Stray cats can become feral after living outside for a while, without any kitty to human interaction. Do not feed the cats. This can lead to even more cats appearing. And what happens when you do? If the cat is not friendly and approachable, it may be a feral. She's already been in the colony, so anyone who's going to be exposed has already been exposed. Do not leave pet food out in open areas that cats can reach. Or they simply lost touch with humans over time so they developed a fear. This action conditions them to stay as it is easier to obtain food. Lots of times though, when people feed feral cats, they start to grow attached, and that can be a problem. Because a female cat can become pregnant as young as 16 weeks of age and go on to have two or three litters a year, the feral cat population -- and the problems associated with it -- grows and perpetuates. Cats held up their end of the bargain, but we let them down. I understand that leaving ferals behind is difficult. On this National Feral Cat Day, let’s remember them and the cats they serve. Feral kitties are fearful and won’t let you pet them or come near them. For some reason, my email inbox gets more play on the issue of moving outdoor and feral cats than just about anything else (except those pesky deals on Viagra, which I definitely do not need and am utterly confused as to why this kind of spam gets addressed to me). The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and The Humane Society of the United States agree, the best way to help feral cats is to use the trap-neuter-release method. Consider The Cats Health And Well Being Do not feed its potential prey, such as birds or pet mice, either for the cat may eat these, too. So here is what to do if you want to detect a feral cat: Check for signs that it has already been neutered. So what happens if you stop feeding feral cats? The least we can do now is to protect them from horrible injury, disease and premature death. Secure garbage in proper disposal bins with lids shut tight to ensure the cats cannot go through what they can find. These cats are able to look after themselves. The American Bird Conservancy estimates that free-roaming cats kill millions of birds and small mammals in the U.S. every year, including endangered species, such as the least tern and the piping plover… Rehoming cats is a big crap shoot. But I do believe because of the situation with rehoming being sketchy at best, that the best thing to do is leave the cats where they are. Feral cats may look cute, but it does pose a problem if they’re fed. If you'd like more information on feral neutering, please phone our helpline on 03000 12 12 12, choosing option 2 (lines open from 9.30am-1pm). Feral cats often have shorter lifespans than pet cats and it may not make any difference whether or not she has it. Simply removing feral cats isn't a long-term solution - a new colony will often move in. Cats Protection offers Trap, Neuter and Return schemes (TNR) for feral cats, which can help to limit disease. Trap. If the animal is feral and seems fine, it probably is. Feral cats themselves are also a threat to wildlife. Feral cats, on the other hand, never had contact with loving humans while they were kittens. Feral cats, or those born wild, are equally protected in law as domestic cats and are more susceptible to disease. Don’t try to bring it to the shelter because we can’t adopt out feral cats. Feral cats are once domestic cats, or the descendants of once domestic cats, and their offspring, who are now living in the wild. But the problem is, feeding it can be a problem. Once you establish that they are not owned and are feral, talk to your neighbors about formulating a neighborhood plan. In seven years, a single female cat and her kittens can produce 420,000 more cats. There are safe and humane ways to trap a feral cat, and the best way is to get a special cage. Feral cats that are under eight weeks old are typically able to be socialized enough to have a home with humans. Originally they may have been pets, or the descendants of once domestic cats abandoned by uncaring owners, or who have simply wandered away from home and got lost, often due to not having been neutered. Instead decide how you want to do to support the animal through the winter and then reach out to a non-profit that does TNR for feral cats. These places, however, run on donations and usually operate beyond their means, so be generous. For many people, seeing a cat outside might be a nice little addition. Alley Cat Allies doesn't recommend testing ferals, just because of this conundrum. Check with your local animal control about very low cost spay/neuter options for feral cats. I only suggest rehoming when cats are in eminent peril….usually when someone is killing them in the neighborhood. Before the witch hunt begins and all the feral cats are killed, we should look back at history to see what happened the last people thought that was a great idea.