Stray Cat Control & Removal

Stray Cat Info: Stray cats are defined as cats that are lost or have become separated from a home or owner. When people refer to stray cats, they usually mean feral cats. Feral cats are simply non-domesticated cats living in the wild. They were born in the wild, and have never had a home. Their behavior is completely different from domesticated cats. They are truly wild animals! There are 60 million cats living in American households, and an estimated 100 million feral cats! Cats are very self-sufficient (as most people are aware) and excellent hunters, and thus able to live in the wild just fine.

Of all of the wild animals I have dealt with, trapped feral cats can be the most ferocious! They claw, bite, hiss, emit a nasty musk scent, and do anything to escape. I've seen ferals scale a ten foot wall. They're not to be trifled with. When I capture cats I bring them to the humane society in the county I catch them in. They are available for adoption of course, but most are put down after a certain time period. Many people consider this a sad situation, but it is the reality of this country's cat problem. Bob Barker is right: "Have your pet spayed or neutered!"

Nuisance concerns:Most people who call about feral cats complain that the cats are living under a deck or porch, making noise, fighting, or stealing pet food left outside. Many of these people have a genuine concern and care for these animals, and don't like seeing the population getting out of hand. Some people even begin to feed feral cats, and soon find that they are swarmed by hungry felines looking for a free handout. I've even removed feral cats that have gotten inside the home.

Stray cats will leaving droppings and urine in the areas they live, and will of course scratch and dig. Stray cats are a source of fatal and non-fatal diseases transmittable to humans and domestic cats, including rabies, plague, ringworm, toxoplasmosis, cat scratch fever, allergies, feline leukemia, feline distemper and secondary bacterial infections.

I actually deal with feral cats very rarely. In fact, I haven't bothered with one in many years. However, there have been certain circumstances that have called for feral cat removal - such as a hotel where two patrons were scratched by a very aggressive stray cat.

Every now and then I get an angry email from a cat lover for advocating the trapping and removal (and possible future euthanasia at the animal shelter) of stray cats. Some people advocate spay-neuter-release plans. I've heard mixed arguments regarding this method. Here is one of the angry letters that I've received:

I was extremely disappointed when I read what you wrote about feral cats on your website. You are giving people inaccurate information about how to properly control their population. The WORST thing you can do is trap and remove them. All that does is remove their scent and allow new cats to come into the territory. The BEST thing you can do is get them fixed and release them back where they were found.

If you need accurate information to put on your site that will actually educate people properly, I will be glad to give it to you.

If you don't, but would like to educate yourself, please go to this site: www.alleycat.org

Also, I sincerely doubt you bring these trapped feral cats to any Humane Society. You bring them to Animal Control (kill shelters).

Wondering how to get rid of feral cats? There is no magic spray or device that you can use to make them go away. Some people try to sell predator urine, such as coyote or fox urine to get rid of feral cats, but that doesn't work. They also try to sell ultrasonic sound emitters. These devices are worthless at eliminating feral cats. Some old wive's tales recommend the use of mothballs or ammonia-soaked rags to make them leave, but I've been to countless homes where these techniques failed - biologists know that these attempts won't work. The ONE AND ONLY WAY to take care of your problem is with trapping and removal of the animals, or perhaps trapping-spay-neuter-release programs. If you need to find a professional trapper in your hometown, just click our comprehensive list of hundreds of wildlife removal professionals, and you can have your problem quickly taken care of! You can also call your local animal services when it comes to feral cats.