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PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL RECEIVE ANIMALS MONDAY - SATURDAY FROM 10:00 AM TO 4:00 PM, WITH RECEIVING CLOSED ON SUNDAYS.
ADOPTIONS WILL BE OPEN FROM 10 AM TO 6 PM DAILY, BOTH ADOPTIONS AND RECEIVING CLOSED FROM NOON TO 1:00 PM WEEKDAYS FOR LUNCH.
The word “feral” means wild. When it comes to domestic cats, a feral cat lives outdoors, has no family and usually isn’t tame enough to touch or catch. Most feral cats are born outside and have never lived with people. Some are strays that have adapted to living outdoors. Others have been born from un-spayed stray or feral females and have never been tamed. Feral cats live anywhere there is a food supply and some type of shelter. The food source may be rodents that live around our houses and businesses, trash dumpsters or food left out for other animals. Un-sterilized cats are prolific breeders and a feral colony will quickly grow as large as the food supply will support. Stray cats—those that have lived with families before—can usually be re-socialized but adult feral cats are typically fearful of humans and will not adapt to living indoors. Feral kittens up to 10 weeks old can often be tamed and adopted into homes.
Myths and Facts about Feral Cats:
MYTH: Feral cats should be trapped and destroyed to reduce their population.
FACT: Even if the cats are permanently removed, that doesn’t solve the problem. Other cats move in to take advantage of the existing food and shelter. They will then breed and produce a new feral colony. Trapping and destroying feral cats is very costly to communities because it must be done on an ongoing basis. The only proven solution to reducing feral cat populations is a system called Trap-Neuter-Return.
MYTH: If I catch the cat and take it to a shelter, it will find a new home.
FACT: Feral cats taken to animal shelters are not adoptable and will be killed. Because “no-kill” shelters will not accept feral cats they inevitably are turned in to municipal shelters. Most feral kittens will be destroyed because shelters do not have the staff to spend the time and effort it takes to tame them.
MYTH: Feral cats lead short, miserable lives and can spread disease to pets and children.
FACT: Studies show that feral cats have about the same lifespan as owned cats and they contract diseases at about the same rate. They are content living outside. Feral cats are afraid of people including children and will avoid human contact.
MYTH: Feral cats are predators that deplete wildlife.
FACT: Studies show that the overwhelming cause of wildlife depletion is destruction of habitat due to man-made structures, chemical pollution, pesticides and drought – not cats.
FACT: The only way to control the feral cat population is Trap-Neuter-Return.
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