HOUSE CATS (Feral)William D. FitzwaterDirectorNew Mexico Outdoor Communicators7104 Bellrose Avenue, NEAlbuquerque, New Mexico 87110

Damage Prevention andControl Methods

Exclusion

Practical for protecting small poultryand mammals.

Cultural Methods

Clean up debris, burn refuse andbrush piles, seal buildings, reducehabitat and food sources.

Repellents

Many products are registered but arepractical only for small areas.

Frightening

Dogs.

Toxicants

None are registered.

Fumigants

None are registered.

Trapping

Box traps.

No. 1, 1.5, or 2 leghold traps.

No. 220 Conibear® or body-grippingtraps.

Snares.

Shooting

Centerfire rifles, .22 rimfire rifles, andshotguns are effective for quickremoval.

Other Methods

Responsible care by cat owners.

Fig. 1. House cat, Felis domesticus

PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF WILDLI

Cooperative Extension DivisionInstitute of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesUniversity of Nebraska - Lincoln

United States Department of AgricultureAnimal and Plant Health Inspection ServiceAnimal Damage Control

Great Plains Agricultural CouncilWildlife Committee

Identification

The cat has been the most resistant tochange of all the animals that humanshave domesticated. All members of thecat family, wild or domesticated, havea broad, stubby skull, similar facialcharacteristics, lithe, stealthy move-ments, retractable claws (except thecheetah), and nocturnal habits.

Feral cats (Fig. 1) are house cats livingin the wild. They are small in stature,weighing from 3 to 8 pounds (1.4 to 3.6kg), standing 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30.5cm) high at the shoulder, and 14 to 24inches (35.5 to 61 cm) long. The tailadds another 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30.5cm) to their length. Colors range fromblack to white to orange, and an amaz-ing variety of combinations inbetween. Other hair characteristicsalso vary greatly.

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Range

Cats are found in commensal relation-ships wherever people are found. Insome urban and suburban areas, catpopulations equal human populations.In many suburban and eastern ruralareas, feral house cats are the mostabundant predators.

Habitat

Feral cats prefer areas in and aroundhuman habitation. They use aban-doned buildings, barns, haystacks,post piles, junked cars, brush piles,weedy areas, culverts, and otherplaces that provide cover and pro-tection.

Food Habits

Feral cats are opportunistic predatorsand scavengers that feed on rodents,rabbits, shrews, moles, birds, insects,reptiles, amphibians, fish, carrion, gar-bage, vegetation, and leftover pet food.

General Biology,Reproduction, andBehavior

Feral cats produce 2 to 10 kittens dur-ing any month of the year. An adultfemale may produce 3 litters per yearwhere food and habitat are sufficient.Cats may be active during the day buttypically are more active during twi-light or night. House cats live up to 27years. Feral cats, however, probablyaverage only 3 to 5 years. They are ter-ritorial and move within a home rangeof roughly 1.5 square miles (4 km2).After several generations, feral cats canbe considered to be totally wild inhabits and temperament.

Damage

Feral cats feed extensively on song-birds, game birds, mice and otherrodents, rabbits, and other wildlife. Indoing so, they lower the carryingcapacity of an area for native predatorssuch as foxes, raccoons, coyotes, bob-cats, weasels, and other animals thatcompete for the same food base.

Where documented, their impact onwildlife populations in suburban andrural areas—directly by predation andindirectly by competition for food—appears enormous. A study underway at the University of Wisconsin(Coleman and Temple 1989) may pro-vide some indication of the extent oftheir impact in the United States ascompared to that in the United King-dom, where Britain’s five millionhouse cats may take an annual toll ofsome 70 million animals and birds(Churcher and Lawton 1987). Feralcats occasionally kill poultry and injurehouse cats.

Feral cats serve as a reservoir forhuman and wildlife diseases, includingcat scratch fever, distemper, histoplas-mosis, leptospirosis, mumps, plague,rabies, ringworm, salmonellosis,toxoplasmosis, tularemia, and variousendo- and ectoparasites.

Legal Status

Cats are considered personal propertyif ownership can be establishedthrough collars, registration tags, tat-toos, brands, or legal description andproof of ownership. Cats without iden-tification are considered feral and arerarely protected under state law. Theybecome the property of the landownerupon whose land they exist. Municipaland county animal control agencies,humane animal shelters, and variousother public and private “pet” man-agement agencies exist because of feralor unwanted house cats and dogs.These agencies destroy millions ofstray cats annually.

State, county, and municipal lawsrelated to cats vary. Before lethal con-trol is undertaken, consult local laws.If live capture is desired, consult thelocal animal control agency for instruc-tions on disposal of cats.

Damage Prevention andControl Methods

Exclusion

Exclusion by fencing, repairing win-dows, doors, and plugging holes inbuildings is often a practical way of

eliminating cat predation and nui-sance. Provide overhead fencing tokeep cats out of bird or poultry pens.Wire mesh with openings smaller than2.5 inches (6.4 cm) should offer ad-equate protection.

