of open traps for her to give this a try.)
2. Try different bait: tuna, mackerel, sardines, bacon and eggs, or cooked chicken legs or scallops dangled from string tied to the roof of the trap over the trip plate.
3. Douse the entire trap with catnip, catnip spray, or valerian root broth.
4. Try a "drop trap" (instructions are avalaible on our web site)
5. Try a large net with a draw string. If she'll eat comfortably with you five feet away, you can catch her with a net, guaranteed. This process requires two people--with heavy gloves and long sleeves. Place the net on the ground with her food in the very center of the net. Crouch at the end of the net's handle and wait for her to walk onto the net. When she settles onto her haunches on the net to eat, pull straight up on the handle and pull the drawstraing fast! Have a live box trap ready with the back door open and covered with a towel. While your partner holds the live trap steady on the ground and the opening of the net fast against the mouth of the trap, you can begin to loosen the drawstring. With gloved hands, nudge her from the net into the inviting darkness offered by the trap. Close and latch the back door of the trap. This is one of my favorite methods for catching hard-to-trap cats. However, you will need a special net with an exceptionally large hoop circumference. For the net (and other traps and accessories) reccommeded by Alley Cat Allies, visit our web site at www.alleycat.org, click on "Info Center," "Factsheets," and then on "How to Choose a Trap."
6. Cover the trap with a towel. Try leaving the back uncovered and then covered.
7. Camoflauge the trap with shrubbery.
8. Line the floor of the trap with newspaper.
9. Use a flashlight or laser pointer to play "laser tag" with her at night. When she's in a frisky mood, draw her closer to the entrance of a set trap with the light beam until she's drawn inadvertantly to the back. Voila!
10. If you are still unable to trap her by her next litter, capture her litter as soon as possible and use them to catch mom. Place the kittens in a closed cat carrrier with the door of the carrier facing the back of a live box trap. Cover the carrier and trap--the whole "train"--with a towel, with the exclusion of the front of the live box trap. Set the trap and wait for mom to enter the trap in search of her kittens who she will be able to see (or at least hear) somewhere at the back of the trap.
For more tips, send an e-mail to alleycat@alleycat.org and request the "trapping tips" section from my manual, "Safe and Successful Cat Trapping" (be sure to include your mailing address).
Telling the difference between stray and feral
Question from Member:
What is the difference between a stray and a feral? Do you recommend TNR for neighborhood strays? My girlfriend and I moved into a house that was vacant for about six years. It seems to have come with a few stray cats (or ferals??) We have not been feeding them. I would be willing to try and get these cats fixed and whatever shots they need, I just don't know how to start. I would also like to have some idea of what to expect.For example, do these cats recover from surgery at the Vet's? Do they need to be trapped again for a follow-up visit? I have an indoor kitty and I don't want to bring any of the strays into my house. I won't attempt any of this until I either get help or get educated, or both. Thank you for participating in the forum and for any information you can share. By the way, I am in Bordentown, NJ (near Trenton)
Response from Zoe Carson:
Thank you for being concerned about the stray and/or feral cats in your area. They certainly do need your help.Feral cats are cats who were once domesticated but were abandoned or allowed to roam in an unaltered state (not spayed or neutered). After a prolonged period with no human contact, these cats revert to their wild instincts and produce kittens, who with no human intervention, will also become wild. Once feral, these cats rarely appreciate the comforts of an indoor home again.
Stray cats are tame, domesticated cats who were very recently abandoned. These cats are new to the outdoors and would very much appreciate a new home with humans.
How do you tell the difference? Perhaps surprisingly, feral cats frequently look like "pet" cats; very robust and healthy. Conversely, stray cats often have the appearance that they're struggling and may have missed a few meals.
Regardless, you can help both the stray and feral cats in your neighborhood through Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). I think you will find all of the information you'll need on our web site at www.alleycat.org. Click on "Info Center" and then on "Fact sheets." Specifically, refer to our fact sheet, "Humane Trapping Instructions for Feral Cats."
Additionally, Alley Cat Allies offers a Feral Friends Network, a national listing of individuals and veterinarians who are feral-friendly and may be able to offer help in your area.
There are five feral friends in your area who may be able to give you trapping tips, advice, or information about local spay/neuter resources. But please remember that many are also colony caretakers and, as such, cannot be responsible for doing the work themselves. At the very least, they can offer moral support and hopefully the use of one of their humane traps.
For a listing of these contacts, please email alleycat@alleycat.org and mention you need feral friends in your area, and list the area.
