LIVING WITH FERAL CATS IN YUMA

Feline Friends782-1621 x355 felinefriends@hsoyuma.comSpay/neuter clinic3780 S. 4th Ave. Ext. Suite H1(928) 247-9115 spayneuter@hsoyuma.comHSOY Shelter 285 N. Figueroa Ave. Yuma, AZ 85364(928) 782-1621

HSOYUMA.COM/FERALCATS

Trap: Humanely trap the cats in a colony.

Neuter: Take the cats in their traps to a veterinarian or spay/neuter clinic to be sterilized, eartipped, and vaccinated.

Return: Return the cats to their original colony site.

what is t.n.r.?

what are feral cats?

Trapping feral catsWhile the Humane Society of Yuma is not contracted to care for or control the feral cat population we accept feral cats at a minimal charge in an effort to humanely remove unwanted cats. For a complete listing of fees associated with feral cats visit our website. Please review the rules and recommendations set by HSOY regarding the trapping and intake of feral cats prior to trapping.

Prior to trappingKnow the hours of shelter or the spay/neuter clinic. �e cat should be in the trap for as little time as possible. �e shelter and the clinic are not open on Sunday’s or Mondays so the cat may have to be released if it is trapped on a Saturday or Sunday.

Withhold food for 24 hours prior to trapping if you have been feeding the cats in order to entice the cat to enter the trap.

Once a cat is trappedDo not attempt to feed or water a trapped cat. If you are spaying or neutering the cat, it is strongly recommended that cats have an empty stomach at the time of surgery. Remember that feral cats are wild and injuries such as bites and scratches can occur if you try to enter the trap for any reason.

Cats will only be accepted at the shelter or clinic in safe, humane traps. Attempting to transfer a cat from a homemade or makeshi� trap or cage has resulted in numerous injuries to our staff. Cats can easily escape from cardboard or plastic carriers, especially when they are being transferred to temporary housing while with us.

Trap-Neuter-Release is a proven program in which stray and feral cats already living outdoors are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered and returned back to their familiar habitat under the lifelong care of sympathetic volunteers.

Trap-Neuter-Release is the single most successful method of stabilizing and maintaining healthy feral cat colonies with the least possible cost to local governments and residents, while providing the best life for the animals themselves.

Feline Friends, a member committee of the Humane Society of Yuma, works with individuals, local businesses and organizations to humanely manage and reduce feral cat populations through Trap-Neuter-Release.

Feral cats are the ‘wild’ offspring of domestic cats and are primarily the result of pet owners’ abandonment or failure to spay and neuter their animals, allowing them to breed uncontrolled. Feral cat ‘colonies’ can be found behind homes, shopping areas or businesses, in alleys, parks, abandoned buildings, and rural areas. �ey are elusive and do not trust humans.

Many people assume their animals will survive when they move away and leave them behind. Contrary to popular belief, domestic animals do not automatically regain their ‘natural’ instincts and cannot fend for themselves! Already, U.S. animal shelters are forced to take in millions of homeless cats (and dogs) annually. �e alternative to humane euthanasia for almost every stray is a violent end or slow, painful death. Many ‘throwaways’ die mercilessly outdoors from starvation, disease, abuse, or as food to a predator.

I want cats out of my yard/garden.� CatStop contains a motion sensor and, upon being triggered, emits a high-frequency alarm imperceptible to humans but highly annoying and startling to cats. �e key with CatStop and other ultrasonic devices is to make sure you have enough of them for the size of the area you’re trying to exclude the cats from. CatStop reportedly monitors 280 square feet.� Motion activated sprinklers use infra-red to detect when an animal enters a defined territory. When a cat enters the infra-red field, the sprinkler shoots out a burst of water for a few seconds in the general direction of the animal. �e effect is to frighten the cats rather than soak them, but they quickly learn not to enter the area. A�er a while, the sprinkler becomes unnecessary.� Cat Scat from Gardener’s Supply consists of plastic mats that are pressed into the soil. Each mat has flexible plastic spikes and is cut into four pieces. �e spikes are harmless to cats and other animals, but discourage excavation. � Cover exposed ground with rough surfaced rocks.� Take branches from a thorny plant, like a Rose of Sharon tree, and lay them on the ground in a latticetype pattern, then plant flowers and seeds in the openings. Regular lattice type fencing used in this way will also discourage digging.

