Do you have feral cats in your neighborhood and aren’t sure how to help? Curious about ways to manage their population while ensuring these cats remain happy and healthy? You’re not alone—feral cat communities can often pose challenges, but there are compassionate and effective ways to address the situation. In this section, we’ve gathered answers to some of the most common questions about feral cats, from how to care for them to strategies for controlling their numbers. Whether you’re looking to make a positive impact in your community or simply want to learn more, this guide is here to help.
Yes! Feral cats play an important role in our ecosystem by helping to control rodent populations. Adopting one is a great way to help a feral cat and manage pests! All working cats have a $0 adoption fee and will be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and ear-tipped. There are two types of adoptable feral cats: Barn cats and Porch cats. Barn cats can help keep rodent populations under control on your residential or business property. These are feral cats who are accustomed to hunting for meals, and have not had experience with human companionship. By providing them with one meal a day and safe shelter, they will go to work removing rodents from their new homes. Porch cats are a great for those who want a pet, but allergies or other issues prevent them from having an indoor pet. Porch cats are accustomed to outdoor life, but enjoy being around people. In exchange for food and care, they will be a companion to keep an eye on your yard while you are gone, and greet you at your gate when you arrive home.
The most obvious way to prevent mating is to keep your female pet confined during its fertile periods. 100% confinement is extremely difficult for males. Females may become pregnant only during their estrus or “heat” periods. These cycles usually occur twice a year in dogs and at least 2 or 3 times a year in cats. Many cats go into “heat” as often as once every 2 or 3 weeks during certain times of the year. Because they are capable of mating so often, confinement is not particularly convenient for pet owners. It also does nothing to eliminate accompanying problems, such as spotting, spraying, or susceptibility to uterine infection and breast cancer. Veterinary medical scientists are currently working to develop a pill or other convenient method of birth control, but such nonsurgical methods are not currently available in the United States. At present, other than confining your pet, the sure way to keep your pet from mating is to have it surgically spayed or neutered.
Feral cats are part of the urban wildlife in our communities. They benefit our neighborhoods by curbing rodent populations. But for those uncomfortable around cats, there are many humane ways to keep them out of yards without removing them. Keep in mind that what might work for one yard may not work for another. We are committed to working with our neighbors to help everyone coexist peacefully. While community cats are protected in New Orleans and many other parishes we understand that nuisance behaviors are still a problem. We’ll do our best to help you with these issues, but it is important that you understand that parish laws prohibit us from picking up and removing feral cats unless they are ill or injured. If you are struggling to keep feral cats off your property contact us so we can help! Here are a fews ways you can discourage feral cats: 1. Remove food sources and keep garbage cans covered. 2. Keep gates closed and block access points through your fence or under your house. 3. Use river stones, rocks, cedar chips, pine cones or concrete pavers to prevent digging. You can also scatter the peels of citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, or grapefruits in your garden. 4. Purchase motion-activated animal repellants or spray commercial cat repellant around the edge of your property. 5. Reach out to known caretakers in the area, and request that they build outdoor litter boxes on the properties to encourage cats to eliminate there.
The universal symbol for a feral cat that has been through TNVR is that the tip of one ear is clipped.
TNVR is a humane solution that keeps the well-being of the cat at the heart of the solution. It allows the cat to live out its natural life, while at the same time reducing those nuisance behaviors which often make cats unwelcome. These cats also provide natural pest control and are healthier and calmer.
First, assess the age of the kittens. If their eyes are closed or they are unable to walk or run, they will not be able to survive long without their mother. Next, determine if the mama cat has truly abandoned her kittens. Mother cats need to hunt for their food, so it’s common for them to leave her kittens alone for hours at a time. If you catch sight of the mother cat within 12 hours, leave her and the litter where they are. Plan to wait approximately 4-8 weeks until the kittens weigh 2 pounds, and then TNVR the mother and the kittens to prevent future births. For older kittens that are running easily, you can wait up to 24 hours before being certain the kittens are abandoned.
If you are certain that the kittens have been abandoned by their mother, you can bring them in to the Louisiana SPCA and surrender them to our care. Feral kittens under 12 weeks old usually socialize to humans quickly and become friendly and suitable to be indoor pets. Kittens too small for spay/neuter surgery will be eligible for the foster program where they will be placed in homes for weight gain and socialization. Once big enough, kittens will be sterilized and placed in our normal adoption program.
New Orleans animal laws are covered under Chapter 18 of the Orleans Parish Municipal Code. Our Humane Law & Rescue Team is responsible for enforcing these laws. If you live in another parish, be sure to check your parish’s animal laws!
A feral cat is a cat that was born in the wild, is the offspring of an owned or feral cat that is not socialized, or is a formerly owned cat that has been abandoned and is no longer socialized. This differs from a community cat, which is a feral or free-roaming cat without visibly ID that has been sterilized, vaccinated, and either eartipped or microchipped. Community cats often have a caretaker who stands in the place of the cat’s owner and is responsible for daily feeding, watering and medical care. Community cats are exempt from licensing, feeding bans and registration requirements. All cats living outdoors will be considered feral until ownership or caretakership is verified.
If the cat is in New Orleans, report it to the Humane Law & Rescue team by calling 504.821.2222. If it’s in another parish contact that parish’s animal control department.
Before a feral cat is returned to its community, each one receives core vaccines while in our care, including FVRCP and rabies. FVRCP is a combination shot that includes vaccinations against highly contagious, feline-related diseases: Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (FVR), Feline Calicivirus (C), and Feline Panleukopenia (P). Receiving these core vaccines helps limit the spread of these diseases in cat communities.
We currently offer trap rentals at our Orleans and Plaquemines Parish campuses. Trap rentals are free but require a security deposit that will be refunded when the trap(s) are returned. The security deposit is $30 for 1 trap and $50 for 2-5 traps. Be sure to call ahead to make sure traps are available.
Community members will trap feral cats to spay/neuter and vaccinate them so that they may be returned to live out their natural lives in their neighborhood under the watchful eye of their caretaker.
