Feral cat help

Get more information on becoming a Feral Cat Colony Caretaker at our web page Feral Cats Program Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)

Helping cats on the edge

According to the Feral Cat Coalition, thousands of cats are living on the fringes of our yards, out near the railroad tracks, behind grocery stores, and nearly everywhere else you look across the country.

Some feral cats were abandoned, while others never had a home to begin with. Sometimes these are pets who have lost their way, and joined a feral colony. Any of them could be a much-loved pet you have lost, and never found.

Feral cat colonies are a fact of life, but this doesn't have to be a sad fact. Some feral cats can be humanely trapped, evaluated, neutered, vaccinated, and adopted, while those too wild to for life in a home situation can be returned back to their territory to live out their lives.

Kittens and tame cats trapped from feral colonies are almost always adopted into good homes.

Unwelcome cats on your property

If you notice an unfamiliar cat on your property, we recommend the following steps outlined by the Humane Society of the United States:

Figure out what category of cat(s) you are dealing with:

• An owned cat, probably belonging to your neighbors, allowed outdoors unsupervised

• An owned cat that has become lost

• A previously owned cat who has been abandoned and no longer has a home

• A 'neighborhood' cat fed by several residents in the area, but truly cared for by none of them

• A feral cat - Not socialized to humans and almost wild. (Keep in mind that terrified lost pets, otherwise tame and loving, can act like a wild cat out of fear.)

  Take steps to resolve the problem to the benefit of the animal

• Learn the laws: What is the policy on helping residents with strange cats in Clark County and in the cities of Camas and Washougal

• If you know who owns the cat, talk to the person(s) about your concerns and the law. Try to persuade him/her to keep the pet safely confined to its own property
  

• Use aversive sprays from the pet store to keep the cat off your property

• Try loud noises or motion-activated sprinklers to keep the cat out of your area

For general information about feral cats, go to
Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon 503-797-2606

Get more information on becoming a Feral Cat Colony Caretaker at our web page Feral Cats Program Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR).

If the cat has appeared recently, it may be a lost or abandoned pet. Go to our web page Lost and Found Pets for tips on how to help the animal find its way back home.

RETURN TO TOP I HOME I DONATE I CONTACT US