Stray and wild cats
Stray and feral cats are a big problem in the United States. Stray dogs are simply cats that have wandered away, but feral cats may have been raised for another generation in the wild and know how to survive without human care. The problem is that they can carry disease, fight domestic cats, and spread those diseases. Left unchecked, they breed more and more cats. However, they can play a useful role in local pest and rodent control.
Stay away and try to pet him. Homeless people are not always friendly or immunized, so there is a possibility that they are carriers of rabies. If bitten, the cat is either trapped and tested for rabies or you will need a full series of rabies shots, which are not pleasant. A bite or scratch from a wild cat should prompt you to see a doctor.
If the cat is friendly, do him a favor and take him to the vet. Get him vaccinated, spayed or neutered and try to find him a good home if you don’t want to keep him yourself. You should also read about how to deal with cats that have behavior problems.
Get rid of stray cats
Most of the products for sale that claim to keep stray and feral cats away don’t work at all. It wouldn’t hurt to give them a try if you have the money to spend, but there are plenty of tried and true methods below.
- Do not feed the kittens and eliminate any food sources you can find. Leaving food can also attract other animals such as skunks.
- Block entrances to places where wild cats like to live. It gets under houses, decks and the shed. Make sure you don’t have a wild cat shelter next to your home.
- Call your local animal control center and see if they come out to catch them or let you borrow or rent a trap to catch the cats.
- Buy your own trap and catch the cat yourself. Take it to the nearest animal control. To free yourself elsewhere is simply to condemn you to a worse life. Be careful though – this is not a domesticated cat, but a growling and scratching ball of threat.
- Use pepper spray generously in areas that cats frequent. They will be bothered by the sensitive nose and cats can stay away.
If you have a heart of gold, catch the cat, take him to the vet and have him vaccinated and then spayed or neutered. Go back to your property and give him food. Maybe he could use a good buzzard? Regardless, the important thing is that stray dogs do not continue to breed.