Today is National Feral Cat Day! … Did you know Cole was found all alone one evening at a busy intersection?
If he wasn’t spotted by our friend and rescued I’m positive he would have been struck by a car or eaten by a predator… This is why I’m a feral cat advocate!
Feral cats didn’t ask to be living on the streets struggling to survive day in and day out, I’m sure if they were rescued when they were kittens they’d have made great pets too… Unfortunately that’s not the hand they were dealt.
With tens of millions of feral cats out there I think it’s important to raise awareness about their plight and help do everything we can to care for them and manage their populations.
Last Friday, I had a “crazy night on the town” with a few feral cat caregivers, check out the video:
The caregivers who work with Love Your Feral Felines to feed over 150 cats in 9 different locations, really go above and beyond to make sure the cats get fresh food and water every single night. Oftentimes when food donations are low they pay for the cat food themselves and they also have to deal with confrontational business owners who see the feral cats as a nuisance, hence why they feed at night…. One lady as been feeding these colonies for over 20 years!
All the current cats in these colonies are fixed and they spread the word about Trap-Neuter-Return and why this humane approach is the only effective method of keeping feral cat populations under control. Many people demand that the cats be trapped and killed but not only is this a cruel approach to feral cat management, it’s also only a temporary solution since other ferals will simply move into the abandoned territory.
People also see videos like this and comment that the cats should be trapped, sent to shelters and rehomed… If only it were that simple! With an estimated 50 million feral cats in America and with animal shelters already euthanizing millions of healthy adoptable cats each year because they have no space, this simply isn’t an option. Trapping a feral cat and taking it to an animal shelter is one of the worst things you can do… Almost all feral cats that enter shelters are euthanized, UNLESS they work with feral cat groups who have barn cat programs in place, like this one…
So if you see a feral cat purrlease treat them with the respect and kindness they deserve, sure they may dine on some native wildlife every now and again, but they also provide free rodent control! TNR is the way to go… NOT THIS! – Australia plans to kill 2 million feral cats
They just want to live out there lives and I believe they have the right to do this.
Get involved! – Donate, volunteer and help spread the word, the feral felines are counting on you 🙂
*And of course SPAY & NEUTER, SPAY & NEUTER, SPAY & NEUTER!!
Great information ! Purrs
We shared your video on how to make a shelter for winter a few weeks ago ;).
Great! I must make an updated version soon, with different designs…
Thanks 🙂
Boff videos was pawsum!!! Weez so fankful fur all who help da feral pawpulation and weez purray da cycle ends and dat sumday all kitties hve luvvin’ furever homes.
Luv ya’
Dezi and Lexi
I love the feral kitties! We are care givers also. I work closely with operation catnip who does TNR every month for free! The dedication and compassion is heartfelt by all of the volunteers. All of the love and time is donated. I recall a few years back that we neutered and vaccinated 169 cats in 1 day!!! That’s a lot of love! I’ve carried it a step further and my 5 cats only see a veterinarian who volunteers time for the welfare of cats.
We have feral villas for our feral kitties. We purchased them online. Our ferals live a pretty good life and are comfy cozy in their villas with the hay and pet heating pads. There are many crafty ways to make a feral villa, probably more cost effective.
Love Cole and Marmalade!
Thank you for your compassion!
Hi Theresa, that’s great, I actually filmed at Operation Catnip a couple months back on one of the spay and neuter days, watch out for the video, they fixed over 200 cats that day, great place, great people, keep up the good work! 🙂
Two of my 6 were ferals. Actually one was a TNR that I made friends with and he seemed to adopt me. The other was a beauty that was living in the sewers. It took two summers to woo his confidence but he now lives indoors. Then last year I was able to screen in my back porch for a kitty palace but I insisted the we put in a pet door which I prop open at night so that a couple of local ferals can come in and eat. This winter I have provided heated beds and heated water in addition to the fresh food I offer every night. The least I can do for these animals who bring so much peace and joy into my life.
Dave, you’re a STAR! If only there were more like you, keep up the great work 🙂
I have two former ferals thst adopted me. Pink and Squeaky are living proof that time and patience can work miracles on a distrustful cat.