We’re the wild ones…
In previous blogs, I’ve covered the presence of stray and feral cats in our environment, and how the numbers seem to be on the rise. A study last month led by feline epidemiologist, Dr Jenni McDonald states there’s believed to be around 250,000 urban stray cats in the UK. This equates to around 9.3 a square km.
Cats who have lived outside often have a different psychology to cats who have always resided in homes. (There are even differences between ferals (cats born outside), and strays (cats who have lived indoors but no longer do.)) Ferals and strays are often entire, which means the cats display more obvious territory and mating behaviour. This is often what causes issues for people who live near feral colonies; the cats are more likely to territory mark by spraying or middening (leaving uncovered faeces on places such as lawns), and often make extremely loud noises when fighting each other for mates and indeed, when the actual mating occurs.
Humans, as well as cats, benefit from their neutering. The changes in behaviour after the operation make coexistence a lot easier for our species.
If you believe a cat to be a stray, this is a useful article on how you can help.
https://icatcare.org/advice/found-a-cat/
Because a lot of stray cats haven’t been neutered, taking proactive steps before there are numerous opportunities for the cat to breed can help to stop the rise in feral colonies.
If you want to know more about the study, you can find an article with more detail here:
(Photo source: International Cat Care)