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A feral cat colony is a population (or "clowder") of feral domestic cats (not to be confused with wild cats). Members of a feral cat colony can include cats that have strayed after living with human caretakers as well as their offspring, which have had little human contact or none at all. Established feral colonies are located worldwide. Rescued feral kittens Most feral kittens have little chance of surving more than a few months and are vulnerable to starvation, predators, disease and even flea-induced anemia. ...
Binomial name Felis silvestris Schreber, 1775 subspecies See text The wild cat (Felis silvestris), sometimes wildcat or wild-cat especially when distinguishing from other wild species of felines, is a small predator native to Europe, the western part of Asia, and Africa. ...
The term is used primarily when a noticeable population of feral cats live together in a specific location and utilize a common food source—such as food scavenged from refuse bins, dumpsters or supplementary feeding by humans—and reach a population density which might be regarded to be undesirable. However, some who work with feral cats will refer to a smaller population of cats (even as few as a single cat) as a colony if the cats are regularly present at a specific location, especially if they receive care by a human. The term is not typically applied to solitary cats passing through an area.
Feral colonies occur when unsterilised domesticated cats become, intentionally or otherwise, disconnected from their responsible or irresponsible human owners and managed domestic environment. They quickly have to learn to fend for themselves and form the breeding communities subject to this article. Feral cat colonies typically arise when changes in human activity create an opportunity for existing baseline feral cat populations to form a locally concentrated group. For example, the opening of a new restaurant can allow for easily gained food via unprotected garbage cans. The greater the food source, the larger a feral colony will become. Feral cat population expansion can be quite rapid.
The multiple, managed, feral colonies at the Colosseum in Rome exceed 250 ferals, and have achieved considerable notoriety. [1] The Colosseum by night: exterior view of the best-preserved section. ...
Nickname: The Eternal City Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Mayor Walter Veltroni Area - City 1,285 km² (496. ...
Complaints
When a feral colony grows to a large size, those living or working nearby might consider the presence of a locally concentrated cat population to be a nuisance. Complaints made include: Those who consider these cat colonies to be a nuisance traditionally have attempted to eliminate them by requesting that municipal or private pest control services trap the cats and remove them (typically to be euthanised). In rural areas, some complainants will attempt to exterminate the cats themselves (typically with firearms). However, if the factors that allowed the colony population to grow in the first place are not addressed as well, a new clowder can form in the same location when cats that escaped trapping and those moving in from surrounding areas continue to breed. This is referred to as the "vacuum effect". To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
Territorial Marking is typified by the use of urine by dogs and other similar species. ...
Rabbit feces are usually 0. ...
A hawk consuming its prey, a small rodent. ...
Various species of deer are commonly seen wildlife across the Americas and Eurasia. ...
Zoonosis is any infectious disease that can be transmitted from animals, both wild and domestic, to humans. ...
Pets and humans often contribute toward the happiness of the other in a pet relationship. ...
Map of countries by population —showing the population of the China and India in the billions. ...
A municipality or general-purpose district (compare with: special-purpose district) is an administrative local area generally composed of a clearly defined territory and commonly referring to a city, town, or village government. ...
Pest control refers to the regulation or management of another species defined as a pest, usually because it is detrimental to a persons health, the ecology or the economy. ...
Euthanasia (Greek, good death) is the practice of killing in a painless or minimally painful way for merciful reasons, usually to end suffering. ...
Managed colonies More recently, a number of animal welfare organizations have begun to employ the "Trap-Neuter-Return" (TNR) method to deal with the issue of feral clowders, sometimes with the support of local municipalities. This approach includes sterilization of the cats to prevent breeding, removal (and euthanasia) of sick or injured cats (this part of the TNR method does not always take place), vaccination, marking, and return of healthy cats to the site, and rescue of kittens and other tame cats to adoptive homes. Groups promoting this approach believe that it addresses many of the concerns of those who might otherwise consider the colony a nuisance, and provides a palatable alternative for cat lovers who might otherwise take no action to prevent the population from growing. The TNR method is criticized by some groups, who say that there is no evidence that it succeeds in preventing the growth of cat populations, and in fact artificially maintains the numbers of feral cats in many areas.[2] Animal welfare is the viewpoint that animals, especially those under human care, should not suffer unnecessarily, including where the animals are used for food, work, companionship, or research. ...
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), also known as Trap-Test-Vaccinate-Alter-Release (TTVAR), is a method being promoted as a humane alternative to euthanasia for managing and reducing feral cat populations. ...
Sterilization is a surgical technique leaving a male or female unable to procreate. ...
Vaccination is the process of administering weakened or dead pathogens to a healthy person or animal, with the intent of conferring immunity against a targeted form of a related disease agent. ...
It's an indisputable fact that free-ranging domestic cats (well-fed pets who are allowed the freedom to rove around at will by their owners) will frequently continue to hunt and kill small birds, and other wildlife, if given the opportunity by their owners, often leaving unwelcome 'presents' of freshly killed game for the people in their lives.[3] Therefore, it is unlikely that feral cats fed by humans, but far more wild than free-ranging domestics, would not take advantage of the increased health and strength afforded them by human-provided food, and in some cases medical attention, in order to more effectively hunt wildlife. Unlike wild predators, feral cats in managed colonies are not affected by food pressures, and usually exist in population densities far higher than is the case with animals that will starve or fall prey to diseases if their numbers outstrip the available supply of prey. Wildlife rehabilitation centers are constantly receiving wild animals that have been attacked by cats, and few of these injured animals survive, even if the cat fails to kill them outright.[4]
A colony in which the TNR method is being used to sterilize the cats and that is under the regular care and observation of a caretaker should be referred to as being managed.
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