Cultural Methods

Cat numbers can be reduced by elimi-nating their habitat. Old buildingsshould be sealed and holes underfoundations plugged. Remove brushand piles of debris, bale piles, oldmachinery, and junked cars. Mowvegetation in the vicinity of buildings.Elimination of small rodents and otherfoodstuffs will reduce feral catnumbers.

Repellents

The Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) has registered the followingchemicals individually and in combi-nation for repelling house cats: aniseoil, methyl nonyl ketone, Ro-pel, andThymol. There is little objective evi-dence, however, of these chemicals’effectiveness. Some labels carry theinstructions that when used indoors,“disciplinary action” must reinforcethe repellent effect. Some repellentscarry warnings about fabric damageand possible phytotoxicity. When usedoutdoors, repellents must be reappliedfrequently. Outdoor repellents can beused around flower boxes, furniture,bushes, trees, and other areas wherecats are not welcomed. Pet stores andgarden supply shops carry, or canorder, such repellents. The repellentsare often irritating and repulsive tohumans as well as cats.

Frightening

Dogs that show aggression to cats pro-vide an effective deterrent whenplaced in fenced yards and buildingswhere cats are not welcome.

Toxicants

No toxicants are registered for controlof feral cats.

Fumigants

No fumigants are registered for con-trol of feral house cats. Live-trapped

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2

Fig. 2a. Front and partial interior of box trap set.

1 - Door up in grooves guiding its fall.2 - Treadle board resting on a fulcrum. (Fulcrummade by nailing a small piece of wood acrossfloor of trap. Weight of animal on back part oftreadle depresses treadle, pulls back trigger wireand allows door to fall.)3 - Trigger wire. (Three-gauge wire is connectedto a screw eye at one side of treadle and back offulcrum, extended along side of box to top oftrap and passed through a second screw eye.When trap is set, door rests on the projectingend of trigger wire.)4 - Back wall with 3-inch square opening. (Insideof opening is screened and provided with a tightdoor on outside to permit observation of captiveanimal and introduction of a fumigant for itsdisposal. Door is open when trap is set; closedwhen fumigant is introduced.)5 - Uprights containing grooves in which doorslides. (Grooves should be greased for easyaction of door.)

Groove for door

Fulcrum

Trigger wire

Treadle board

End of trigger wire on which doorrests when trap is set

Bait

Fig. 2b. Side view of cat trap.

cats or cats in holes or culverts can beeuthanized with carbon dioxide gas orpulverized dry ice (carbon dioxide) atroughly 1/2 pound per cubic yard (0.3kg/m3) of space.

Trapping

Live Traps. Live-trapping cats incommercial or homemade box traps(Fig. 2) is a feasible control alternative,particularly in areas where uncon-trolled pets are more of a problemthan wild cats. Trap openings shouldbe 11 to 12 inches (28 to 30 cm) squareand 30 inches (75 cm) or more long.Double-ended traps should be at least42 inches (105 cm) long. The cat can becaptured and turned over to animalcontrol agencies without harm, givenback to the owner with proper warn-ings, or euthanized by shooting, lethalinjection, or asphyxiation with carbondioxide gas. Sources for commercialtraps are found in Supplies andMaterials. Set live traps in areas offeral cat activity, such as feeding andloafing areas, travelways along fences,tree lines, or creeks, dumps, and gar-bage cans. Successful baits includefresh or canned fish, commercial catfoods, fresh liver, and chicken orrodent carcasses. Catnip and rhodiumoil are often effective in attracting cats.

Leghold Traps. Leghold traps No. 1,1.5, or 2 are sufficient to catch and holdferal cats (Fig. 3). These traps are par-ticularly useful on cats that are not sus-ceptible to box traps. Place the traps ina shallow hole the size and shape ofthe set trap. Cover the pan with waxedpaper and then cover the trap withsifted soil, sawdust, or potting soil.Place the bait material far enoughbeyond the trap that the cat must stepon the trap to reach it. Traps can be setat entrances to holes where cats arehiding, entryways to buildings, or neargarbage cans. Domestic cats caught inleghold traps should be handled withcare. Cover the cat with a blanket,sack, or coat; pin it down with bodyweight; and release the trap. Catchpoles can also be used to subduetrapped cats.

Conibear® or Body-grippingTraps. Conibear® or body-grippingtraps are lethal traps that work like

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Wooden box

ait (inside)

(place leghold trap instead of No.220 Conibear® at opening of box)

Fig. 3. Cubby set (box set) with Conibear® or leghold trap.

No. 220 Conibear®

Stake

No. 1 Leghold

Stake

6"-8"

14-gauge wire

Cat trail

Fig. 4. Trail snare set

Wrap wire in brush to obtain theproper height of snare loop.Clamp 14-gauge wire on snare cable here.Bend snare cable here.Don’t let any brush touch the snare loop.Suspend the bottom of the loop 6 to 8 inchesfrom the ground.The loop should be 6 to 8 inchesin diameter.

double-jawed mouse traps. Theyshould be set only where no other ani-mals will get into them. The No. 220size is most effective for cats. Set trapsin front of culverts or entry holes, ingarbage cans, or boxes with the baitplaced in the back (Fig. 3).

