Feral Cat

[Doggle Avaddit]

There is a Feral Cat living in the rough ground at my workplace. I have seen a single Feral cat here for the last 2 or 3 years, usually pregnant or lactating.

This one does not move particularly well, it seems to have rather stiff back legs, and looks similar to the one I have seen previously, so may be an offspring.

Anyway, it looks pretty manky, not in particularly good health, but is obviously surviving. I watched it catch and eat a small rodent the other day.

I did phone the RSPCA a couple of months back, who said they would need the landowners permission to set a trap, unless I could catch it myself. I don't know who owns this piece of waste ground so could not help them at the time.

Today I found that someone had left a bowl of milk and catfood, and leaving work I noticed that something had eaten and drank most of it.


The reason for the post is that I really am in two minds about this. Mostly I am hoping the cat can survive on its own. I'm not sure the person who left out the milk and food is really helping.

Last sunday I did a quick test on how likely it was I could catch it. Although it moves very lethargically with stiff hindquaters, I got the impression that this was to some extent conservation of energy, and that if I made a serious attempt to catch it, it would be off like a shot.

I soon concluded the likely consequences of trying, or succeding to catch it would be, in my opinion, extreme trauma for the animal, and I am just not prepared to do that. I am also far from convinced this is the right thing to do anyway.

It seems likely that this piece of waste ground is not capable of supporting many cats, since there has been a breeding female here for some years, but I have never seen more than one cat at a time. I think the Males must be local domestics. So I don't think there is any danger of a whole colony of Feral Cats springing up any time soon.

This cat is so far managing to keep itself alive, and I have a great admiration for that. The fact that someone is now providing food changes the whole dynamic, and I'm not sure that is for the better.


Lifes a struggle sometimes!

[STYRBJORN]

Originally Posted by Doggle Avaddit

It seems likely that this piece of waste ground is not capable of supporting many cats, since there has been a breeding female here for some years, but I have never seen more than one cat at a time. I think the Males must be local domestics. So I don't think there is any danger of a whole colony of Feral Cats springing up any time soon.


Lifes a struggle sometimes!

Clowder! Life expectancy 2 yrs. Google "feral cats" and you will learn more than you wanted to know . . .

STYRBJORN

[alisonclair]

Have you tried contacting the Cats Protection League? They are usually more helpful than the RSPCA. They may at least catch her to get her spayed....

[werdnal]

I would second the CPL. Several times I have had contact with the RSPCA found them pretty useless. We have a local independent cat rescue charity here, and they have taken a stray we had hanging around. Turned out he had a tumour behind his eye and was partially blind, which they think led to him being abandoned. He's been rehomed. We also had a feral who came in at night and terrorised our own cats, sprayed indoors and pinched food. CPL suggested we catch him and they paid to have him neutered. He was too wild to be rehomed indoors, but went to a farm home.

Ask around your local vets clinic to see if there are any idependent cat rescues who would help, or contact Cats Protection themselves. Stray cats breed uncontrollably and spread diseases to domestic cats, so always better to try to get them sorted out if possible.

[Brocakat]

Originally Posted by werdnal

We also had a feral who came in at night and terrorised our own cats, sprayed indoors and pinched food.

Quite common for other cats to follows ones pet back inside your home.

The answer is a Catflap, with a Magnetic piece that 'reads' the Catflaps attached to your pets own collar. You can get more-than one matching 'reader' if you own more than one pet cat.

The flap lets in any cat with the right collar & stays shut for others. You can also switch the flaps mechanism to let the pet(s) in - but not go out-again.

I forget the name of the brand that manufactures these, - I'll find out for anyone who's bothered.