Socializing ferals
Question from Member:
First I'd like to thank you for all the generous effort you've given to the wild ones. When I see folks like yourself and Best Friends gaining ground on a large scale, to spread kindness and concern for the wee creatures, it gives me so much hope. When I'm pushing through the snow with a plate of food, making my umpteenth attempt to snag another hissing frizzball for spay/neuter or tending yet one more 'they moved away and left me' orphan, I don't feel alone - and that makes all the difference. Many thanks.I've often wondered, and maybe I always will, but keep looking for a glimmer of understanding - What is it that happens, in the mind of a true feral, at that rare moment which a few of them grace us with, when they bridge the gap, defy their own nature, and connect with a human?
I've known the joy of the experience less than a handful of times in my life, because I think most kitties are not 'that wild', but when it has, it's always been unanticipated. For years, there's a clearly defined 'distance', a perimeter defined by the feral within which intrusion is not tolerated - then out of the blue, the gate opens and they'll come trotting over and rub your leg like 'so what's for breakfast today'.
There's got to be "something"??? Perhaps I want for the impossible, but any light you can shed would be appreciated.
Response from Zoe Carson:
I wish I could answer this intriguing question. My personal opinion is that cats (and all animals) are little different from humans, each with their own personalities and temperaments. Some feral cats become "resocialized" very quickly while others take months (Alley Cat Allies recommends that if a feral cat is still completely miserable indoors after a few months, to return him to his preferred outdoor environment.)Others never adjust to living with humans. This could have something to do with the length of time that a feral cat hasn't experienced contact with humans or something undefinable.
I also wonder about this question as my husband and I have four cats in our home, all brought indoors as stray or feral kittens. While each was discovered under similar circumstances--Charlotte in the middle of winter at a Metro station, Oliver covered in tar in a parking lot, Emma under a porch with her abandoned mother and siblings, and Huckleberry tiny as a button in a vacant lot--they are all so very different. Oliver who could barely stand from malnourishment as a kitten would now make a likely candidate as a therapy cat while Charlotte is still our "semi feral" who loves to live indoors with us--but on her own terms.
Alley Cat Allies hears from a number of people who advocated socializing all feral cats. While we do provide literature on socializing feral kittens and even adult cats, our experience has been that it becomes difficult to tame a kitten past the age of twelve weeks. However, there are many exceptions. We have an office cat, Jazzy, who is a former feral. This beautiful eartipped tortie hid for months in our office before she would agree to any contact with the staff. Now, Jazzy eagerly rolls over for belly rubs from the first person who arrives at the office, and vocally makes her demands for affection known throughout the day.
As a rule, Alley Cat Allies advocates Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for all cats and kittens over twelve weeks of age as the best solution to the crises of stray and feral cat population control.
Convincing government officials not to remove cats
Question from Member:
Please help us in any way you can. My friend works at a U.S. government office here in Phoenix, AZ. They have had a feral cat living on their grounds for at least 10 years. The staff trapped her years ago and had her spayed and she has managed to survive, with their help, for at least 10 years. She is a long haired tortie we just named Queenie.Several weeks ago the "safety" manager decided the cat had to go--no reason, just that she had to go. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving they put a trap out for her. She went into it and was in it for three days with no food or water. She was also out in the rain for 6 hours with no cover until a security guard saw her and brought the trap inside. She is now in a small outdoor compound that I have (4 ft wide, 8 feet long and 12 ft high). We do not see this as a lifetime solution for her.
Unfortunately the one no-kill place I knew of here that took ferals does not do that anymore. Relocating her to a barn in this area is not safe as the wild coyote population is very large.
So ...how do you relocate a feral safely? Are there any resources in this area we don't know about? Is there anyone out there who could help my friend convince her agency to let Queenie come home? Thanks for any help anyone can be. We have talked to Best Friends--they can't take her at this time but will be sending us information. I have some on relocation but need all the help we can get.
Response from Zoe Carson:
The best solution for Queenie would be for her to continue living at the U.S. government office, which she knows as home. If several staff have cared for her at this location for at least 10 years, then there must be at least a couple of people willing to step forward on Queenie's behalf. They could ask the safety manager for the specific reason(s) that Queenie was removed and offer to address each concern or complaint.For example, perhaps one person complained about cans of open food being left out for Queenie, and this inspired her removal. The staff at the government office could offer to build a feeding station (plans located on Alley Cat Allies' web site) and place the station in an unobtrusive location where the station would be maintained by appointed staff (i.e., food and water bowls cleaned daily, uneaten food removed immediately after mealtime).
