TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats
TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats
15. Adoptable Cats The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook Whenever possible, adoptable cats and kittens should be removed from a feral colony for placement in good homes. This helps reduce the homeless cat population and gives these particular cats their best chance at a long, healthy life free from the dangers of the streets. At the same time, if the resources don’t exist to allow you to do this, whether it’s because you have no room in your home, the local shelter has no space or you can’t afford the veterinary bills, then getting the cats neutered and caring for them as best you can in their territory is still a compassionate choice. The term “adoptable” as used here means custody of the cat can be easily transferred from the caretaker who rescues him to a new person who wants to make him part of their home. Almost any cat can be socialized to the point where they adapt to being in a domestic situation, but not every cat can be picked up, pet or easily brought to a veterinarian – all the signs of an adoptable cat. So while a feral may learn to live indoors, if he can’t be touched and hides under the bed all day, he’s not adoptable. There are three categories of cats in feral colonies who are potentially adoptable: (1) abandoned domestic cats who are still friendly to people, (2) young kittens who can be easily socialized, and (3) the rare case of a friendly adult feral. • Determining if a cat is adoptable Abandoned domestic cats There is no simple trick for determining whether an adult cat who you just trapped is a friendly domestic or a real feral. One popular misconception is that if a trapped cat thrashes about wildly, then they’re feral and if not, they’re friendly. It’s not true. Almost any cat, domestic or feral, will panic when they realize they are suddenly confined and at a stranger’s mercy. It’s only later, after they’ve calmed down, that you can begin to make a correct evaluation. If a cat is really a friendly domestic, he may calm down very quickly or it may take longer. When cats are abandoned and then spend some time outdoors on their own, struggling to survive, it can be a very traumatic experience for them. Later, after they’re trapped and placed in a safe location, they may express a certain amount of posttraumatic stress, evidenced by prolonged meowing, aggressive behavior or lethargic withdrawal. They need the time and space to go through this process, which moves along much faster in cats than humans, in order to get past the trauma. How long this period lasts depends on the cat, but is usually a few days. Only then can you begin to see who they really are. 91
The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook One way to start to evaluate whether a cat is a former domestic is to observe his behavior before you trap him and to know the colony well. Is the cat in question a recent arrival, indicating a likelihood he was abandoned? Does he trust you right away or soon after he’s met you? There are friendly ferals who will rub up against your leg or allow you to pet them, but it usually takes a fair amount of time before they’ll trust you enough to let this happen. Domestic cats tend to be less wary than ferals and seek affection from humans much sooner. Does the cat remain separate from the rest of the cats, indicating he does not belong to their clan? No single factor is determinative, but in viewing the whole situation, you can start to get an accurate assessment. Another clue, although again only one of many factors to consider, is how the cat reacts once he’s in the trap and has calmed down a bit. If he rolls on his back, makes a lot of noise and generally seems to be relaxed or vying for your attention, that would be very unlike a feral. Feral cats tend to back away and hunch up at the end of the trap opposite to you. In addition, many feral cats don’t like to make eye contact with you. When they do look at your eyes, they don’t connect and instead appear as though they’re looking right through you, like you weren’t there. Another clue can come from slowly moving a long thin object through the side of the trap towards the cat, like a ruler or a pencil, and see how they react. If they hiss or lash out, then they would do the same to your hand if you tried to pet them. Veterinarians who are experienced with ferals often develop a good feel for distinguishing them from domestics, so ask their opinion as well. If there’s promise, transfer the cat into a cage, using the Feral Cat Setup described in Chapter 11, and try playing with the cat through the bars, using a string or Cat Dancer toy. If he never engages with you, that’s a sign pointing towards feral. Keep in mind at all times that there is no magic litmus test. Every cat is different and all these “signs” must be considered together to make a correct determination. The difficulty of distinguishing ferals from friendly domestics is another reason why you should never try to pick up an unknown cat and place him in a carrier or trap. If you are wrong about the nature of the cat, you could be seriously injured, so use a trap. This warning also applies to kittens, who even at five or six weeks of age have teeth sharp enough and jaws strong enough to do some damage. Feral kittens Age is the key factor in determining whether feral kittens can be quickly socialized. While there are occasional exceptions, kittens six to seven weeks of age are easily socialized, usually within a day or two if they receive a great deal of attention and handling. Seven to eight weeks of age is also normally a good age for quick taming, though it may take several days to a week. Above eight weeks, the degree of difficulty and uncertainty rises with each week of increasing age. Still, if a kitten is three months or less, the chances are good they can, with enough time and patience, be tamed to the point of becoming adoptable. Beyond three to four months old, the odds start to drop precipitously. It becomes more likely at this age range that if a kitten socializes, she will bond strongly to the person who tamed her, but will hide and be wary of others, making her harder to adopt. See “Socializing feral kittens” later in this chapter for ideas on how to convert a feral kitten to the domestic life. 92
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15. Adoptable <strong>Cats</strong><br />
The <strong>Neighborhood</strong> <strong>Cats</strong> <strong>TNR</strong> <strong>Handbook</strong><br />
Whenever possible, adoptable cats and<br />
kittens should be removed from a feral colony<br />
for placement in good homes. This helps<br />
reduce the homeless cat population and gives<br />
these particular cats their best chance at a long,<br />
healthy life free from the dangers of the streets.<br />
At the same time, if the resources don’t exist to<br />
allow you to do this, whether it’s because you<br />
have no room in your home, the local shelter<br />
has no space or you can’t afford the veterinary<br />
bills, then getting the cats neutered and caring<br />
for them as best you can in their territory is still<br />
a compassionate choice.<br />
The term “adoptable” as used here means custody of the cat can be easily transferred<br />
from the caretaker who rescues him to a new person who wants to make him part of their<br />
home. Almost any cat can be socialized to the point where they adapt to being in a<br />
domestic situation, but not every cat can be picked up, pet or easily brought to a<br />
veterinarian – all the signs of an adoptable cat. So while a feral may learn to live<br />
indoors, if he can’t be touched and hides under the bed all day, he’s not adoptable.<br />
There are three categories of cats in feral colonies who are potentially adoptable: (1)<br />
abandoned domestic cats who are still friendly to people, (2) young kittens who can be<br />
easily socialized, and (3) the rare case of a friendly adult feral.<br />
• Determining if a cat is adoptable<br />
Abandoned domestic cats<br />
There is no simple trick for determining whether an adult cat who you just trapped is<br />
a friendly domestic or a real feral. One popular misconception is that if a trapped cat<br />
thrashes about wildly, then they’re feral and if not, they’re friendly. It’s not true. Almost<br />
any cat, domestic or feral, will panic when they realize they are suddenly confined and at<br />
a stranger’s mercy. It’s only later, after they’ve calmed down, that you can begin to<br />
make a correct evaluation.<br />
If a cat is really a friendly domestic, he may calm down very quickly or it may take<br />
longer. When cats are abandoned and then spend some time outdoors on their own,<br />
struggling to survive, it can be a very traumatic experience for them. Later, after they’re<br />
trapped and placed in a safe location, they may express a certain amount of posttraumatic<br />
stress, evidenced by prolonged meowing, aggressive behavior or lethargic<br />
withdrawal. They need the time and space to go through this process, which moves along<br />
much faster in cats than humans, in order to get past the trauma. How long this period<br />
lasts depends on the cat, but is usually a few days. Only then can you begin to see who<br />
they really are.<br />
91
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