This content was preserved from the original amberfoundation.org page. The Amber Foundation was Dennis’ attempt to share information on feral cat care and especially treating feline mange.
There are many ways that a house cat can end up living outside:”outdoor pet”A cat owned and taken care of by somebody, who lets the cat out of the house some or all of the time.
We prefer that cats be indoor pets – they live better, longer lives. But outdoor pets still get the necessities of life, so we don’t really see a problem with them.”stray”A cat owned and taken care of by somebody, who has gotten lost. May be an indoor cat who got out, or an outdoor pet who has strayed from home.”feral cats”Cats of domesticated ancestry, born and living in the wild.”abandoned”A cat, formerly taken care of by somebody, who has been abandoned or dumped someplace. This may happen with unwanted kittens, or an older cat who “isn’t fun anymore.”In the case of stray, feral, or abandoned cats, we would like to get them out of the wild and into a better, safer environment. Perhaps a stray pet can be rescued and reunited with its owner. Perhaps an abandoned can can find a new home. Perhaps a feral can be tamed and become a pet.
The Problem Of Feral Cats
First, we would like to say that we don’t like the idea of feral cats.
Basically, that is a domesticated animal, whose ancestors have lived and worked with humans for hundreds of generations. Animals who are no longer equipped to fully fend for themselves. Animals abandoned by the humans upon whom they depend.
Can an abandoned cat survive? Perhaps yes.
Can abandoned cats mate and produce subsequent generations that have not known mankind? Yes.
But it’s not a good deal for anybody. It’s not good for the cats, who live shorter, poorer lives. And it’s not good for humans, who often find stray or feral cats to be a nuisance.
Sometimes a cat can be rescued and adopted to a new home..
In the event of a large colony of feral cats, the best approach may be to Trap, Neuter, and Release. At least this stops the cycle.