If you are concerned for the welfare of a cat you believe to be a stray, make inquiries in your area to see if anyone owns it, or knows who does. Please be aware that some cats that appear to be strays may not be. Some feral kittens below eight weeks of age can be socialised, and may even be adopted into homes as pets. Over time, some stray cats may display more feral behaviour as they go longer without human contact. Feral cats have never had contact with humans and are generally quite fearful of people.

Stray cats have been socialised to humans at some point in their lives, and have been abandoned or lost, losing contact with humans. While both terms describe the same species, there is a distinction between stray and feral cats. If they are not spayed or neutered, stray cats and their offspring continue to multiply. Their offspring will be feral, meaning they have not had interaction with humans and are often afraid of us. These cats are starving and scavenging in order to survive. In some cases cats have been dumped, are lost, or sadly their owners have passed away.

Many cats are left behind when their owners are no longer willing to look after them or have moved house. Q: What can I do to to let my neighbours know about TNR? Q: What are the health benefits of spaying or neutering a cat? Q: When should I have a cat neutered or spayed? Q: Isn’t it good for a female cat to have at least one litter of kittens? Q: Should I feed a stray cat or a feral colony? Q: What is the difference between stray and feral cats? We have created a TNR fact sheet for anyone to download and use to teach their communities about TNR.īelow are some common questions and answers about feral cats, TNR, and what to do if you see feral cats in your area: The ISPCA is encouraging members of the public who are in contact with a feral cat colony to take part in Trap, Neuter, and Return (TNR) to help tackle the issues that accompany cat overpopulation.

Feral cat overpopulation causes serious welfare concerns and distruption to local communities and ecosystems.

There are in excess of 200,000 feral cats across Ireland by some estimates.

Download abandoned cats