Feral Cats and Kittens on the Island
The feral cats on the Island, and Nationwide, probably go pretty well unnoticed. Many people expect to see cats on farms, but really don’t think past that. Some feral cats do have a good or reasonable quality of life, especially if they are neutered, spayed and fed regularly, but unfortunately there are still far too many farmers and landowners who will not agree to neutering, and still continue their own methods of control, which are neither legal nor humane in most cases.
Over the years we have neutered and spayed hundreds of feral cats and kittens. Some have gone back to the same site but for others we have had to find alternative outside homes, usually at private stable yards or smallholdings. We manage to home some of the kittens domestically, and admittedly I am biased, but they do make wonderful pets! I know because I share my home and my life with several of them!!
As well as neutering and testing for feline leukaemia and feline aids we also microchip all those we release, this is helpful for the other rescue centre’s as well as us, and the cats do not have to go through any unnecessary sedation, anaesthetic or handling, because all the relevant information is stored on the microchip central database.
Ferals are not just evident on farms in fact they can be found anywhere. Domestic strays add to the feral situation, in fact in a lot of cases are the main cause, especially if they are undoctered. We are getting more and more phone calls now about pregnant queens turning up in people’s gardens and promptly giving birth to a litter of kittens!! These situations can, and do, get out of control very quickly, so we are always anxious to know about these instances early on so we can deal with it before it all gets out of hand. Also if the colony is controlled the cats are likely to be far more healthy in the long term.
On the mainland ferals are being classed as vermin, which is an absolute disgrace, and not only that they are being dealt with by pest control companies!! These creatures are NOT truly wild animals, if fact a lot of them, to one extent or another can be handled or befriended given time. They did not ask to be born, and they do have their place in our society, but all too often they are looked upon as the ‘poor relation’ and disposed of – not so if we are in the picture!!
If you know anyone with a feral problem, or someone who would like our help to get a colony under control please do pass our number to them and ask them to call us. Ferals DO matter to us and we will never walk away from them when they need help.
