1. What is a feral cat?
2. I have been feeding cats for a while and they are reproducing. I can't feed them all. What should I do?
3. What is the different between a stray cat and a feral cat?
4. My neighbors (or the landlords) are complaining about the cats. What can I do?
5. Do cats carry rabies?
6. What is the difference between spaying and neutering?
7. I don't want anything to happen to the cats, but they can't stay here. Where can they go?
8. I discovered a group of free-roaming cats, what should I do?
9. I can't touch the cats, so how can I get them to the vet for spay/neutering?
10. I've been told that cats should be indoors only, so isn't it cruel to leave them outside?
11. There are several cats to be trapped, but I only have one trap. Will that do?
12. Is there anything special my veterinarian should know about working with feral cats?
13. Do I need to test the cats for Feline Leukemia (FeLV) or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)?
14. Why are feral cats eartipped?
15. I've been trying to trap a particular cat, but the cat refuses to go into the trap. What should I do?
16. Can I use kittens to catch the mother?
17. There's a pregnant feral cat outside. What should I do?
18. A female cat had kittens outside. What should I do?
19. I just found a newborn kitten and the mother is nowhere to be seen. What should I do?
20. Where do feral cats live?
21. I am moving, and I can't take the feral cats that I am managing with me. How do I find someone to take over their care?

What is a feral cat? A feral cat may be defined as any cat too wild or unsocialized to be kept in a typical home. These cats are often born in the wild and avoid direct human contact. Every feral and abandoned cat is the end result of irresponsible pet owners who failed to spay or neuter their cat and then allowed it to roam freely.

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. Trapping feral cats sounds complicated; in reality, it is a simple and rewarding process, and it doesn't hurt the cats. When the cats have been spayed/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. Call us at (317) 638-3223!

What is the different between a stray cat and a feral cat? A stray cat is a domestic cat that has been abandoned or has strayed from home and become lost. A stray cat may be skittish in your presence, but because stray cats once knew human companionship, they can usually be re-socialized and re-homed. ? Observe the cat's appearance and behavior. A stray cat is likely to approach you, although usually not close enough for you to touch him. If you put food down, a stray cat will likely start to eat it right away. A stray cat is often vocal, sometimes talking insistently, and may look disheveled, as if unused to dealing with conditions on the street. A stray cat may be seen at all hours of the day. ? A feral cat is born and raised outside with little or no human contact or is a stray that has lived outside long enough to revert to a wild state. Adult feral cats usually cannot be tamed and are most content living outside. Feral kittens up to eight or ten weeks of age, on the other hand, can often be tamed and placed in homes. A feral cat is silent, will not approach humans, and generally will be seen only from dusk to dawn, unless extraordinarily hungry and foraging for food. A feral cat has adapted to conditions and is likely to appear well groomed. If you put food down for a feral cat, he will wait until you move away from the area before approaching the food. Individual cats may have a variety of lifestyles during their lives, including owned pet, stray and feral status. Because of the vast overlap of "lifestyle and socialization continuums," it is often difficult to define discrete populations of free-roaming cats.

My neighbors (or the landlords) are complaining about the cats. What can I do? Ask what their specific complaints are and try to resolve them. The most common complaints regarding stray/feral cats are that they are spraying, yowling, fighting, sick and injured, having more kittens or roaming the neighborhood. Many of these are mating behaviors that subside substantially when TNR and colony management are implemented. ? If cats are soiling the neighbors' gardens, place (regularly cleaned) sand or litter boxes at the colony site. Consider building a cat fence that will keep cats in (or out of) a specific area. If neighbors voice health concerns, make sure that the cats are up to date with their vaccinations and share their medical records with your neighbors.

Do cats carry rabies? Cats pose a very low risk for contracting rabies and spreading rabies, as they are not natural carriers for the disease. In Indiana, the last known case of rabies in a cat was in 1984. If a cat does become infected with rabies, it is only able to transmit the disease during the final stages of the disease, when the symptoms of the disease are usually apparent and which typically lasts no more than 10-14 days.

