little-known facts about community cats
Community cats are unowned cats who live outdoors.
What is a Community Cat?
Community cats live outdoors in virtually every landscape, on every continent where people live. Like indoor cats, they belong to the domestic cat species (Felis Catus). Some community cats, including feral, traumatized and unsocialized cats, are generally not overtly friendly or social with people. Unowned, free-roaming cats, from all across the socialization continuum and stray, pet cats are the most significant source of cat overpopulation, producing over eighty percent of the kittens born each year. While the cats serve a purpose in helping control rodent populations, over-population leads to a host of problems for the cats and can be a concern or nuisance for the community.
Why are there so many ?
Pet owners who fail to neuter their cats, regardless of sex, and allow them to roam, along with those who abandon unaltered pets to fend for themselves, are largely responsible for the unhoused cat population. The astonishing rate of reproduction among cats exacerbates this factor of human irresponsibility.
Why do they need help?
Community cats are from domesticated cats that have become homeless or were born into homelessness. They do not have the necessary skills to fend for themselves and survive without human help. These cats are in their predicament ultimately by human irresponsibility at some point. Most unowned cats live fewer than two or three years in unsupported environments and, by this time, have produced many offspring who will also live unhoused and thus less socialized.
Because they are generally not socialized, community cats cannot live indoors with people, and are therefore unadoptable. For this reason, community cats should not be taken to shelters where they will likely be killed or relocated to die in a foreign environment where they will face new competition and dangers.
Why aren't they handled through animal shelters?
Cats that grow up feral or abandoned /abused pet cats that acquire feral behaviours are usually poor candidates for successful adoption into homes. Unsocialized or abused cats cannot be picked up or handled. Shelters must use their limited space for adoptable animals. However, free-roaming male and female cats, once neutered, can live healthy and contented lives in a supported colony environment where they can contribute to the human community. The only humane and effective approach for community cats is one of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR).
Every Relationship has a Beginning
Did you know that a cat who has warm shelter, fresh water and is fed daily will be healthy enough to hunt vermin for sport? Traditionally distilleries employ cats for this purpose and studies have revealed these employees catch between 14-18 rodents nightly in high season. Unfed cats without the resources to keep warm will conserve as much energy as they can, leaving their sleeping space only once a day to catch and eat one meal.
Community cats live best when they have a small team that provides food, water, and shelter while keeping tabs of their activities and needs. Please consider joining a caregiving team, or adding who you already provide for to our teams' awareness.
backyard strays
What can you do to help a homeless cat?
A stray cat in the backyard is a troubling, all-too-frequent occurrence. Making this homeless cat your business can save its life. Daytime sightings indicate a lost or abandoned pet or an injured, sick or starving cat. It needs your help. Here is how you can Support and Report:
- set out food and water. Cats need clean water (not snow), especially in winter. A leading cause of winter death is actually dehydration.
- try to photograph the cat from a distance and write down more of a description each time you see the cat, along with the time of day and dates
- ask your neighbours and post the sighting on any community groups
- contact your local animal shelter to match notes with any lost cats
- If you suspect the cat is friendly but too afraid to be social with you, inquire if the shelter has room for another stray. Often there is a lengthy waiting list: get your backyard stray on that list now.
- contact CARMA to report the sighting: CARMA cannot take in strays, but your local chapter may know of a lost pet and can offer advice or other assistance.
- Provide shelter. A good shelter is a life-saver in winter if the cat cannot be brought inside.
- Shelter plans and tips and tricks for supporting a community cat are above
A cat's EARNOTCH/EARTIP UNIVERSALLY MARKS it as neutered
Earnotch
Earnotch
Earnotch
Earnotch
Earnotch
Earnotch
Eartip
Neutered female and male cats in a TNR program receive an earnotch or eartip marking. This helps us avoid putting efforts in to trapping a cat that has already received our services. This also allerts everyone that the cat is a community cat which means that if it becomes sick or injured that no owner will be helping him/her. These cats are CARMA's priority. Depending on community practices and funding, an earnotch or eartip may also denote vaccination, parasite-treatments, and even micro-chipping. We mark our cats on their left ear for both eartips and earnotches..
THE INCEPTION OF CAT COLONIES
FROM A SINGLE STRAY TO OVERPOPULATION AS QUICKLY AS 1 YEAR
Male and female community cats are generally not neutered without a local TNR initiative in place. This is especially so for females given the higher cost of a spay surgery, and the trend that people love the kitten experience without considering the systemic impacts. Un-neutered, free-roaming females can become pregnant as early as 5 months of age. They typically have two live litters in the first year with an average litter size of 3-4 kittens., and then up to three litters annually with 3-6 kittens each litter. Unsupported, seventy-five percent of those babies will likely die from poor nutrition, dehydration, disease, parasites, injury, infection, freezing or predation before they reach adulthood. Those who survive will continue without socialization to people. Un-neutered male cats become sexually mature as early as 4 months and ,while roaming in search of food, will fight for mates. They also typically spray to mark their territory. They may be hit by cars, killed by wildlife, poisoned, etc.
How do cat colonies form?
Many people who see a free-roaming cat put out food to help the poor animal. This usually ends up with other cats appearing due to a source of food, safety, and possibly shelter. Without neutralizing their reproductive abilities, three or four community cats can quickly become a colony of 25 or more. Many dedicated community cat caretakers pay out of their own pockets to help improve the lives of unowned free-roaming cats. It is unrealistic to expect caretakers can also afford the cost of neuter surgeries for these foundlings that they cannot pick up. Without TNR the population of the colony would continue to increase to the point where caregivers can no longer support it.
Feral colonies form wherever homeless or free-roaming cats find food and shelter. Often a kind person or a caring community tries to provide for “strays,” that turn up hungry and in rough shape. Often those meaning well will provide food and shelter to cats in need. Sadly, those who are the most generous often lack the financial or physical means to get one cat that they began to provide for in a carrier and take them to a veterinarian, let alone manage this initiative for multiple unowned cats. Compassion is not a sign of mental illness. People who find themselves with a cat colony are rarely “collectors” or “hoarders.” They are secondary victims of irresponsible, thoughtless, and sometimes cruel human behaviour.
The community cat overpopulation can be controlled if we work together.
TNR is the most effective and humane way to achieve this.
WE SUPPORT CATS ACROSS ALL LEVELS OF SOCIALIZATION w) HUMANS
Alley cat Allies out of Maryland USA has compiled extensive public resource packages. Here is a link to an explicit resource for more reading with graphics.