The key is to discover the motivation behind the safety manager's decision to remove Queenie, and come to an arrangement on how Queenie can remain at the government office. While this may seem like the more complicated route, you're already discovering how difficult it can be to relocate feral cats. My bet is that there are plenty of the people at the government office who would like Queenie back, so I would go to them for help. You could even create a petition for staff to sign stating that Queenie is the beloved "mascot" for this particular government office and she should be entitled to live out the rest of her natural life at this location.
Cleaning traps after accidentally trapping skunks
Question from Member:
I have yet to trap a skunk (opposums and raccoons sometimes!), but know I will someday since they are everywhere around here. In the "Day in the Life" of a feral cat caregiver, she trapped a skunk, put a plastic tarp over the trap in case it sprayed (an excellent tip!), which it did, and then took her traps to a car wash to be cleaned.My question is: Does ordinary soap & water remove skunk scent? I have only one trap and wouldn't want to have to buy a new one. What do I wash it with if a skunk sprays it? Thank you!
Response from Zoe Carson:
The company Tomahawk Live Trap, www.livetrap.com offers a product called X-O Odor Neutralizer and Cleaner that may work on skunk odor. Animal Care Equipment & Services, Inc. (ACES), animal-care.com also offers a product called Skunk-Off to remove skunk odor (located under "Disinfectants").However, you might find that a bleach and water solution works just as well. Alley Cat Allies always recommends thoroughly cleaning used traps (regardless of the animal captured) before reusing them. The smell of another animal on a used, unclean trap may deter a feral cat from entering the trap.
Trapping in winter
Question from Member:
I live in Utah where it often dips below freezing in the winter. What trapping/release tips do you recommend for cold weather trapping?Response from Zoe Carson:
Alley Cat Allies typically doesn't recommend trapping in extreme hot or cold temperatures. The stress of the trapping experience can alter a feral cat's ability to regulate her body temperature. However, in some cases it may become necessary to trap a specific cat despite severe outdoor temperatures. For example, if a cat is injured, someone has threatened to harm the cat, or this will be your only opportunity to trap--then go for it. Just be sure to take special precautions when trapping in your cold Utah winter climate.Plan your trapping according to our fact sheet, "Humane Trapping Instructions for Feral Cats" located on our web site under "Info Center" and then "Fact sheets." Only withhold food for 24 hours and continue to offer water during this period (visit www.world.std.com/~sippers/animalsipper_dlx.html for information on a water bowl that helps to keep water from freezing).
Try to plan your trapping for the same day that the cats will visit the vet (so you don't have to hold the cats overnight in your home). Set enough traps for each cat in a particular area. Line each trap with newspaper and cover each trap with a towel (unless you think this will deter the cats from entering the traps). Do not leave the traps unattended for any length of time. Wait nearby in your vehicle with the heat running. As the cats are trapped, immediately transport them to your vehicle. (If you didn't previously cover the traps with towels, cover each trap with a towel as each cat is trapped.) When you're through trapping, transport the cats directly to the veterinarian, if possible.
Veterinarians will usually not allow feral cats to recover at their clinics so you'll need to have a plan for where the cats will recover once following their surgery. Usually, males require a 12-24 hour recovery period and females a 24-48 hour recovery period (you may decide to lengthen this period by a day or so if the weather is extreme). Your bathroom or spare bedroom are ideal recovery locations. Do not put the cats in an unheated garage, basement, shed, or other similar location during recovery.
Changing laws prohibiting free roaming cats
Question from Member:
Our community has a law against free-roaming animals. We want to do TNR of ferals, but our AC will not make exemptions for ferals and will fine caretakers. What can we do?Response from Zoe Carson:
This is one of the most difficult obstacles encountered by feral cat caretakers and organizations but it can be overcome. As hard as it may be, you will have to start a dialogue with animal control, or whoever holds the contract for animal control. Alley Cat Allies has developed several resources for communicating with animal control including our video, "The Humane Solution;" our Feral Cat Activist Newsletter article, "How to Talk to Animal Control;" and our fact sheets, "Reduce Your Euthanasia Rate, "TNR for Animal Control," and "How to Talk to Absolutely Anyone about TNR."Regardless of your current ordinance relating to free-roaming cats, you should be able to gain permission to conduct a "pilot project." This will provide you with an opportunity to prove that TNR works. It really can be done. Communities all over the country are conducting pilot TNR programs, despite ordinances prohibiting TNR. When these communities realize the benefits of TNR, they may decide to amend or change their ordinances.
