Domestic or Community Cats
Community Cats
“Community cat” is an umbrella term that refers to any member of the Felis catus species who is unowned and lives outdoors. Both feral and stray cats are community cats. Community cats have a wide range of behaviors and degrees of socialization, but they generally do not want to live indoors and are unadoptable.
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Cats
It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of the family. Cats are commonly kept as house pets but can also be farm cats or feral cats; the feral cat ranges freely and avoids human contact. Domestic cats are valued by humans for companionship and their ability to kill rodents. About 60 cat breeds are recognized by various cat registries.
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Stray Cats
A stray cat is a cat who lived indoors and was socialized to people at some point in her life, but has left or lost her home, or was abandoned, and no longer has regular human contact.
Over time, a stray cat can become feral as her contact with humans dwindles. A stray cat may be socialized enough to allow people to touch her, but she will become less socializedor even feralif she spends too much time without positive interaction with humans.
Under the right circumstances, a stray cat can also become a pet cat once again. Stray cats that are re-introduced to an indoor home after living outdoors may require a period of time to re-acclimate; they may be frightened and wary after spending time outside away from people.
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Feral Cats
A feral cat is an unsocialized outdoor cat who has either never had any physical contact with humans, or human contact has diminished over enough time that she is no longer accustomed to it. Most feral cats are fearful or people and are not likely to ever become a lap cat or enjoy living indoors. Kittens born to feral cats can be socialized at an early age and adopted into indoor homes.
We do not, in general, recommend trying to socialize a feral kitten over 4 months of age. Socializing is time consuming, especially for older kittens, and results are not guaranteed.
What is socialization?
When we say a cat is “socialized” we mean she is accustomed to and enjoys companionship with people. To socialize a cat means to acclimate her to human touch, human spaces, and human sights, smells, and sounds. It’s a process that’s influenced by many factors of a cat’s life and takes time and effort from compassionate people.
Kittens becomes socialized by interacting with peoplebeing held, spoken to, and played withfrom an early age. If a kitten does not become accustomed to people holding her and petting her within this crucial window, she will grow up apprehensive of humans and will not be suited to or happy living in homes.
What to Do if You Find a Sick or Injured Cat
1. Consult a trusted, community cat-friendly veterinarian.
A veterinary professional can help evaluate whether a cat needs to be brought to the clinic right away for an illness or injury. Prior to taking any action, contact your chosen veterinarian and describe the cat’s condition. If you can, share photos or videos of the cat. For community cats with mild issues, it may be best to allow them to heal in their outdoor home rather than trapping them.
Remember that trapping is stressful for community cats and should only be done out of necessity, such as for spay and neuter or to treat more serious injuries or illnesses.
2. Consider options for long-term care.
Based on the severity of illness or injury, a cat might need to be placed in a long-term holding area for recovery. Whether that recovery is done in your home or the veterinary clinic, plan beforehand so you don’t have to scramble at the last minute.
Connect with your veterinarian and ask if they would be willing to house the cat during recovery, or for advice on how to create the best possible recovery space in your home.
3. Plan to fund any needed care.
As a community cat advocate, it’s always wise to plan ahead for how you’ll pay for veterinary bills, including any beyond the usual spay and neuter, vaccination, and eartip.
Use our tips on developing resources for cat care to help create an emergency medical fund, or for ideas on how to negotiate a payment plan with your veterinarian.
Trapping Sick or Injured Cats
Use a Drop Trap
Drop traps are the best way to ensure you trap the right cat in the swiftest manner. This is especially important when you need to trap a sick or injured cat who needs veterinary attention.
Get creative
How you trap a sick or injured cat is highly dependent on the state the cat is in. For example, this is one of the only times where you may consider using a net. Use of a net should be a last resort but may be necessary, for example, if a cat is too injured or out of sorts to walk into a drop trap.If you use a net, make sure it is specifically made for cats (you may be able to borrow one from a local animal shelter or animal control agency.
Just make sure you ask about their policy regarding loaning out equipment. Some shelters require trapped cats to be brought into the facility, where they may be killed rather than helped).When using a net, it’s important to wear protective clothing and thick gloves at all times.
Transfer the cat to a humane trap, with comfort padding if needed.
Cats captured in nets need to be transferred to a humane trap immediately, without exception. This is also a time to consider the condition of the cat and if she will need padding in her trap to be more comfortable. For example, a cat with an injury may experience discomfort or soil a vehicle or the ground without a towel or blanket covering the bottom of the trap.
Apply the padding of your choice before transferring the cat.