What are Feral Cats?
Feral cats, which typically live together in colonies within neighborhoods, business areas, or other public spaces, differ significantly from stray cats. A feral cat has been born and raised without human contact and is therefore unsocialized. They tend to avoid humans or may growl and strike out when approached.
What are Stray Cats?
In contrast, a stray cat is socialized and once lived as a pet but was abandoned or lost. Stray cats are usually more approachable and may seek out human companionship.
Both feral and stray cat populations can cause problems. However, while a stray cat has the potential for adoption into a forever home, feral cats remain fearful of humans and rarely become friendly.
The Importance of Trap-Neuter-Return Programs
To address these challenges, programs are in place worldwide to humanely regulate feral cat populations. These programs, known as "trap-neuter-return" (TNR), involve humanely trapping the animals, spaying or neutering them, and returning them to the locations where they were found. During their time under human care, the cats may also be vaccinated against rabies and receive other critical medical attention.
How You Can Help
Good Fix is a program of Greater Good Charities that deploys specially trained high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter (HQHVSN) surgical teams and professional trapping teams to help control pet overpopulation in communities that need it most, all free of charge. Good Fix also provides vaccination services to owned and community pets, educates community members on the importance of spay/neuter, TNR (trap, neuter, return) and coordinates education opportunities with local shelters. Ultimately, Good Fix reduces human-animal conflict, reduce shelter intake, and relieve the burden on animal shelters to euthanize unwanted pets.
Our Good Fix program benefits the cats by improving their quality of life, and also prevents them from spreading diseases or harming nearby humans. It also ensures that these animals do not fill up local shelters and rescue centers, causing adoptable cats to be euthanized to free up resources.
It takes a considerable amount of time, effort, and funding for caring individuals and non-profit animal welfare organizations to keep a feral cat population under control through trap-neuter-return initiatives.
You can help humanely control the feral cat population by donating today!
