Tackling a feral or community cat population is no easy feat, which is why a lot people who contact Miss Dixie’s regarding feral cats ask that we remove the cats from the property. Because if the cats are gone, the problem is also gone…right?
Unfortunately, that’s not how this works.
Community cat colonies form around food sources. Sometimes that food source is a feeder or caretaker of the colony, but other times it’s a dumpster behind a restaurant or outside of businesses where visitors take pity and feed the cats on a semi-regular basis.
Whatever the case, there is a food source available. Removing community cats from their food source will only leave opportunities for more unfixed and unvetted cats to take up residence and claim that food source.
The best and most humane way to control the cat population (especially one with a food source) is to trap, neuter and return the cats that are already there. This solves two problems:
- The population of the cat colony ceases to grow because everyone has been either spayed or neutered.
- The cats within the population keep new or wandering cats from joining.
As much as the solution of “just remove them” sounds super easy and the best way to go, unless that food source is completely removed (which is usuallly impossible), the cats will always come back.
If you’re want to joining our growing TNR team, apply to become one of our volunteers.
To help support Miss Dixie’s TNR efforts in your community, please consider becoming a monthly donor! Even $5 will go towards the cost of spaying/neutering and vaccinating our community cats. Become a monthly donor.
Image from Alley Cat Allies