CPT Community Cats Program provides Feral Cat resources to individuals in the community and colony caregivers.  Volunteers provide transportation to low cost spay/neuter for community cats.  We also work with businesses to provide low cost TRAP NEUTER & RETURN services.  Our goal is to reduce the euthanasia rate of healthy community cats through education & support.  To volunteer or for more information contact CPT Community Cats Program Director, Chontelle Brown at CPTCommunityCats@gmail.com or 386-288-1339

 

What is the difference between a stray cat and a feral cat?

Stray cats are socialized to people and can be adopted into homes, but feral cats are not socialized to people and are happy living outdoors.

 

A stray cat:

Is a cat who has been socialized to people at some point in her life, but has left or lost her indoor home, as well as most human contact and dependence.

Can become feral as her contact with humans dwindles.

Can under the right circumstances become a pet cat once again. Stray cats that are re-introduced to a home after living outdoors may require a period of time to re-acclimate; they may be frightened and wary after spending time outside away from people.

 

A feral cat:

Is a cat who has either never had any contact with humans or her contact with humans has diminished over time. She is not socialized to people and survives on her own outdoors. Most feral cats are not likely to ever become lap cats or enjoy living indoors. However, they can have kittens who can be socialized at an early age and adopted into homes.

 

What is Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)?

Trap-Neuter-Return is the humane, effective approach for feral cats. Feral cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and eartipped (the universal symbol of a neutered and vaccinated cat), and then returned to their outdoor home. Socialized cats and kittens are adopted into homes. The colony’s population stabilizes—no more kittens! Trap-Neuter-Return improves their lives and their relations with the community: the behaviors and stresses associated with mating stop.

 

What is an ‘eartip’?

We use the word “eartip” to describe when a small portion of the tip of a feral cat’s left ear is surgically removed during neuter surgery, to denote that the cat has been neutered and vaccinated. Eartipping is done while the cat is anesthetized and is not painful for the cat. Eartipping is the most effective way to identify neutered feral cats from a distance, to make sure they are not trapped or undergo surgery a second time.