Why should I support TNR?

When feral cats are trapped, neutered and returned to their territory, they no longer reproduce.

�e cessation of sexual activity eliminates the noise associated with mating behavior and dramatically reduces fighting and the noise it causes.

Neutered feral cats also roam much less and become less visible and less prone to injury from cars.

Foul odors are greatly reduced as well because neutered male cats no longer produce testosterone which, when they are unaltered, mixes with their urine and causes the strong, pungent smell of their spraying.

When the colony is then monitored by a caretaker who removes and/or TNRs any newly arrived cats, the population stabilizes and gradually declines over time.

CRUEL TREATMENT OF FERAL CATS IS A FELONY.Animal cruelty is a felony in Arizona. While the Humane Society of Yuma is not contracted to impound or shelter cats, we are the code enforcement agency for animal cruelty. We will investigate and all substantiated reports of cruelty towards feral cats. Cruel treatment of feral cats include poisoning, unlawful abandonment (i.e. in the desert), acts of violence against and inhumane confinement.

i catsi cats

WAYS TO BE A FELINE FRIENDSpay/neuter your companion animals and encourage friends and family to do the same.

Spread the word about Feline Friends and encourage anyone feeding feral cats to contact us.

Don’t allow your housecats to roam free —keep your cat indoors or safely confined to your property.

Volunteer your time to help feral cats. Feline Friends, a membership committee of the Humane Society of Yuma, advocates and coordinates the practice of T.N.R. in Yuma. Please contact us at the information on the back of the brochure.

Please make a donation to HSOY - Feline Friends to support our compassionate and much-needed services.

What should I do if a cat start s hanging around my house?

If the cat is tame, the person should take steps to find the cat's owner. If unsuccessful, the person should take steps to find a permanent home for the cat.

If the cat is feral, unapproachable and wary a�er several days of feeding, we strongly encourage you to start trapping and neutering the cats. If interested, please contact Feline Friends for more info (see contact info on back of brochure).

If you see a cat with a notch on it’s ear, it has already been trapped, neutered and returned.

...euthanize all feral cats?

Some people feel sorry for feral cats because of their difficult and dangerous life. Others are annoyed by the cats' behaviors and want the cats removed. But many people don't feel that the cats should be euthanized. Even if there were enough people and money to remove and euthanize feral cats, other feral cats would move into the vacant territory to take advantage of the food source and shelter now made available. It's an endless cycle.

...remove them from populated areas?

�ere are many reasons why feral cat problems are rarely solved by efforts to trap and remove them. Feral cats live at a certain location because it offers food and shelter. If a colony is removed, some feral cats from surrounding colonies may move in to take advantage of the newly available resources. �e cycle of reproduction and nuisance behavior begins all over again.

If all the cats in a colony are not trapped, then the ones le� behind tend to have more kittens. In addition, more kittens will survive because there are fewer cats competing for the available food. �e population will continue to increase until the level that can be supported by the available food and shelter is reached.

..have the Humane Society of Yuma shelter them and find homes for them?

Animal shelters already care for and try to find homes for thousands of lost, injured, abandoned and relinquished pet cats. Whether the shelter is an independent non-profit organization or is an animal care and control agency funded by the municipality, many do not have the resources to do TNR.

why not.... i catsi cats

Trap-Neuter-Release is a proven program in which stray and feral cats already living outdoors are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered and returned back to their familiar habitat under the lifelong care of sympathetic volunteers.

Trap-Neuter-Release is the single most successful method of stabilizing and maintaining healthy feral cat colonies with the least possible cost to local governments and residents, while providing the best life for the animals themselves.

Feline Friends, a member committee of the Humane Society of Yuma, works with individuals, local businesses and organizations to humanely manage and reduce feral cat populations through Trap-Neuter-Release.