Maintaining a healthy and manageable community cat population
What are community cats?
Community cats are unowned outdoor cats that may be feral (unsocialized) or semi-social. They often receive food and care from residents in their neighborhoods. Unlike the outdated concept of “feral cat colonies,” community cat programs focus on decentralized care and reducing large, concentrated cat populations.
From feral colonies to community cat management
The term “community cat” emerged in 2008 as a modern approach to helping outdoor cats. Traditional “feral colonies” involved feeding stations maintained by a few caregivers for many cats in one area. This setup increased cat density, raised public health concerns, and drew complaints.
Additionally, scientific research has shown the catch-and-kill methods that arose from these negative feral colony experiences don’t reduce outdoor cat populations long term either. In fact, they can trigger increased breeding and quickly return numbers to previous levels.
Instead, modern studies have found that most outdoor cats travel alone and visit multiple homes. Care is often shared informally among neighbors, with many people providing food, water, and shelter to a few cats each. This decentralized model – Community Cat Management – reduces conflict, disperses cat populations, and builds public support.
Key principles of community cat care
Community cat programs now operate across the nation and around the world as the current best practice for people wanting to assist outdoor cats. Below are key principles of this type of program:
- Small scale: Each caregiver should care for a small number of cats (ideally fewer than five).
- Sterilization and identification: All cats should be spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and ear-notched for easy recognition.
- Private property only: Caregivers must use their own land or have written permission. Public property should not be used.
- Responsible feeding: Feed only during daylight hours and remove food after a few hours. No food should be left out unattended at night. Use the appropriate amount of food needed for the number of cats being cared for; do not overfeed or provide additional food if kittens are seen.
- Health concerns: Any unusual behavior or signs of illness – especially unexpected aggression toward the caregiver – should be reported to Animal Control for rabies investigation.
TNVR: Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return
TNVR is the humane and effective approach to managing community cats. While not guaranteed to reduce population size quickly, TNVR improves cat health and reduces the number of kittens born into harsh outdoor conditions.
The Pet Resource Center (PRC) offers limited TNVR services. If a Hillsborough County resident has community cats in their neighborhood that have not been sterilized and ear-notched, PRC will accept up to 10 cats (three per person) per day Monday through Thursday. Each cat deemed a Community Cat will receive the following services:
- Basic wellness exam by a veterinarian
- Basic vaccines, to include but not limited to rabies and FVRCP
- Sterilization in the form of spay or neuter surgery
- Ear-notching under sedation for reference the cat has been sterilized
If you see outdoor cats in your area that are not ear-notched, consider participating in a TNVR program to support a healthier, more manageable community cat population.
Questions?
Contact the Pet Resource Center at (813) 301-PETS (7387).