{"id":1943,"date":"2017-05-01T19:57:10","date_gmt":"2017-05-01T23:57:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/?p=1943"},"modified":"2018-07-27T14:16:24","modified_gmt":"2018-07-27T18:16:24","slug":"help-feral-cats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ovrs.com\/blog\/help-feral-cats\/","title":{"rendered":"The Good Samaritan\u2019s Guide: How to Help Feral Cats"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"17th century philosopher Thomas Hobbes famously described life outside society as \u201cnasty, brutish, and short\u201d. The same can be said for the lives of feral cats (also called \u201ccommunity cats\u201d). Feral cats<\/a> generally eat from trash bins and must deal with temperature extremes, traffic, mistreatment from humans and other cats, infections, disease<\/a>, flea infestations, and more.<\/p>\n

Anyone who lives near a population of community cats knows how quickly their numbers can grow, and how susceptible the individuals are to disease and injury. Knowing how to help feral cats is key in reducing their numbers and keeping the population healthy.<\/p>\n

Life on the Fringe<\/h3>\n

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), a feral cat is defined as \u201cany cat who is too poorly socialized to be handled\u2026and who cannot be placed into a typical pet home\u201d. Unlike a stray cat, who has become lost or been abandoned by the owners, feral cats are not used to contact with people and are generally too fearful or aggressive to be handled or adopted.
\n<\/p>\n

Feral cats are usually the offspring of lost or abandoned pet cats. There are currently about 70 million feral cats in the United States, roughly the same number as cats who live in homes.<\/p>\n

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)<\/h3>\n

Trap-Neuter-Return, also known as TNR, is widely accepted by professionals as an acceptable way to reduce the number of feral cats and to improve their quality of life. TNR involves:<\/p>\n