Resources
Caring for outdoor cats can be physically and emotionally demanding. Caretakers must consciously seek ways to support and look after themselves.
Keeping a pet cat healthy and happy is just part of being a responsible owner. Outdoor cats have the same needs, although it is often much more challenging to care for homeless felines.
There are many groups in the GTA working on behalf of cats in need. Their members feed, shelter, spay/neuter, socialize, rehabilitate and re-home thousands of cats each year. Visit these sites and find out how you can be part of this vital and rewarding work.
Affordable, accessible, high-volume spay/neuter services make the difference in getting stray and feral cat numbers under control.
Courses, workshops, Webinars and more!
Check these sites to learn about the nutritional needs of domestic cats and how to provide for them outdoors in a safe and sanitary way. **Please be aware that cat food tins do not make good feeding or baiting dishes. Cats can easily cut their faces or tongues on tins. If you find tins or tin lids discarded outside, please remove them from the cats' environment as a safety measure.
These Web sites are worth exploring to learn about feral cats and how to work on their behalf. Keep in mind that references on these sites to local organizations, laws and practices may not apply in the Greater Toronto Area.
Feral Cats and Ontario Law
Visit the Web site of Toronto lawyer Simon Shields ( www.isthatlegal.ca) for a guide to Ontario's dog and cat control law (August 2008), and the text of his presentation at the Toronto Feral Cat Conference on November 22, 2008.
Some thoughts on how many feral cats there might be, and how quickly they reproduce....
We tend to agree with the folks at the American Cat Project: "... every cat requires and deserves shelter. Cats are not wild animals. They cannot dig dens as most non-climbing wild animals do. They do not shelter in tree holes, as most climbing wild animals do. They will not share ground dens with other species, as many wild animals do. Cats cannot build their own shelter, therefore it must be provided for them. In our opinion, there is absolutely no exception to this."
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) may be the most humane solution for homeless cats who must live outdoors, but outdoor living is not the ideal situation for the domestic feline. Kittens of about 8-12 weeks can be successfully socialized and prepared for adoption using particular taming techniques. Older stray cats who require re-introduction to life with humans, and, more unusually, older feral kittens and cats may sometimes be tamed by the same process.
The Trap-Neuter-Return process can be accomplished by caring individuals with no prior experience, but proper equipment, planning and preparation are absolutely essential to a humane and effective outcome. These sites offer excellent information and instruction.