Community Cats

Before taking any action, ask around - you may have one (or many) neighbors caring for the cats. This will ensure you don't make unnecessary calls to animal control or trap a cat being cared for by your neighbor. If the cats are a nuisance, have a conversation with your neighbor about managing their unwanted behavior. 

It's important to make sure that the cats are spayed and neutered by doing what is called Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR). This will ensure that the cats are healthy, vaccinated, and unable to reproduce.

HSSW does not have traps to lend or rent. Traps are often available at your local hardware store. You'll also want to make sure you've made plans with a vet before you've trapped. Contact your local vet or a service like Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon or Spay & Save to help.

HSSW has limited capacity to provide spay/neuter services to unowned cats in our community. If you need assistance with spaying or neutering a feral or community cat, contact the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon. Their services are for feral, stray, and barn cats and are donation-based. They serve Oregon and Southwest Washington.

feralcats.com or 503.797.2606

Community cats bring may benefits to the area - a well-managed colony of cats control the rodent population and keep other cats from moving in on their territory. Colonies also benefit the cats as they are generally not suitable for adoption to a family home. 

It is important to provide a shelter appropriate to the size of the colony. Even though some cats like to socialize, many prefer their own space. Shelters should be just big enough for up to five cats and multiple structures is best. For more populated colonies, go with multiple shelters of a larger size. Check out some great information about creating a shelter.

The type of material you put inside the structures is important. The interior must stay dry, so avoid using folded newspaper, towels or blankets as they can hold moisture and drastically reduce the cat’s body temperature. You can use straw or shredded paper so cats stay dry and allow the cat to burrow for extra warmth.

Deterring Cats from Your Property

While many community cats are harmless, we also understand they are not always welcome. If you want to discourage cats from visiting your home or property, consider the following:

• If you’re feeding them, stop. When food sources become unavailable, cats will move on.
• Put out fragrances that keep cats away. Scatter fresh orange or lemon peels. Wet coffee grounds and pans filled with vinegar also deter cats.
• If cats are getting into your trash, secure your trash can with a tight lid or bungee cords. This will protect your trash from wildlife as well.
• Install an ultrasonic deterrent or a motion-activated sprinkler. You can also find humane deterrent products at garden supply stores.
• If cats are using a building or covered space on your property for shelter, block the area so they are unable to enter. Using chicken wire or lattice is typically an effective deterrent, but this should be done only if you are certain no cats or kittens are inside.

Find more information on these and other methods from Ally Cat Allies.

When winter weather approaches, keep your community cat colony in mind and offer them some protection from the cold. However, it’s also important to remember that community cats are resourceful, and most won't be impacted by a brief burst of winter weather.

If you're concerned about a colony on your property, here are some ways you can make the season a little safer and warmer for these resilient outdoor felines.

Click for more information about cold weather safety for community cats.

A community cat is an unowned cat living outdoors. This includes both feral (unsocialized) cats and friendly strays. These cats may live in neighborhoods, near businesses, or other outdoor spaces, and often rely on community members for food and shelter or they may have adapted to their lifestyle and survive independently.

Community cats are typically not accepted at the shelter unless one or more of the following is true:

• The cat is ill or injured
• The cat is an unmitigated nuisance
• The cat is confirmed to be orphaned and too young to be neutered and returned

Shelters are not a hospitable environment for most community cats. Many are not accustomed to living indoors or close interactions with humans and the typical shelter cannot provide housing that is suitable for their behavioral needs. These cats often display wild, shy, or fearful behavior in the shelter, and keeping them in the shelter can cause extreme stress and lead to poor outcomes.

Instead, trap-neuter-return (TNR) is the recommended best practice.

Some community cats are stray cats, formerly owned or regularly cared for by someone. These cats may enjoy human contact, solicit attention, and allow petting. However, friendly behavior from a stray cat in their outdoor environment does not guarantee they are suitable for adoption or tolerant of the shelter environment.

Unless they are injured or sick, stray cats do not require intervention beyond TNR.

Engage with neighbors and/or local businesses. Ask questions like:

• Have you seen this cat before?
• Does anyone feed or shelter it?
• Is it part of a colony?

These questions can help determine whether the cat already has community support and reduce the chances of separating the cat from the resources it relies on.

Many community cats, especially those who are feral/unsocialized, are unsafe to place in homes and would suffer in confinement. Most community cats who enter the shelter environment are euthanized due to dangerous and aggressive behavior. Adoption efforts for these cats are often unsuccessful and stressful for both the cat and the adopter. 

To reduce the unnecessary euthanasia of healthy cats, our goal is to support the community cats where they are, when it’s safe and appropriate to do so.

We understand that managing outdoor cats in this way is new. By leaving healthy cats outside, we are reducing unnecessary euthanasia, avoiding ineffective practices, and following best practices recommended by national animal welfare agencies. TNR programs and community support have proven to be effective, humane practices that reduce the population of unwanted outdoor cats in our community.

The easiest way to tell is by assessing the cat’s physical appearance. If a cat is not visibly underweight, has no injuries or obvious signs of illness, it is likely either being cared for or has adapted to outdoor life and is able to care for itself.

Generally, the following practices have proven to make a lasting, long-term impact on the management of community cats: 

• TNR
• Focus on removing sick, injured, or truly at-risk cats
• Rehoming kittens when feasible
• Educating and supporting community members to peacefully co-exist with outdoor cats

This holistic strategy is more humane, cost-effective, and sustainable than continual removal and euthanasia of healthy cats.