download/print - Neighborhood Cats

You can also begin to evaluate whether a cat is a former pet before your start trappingby knowing the colony well and observing his behavior. Is the cat in question a recentarrival, indicating he may be abandoned or lost? Does he trust you soon after he’s metyou? 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 thishappen. Tame cats tend to be less wary than ferals and seek affection from people muchsooner. Does the cat remain separate from the rest of the cats, indicating he may notbelong to their clan? Again, no single factor is determinative, but taken together yourobservations can give you a good sense of whether the cat is a feral or former pet.Veterinarians experienced with ferals often develop a good feel for distinguishingthem from pets, so ask their opinion as well after they’ve had a chance to spend sometime with the cat.After you’ve made an honest and thorough evaluation over a reasonable period oftime, if the cat is really not adoptable, it may be the kindest thing to return him to hiscolony. Keeping a feral or semi-feral cat in a cage with the vague hope that one dayyou’ll find him a suitable home, despite the odds, may make you feel better because youknow he’s safe. But being physically safe and living the best life the cat can according tohis own nature are not always compatible. Ferals don’t belong in cages. In addition, thelonger you keep him from his own environment, away from his colony mates andterritory, the harder it will be for him to return.If it turns out you do have a former pet on your hands, be prepared that at first the catmay act out a bit, especially if he has spent a lot of time already on his own outdoors.When cats are abandoned and must struggle to survive, it can be very traumatic for them.After they’re trapped and placed in a safe location, they may feel and express a certainamount of post-traumatic stress, such as prolonged meowing, aggressive behavior orlethargic withdrawal. They need to be given the time and space to get past the trauma, aprocess which moves along much faster in cats than humans. How long this period lastsdepends on the cat, but is usually no more than a few days. Only then can you begin tosee the cat’s true personality.Before adopting out a tame cat, have the cat scanned for amicrochip to see if he can be reunited with his former home. If theoriginal owner cannot be located, take steps to ensure a new owner willhave full legal rights to possession of the cat. Contact local authoritiesand find out what to do. In many places, you'll need to file a "foundanimal" report with your local animal control agency or shelter. If theoriginal owner does not claim the cat within a certain amount of time(usually three to ten days), you can freely place the cat in the home ofyour choice.• Feral kittensAge is the key factor in determining whether feral kittens can be quickly socializedand made adoptable. While there are occasional exceptions, kittens under eight weeksare usually easily socialized, often becoming tame within a few days of capture if theyreceive a great deal of attention and handling. Kittens under six weeks old may not be135