Subscribe Feed (RSS)Feral (Wild) Cat Trap - Spay (Neuter) and Release Programs-Everything You Need to Know
March 29th, 2010 by admin | Filed under Uncategorized.Feral cat trap, spay (neuter) and release programs are extremely successful and being widely used. They help reduce the overpopulation of cats, they maintain healthy cat populations so that rodent population stays in check, and they help reduce communicable feline diseases which can easily spread to family pets. Feral cats, also called wild cats are domestic cats that have been abandoned or born and raised without human contact. They can be found in the country, on the farm and in urban settings. In layman’s terms, a feral cat is a stray cat that will not let you touch or pet it. Sometimes feral cats make good domestic pets, but often, they live out their lives without much human interaction. Many people can not or do not want to bring an animal to a shelter due to the likelihood the animal will be put to sleep. Trap, spay (neuter), and release programs work well in reducing stray cat populations, without taking the life of existing animals.
If you have a feral or stray cat in your area, it’s important to spay, neuter as quickly as possible. When it comes to breeding, cats are incredible prolific. A single female cat and her first year offspring can produce up to 150 cats within approximately three years. A male that is not neutered can produce thousands of offspring, and spread diseases such as feline aids and feline leukemia. A female cat reaches sexual maturity, and can become pregnant at about 10 months of age. However, numerous instances of earlier pregnancies have been reported so most veterinarians recommend spaying a female cat at six months to avoid pregnancy.
Trap, spay (neuter) and release programs are designed for feral cats who can survive in an outdoor setting. It’s important to follow very specific instruction so that neither you nor the cat will incur injuries. Working with a rescue group, the cat will be humanely trapped, brought to a veterinarian and darted (with anesthesia) while still in the humane trap which makes the cat unconscious. Then the cat is spayed or neutered by a veterinarian or senior year vet student. If the veterinarian thinks the animal is in very poor health, or has a disease that can infect healthy animals (such as Feline Leukemia), the trapped cat will be put to sleep while still unconscious. The vast majority of cats will be neutered or spayed while still unconscious and may be treated for fleas or minor injuries. Veterinarians use degradable stitches (if needed) so that the cat will not need follow up attention. Some cities that have a large population of stray and feral cats may partially dye or nick one ear (while the cat is still unconscious) to indicate the cat was neutered or spayed. (This allows rescue workers to quickly identify which animals still need to be neutered or spayed). While still unconscious, the cat is placed back in the humane cage and monitored to insure the effects of the anesthesia are wearing off correctly. The rescue worker (or you) receive the cat back in the humane cage and keep the cat safe and warm in the cage for 24 to 36 hours. After that time period, the cage is brought to the original site where the animal was trapped and the door to the humane trap is opened. Most often the cat immediately bolts back to its familiar surroundings where it can survive.
When working with feral cats do the following:
1. Find a veterinarian and or a rescue group in your area that deals specifically with feral cats. There are degrees of domestication within feral cats. Some feral cats I worked with were pets at one time that were abandoned or dumped in parks. Unattended these cats resorted to instinct and survived off the land as best as they could. With patience, I was able to pet, pick up and domesticate these cats. Other cats were more like miniature lions that wanted nothing to do with me, and would never become domestic pets. Make sure the group or veterinarian who will spay or neuter the cat have experience dealing with feral cats. Verify they have the ability to anesthetize (make it unconscious) the animal while it’s still in the humane trap. Make sure everyone at the vet clinic knows this is a wild cat. Don’t turn it over to an inexperienced person. Otherwise, you, the vet tech, veterinarian or the cat may be injured.
2. Find out when or if there is a feral cat rescue date. Many cities designate one or two days a month specifically for these types of programs. You can bring a trapped cat to this program and have it spayed or neutered for a nominal donation. If you really don’t have any money to give, most rescue groups will pay for the medical costs on your behalf. Veterinarians and vet techs, who are experienced with feral cats, donate their time. This is the safest, cheapest and easiest method to reduce feral cat overpopulation. The people who donate their time are experienced with wild cats, and deal with this population in a way that is highly efficient and least likely to cause trauma to the cats; it makes a huge difference.
3. For your first trap experience, work with someone who has experience setting humane traps and working with a feral cat program. Typically you want to start feeding the cat every night in a specific location a couple of weeks before the cat is to be spayed or neutered. The night before the cat is to be spayed or neutered and with the help of a humane trapper, you will set a trap near the feed area. Once the cat walks in the trap to eat, the door will snap shut immediately behind it. It’s critical the trap is set correctly so that it is done in such a way as to avoid injury to the animal. Immediately after you trap the cat, throw a dark but breathable fabric over the cage. This helps the cat feel safe and therefore it calms down. If the climate is hot or cold, the cat needs to be moved to a quiet area where it will be protected from the weather (i.e. an enclosed porch, a storage barn, etc.) With the fabric still draped over the cage, grab the handle, not the cage and move the cat (still inside the humane carrier) to the safe storage area where it will be kept caged before and after surgery. Protect your floor with a plastic tarp, several large pieces of smooth cardboard, a low-pile disposal rug, or a low-pile old piece of carpet. After surgery, the cat will be returned to this area and most likely will make a mess on the floor. Do not use kitty litter or a high-pile rug–they can cause an infection or may hurt the cat after surgery.
4. Both before and after surgery, leave the cat alone as much as possible, and leave the fabric draped over the cage at all times. Never, open the door, or attempt to pet the cat. If you are concerned about the fabric not being breathable lift up half of one side, but leave three sides of the cage covered. This helps keep the cat calm. Do not show the cat to friends, neighbors, or kids. This is a frightened wild animal, be respectful. The fewer traumas you create, the more quickly the animal will successfully recover from surgery. Do not feed the animal before surgery.
5. The next morning, transport the cat in the humane cage, (with the fabric still draping the cage) to the veterinarian’s office or surgery site. Usually, feral cat operations require a specific drop off time like 7-8:30 am and a specific pick up time like noon-2pm. When you receive the cat after the operation, you’ll receive instructions from the veterinarian. With male cats who have been neutered, the veterinarian usually asks that you keep it safe and in the cage for 24 hours. Females who have been spayed may need to be kept 36-48 hours. Typically, you won’t feed the cat.
6. If your veterinarian instructs you to feed the cat, you can get some wet (canned) food, place it on the floor on top of your floor protector (cardboard or rug), and then set the cage down on top of it. The food will squish up through the bottom of the cage. Never feed a cat dry food after surgery. The cat could become dehydrated. Follow the veterinarian’s instructions carefully. If you feed a cat too soon, too much, or the wrong type of food after surgery, it could cause harm or discomfort to the animal.
7. At the appropriate time, bring the cat in the humane cage back to the area where it was originally trapped. Remove the fabric and open the door. Most often the cat will bolt quickly back to its familiar environment. If the cat hesitates, move back or go inside.
For more information please visit the humane associate website or search on-line for a feral cat rescue groups in your area. Also, local pet stores and concerned corporations such as pet smart may be able to provide contact information for a local feral cat trap, spay (neuter) and release program in your area.
For more free pet care or animal welfare tips, visit PetCareRCA.com PetCareRCA.com Kate Garvery is the founder and director of the Pet Care Resource Center of America. She is also a freelance writer and provides professional writing services for individuals and business owners kategarvey.net kategarvey.net Kate is the author of 3 non-fiction books and more than 40 non-fiction articles.
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