What is a feral cat?A feral cat is an unsocialized cat.
Feral cats are either born outside and have never lived with humans, or have been left outside for so long that they've reverted to a wild state. Most of them live with other feral cats in colonies. They're afraid of humans and not likely to be adoptable. The incidence of disease in feral cat colonies is no higher than among owned cats. They live healthy, natural lives on their own, content in their outdoor home. Most animal shelters end up killing feral cats. Feral cats are not pet cats so animal shelters can't place them in homes. As a result, most feral cats are killed at most shelters. In fact, they sometimes don't even make it to the shelter but are killed in the animal control truck. Even no-kill shelters are not able to place feral cats in homes. A stray cat is not a feral cat. A stray cat is a domesticated cat who has been abandoned or who has strayed from home and become lost. Stray cats can usually be adopted. Found a colony? Let us know. We would love the opportunity to help you and your feral cat colony out. We have humane traps available to loan, and a lot of knowledgeable and caring people to educate and assist. Ear-Tipping Ear-tipping is vital for identification and can save the animals life. If an eartipped cat is caught by animal control agencies they will know that the cat comes from a managed colony and the cat will be returned to the colony. Feral cats are euthanized by animal control agencies as they are deemed unadoptable. Ear tipping is the national standard for identifying feral cats that have been managed through TNR. Ear tipping also allows the caretaker to easily spot any new cat entering the colony, and neutered cats will not have to be retrapped. Any ear-tipped cat trapped in error can be identified easily within the trap and immediately released. |  "Feral Cat Package" includes spay/neuter, rabies vaccination,
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What is TNR?
Trap-Neuter-Return.
TNR stands for Trap-Neuter-Return, and it's a humane program run by community rescue organizations and individual volunteers. With a little time and patience, TNR volunteers trap all the feral cats in a colony, spay or neuter them, and then return them to their home. The cats continue to live happy lives but can no longer reproduce. It works. With no more kittens, the numbers of feral cats gradually goes down and the quality of their lives improves. The annoying behaviors and stresses associated with mating, such as yowling and fighting, stop. The cats are spayed/neutered, vaccinated and fed on a regular schedule. This ongoing care creates a safety net for both the cats and the community. | TNR saves money.
With an estimated 87 million free-roaming, homeless cats in the United States, it would cost the government about $16 billion to trap and kill them as opposed to about $9 billion for supporting Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs run by community rescue organizations and individual volunteers. In Kentucky the estimated population of feral cats living outdoors is 1,777,440. The estimated SAVINGS to taxpayers by utilizing TNR as opposed to Trap and Kill is: $167,936,000. Trap & Kill isn't effective. Sure, animal control can go in and eliminate all the cats in a feral colony. But other cats simply move in to take advantage of the available resources. They breed prolifically, quickly forming a new colony, and it doesn't take long for this new colony to reach the size of the old one. This "vacuum" effect is well documented. TNR is a more effective and humane approach. |
Contact HOPE Clinic Hours: Tuesday 7:30am - 5:30pm Phone: 859-873-HOPE (4673) Email: hopespayneuterclinic@gmail.com Please call or email us to:
| Visit HOPE HOPE Spay Neuter Clinic 378 Crossfield Drive Versailles KY 40383 For more information on feral cats and TNR you can visit the following websites:
www.humanesociety.org/feralcats www.alleycat.org |
