Call us at for more information on how to get involved. Removing these cats from the community doesn't eliminate the nuisances they create and actually encourages cat populations to steadily grow. When you return cats that have been sterilized, they continue to use resources but are unable to reproduce, decreasing the free-roaming cat population over time.
Sterilization also reduces problematic behaviors like fighting and spraying. Euthanizing healthy, feral cats is not an option at AHS. Under this program, only feral cats that are thriving are returned to their environment. If the cat is healthy, we know it has found a food source and shelter, just as other wild animals have. Similar programs have been successfully implemented in all types of climates across the U. Although community cats often hunt to survive, this program will reduce the impact on birds and wildlife by gradually decreasing the cat population over time.
A feral cat is primarily wild-raised or has adapted to feral life, while a stray cat is a domesticated pet who is lost or abandoned.
Stray pet cats are usually tame and accustomed to contact with people. They will frequently seek out human contact and exhibit behaviors such as meowing or purring. In contrast, feral cats are notably quiet and keep their distance from people. Stray cats will also often try to make a home near humans — in car garages, front porches or backyards.
Please view our Lost and Found pets page for more information on how to help lost pets. First, look to see if the cat already has an eartip. Feral cats who have been through a Trap-Neuter-Return TNR program will usually have an eartip, which is a universal symbol used to identify neutered free-roaming cats.
Other TNR programs may use ear notches or use the right ear instead of the left. Community cats typically live in a colony a group of related cats. The colony occupies and defends a specific territory where food a restaurant dumpster or a person who feeds them and shelter beneath a porch, in an abandoned building, etc. Although feral cats may be seen by people who feed them, strangers may not realize that feral cats are living nearby because they rarely see them.
Stray cats tend to be much more visible, may vocalize and may approach people in search of food or shelter. Stray cats may join a colony or defend a territory of their own. Nuisance behaviors, such as urinating and defecating in someone's yard or garden, digging in someone's yard or garden, jumping on someone's car and upsetting an owned cat are the greatest concerns that the general public has about outdoor cats.
Overpopulation is a serious concern as well. In the United States, approximately two percent of the 30 to 40 million community feral and stray cats have been spayed or neutered. These cats produce around 80 percent of the kittens born in the U. Although 85 percent of the estimated 75 to 80 million pet cats in the U. Those kittens, especially if they are allowed outdoors, add to the number of outdoor cats and the problems associated with them.
Shelters in a community with a large population of outdoor cats who aren't spayed or neutered may experience these problems:. Sign up to receive our exclusive e-book full of training techniques, problem-solving and important information about caring for your pet.
It's not a good idea to let your cat outside unless you have a safe enclosure or are walking them on a harness and leash. Even pet cats who are spayed or neutered may cause conflicts between neighbors and injure or kill wildlife.
When outside, cats face dangers such as injury or death from being hit by a car, being harmed by another animal or person and diseases and parasites. Approximately 65 percent of the estimated 80 million pet cats in the U. But millions of pet cats are still allowed outside, usually without the visible collars and identification that would help reunite them with their owners should the cats be picked up by a neighbor or animal control.
Spaying or neutering pet cats before they reproduce will reduce their numbers and help stop pet overpopulation. TNR is a nonlethal strategy for reducing the number of community cats and improving the quality of life for cats, wildlife and people. At its most basic, TNR involves:. Many people see a cat who seems homeless and start feeding the cat.
Ideally, the person quickly does more to help the cat:. Once a cat or colony of cats has been TNR-ed, it's ideal if a dedicated caretaker provides food, water and shelter, monitors the cats for sickness or injury and TNRs new feral cats who arrive.
Ideally, kittens young enough to be socialized and new tame cats who arrive are removed from the colony for possible adoption. Many dedicated caretakers pay for TNR themselves to help improve the lives of cats and reduce their numbers. Without TNR and a dedicated caretaker trapping new cats who show up, the population of the colony could increase. Animal shelters already care for and try to find homes for untold thousands of lost, injured and abandoned cats, in addition to pet cats whose owners are unable or unwilling to keep them.
Many animal shelters don't have the staff or money to do TNR. However, shelters that receive calls of complaint or concern from the public may attempt to humanely trap and remove feral cats. Or they may provide information and loan traps to citizens interested in humanely trapping feral cats. If there is a local group helping feral cats, the shelter may refer callers to that group. Because feral cats are so scared of people and usually cannot be adopted, those who are brought to a shelter, especially cats who cannot be identified as members of a known TNR-ed colony, are likely to be euthanized either right away or after a holding period.
It's a complicated situation: While it's difficult to accurately identify a feral cat without observing them during a holding period, safely caring for a feral cat in a typical shelter cage is terribly stressful for the cat. In addition, if cage space is limited at the shelter, an adoptable cat may have to be euthanized to make room to hold a feral cat.
HumanePro is our dynamic, comprehensive online resource for those in the trenches of animal care. Through news, trainings, how-to guides, job and grant directories and our annual Animal Care Expo, we help animal shelters, rescue groups and other animal welfare professionals support pet owners in their communities and save more animals. Opinions vary on this. Some people feel sorry for feral cats because they are fending for themselves.
Others are annoyed by the cats' behaviors and want them removed. But the majority of people don't feel that feral cats should be euthanized. Even if the shelter had enough people and money to remove and euthanize the feral cats in a community, other cats would move into the vacated territory to take advantage of the food sources and shelter.
The new cats would continue to reproduce and complaint calls would continue. Euthanasia alone won't rid an area of feral cats and killing animals to control their numbers is increasingly unpopular with the general public.
Dogs can be both in danger and a danger to others when at large. If you find a stray dog, you must take the dog to the municipal shelter in whatever jurisdiction the dog was found. The chances are that a family is missing the dog and will look for him at their local shelter.
If the dog is friendly and approaches you, take the dog to your local municipal shelter. If the dog flees or seems aggressive, do not chase him. Call your local animal services dispatch to retrieve the dog. If animal services officers are unavailable, you may be able to call your local police dispatch to retrieve the dog and take the dog to impound.
If you find an ill, injured or endangered stray cat, please take the cat to the municipal shelter in the jurisdiction in which the cat was found.
The shelter will attempt to find the original owner while the cat is treated. If you see large populations of unaltered, reproducing cats—characterized by adult cats without tipped ears, or litters of kittens present, call your local shelter and inquire about their RTF program and how you can help.
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