"Fixing" the Stray Cat Problem

If you wake up in the morning, sniff the roasting coffee, open the window for a bit of fresh air, take a look outside - and see a whole lot of cats hanging out in the backyard, then you're far from alone.   Throughout South West Georgia, there are thousands of stray cats, often called "feral" because they are no longer tame.  They originate from cats who were lost or abandoned and have learned to fend for themselves as best they can, usually with some help from a compassionate soul who provides them food.  They tend to live in groups or family units called colonies.

The problem is, when left unmanaged, stray cat colonies reproduce prolifically, cause a noxious odor by the spraying of un-neutered male cats, can be loud if fighting or mating is happening, dig up gardens, and generally can be a nuisance.  Often people are not ill-disposed or unkind to the cats, but don't want to deal with all their baggage.  The first solution that usually comes to mind is to simply remove them - take them away and problems be gone, is the thinking.

Trouble is, simple though that may sound, removing stray cats from an area doesn't work.  New cats inevitably move into the newly vacated territory and replace the old ones, keeping the cycle of reproduction and nuisance behavior alive.  The faces may change, but the numbers don't.  This is why more and more animal control agencies shy away from trap and remove programs when it comes to cats - they realize it's a waste of time and resources.  Trying to deprive the cats of food in the hope they'll go away also is futile - they won't leave, but by becoming sickly, will cause other problems, like flea infestations.

But there is a real solution, known as Trap-Neuter-Return, or TNR.  Using this method, the cats in a colony are trapped, neutered, marked for identification, vaccinated for rabies and then returned to their territory where they are provided food and shelter.  The now neutered population no longer reproduces, no longer creates a foul odor, makes dramatically less noise, and generally guards the territory from a new wave of unfixed cats moving in.  Over time, through attrition, the cats' numbers drop.  The improvement is profound and swift. Easy techniques for keeping the cats out of yards where they're not wanted can be implemented.

Spay/neuter and help with trapping can be obtained at a reduced cost.  All you need to do first is fill our our application for assistance and learn to do TNR safely. Once you've submitted our form, we'll help you start making plans to really fix the problem!