Snares. Snare sizes No. 1 and 2 arevery effective as live traps or kill trapswhen set properly. Place snares inentrances to dens or crawlthroughs, intrails in weeds, or in garbage cans,boxes, or other restricted accessarrangements where bait is placed(Fig. 4). Sources for snares are foundin Supplies and Materials.

Shooting

Feral cats can be shot with .22 rimfireand other calibers of centerfire riflesand shotguns in rural areas where it issafe. In buildings and urban areas,powerful air rifles are capable of kill-ing cats with close-range head shots.Cats can be lured out of heavy coverfor a safe shot by using predator calls,elevated decoys of fur or feathers, ormeat baits.

Other Methods

Supplemental feeding of feral or free-roaming house cats will probably havelittle effect in reducing their depreda-tions on songbirds and other wildlife.Even well-fed cats will often bringhome a small prey they have caughtand proudly display it to their ownerswithout eating it. Laboratory studiessuggest that hunger and hunting arecontrolled by separate neurologicalcenters in the cat brain, so the rate ofpredation is not affected by the avail-ability of cat food.

The hunter is often the hunted. Dogsand coyotes, which are adapting tourban environments, are probably thegreatest predators of cats, next tohumans and cars. Feral cats are oftenfound on the borders of human habita-tion. Large predators such as bobcats,mountain lions, fox, coyotes, and feraldogs eliminate cats that stray too farafield.

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In the final analysis, many problemswith feral cats could be avoided if catowners would practice responsible petownership. The same licensing andleash laws pertaining to dogs shouldbe applied to cats. Spaying or neuter-ing should be encouraged for house-hold pets not kept for breedingpurposes. Neutering is not a cost-effective program for controlling feralpopulations. Unwanted cats should behumanely destroyed, not abandonedto fend for themselves.

Economics of Damageand Control

The place of cats in the modern urbanworld is certainly secure even thoughtheir reputation as rodent controllershas not been supported by objectiveresearch. Cats have replaced dogs asthe most common family pet in theUnited States. Their owners support agrowing segment of the economy inthe pet food and pet supplies indus-tries. On the other hand, feral cats areresponsible for the transmission ofmany human and wildlife diseasesand kill substantial amounts ofwildlife.

Acknowledgments

I wish to acknowledge M. L. Boddicker, whowas the author of the “House Cats” chapter inthe 1983 edition of Prevention and Control ofWildlife Damage.

Figure 1 by Emily Oseas Routman.

Figure 2 adapted from Boddicker (1978),“Housecats” in F. R. Henderson, Prevention andControl of Wildlife Damage, Kansas State Univ.,Manhattan.

Figure 3 by M. L. Boddicker, adapted by Jill SackJohnson.

Figure 4 courtesy of Gregerson ManufacturingCo., adapted by Jill Sack Johnson.

For AdditionalInformation

Anonymous. 1974. Ecology of the surplus dogand cat problem. Proc. Natl. Conf. Am.Humane Assoc., Denver, Colorado. 128pp.

Bisseru, B. 1967. Diseases of man acquired fromhis pets. Wm. Heinermann Medical Books,London. 482 pp.

Boddicker, M. L. 1979. Controlling feral andnuisance house cats. Colorado State Univ.Ext. Serv., S.A. Sheet No. 6.508, Ft. Collins.

Churcher, P. B., and J. H. Lawton. 1987.Predation by domestic cats in an Englishvillage. J. Zool. (London) 212:439-455.

Coleman, J. S., and S. A. Temple. 1989. Effects offree-ranging cats on wildlife: a progressreport. Proc. Eastern Wildl. Damage ControlConf. 4:9-12.

Coman, B. J., and H. Brunner. 1972. Food habitsof the feral house cat in Victoria. J. Wildl.Manage. 36:848-853.

Errington, P. L. 1936. Notes on food habits ofsouthern Wisconsin house cats. J. Mammal.17:64-65.

Fitzwater, W. D. 1986. Extreme care neededwhen controlling cats. Pest Control 54:10.

Jackson, W. B. 1951. Food habits of Baltimore,Maryland cats in relation to rat populations.J. Mammal. 32:458-461.

Parmalee, P. W. 1953. Food habits of the feralhouse cat in east-central Texas. J. Wildl.Manage. 17:375-376.

Remfry, J. 1985. Humane control of feral cats.Pages 41-49 in D. P. Britt, ed. Humanecontrol of land mammals/birds. Univ. Fed.An. Welfare. United Kingdom.

Rolls, E. C. 1969. They all ran wild: the story ofpests on the land in Australia. Angus andRobertson, Sydney and London. 444pp.

Tuttle, J. L. 1978. Dogs and cats need responsibleowners. Univ. Illinois Coop. Ext. Serv. Circ.No. 1149.

Warner, R. E. 1985. Demography andmovements of free-ranging domestic cats inrural Illinois. J. Wildl. Manage. 49:340-346.

Webb, C. H. 1965. Pets, parasites, and pediatrics.Pediatrics 36:521-522.

EditorsScott E. HygnstromRobert M. TimmGary E. Larson

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