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Ferals/TNR
 A FERAL AFFAIR
by Jackie Sherman
You're sipping your morning coffee, and there she is again---a bedraggled bundle of fur on the fencetop outside your kitchen window. She looks so pathetic, a small bag of bones, really. What else can you do but open a can of your own cat's favorite food for her. You expect her to run away at first. But it warms your heart when she cautiously returns and devours the food.
It becomes a morning routine, feeding this little stray cat. She never becomes really friendly, but her coat begins to shine and she fills out. You feel good about feeding this poor homeless animal. But can you stop there?
The South Bay is full of "wild life"---opossums, an occasional raccoon or skunk and lots and lots of cats. Because of their resemblance to our own domestic pets, the wild or "feral" cat is often coaxed out of its nocturnal habits by well-meaning citizens who would never dream of leaving food out for a tree rat!
A feral cat is genetically identical to your dearly loved purr-ball, the only difference being that during the time their instinct was forming, at 4-7 weeks of age, they received no human companionship. That's why we often find a perfectly friendly stray mother cat moving into a garage with a litter of tiny kittens that hiss and spit when picked up! (Be careful---those claws and teeth are needle-sharp!)
Feral cats are one result of a "throw-away" attitude in society, a huge community problem brought on by people not spaying and neutering their own pet cats.
The solution is simple: be responsible!
But who?
"It's not really my cat!" I hear so many people say. "I just feed it."
True. And I'm certainly not one to advocate not feeding it. There really isn't enough natural food in the city to support the thousands of feral cats that exist here. They are forced to scavenger leftover pet food and garbage. Not feeding is not a solution. (Not over-feeding is a whole different story!)
But, by feeding an animal, we each must also accept the responsibility of its care. In the case of the feral cat, first and foremost, this means spaying and neutering. Anyone who has ever fed a stray cat can tell you: A FED STRAY STAYS! But, how many of us have been surprised when that scrawny ball of fur pads up to our back door one spring morning accompanied by five kittens?
First rule of thumb (maybe that should be "rule of paw"): IF YOU FEED IT, FIX IT.
Don't set yourself up for that shock before your morning coffee. Fix her before you have five kittens (or more!) to find homes for. It can be done. And, yes, it is well worth the trouble, even though it is "not your cat."
First, don't assume that you're only a secondary source of food. A friendly neighbor's pet may roam in search of tidbits, but you can tell a starving animal from one just looking for a handout. Don't assume that she is too young to have kittens. If she's not a tiny kitten herself, she's old enough. Females go into heat as early as four months old! They can also have three litters each spring/summer. (Gasp!)
Now that I have your undivided attention, here's how to do it.
If she's a friendly stray, one that you can pet and cuddle, she obviously had a home at one time. She might be trusting enough to be put in a pet carrier for a ride to the vet. A sturdy carrier is best---wood, metal or plastic, rather than cardboard. You don't want a frightened cat loose in your car. Never, NEVER take a cat anywhere loose in your arms! You will be very sorry.
Now, for the ones that you might be able to touch (maybe, sometimes) and the "don't-even-think-about-its": There are humane safety traps available just for this task. You can borrow them from most of the beach cities' animal control departments. Call your own city hall for information. They are available from many of the area cat rescue groups and at Animal Birth Control locations.
Humane safety traps work simply. An animal follows the scent of food (oily tuna works well for cats) placed inside the far end, setting off the trapdoor behind her. You transport cat in the safety trap to the vet clinic. You never need to handle her. Better for her. Infinitely better for your own well being and health.
Make arrangements with a veterinary clinic before catching her. You don't want to catch her on Saturday night and then find that no clinics are open on Sunday mornings! Low cost spaying and neutering is available locally at ANIMAL BIRTH CONTROL, 1950 Pacific Coast Hwy, Lomita (310/539-3112). They also offer a special rate for litters of three or more kittens, eight weeks old and up. The County Animal Shelter, 216 W. Victoria, Carson (310/523-9566) offers discount spay/neuter programs. Call both for information on surgery days and costs. Check too with your own veterinary clinic.
The time and money spent on preventing pet overpopulation is well worth it. Solving the problem before it gets out of hand saves lots of headaches. You've prevented a potential disaster in your own backyard, avoided complaints from your neighbors about late-night catfights, and done a service to the community.
Here are some statistics. (Please pass them on to everyone you know.)
· Los Angeles area shelters are forced by overcrowding to euthanize hundreds of dogs and cats everyday.
· In the U.S., over 15 million animals are destroyed each year, at a tremendous expense to taxpayers.
· A single female cat and her offspring, if allowed to breed unchecked for ten years, will produce over 80,000,000 cats! (Yes, that is the correct number of zeros.)
ANIMAL CONTROL BEGINS WHEN UNCONTROLLED BREEDING ENDS!
Volunteers in the South Bay have spayed and neutered thousands of feral and stray cats living at the beach, in neighborhoods, parks and shopping centers.
If you're not sure how to get started, check with some of the pet adoption group volunteers that show animals on the weekends at the many pet supply stores in our beach cities.
Get it done. Then sit back and enjoy your morning coffee!
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