TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats

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The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook runny eye, this could be due to stress and the condition might resolve faster if the cat was released. On the other hand, if the cat is excessively lethargic, has a severe upper respiratory infection and is not eating, then a veterinarian should be consulted before any decision on releasing is made. In general, if there is any doubt on the right thing to do, the choice should be made to seek out professional advice. A lactating mother presents a special case when her kittens are out in the territory without her. The kittens’ need for their mother causes us to release her sooner than we would otherwise, usually 24 hours after the spay, assuming she is alert and appears well. Location of release Feral cats should always be released back to their own territory unless a proper relocation process has been followed for a period of two to three weeks (see Chapter 14.) Ferals are extremely territorial creatures and cannot be safely released into new areas without a transition period. If a cat is “cold released” somewhere unfamiliar, his instinct will be to run away and try to find his own territory. The result could be disastrous with the cat ending up terrified in a place with no caretaker, no colony mates and unknown dangers. Simply releasing a feral cat into a new location without any relocation process amounts to abandonment and should not be done. After their release, some of the cats may stay out of sight for a few days or even as long as a week or two. But they soon re-adjust to their routine and learn to trust you again in their feral way. 85
14. Relocation & Sanctuaries • Relocation When is relocation appropriate? The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook When caring but inexperienced people confront a feral cat colony that is unmanaged and the object of community hostility, often their first thought is to move the cats to a safer place. They don’t understand how difficult it is to find a safer place, how arduous and uncertain the process of moving the cats can be, and how important it is to the cats to be able to stay right where they are. The cats in a feral colony cherish their territory. They know their home extremely well with all its pitfalls, shortcuts and hidden passages. Next to food, their surroundings are the factor most important to their survival. Their home – shabby as the parking lot, back alley, empty lot or crumbling building may seem to us – is truly their castle. Once a colony becomes managed, the cats may live relatively long, healthy and satisfying lives if the security of their home remains intact. Because their territory, as well as their bonds to one another, is so important to them, relocation should be considered only when their environment is truly under imminent threat. Most problems can be solved through TNR. A community’s initial hostility due to noise, odor and endless litters of kittens is ended by neutering; encroachment in a garden can be easily deterred; a property owner’s complaint might be satisfied simply by moving a feeding station. Relocation is hard work, requiring the cats to be confined in their new territory for two to three weeks until they learn their food source has changed. Otherwise, they’re likely to immediately run off in search of their old stomping grounds. Even with a two to three week confinement, some may still run away after the release. And this assumes a suitable new site has been secured, which is no easy task either. Yet another consideration is what will happen in the old territory if the cats are removed. If the habitat still contains sufficient food and shelter, then sooner or later new cats will move in to take advantage and the cycle will begin again. For these reasons, every possible avenue towards allowing the cats to stay should be thoroughly explored and relocation should be considered only as an absolute last resort. For example, if the colony lives in an abandoned building that is about to be demolished or a number of cats have been maliciously killed and the violence can’t be stopped. But these are extreme situations and, hopefully, very much the exception. 86
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Foreword The Neighborhood Cats TNR
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6. Winter Shelter The Neighborhood
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TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats

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