By Jaime Stephens
As I write this article, my husband is headed downtown from our home in Alexandria, a trip he takes several nights a week when he’s not working, and a place he stops by after work when he is (he works nights). Seven days a week, every day, 365 days a year, with the occasional exception of a two-night trip to Florida when he goes to see his beloved (usually!) Gators play football. And coverage for this while he is away, is, of course, handled. This is his commitment, and has been for over seven years, to what was once a larger family of community cats, including one who was pregnant and has now shrunk to just that one.
For those unfamiliar with the term, a community cat is an outdoor, free-roaming cat that may be feral or friendly. They may or may not have been born into the wild.
What do you need to know about community cats? Lots. According to Alley Cat Allies, a Silver Spring-based advocacy organization founded in 1990 “to protect and improve the lives of ALL cats”.
A stray cat:
- Is a cat who has been socialized to people at some point in their life, but has left or lost their indoor home, as well as most human contact and dependence.
- Can become a feral cat as contact with people lessens.
- Can, under the right circumstances, become a pet cat again. Stray cats who are re-introduced to a home after living outdoors may require a period of time to re-acclimate; they may be frightened and wary after spending time outside away from people.
A feral cat:
- Is a cat who has either never had any contact with people or their contact with people has minimized over time. They are not socialized to people and survive on their own outdoors. Most community cats are not likely to ever want or enjoy the indoor life.
- Can have kittens who can be socialized at an early age and adopted into homes.
What do these cats have in common? They both need your help. How? You can help community cats in numerous ways:
First, spay and neuter your own cats. One unfixed female cat can have more than 100 kittens in her lifetime, and assuming that half of those kittens born are females, she and her offspring can go on to have 300-400 kittens in 7 years. Multiply this by the hundreds of unneutered community cats in the area, and that number grows exponentially.
Second, get involved with a community rescue program. Most local animal shelters and welfare organizations are happy to have volunteers. There are many things you can do to “improve and protect the lives of all cats” including one of the most important, Trap-Neuter-Return. Volunteers trap the cats, take them to a vet, and have them spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and ear tipped – the tip of the left ear is removed, pain-free, while the cat is under anesthesia during surgery. This is a widely recognizable sign that the cat is no longer able to reproduce. After a short recovery period, the cats are released back into their outdoor homes. For community cats in the City of Alexandria, The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria is able to help with this, including loaning traps and covering the veterinary costs associated with spaying or neutering, as well as critical vaccinations, including rabies.
Third, participate in feeding a community. But be consistent. If you stop feeding a stray cat that has become accustomed to relying on you for food, it may very well starve and be unable to find enough food on its own to survive, especially in urban areas where natural prey is limited. It is, therefore, important to consider the consequences before stopping, or starting to feed, stray cats.
A few important things to note when feeding community cats:
- Feeding twice daily is preferred but if you are only able to feed at night, feed at the same time each evening.
- Watch while cats eat (usually thirty minutes is long enough) and promptly remove any food trash – try not to dispose of it in a nearby container as this may draw unwanted bugs and vermin. If they finish eating in fifteen minutes or less, you are likely not feeding them enough.
- Community cats, just like their indoor cousins, can be finicky. Don’t assume that the food you give them today will be the food they will want tomorrow! Would you want to eat the same thing day after day? Neither do cats.
- Fresh water is important, too. While canned/wet food contains plenty of water, it’s important that community cats have access to fresh water as well.
While there are numerous things one can do to make things easier for community cats, realize that a commitment to feeding is a major commitment. It can be expensive, it is time-consuming, and you are no longer able to travel at will. These creatures depend on you, in the rain, in the snow, when the roads are icy, when you’re tired, when you’re sick, they expect and depend on you. Remember that cats can become seriously ill after not eating for just three days. It’s not a commitment to be entered into lightly, but it can be one of the most rewarding things you may ever do. Our thanks to those who take the time, and have the compassion and commitment, to take care of these creatures.
See references below for local and other resources.
About the Author: Jaime Stephens lives with her husband, John, and feline family in the west end of Alexandria.
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