Stray cats
According to PETA, it is estimated that there are between 60 to 100 million stray cats in the United States. These cats, despite being feral due to their unfortunate bringing, are still house, domesticated cats that depend on humans for food, water, and shelter. This makes their hard lives shorter.
Why stray cats?
A feral cat is the offspring of a stray cat or abandoned one. These kittens grow without any human contact and become wild and highly aloof of humans. They form colonies around whatever source of food they can find.
The issue here becomes worse since, in the majority of cities, animal control agencies are mandated to take care of dogs, not cats. So, we have a growing population of feral cats that have been untouchable for decades. This little effort to control the spread of feral cats has made their population soar to 70 million in the United States.
Problems with stray cats
The main issue with stray cats is that, even though they are technically not wild animals, they can pose a public problem as if they were. Other problems that feral cats represent are:
- Fear of humans, which makes them violent towards any person that happens to come to their path. A stray cat was one who escaped or was abandoned. Their offspring become feral cats that will attack humans.
- Since stray cats travel in groups formed based on common needs, they can more easily spread disease.
- Breeding after breeding in cats in situations of lack of control. One duo only has the ability of producing an average of 12 kittens. This multiplied by the amount of stray cats represents a large number of kittens. Even though the majority of these cats will not live, those who do will contribute to the expansion of the colony.
What can you do?
If you are the owner of a cat, the responsible thing to do is to spay or neuter them. This will help prevent unwanted litters. Keeping a cat indoors can be a challenge and once outside, it will be difficult to keep them from a stray cat.
In Dogalize we have lots of information and resources to help and assist you with your furry friend. Visit us to learn more.