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Stray Cat Removal

I want to say first of all that we almost never deal with stray cats, unless in special circumstances, such as a case in which stray cats are posing some danger or health risk in an area. We usually refer cat situations to the local county animal services, or better yet, local TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) organizations.

Feral Cat Removal - Feral cats hold an interesting distinction among the nuisance animals of the world; they are one of the few animals whose hardships are the direct result of the humans they must live near in order to survive. Years of unscrupulous pet ownership have led to a surplus in the stray population, making the problem so overwhelming that it is virtually impossible to sterilize the existing population. With no end to the feral population in sight, it goes to reason that these pets-gone-wild have found their own niche in the ecosystem. Stray cats are almost always found near humans. This is in part because predation for cats is high in the wild and food is scarce, a poor combination to draw these felines out of city limits. Human abodes also tend to have a steady supply of food, be it of the rodent variety or from the kind homeowner putting out cat chow. Because we look at cats and see our favorite companions, most people feel sorry for the stray population, feeding and housing them as best they can. This does not help the population, as many animals that would die by natural means are kept alive to procreate. You wouldn’t feed an abundant population of rats, so why feed the felines? Some folks will argue that the stray population keeps rodents at bay, but this is only partially true. In cities, feral cats have learned that human garbage contains just as much food as does a plump rat and requires a lot less energy to obtain. These cats have become opportunistic, competing with domestic pets for food and shelter. Strays will often enter porches and harm housecats and then steal their food.

To effectively remove feral cats, you should look at the area in which you live. People in cities and suburbs may never be fully free of these felines, but there is something that can be done to discourage them from coming onto your property. A dog is a very effective means of controlling stray cats. If you are able to fence in your yard so that a dog might roam free, consider this as the gold star method. If you don’t like dogs, and you certainly shouldn’t get a dog just for cat control, consider securing your home in other ways. A fence can keep cats out, but these animals are excellent climbers and jumpers, Wooden fences are not as effective as metal; wood offers the cats something soft to use their claws on. A determined cat will climb a chain-link fence, however, so consider all your options before spending the money needed for this barrier. Simple household hygiene can stop most of your feral cat issues. Keep garbage locked up and in secure containers. Do not leave pet food outside for any length of time. Make sure there are no holes or open spaces beneath buildings, porches or foundations. Cats look for small, dark spaces to sleep in. Lastly, do not feed the stray cats! They will continue to return with food, and often with friends.

If you have a neighbor who is feeding strays and the cats are in your yard by association, you can consider trapping and removal. Trapping is the most effective means of control. There are no poisons on the market for cats; the abuse potential is too high. Decoys and chemical deterrents are completely ineffectual. Cats are very intelligent and will not think twice about a fake dog or coyote urine.

To trap feral cats, chose a live trap made of wire mesh. Feral cats are very food oriented, but they are also mistrusting. Leave food in the trap for a few days, allowing the cats to take it without being snared. Once you have established a reasonable amount of dependency on the device, you can set the pressure plate. Be careful not to rush this process. Like many intelligent animals, if a cat escapes from the trap, it will never go near it again. Once caught, feral cats can be transported to shelters where they are either neutered and adopted out or humanely euthanized.

It can break any cat lover’s heart to see a feral cat out in the streets and prowling around their home. This in an unfortunate reality in the time we live in and you cannot save every homeless cat. Feral cats become feral one of two ways: either they were left behind by an owner or they were born on the street and have never been in a loving home. The issue with feral cats comes from irresponsible owners and the fact that most people do not get their cats spayed or neutered. Cats reproduce quickly and if there are readily available food sources and secure shelter, the feral cat population can explode within a few months.

If there are feral cats lurking around your home you probably already know how much of a nuisance they can be. Feral cats are interested in eating and making their home in a secure area. Even though feral cats are scared of humans, they are not scared of coming up on your porch and eating your pets’ food or tearing into your garbage cans. They can also use your yard as a toilet which confuses your pets and make their home to have babies in your shed, garage and under your porch which only makes your problem worse. Feral cats are not usually dangerous, but they can contract diseases that make them dangerous and they can also pass that disease onto you or your pets through feces and scratches. If you have feral cats near or on your property, follow some of these do it yourself tips for how to get rid of stray cats:

1) The first thing that you need to remember is that you should never just approach a cat or try to grab the cat in case it is sick or aggressive. Instead, you should try to trap it if your state/city allows you to set traps. You can pick up live or lethal traps at many garden or hardware stores or you can even call your local humane society as some will actually set and check traps for you. Once you bait the trap and catch the cat, it is advised that you take it to a humane society to be treated or euthanized.
2) Another thing that you can do to keep feral cats from coming into your yard is to secure all the food in your yard such as keeping your garbage inside the garage and your pets’ food inside. Also pick up any fallen and rotting fruit and vegetables that hit the ground. If the cats don’t have anything to eat, then they cannot stick around.
3) The easiest way to deal with your feral cat problem is to build a fence around your property. You can do any type of fence whether that is the traditional picket fence or a wire mesh fence, but make sure that it is buried at least 2 feet underground and extends at least 5 feet above ground so that the animal cannot burrow under or climb over it. This is probably one of the most expensive options that you can take, but if you do it correctly, it will keep out all wild animals that you do not want coming into your yard. For a less costly option, you can just put a fence around the base of your house or around the places you do not want the cats in like your garden or where you keep the garbage.
4) There are a variety of predator scent repellents online and in the garden stores, but these are not as effective as they are made to sound. Not only are these scents and sprays not guaranteed to work, they also have to be reapplied on a weekly basis or every time it rains. This is not an option for everyone and it ends up costing a lot of money.

How To Get Rid of Stray Cats - Tips and steps for getting rid of feral cats.