What is a Community Cat?

What is a community cat?

“Community cat” is a term used to describe feral, stray cats, and owned pet cats who roam outdoors. These are the cats that live outside in our streets, alleys, yards and parking lots. Ferals and strays are cats without owners, often referred to as “homeless cats.”  

A true “feral” cat is one that has never been socialized and is living in a “wild” state. Most feral cats have been born on the streets and never interacted with humans. Even though feral cats are wild, they should not be confused with true wildcats, such as mountain lions or bobcats.True feral cats may look like regular housecats but are usually very fearful and distrustful of humans. They tend to come out only at dusk or at night. Some arch their backs and hiss and show aggression, while others just avoid eye contact and run. You can’t pick up or handle a true feral cat without getting bitten or scratched and very often you can’t even get close to them.

Feral kittens are kittens who have been born to a feral or stray mother. Feral kittens can generally be tamed and adopted into homes, but only if they are socialized within the first couple months of their lives. A kitten around 6-8 weeks old may take just a day or two to socialize and tame. Normally kittens under 12 weeks of age can be easily tamed with a little time and attention, but the older they get, the harder it becomes. If they are not handled at an early age, they will remain feral and therefore unadoptable.

What is a stray cat?

A stray cat is a former pet that has either been abandoned or strayed from home and got lost. These cats used to be cared for by an owner but are now trying to survive on their own on the streets. Stray cats are generally tame and friendly and will allow you to pick them up or pet them, although some may be skittish and run away. Many strays can be adopted as pets.

What is a tame cat?

A tame cat is a domesticated cat that is either someone’s pet or a friendly stray. Tame cats can generally be picked up, held or pet and are used to being around or living with people.

What is a cat colony?

Community cat colonies are groups of homeless cats all living together. These colonies usually spring up when there is shelter and a food source. Sometimes cats will live alone, but most form colonies.

What is TNR?

TNR stands for Trap-Neuter-Return. TNR is a community-based program that involves concerned citizens trapping feral cats in their neighborhood, bringing them to a clinic like FixNation to get them spayed or neutered, and returning the cats to the exact spot where they were trapped so they can live out the rest of their natural lives. Find more info here.

Why does TNR work?

Spaying and neutering the cats will end the cycle of homeless kittens being born so the population stabilizes and naturally reduces over time. Once the cats are fixed, behaviors such as howling, cat fighting and spraying also subside. TNR is the only humane way to effectively reduce the feral cat population, so that people and cats can peacefully co-exist.

What are the benefits of spay and neuter?

Spaying or neutering is the most effective and humane way to help control the population of pet cats and homeless cats. Each year, millions of healthy cats are euthanized simply because there aren’t enough homes to go around. Read moe about the medical and behavioral benefits to spaying female cats and neutering male cats here.

Can’t I just trap the cats and remove them?

Trapping and removing does not work. Cats are where they are because there is a food source (intended or not) and some sort of shelter. When cats are removed from a location, it creates a “vacuum” effect — the surrounding cats breed rapidly to fill in the gap, plus new cats move in to take advantage of the food and shelter. Trapping and removing cats often results in having even more unsterilized cats than when you started.

What if I take community cats to a shelter?

Animal shelters are a death sentence for community cats. True feral cats that have never been socialized to humans are deemed “unadoptable” by shelters, and they are not even shown to the public. They are held for a mandatory period of three days before being euthanized. There is no such thing as a no-kill shelter in Los Angeles, not when it comes to community cats.

Can I keep a community cat as a pet?

Adult community cats are not pets and they already have a home – the outdoors. Most  are very fearful and distrustful of humans and therefore are un-adoptable. Confining them inside a home is like keeping them in captivity for life. If you want a pet, it’s best to adopt a tame cat from a shelter, as they all desperately need loving homes.

Feral kittens, on the other hand, can often become pets, provided they are socialized at an early age. Kittens up to around 12 weeks can be tamed relatively easily. However, the older the kittens get, the harder it is to tame them. If they aren’t socialized in time, they will usually remain feral and unadoptable.

What happens if I just ignore community cats?

If you ignore homeless cats, they will continue to breed. Cats can start having litters when they’re only four months old and can have three to four litters a year, usually with five to six kittens per litter. This is why TNR is the only humane, effective solution to control the homeless cat population.

What are FixNation’s free services for community cats?

FixNation offers free spay/neuter services for homeless cats. Whether stray or feral, all community cats are eligible for free services, including spay/neuter surgery, a rabies vaccine, a feline distemper (FVRCP) vaccine, a flea treatment, de-worming, fluids, an antibiotic, pain medication and an eartip for identification purposes.

What is an eartip?

Eartipping is the universal symbol to easily identify at a safe distance that a homeless cat has been fixed. This involves “tipping” the upper one centimeter of the cat’s right ear so that it’s straight across instead of coming up into a point. This is done while the cat is under anesthesia so it is painless and doesn’t significantly alter the appearance of the cat.  Eartips allow trappers, caregivers, vet clinics and Animal Control to see at a glance that a cat has been fixed.

I have homeless cats in my neighborhood. Where do I start?

Get started by filling out our online community cat application form. Once you’ve completed the application, we can loan you humane traps (if need be) and set an appointment for spay/neuter surgery. We’ll also provide easy step-by-step instructions for everything you need to do to get those kitties on a path towards a healthier and happier life.

Do you fix pet cats?

For pet cats or kittens that are not getting eartipped, we offer spay/neuter services at reduced rates – $65 for females and $50 for males. We also have a list of additional optional services, such as vaccines, microchips, nail trims and flea treatment.

What if a cat is pregnant?

It is safe to spay a cat even if she is pregnant and the pregnancy will be humanely terminated. While later term pregnancies pose a slightly higher surgical risk, our veterinarians are highly experienced and it is usually safe to spay a cat at almost any point during the pregnancy. If a cat is too far along to fix, our vet will make that determination.

Can a female cat that just had kittens be spayed?

We suggest waiting until the kittens are five weeks old before you trap and bring in the mom. Kittens under five weeks need their mom to nurse them every couple of hours, keep them warm and help them go to the bathroom. At five weeks+ the kittens can survive for a longer period on their own, as they are eating and going to the bathroom by themselves at that age.

After a mother cat gets spayed, can she still nurse her kittens?

Yes. She will continue to produce milk and nursing won’t interfere with her ability to heal post surgery. It is also safe for the kittens to nurse. You’ll just need to keep a close eye on the mom to make sure she is recovering properly.