Pest of the Month: Feral
Cats
As controversial subjects go, this is a tender topic for many people. We have all seen the little scrawny cat poking its head around the corner only to scurry away into the bushes before we are sure of what we have seen. For cat lovers, there is the urge to put out a bowl of food and make a safe shelter for the cats. For the gardener who finds cat excrement next to the prize roses, the inclination is for something entirely different.
Feral cats (Felis catus) are simply untamed cats with no owners. They have the same hunting behavior and communal conduct as the large wild cats. The feral cat population is perpetuated by concerned citizens who feed the cats which helps the female cats produce more litters and by irresponsible people who abandon their unaltered cats. Some people think it is kinder to release the cats outside then take them to an animal shelter, but they are truly doing a disservice to the cat and the community.
Most feral cats face many dangers and do not live over the age of five years old. Since they receive no vaccinations, disease spreads rapidly in a feral cat population and kills many of the older cats and kittens. Starvation is an issue when the food source they have been depending on suddenly disappears. This is especially true in winter when small mammals and insects go into hibernation and many songbirds migrate. These cats are also vulnerable to attacks from animals-other cats, dogs, raccoons, coyotes, etc. Cats as we know them are not adapted to living on their own. They have acclimatized to living with and depending upon humans.
One of the largest impacts that feral cats have is upon the native populations of birds and mammals. Since they are an introduced predator to North America, wildlife is less reactive to cats as a predator than a native predator such as a snake. Biologists are worried about the impact the cats have upon the population levels of some endangered species. One recent study found that cats kill 100 million songbirds annually by a conservative estimate. Even though some people argue that feeding the cats will cut down on the kill rate, it was found that the cats desire to hunt is not related to how hungry the cat is. It is the same reason your cat plays with its toys even though it will not get food from them-they are having fun.
Since feral cats have such an impact on people, both environmentally and emotionally, there seems to be limited choices on how to deal with the cats, but there are a few feasible options. Some universities are working with a program on their campuses called Trap-Neuter-Release (T-N-R). This works fairly well with the universities because veterinary students are available to do many of the neuter surgeries and there is a funded resource for trapping, vaccinating and monitoring the cat communities for an extended period of time. To make sure the cats are only neutered once, universally they tip the left ear of a cat during surgery to signal other rescuers and workers that the cat has been altered. In this type of setting the T-N-R program works well, however for most individual citizens this can be an overwhelming task to take care of a community of cats. If fed and not altered or vaccinated, the population can grow to large numbers and spread diseases such as rabies at a fast rate.
In Cobb County, the Animal Control unit works with the community by providing live catch traps to citizens for free. Once the cats are trapped they can be brought into the shelter and if possible adopted out to loving homes. It is important to determine if the cats you see are wild. Look for collars; note the animal’s general appearance-skinny cats with matted fur are usually strays and sleek with a glossy coat indicates a cat with owners. If it is a feral cat handle the trap with caution. Do not try to handle the cat; it is a wild animal just like a squirrel or opossum.
For Cat Owners and Their Neighbors:
If you are a cat owner, Cobb County law regulates exactly how “free” your cat can be. Pets must be contained on your property. You must prevent your pet from defecating on other people’s property or destroying anything on someone else’s property. It is also illegal to have a cat in estrus that is not prevented from coming in contact with a male cat unless for controlled breeding purposes. If you think that your cat needs outdoor time, make sure the cat is in an enclosed kennel to prevent escape.
If you are a neighbor of an irresponsible cat owner, you do not need to confront the neighbor. You can catch the cat and bring it to the shelter, but you must provide animal control with the cat owner’s name and address. County law allows that any animal violating the laws can be taken into custody by anyone if the animal is provided with food and water and not abused or neglected until it is taken into the animal shelter. Visit the animal control website for more information. If you are on friendly terms with the cat owner, try to broach the subject in a general way and state that you saw the cat in your yard and wondered if it got out by accident. Explain your concerns to the neighbor and hopefully they will work with you to make sure the cat does not become a problem.
If you have any questions on how to deal with feral cats or any wildlife, please contact Cobb County Animal Control at 770-590-5611 or the Cobb County Extension Office at 770-528-4070.
Resources:
http://animalcontrol.cobbcountyga.gov
http://www.law.ufl.edu/conservation/pdf/feralcat.pdf
-Rachel Prakash
December 2006
The contents and opinions expressed on this Web page do not necessarily reflect the views of nor are they endorsed by the University of Georgia or the University System of Georgia