How to Humanely Deal with Feral Cats

How to Humanely Deal with Feral Cats

It's a dilemma every cat lover faces: Do I feed the poor feral kitties or do I call animal control so they stop destroying my yard?
As much as you may want to be the Mother Teresa of cats, it’s just not feasible to feed and care for them all.

If you try, you’ll likely notice that the cat population around your house will explode. And we don’t want you to bankrupt yourself for the sake of those cute strays.
Don’t worry: there’s a better way!
Here’s what you need to know about feral cats and how to best deal with their cute, pleading Oliver Twist-like faces. 

                                                  What Are Feral Cats?

Feral cats, stray cats, neighborhood cats, alley cats – each of these terms describes the same scenario:

Cats without human homes.
Now, before you start getting teary eyed and pledging to adopt every feral cat you find, we have some news for you: cats are meant to be wild.
Don’t get us wrong: we love our dear, adorable, pamper-worthy domesticated cats! We love them so much we worked some scientific mojo to make sure you have a heads up when your kitty’s not feeling quite right.

But the truth is that your cat’s DNA is all about the wild life. And feral cats have that same wild DNA.
When your cat sits in the window eyeing the birds and other critters scurrying around outside, his predatory instinct is at work. Feral cats thrive on that predatory instinct and use their natural abilities to dash, dart, jump, and capture their prey in the wild.
They’re also masters of conserving energy, which means they can go longer than your full-bowl-demanding cat can without food.
Feral cats are also geniuses when it comes to finding safe places to live outside. Just like your fur baby who likes to hide in boxes, under the couch, and in the back corner of your closet, feral cats tap into that primal survival instinct to find the very best outdoor homes that protect them through chilly winters and harsh summers.

                              So What’s the Problem?

Unfortunately, feral cats are like kids who never learned table manners. They tend to fight with other cats, leave their food scraps in the yard for you to step on, and leave their droppings in the flower box that you only want to smell good things in.
Cat lovers who exercise their good intentions by trying to adopt feral cats often find that their new addition to the family doesn’t want to be an indoor cat – and he may show it by being aggressive.
Adopted adult feral cats tend to get in fights with other pets, scratch children without provocation, and don’t fully grasp the concept of the litter box.
In other words, feral cats like to do their own thing and they don’t care whose house or yard they mess up in the process.
Feral cats that hang out around your home can also cause problems for your domesticated fur babies. Some domesticated cats can feel threatened and get extremely stressed out when they sense another cat encroaching on their territory. Even if there’s a wall and a window between them and their perceived foe.
To avoid any problems with your home, your yard, other animals, and especially your precious pets, it’s best to deal with the problem as soon as it begins.