Feral cats are said to have started in the Age of Discovery. Travelers released rabbits onto islands to provide food for other travelers. The population of rabbits was out of control and cats were introduced in order to keep the population of rabbits and mice down. However, cats began to colonize and they were soon seen as pest.
Feral cats are born and raised in the wild often are found in large groups called colonies at times they may travel alone. They live in alleyways, empty lots and condemned buildings anywhere that they can find food, water and shelter. The average life span is 2 to 5 years oppose to indoor cats being able to live sometime to 20 years. A female feral spend the majority of their lives pregnant within 7 years they are capable of having a total of 420,000 kittens.
There are agencies and people that think relocation and/or capturing feral cats will solve the problem. This is not 100% successful and is inhumane. When they are relocated they are not familiar with their new surroundings making it difficult for them to survive. They are unable to find food, water and shelter easily. It is also impossible to catch all the cats. It only takes one male and female to create a new colony.
The ASPCA endorses TNR as the only proven humane and effective method to manage feral colonies.
Feral cats are born and raised in the wild often are found in large groups called colonies at times they may travel alone. They live in alleyways, empty lots and condemned buildings anywhere that they can find food, water and shelter. The average life span is 2 to 5 years oppose to indoor cats being able to live sometime to 20 years. A female feral spend the majority of their lives pregnant within 7 years they are capable of having a total of 420,000 kittens.
There are agencies and people that think relocation and/or capturing feral cats will solve the problem. This is not 100% successful and is inhumane. When they are relocated they are not familiar with their new surroundings making it difficult for them to survive. They are unable to find food, water and shelter easily. It is also impossible to catch all the cats. It only takes one male and female to create a new colony.
The ASPCA endorses TNR as the only proven humane and effective method to manage feral colonies.