Feral Cat Information
As opposed to a domesticated stray cat that has wandered away from home, a feral cat is an offspring of a homeless house cat. Feral cats often are untamed and fearful of humans, according to the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon (FCCO).
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Reasons
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Large populations of feral cats develop because people abandon or do not spray or neuter their cats. A cat can have multiple litters each year---as the kittens become adults and reproduce, the result can be 250,000 kittens within five years, according to the Progressive Animal Welfare Society.
Locations
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Populations of feral cats live in parking lots of businesses, malls or colleges, as well as in parks, country areas and empty buildings, reports the Feral Cat Coalition.
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Deaths
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Feral cats often die of starvation or disease, get run over or end up euthanized. More than 15 million homeless cats and dogs die in shelters each year, the Feral Cat Coalition says.
Intervention
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Trap-neuter return programs help people caring for feral cats to catch them, get them sprayed or neutered and return them to where they originally lived, according to the FCCO, which says feral kittens should be socialized within their first 10 weeks of life.
Prevention
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Prevention of feral cat populations requires pet owners keeping cats inside or under direct supervision outside, getting cats fixed and/or taking the cats to a shelter if unable to care for them.
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