Caging of Feral Cats

Pacific Animal Foundation ("PAF") Directors and volunteers have been heavily involved in feral cat work on the North Shore for approximately 10 years. We are a registered, non-profit Society. Our extensive hands-on experience in feral trapping, raising and taming feral kittens and monitoring released ferals from our Trap/Neuter/Return program ("TRN") gives us a knowledgeable perspective on feral behaviour.

Our program generally practices the TNR philosophy but there are always exceptions to be considered which must be dealt with on a case by case basis. On many occasions, adult ferals will exhibit certain behaviours which lead us, in our experience, to believe that they may not be truly feral. Time and a knowledge of rehabilitation strategies will often mean the difference between a future home for the cat or being returned to the streets.

Feral cats or tame cats that have been abandoned to the street and are surviving through their instincts all have one major common factor - their freedom to come and go at will. Once off the street, it is a huge adjustment to the cat to be in any confined area unless their time on the street has been relatively short. Strategies for taming and rehabilitating vary greatly depending on individual cases but, unless the cat is in a veterinary clinic for medical care, it our experience that it is completely wrong to confine a feral or street cat to a cage. The stress of kennel confinement often leads to immediate and serious health problems for the cat. Many ferals will cease eating and drinking altogether and/or develop upper respiratory because their immune systems are depressed. Hygiene is usually not attainable as a feral cat does not know what a litter box is and will soil cage blankets day after day, often lying on dirty blankets because there is no place else to move. Grooming almost always stops under confinement. The experienced veterinarians who work closely with Pacific Animal Foundation feral cats in our TNR program can confirm these observations. Only confinement in a kennel-sized environment for one to three days (maximum) while undergoing the trapping process and recovering from surgery is our recommended time frame. If a feral cat shows promise of taming during this process, then a large -sized room or secured outdoor area, with several areas out of view from humans, is necessary to allow the cat to calm and reduce stress. Ferals, by their very nature, do not want to be cornered in a box (kennel) or have close proximity to humans which a kennel situation would involve. Communal housing of cats is certainly an option if the situation is appropriate.

PAF does constant reassessments of a feral cat's behaviour while undergoing possible transition to an adoptable stage but we do not recommend months of rehabilitation unless progress is substantial and positive. All the released ferals from our TNR program are monitored by caregivers and have some sort of daily feeding arrangement. Neighbourhood and community participation for TRN has been extremely positive and well-received when we explain the benefits for both the cats and the neighbourhood. Since Vancouver is a port city, it is extremely important to have feral cats in our environment and they should be deserving of care and medical attention just as our wildlife is respected.

Contact information:
Lana Simon, President
Pacific Animal Foundation
www.pacificanimal.org