Feral Cats :: Terrier Technologies LLC

Identification

Everyone knows what a cat looks like. Feral (wild) cats are the descendants of house cats that escaped or were abandoned by their owners. Feral cats may be identified by their lack of collars or tags, and by their generally unfriendly nature. They can often be identified by their behavior. Unlike domesticated cats, which can usually be coaxed to come to you for a treat or to get their neck scratched, feral cats do not come when called. They keep their distance and may act suspicious.

Feral cats are often the offspring of many generations of wild cats as they breed very frequently.

Feral cats are opportunistic feeders eating whatever they can find including trash and small mammals such as birds and rodents. They often become a problem in areas where people place food outside for the animals.

Feral cats are often become a problem because they find their way into a structure. They may take shelter in sheds, garages, crawl spaces and other cluttered or inaccessible areas.

Remember to use the information learned from talking with the customer to start the inspection.

These cats will urinate and defecate all over, creating a smelly health hazard. Look for latrines when inspecting a property.

Cat Prints in the Snow

Cat Droppings

Live trapping or Varment Guardian are the only removal methods used for feral cats.

Providing information to the customer about making the area less attractive to feral cats can help with control. This could include not putting food out for the animals and tightly securing garbage cans.

Make sure that any captured cats are not domestic pets. Any captured cats with collars will be released on site as soon as possible.

When trapping for feral cats in residential areas, captured cat should be released on site. In some situations, if the customer has pre-arranged for drop off at a humane society, the animal may be dropped off for additional fee after it is trapped.