Community Cat Movement The Educational Wing Of Community Cats United, Inc
Community Cat Facts:
Discover the Truth
Community Cats (stray, abandoned and feral) can live anywhere they find food and shelter.
Stray, abandoned and feral cats are not the same. Abandoned and stray cats can usually be adopted; feral cats cannot. Feral cats are content living outdoors.
Studies show feral cats can be as healthy as house cats.
Trap and remove projects are very costly and must be continued on an on-going basis.
The best thing you can do for feral and stray cats is Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR).
Feral cats avoid human contact, especially people they don’t know. They don’t want to interact with you or your children.
Studies show that the overwhelming cause of wildlife depletion is destruction of natural habitat due to man-made structures, chemical pollution, pesticides, and drought, not feral cats.
Any solution other than TNVR will will result in the death of these cats.
Feral cats are generally healthy. The incidence of disease in feral cat colonies is no higher than among owned cats. One reason is because they are vaccinated in TNVR.
Studies show that feral cats can have about the same lifespan as pet cats. And they contract diseases at about the same rate.
During TNVR, kittens and tame cats are adopted into good homes.
Feral cats’ needs are not met by the current animal control and shelter system, because animals who are not adoptable are killed.
Feral kittens can often be adopted into homes, but they must be socialized at an early age.
Feral cats are members of the domestic cat species and are protected under state anti-cruelty laws
Its cheaper to TNVR a cat than to kill it.
While a cat is sedated in the TNVR process (following spay/neuter surgery), personnel snip about a quarter-inch from his or her (usually left) ear to identify the animal as a humanely managed free-roaming cat who has been altered and rabies vaccinated.
When existing cats are removed, new cats will appear and take their place. This is called the vacuum effect.
Why are there homeless and feral cats?
1. failure to spay/neuter (humans)
2. failure to make life-long commitments to animals (humans)