What is the difference between spaying and neutering? Spaying is the surgical removal of the female reproductive tract, including the ovaries and the uterus (womb). Neutering is the surgical removal of the testicles in male cats, rendering them sterile. Neutering is often used to refer to either males or female surgeries. Synonymous with sterilization or altering.

I don't want anything to happen to the cats, but they can't stay here. Where can they go? Why must be the cats be moved? Where will the cats go? With very few exceptions, feral cats should remain at the original colony site. Cats create strong bonds with their territory and with on another. If you relocate them, they may become disoriented and separated from one another. If you relocate the existing colony, new cats are likely to move into the area and form a new colony. There are very few places to relocate feral cats. Shelters will virtually never accept them, they cannot be socialized. If you truly are concerned for the welfare of the cats, it's best to leave them where they are and care for them. Contact IndyFeral for assistance.

I discovered a group of free-roaming cats, what should I do? Implement a TNR plan as soon as possible so the colony can become "managed." A managed colony is one in which all of the cats have been sterilized, vaccinated, provided food and provided with shelter from inclement weather. The colony cats are healthier and no longer breeding. The Caretaker regularly monitors the colony and individual cats. Feral cats are dependent on a Caretaker(s) to enact this plan and provide long-term support. Besides the obvious advantage of population control, the cats are better able to care for themselves since they no longer have to put all their energy into producing and caring for off-spring. A properly managed colony is a healthy and stable colony in which no kittens are born. Over time the colony will diminish through natural attrition. Call us at (317) 638-3223!

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. Call us at (317) 638-3223!

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 that 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.

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. ? 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. Call us at (317) 638-3223!

Is there anything special my veterinarian should know about working with feral cats? Yes, there are specific handling and protocols which need to be followed for the safety and care of the veterinarian and the cat. For example, spay with dissolvable sutures, use an injectable anesthesia cocktail, eartip, full exam, ear cleaning, vaccinations, deworming, and early-age spay/neutering. Contact IndyFeral for more information or referral to vet who is trained to work with feral cats.

Do I need to test the cats for Feline Leukemia (FeLV) or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)? IndyFeral does not advocate universal testing of feral cats. We base this position on the experiences of large feral cat programs such as Operation Catnip in Florida and North Carolina, which has stopped testing altogether. Results at their clinics indicate:

• The percentage of feral cats infected with either FeLV or FIV is very low: three to seven percent are infected with FeLV; about two to five percent with FIV. These percentages are about the same as indoor cats.
• Because testing produces a significant rate of false positives, healthy cats are frequently misdiagnosed and killed.
• The cost of testing outweighs its benefit and diverts resources from more effective efforts, especially sterilization.
• Increasing the number of animals who are spayed and neutered is the single most effective way to help control the feline overpopulation crisis and improve the health and living conditions of stray and feral cats. Despite concern over viruses, there is no feline disease that ends more lives than euthanasia due to overpopulation.

Why are feral cats eartipped? Eartipping identifies feral cats that have been sterilized and vaccinated. Eartipping is completely safe and it is painless because the cat is under general anesthetic when the procedure is performed. Eartipping provides immediate visual identification which alerts animal control that a cat is part of a managed colony. It also helps colony caretakers track which cats have been trapped and vetted, and identify newcomers who have not.

I've been trying to trap a particular cat, but the cat refuses to go into the trap. What should I do? If after repeated attempts a cat will not go into a trap, take a break for a week or two (except in the case of an injured cat). A short break can reduce a cat's fear of the trap. During this time, feed that cat and others in unset traps for several days. Place the food first by the entrance of the trap, then inside, then over a period of days gradually move it closer to the back. Feed in the same place and time as always. The cat will see other cats eating inside the traps and will likely try it, too. ? When you are ready to trap again, withhold food for 24 hours up to three days (for a very "trap savvy" cat). Never withhold water. You can make a trap more enticing by dabbing bits of jarred baby food (not containing onions), or catnip on the outside of the trap. Also, cats love the smell of a pungent herb called valerian. Make a strong smelling broth by boiling valerian in water, then douse the trap with it. IndyFeral also has other, specialized types of traps that can be useful in catching trap-shy cats, like drop traps and large, dog-sized traps.

