Feral cat colony getting out of hand

admin Mar 28th, 2019 Comments Off

#Middlebury #FeralCats

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: We have a number of feral cats living in the wooded area behind our house. I know that these cats normally can’t be acclimated to indoor living, but watching their colony expand isn’t desirable, either. So I’d like to get them to a vet and have them spayed or neutered, and either rehome them somehow or release them again. Any tips on doing this? – Sharon in Atlanta

DEAR SHARON: The most common and probably most effective way to catch feral cats is to trap them one at a time using a live trap. They are available at hardware and home-improvement stores, some pet stores and online.

Before starting, find out if there is a feral cat rescue organization in your area. In Atlanta, the nonprofit LifeLine Animal Project may be able to loan you traps, as well as provide sterilization services. Otherwise, contact the veterinarian you plan to work with and make sure he or she is OK with treating, spaying and neutering the cats, and find out the prices in advance.

Depending on laws in your area and on who owns the woods behind your property, you may be able to set the traps only on your property. If the feral cats don’t visit regularly, you’ll first need to lure them using food they’re attracted to. When they come around looking for this food, set up the live trap.

Trap, neuter and release programs, commonly called TNR programs, typically release the treated cats back into their home territory, as relocation often doesn’t work. Expect the cats you trap to continue their lives in the woods – with the realization that the colony likely won’t grow over time.