How to trap for a large spay day
Question from Member:
A Spay & Neuter Van will be coming to our area during the week of Jan. 6-10. Our goal is to have 100 ferals spayed and neutered during this week. Can you provide some basic "how-tos" on educating volunteers regarding how to safely trap these cats?Response from Zoe Carson:
This is an ambitious plan, but certainly possible with the right preparation. First and foremost, visit Alley Cat Allies' web site and click on "Info Center" and then on "Fact sheets." Our fact sheet "Humane Trapping Instructions for Feral Cats" should provide most of the information your volunteers should need. The most important points to remember are that the cats in each colony should be eating at the same place, at the same time, every day (preferably in the early morning). Then, 24 hours before the van arrives, withhold food at all feeding locations. The morning of the day that the van arrives, set out traps at each feeding location baited with something tasty like tuna or mackerel.Be absolutely sure to set enough traps for the number of cats at each location (i.e., 20 traps in a location with 20 cats). Since the cats will be trapped on the same day the van arrives, you can deliver them directly to the van without having to hold them overnight.
What if I am feeding a colony but moving?
Question from Member:
I feed three (that I know of!) feral cats behind my apartment. I have trapped, neutered, and released one so far. We will be moving in a few months and I am starting to worry about them. Are there any feral cat sanctuaries in the Nevada area? I live in Las Vegas.Response from Zoe Carson:
Try contacting For the Love of Cats and Kittens (FLOCK) at 702-615-4198 or www.flockcats.com. Remember, sanctuaries are nearly always full.The most important thing you can do to help these cats before you move is to make sure that they are all spayed and neutered, vaccinated, and eartipped (to identify them as having been sterilized and vaccinated).
FLOCK should be able to help you locate traps and a feral-friendly veterinarian. The best solution would be for these cats to stay where they are. Do you have a neighbor who would be willing to care for these cats after you leave (assuming that the cats are all sterilized and vaccinated prior to your move)?
Working with AC when they kill ferals
Question from Member:
What is the best way to deal with feral cats that are being trapped and brought to the animal control when the policy is to automatically euthanasia?Response from Zoe Carson:
What is your involvement with animal control? The ultimate goal is to prevent animal control from trapping feral cats for "euthanasia" in the first place and this will require that you begin a dialogue with animal control immediately.Alley Cat Allies has recently developed materials specifically aimed at convincing animal control that Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is more effective, less costly, and better received by the general public than lethal methods of feral cat population control. Specific resources that you might find helpful include our ten-minute video, "The Humane Solution;" our fact sheets, "Reduce your Euthanasia Rate," "TNR for Animal Control," "How to talk to Absolutely Anyone About TNR;" and our Feral Cat Activist newsletter article, "How to Talk to Animal Control." There are many resources available on our web site.
What to do when a feeder won't allow TNR
Question from Member:
I've just discovered an inner city colony of 20+ cats whose elderly feeder objects to any interference with her cats. She says:"It's natural for them to have a couple of litters a year."
"Spaying and neutering is unnatural."
"Jesus never said that we were supposed to spay and neuter animals."
"We have no right to come onto her property and tell her what to do."
She never has a problem with too many cats because some of them just move on to other spots in the neighborhood. Her cats always live long and healthy lives. They don't need shelter, they find places to sleep.
As far as I can tell right now, six cats and kittens live on her front porch. Another 14 or so are neighborhood strays and ferals who visit her place when food is available.
No matter what I try to tell her--the cats will be healthier, they won't roam, the males won't spray and fight, local shelters are euthanizing kittens and cats for lack of homes, her neighbors may not appreciate the growing feline population, free vet services are available, we can find wonderful homes for any kitties she doesn't want, etc.--she resists.
Any tried and true methods for breaking through?
Response from Zoe Carson:
It sounds like you've tried everything to explain the benefits of spaying and neutering and feral cat colony management to the feeder in question. Sometimes, it just doesn't matter what we say. In a situation like this, I would suggest that you determine your actions based on the welfare of the cats. Remain on friendly (or at least neutral) terms with the feeder while going ahead with implementing Trap-Neuter-Return and providing warm, outdoor shelter for the cats.Locate an area near to this woman's residence (but not on her property) where you can establish a new feeding station. Feed the cats in this location every day at the same time. Feed the cats something tastier than they are most likely receiving from the other feeder (e.g., gourmet canned cat food or tuna). Also, provide outdoor, weatherproof shelter for the cats filled with straw. The idea is to draw the cats to this new location where you can monitor their movements and begin the planning stages for full-scale trapping.
Without knowing your specific location, I can't refer you to feral-friendly veterinarians or individuals who may have traps to lend out. Visit our web site at www.alleycat.org for information on possible resources in your area, information on trapping, and instructions on how to build a feeding station and outdoor shelter. Good luck!