Can I use kittens to catch the mother? Yes, but DO NOT put kittens in the trap set for the mother! If the mother becomes frightened in the trap, she could seriously injure the kittens. Instead, put the kittens in a closed trap or a small cat carrier. Set the trap exactly where you found the kittens. Place another trap directly in front of the carrier, like a train. Cover both traps with a sheet EXCEPT for the trap door of the empty trap. The mother will hear and/or smell her kittens and, looking through the door of the set trap, see her kittens at the end of the "tunnel" in the other trap. Thinking she can get to her kittens this way, she may enter and spring the set trap. If the kittens make no noise, place a tape recording of kittens mewing in the trap with them.

There's a pregnant feral cat outside. What should I do? You have three options to choose from:

• Trap the queen and bring her indoors to have the kittens. The kittens are more likely to survive if born indoors although the mother may experience overwhelming stress from being confined and become less able to care for her kittens. To reduce her stress, provide a warm, secluded, quiet area for her to give birth and nurse her litter.
• Provide a warm, outdoor cat shelter and the queen may choose to have her kittens in it. There is no guarantee.
• Trap the queen and have your vet determine how far along she is and whether or not to terminate the pregnancy. The mother cat would be spayed at the same time. Some vets will not perform abortions if the mother is close to giving birth, so you should consult your vet, and consider your own feelings, about this possibility ahead of time.

A female cat had kittens outside. What should I do? You should trap and sterilize the whole family. How you proceed depends on the age of the kittens.

• Don't trap a mother who is nursing her kittens unless you catch the kittens too. Tiny kittens cannot survive away from their mothers for long.
• If the kittens are newly weaned (usually four to six weeks), ask if your veterinarian can perform surgery and return the mother within 48 hours. Even though eating solid food, very young kittens are unlikely to survive without their mother for body heat and protection. (If your vet cannot meet this time frame, wait until the kittens are older to trap the queen.)
• Try to trap the kittens no later than eight to ten weeks of age. The sooner they have human contact, the easier it will be to socialize them.
• At twelve weeks and older, kittens can be sterilized, vaccinated, and returned to the location where they were living outside. Socializing feral kittens after 12 weeks of age becomes much more difficult and less likely to succeed.
  

I just found a newborn kitten and the mother is nowhere to be seen. What should I do? Do not be too hasty to move a kitten. The mother may be in the process of moving her litter to a safer area. Watch closely for several hours, but no more than a day, to see if the mother returns. If not, and the mother has abandoned one or more very young (neonatal) kittens, their only chance to survive is bottle-feeding. This is an intensive process not unlike caring for newborn human babies. There's a lot to learn, but once you know it, the process will become second nature. Here is an excellent article from the Tompkins County SPCA.

Where do feral cats live? Like almost all living creatures, feral cats need warm, dry shelter to protect them from extreme temperatures and wet weather. Cats provided with no alternatives will live under decks, abandoned structures or vehicles or less accessible portions of buildings like the attic or crawlspace.You can build a shelter from plans or use a strong box or crate insulated with waterproof material thick enough to keep out wind and cold. A large shelter can provide a haven for more than one cat. Visit our Feral Cat Shelter page to learn about our shelter building program and shelters we offer.

I am moving, and I can't take the feral cats that I am managing with me. How do I find someone to take over their care? (This question deals only with feral cats, not with domestic cats.) It will be easier to convince someone to assume care of a feral cat colony if the all of the cats have been spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and eartipped. Complete this process if you have not already done so. Start making inquiries as soon as possible; this could take some time and you want to have arrangements in place well before your move. If you don't already know your neighbors, introduce yourself and explain the situation. You may discover that others in the area are also concerned about the colony you care for.