2. Are all street cats feral?

All street cats are not feral. Some are lost or abandoned house cats that if brought in from the street can instantly readjust to domestic life and again enjoy the comforts of home and hearth. If these domestic cats reproduce on the street without human contact their offspring can become feral in one generation. If the only human they see is an angry store owner chasing their mother when she rummages through the garbage, the kittens will fear and not trust humans even if the mother doesn't distrust all humans. On the other hand, if the mother trusts humans and there is a friendly caretaker coming by daily to feed which the mother greets and is relaxed around, the mother's kittens will probably be easy to tame and will trust humans too.
The bottom line in classifying street cats is ADOPTABILITY. The mother may be domesticated but if her kittens bite, claw and scratch from fear, few people will be willing to take the time to gain their trust.

3. Can all feral kittens be tamed?

Even the wildest kittens under 8 weeks can usually be tamed or "socialized" to humans but past that age it takes a special brand of patience and commitment. This phenomenon of reverting to their feral nature makes rescue and adoption much more complicated, impractical and/or impossible when adult cats are involved.

4. What is Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)?

A nonlethal sterilization method to reduce the numbers of feral cats in the environment both immediately and for the longterm. TNR is a comprehensive, ongoing program in which stray and feral cats already living outdoors in cities, towns, and rural areas are humanely trapped, then evaluated, vaccinated, and sterilized by veterinarians. Kittens and tame (stray) cats are adopted into good homes. Healthy adult cats too wild (feral) to be adopted are returned to their familiar habitat under the lifelong care of volunteers. Cats that are ill or injured beyond recovery are not returned to the environment.

TNR was brought to the U.S. from Europe and the U.K. during the 1980s. The practice of TNR grew rapidly in the 1990s when Alley Cat Allies began providing information and assistance to people caring for feral cats who recognized that their numbers must be controlled and reduced through sterilization. In communities where TNR is widely embraced, feral cat numbers have dropped. TNR programs operate largely or entirely through the dedicated efforts of committed volunteers. TNR works because it breaks the cycle of reproduction. In general, the cost of sterilizing and returning a feral cat is less than half the cost of trapping, holding, killing, and disposing of a feral cat. TNR protects public health and advances the goal of reducing the numbers of feral cats in the environment. The public supports humane, nonlethal TNR as the long-term solution to feral cat overpopulation.

5. What is eartipping?

A technique of painlessly removing a quarter-inch off the top of a feral cat’s left ear while the cat is anesthetized for spay/neutering. Eartipping is the universal symbol of and only proven way to permanently identify (both close up and from a distance) a feral cat that has been evaluated, vaccinated, and sterilized. Eartipping ensures that a sterile cat will not undergo unnecessary repeat trapping and surgery.

6. I discovered some cats outside. Who can I call to come and get them?

The first step is to find out if the cats are tame or wild. If the cats are tame, they may belong to people living in the neighborhood. Observe the cats to determine if this is so. Post "lost cat" flyers throughout the neighborhood. After a day or two, if you get no response and you decide they are lost or otherwise not owned, you can register the cats online at Pets 911 in the Found Pet section. If you must take the cats to a shelter, be certain it is a "no-kill" shelter.

If the cats are feral (wild), animal control or a municipal shelter is the only agency that may come and get them, and the cats will most likely be killed. Even "no-kill" shelters find feral cats impossible to adopt out because they are wild.

Fortunately, there is a solution. Feral cats live in colonies and congregate near food sources. Feral cat colonies can be managed with a nonlethal method called Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), in which cats are humanely (and painlessly) trapped, spayed/neutered, and returned to their colony site where volunteer caretakers provide them with food, water, and shelter.

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is the only chance feral cats have of living safe, healthy lives, while ceasing their reproduction. But TNR is a hands-on project requiring commitment from one or more volunteer caretakers, often with help from feral cat advocates living in the area.

7. I have been feeding cats for a while and they are reproducing. I can't feed them all. What should I do?

As soon as possible, you must trap the cats using humane box traps and have them spayed or neutered. Contact local groups involved with feral cat issues to find out if there is a low- or no-cost spay/neuter clinic in your area. (Trapping feral cats sounds complicated; in reality, it's a simple and rewarding process, and it doesn't hurt the cats.) When the cats have been spay/neutered and vaccinated, return them to the place where they were trapped. (Kittens up to eight or ten weeks old can often be tamed, sterilized, and adopted out.) You and other volunteers must then provide ongoing food, shelter, and care to keep the feral cats healthy and safe. Check with local shelters to see if there is a food bank operating in your area that can defray part of the cost of food.

8. I can't touch the cats, so how can I get them to the vet for spay/neutering?

Do not try to touch them! And never attempt to catch a cat by throwing a towel or blanket over just the cat. Never use tranquilizers on outdoor cats. The risk of injury (to you and to the cat) is too great. Many feral cats die when public health officials insist that unvaccinated cats be killed and tested for rabies after an "unprovoked" bite.

As soon as possible, trap the cats using humane box traps and have them spayed/neutered. Don't wait, thinking that the cats will get used to human presence and become tame enough to catch. They won't, and while you wait, several litters of kittens will be born.

9. I've been told that cats should be indoors only, so isn't it cruel to leave them outside?

The safest place for your tame companion cats may be indoors, but the best and usually the only environment suitable for feral (wild) cats is outside. Feral cats who have undergone TNR and live in managed colonies can live healthy, content, and long lives-often as long as indoor cats. Finding homes for feral cats is not a realistic option. Humane societies, animal shelters, and other animal organizations rarely accept them for adoption because they cannot be touched or held by people and are, thus, "unadoptable." Shelters usually kill feral cats without a holding period and animal sanctuaries rarely have room for them.

10. There are several cats to be trapped, but I only have one trap. Will that do?

Generally, no. And it is not advisable to trap a cat, then transfer him to a carrier so you can use the trap again right away-the danger of injury (to the cat and to you) or escape is simply too great.

Look for individuals or groups in your area who loan out humane box traps. Ideally, you should have as many traps as there are cats. If this is not possible, aim for trapping all of the cats in two or three sessions. If you repeatedly introduce traps to a colony, the cats will figure it out and become trap-shy. Of course, the number of cats you can trap during each session also depends on how many cats your veterinarian is willing to sterilize at one time.

11. Where do I get traps and which are the best to use?

Humane box traps are available from the following companies:

Tomahawk Live Trap Co. P.O. Box 323 Tomahawk, WI 54487 (800) 272-8727 www.livetrap.com

ACES (Animal Care Equipment & Services, Inc.) P.O. Box 3275 Crestline, CA 92325 (800) 338-ACES www.animal-care.com Ask for "Tru-Catch" traps.

Heart of the Earth Marketing 205 High Street Fruitdale, SD 57742 (800) 526-1644 (605) 892-0154 (Fax) www.animal-traps.com Ask for "Tru-Catch" traps.