Community Cats

They have arrived and we need supplies! Kitten Season is here!

Click below to view our Amazon wishlist or donate:

As the warmer months arrive, unaltered (not spayed) female cats go into heat. If impregnated a female cat gives birth to a litter of kittens only 63 days later. As the influx comes in, the shelter must have enough resources to care for all them!
One of the easiest ways to prepare for "Kitten Season" is to ensure that commonly needed supplies are available immediately. To prepare for the inevitable, we are taking precautions so we are a step ahead! We need your help!

What is a community cat?

Community cats are unowned cats who live outdoors in virtually every landscape on every continent where people live... However, community cats, also called feral cats, are generally not socialized - or friendly - to people. They live full, healthy lives with their feline families (called colonies) in their outdoor homes.

The ASPCA uses the term “community cats” to encompass any un-owned cat. Included under this umbrella are feral cats, those who have been lost or abandoned, and cats who might receive food and intermittent care from one or more residents In a community. Feral cats are cats who are too poorly socialized to be placed as a typical pet.

According to Best Friends Animal Society, “Nearly three-quarters of cats who enter our nation’s animal shelters each year are killed. Most are free-roaming, stray or feral cats. Here at Best Friends, we refer to them as community cats. Although some of these cats are adoptable, many more are not. And for un-adoptable cats, a trip to the shelter is often fatal.”

“Protecting Community Cats.” Best Friends Animal Society, 07 July. 2020, bestfriends.org/our-work/best-friends-advocacy/protecting-community-cats.

It Takes a Community

The Humane Society of Yuma’s Community Cat Program is supported by Best Friends Animal Society’s funding and mentorship. This program has been a vital part of our life-saving work and has proven to be an amazingly effective means to reduce intake numbers of cats entering the shelter. Shelters and animal welfare groups across the country are implementing community cat programs to great success. Yuma has joined that effort in addressing the cat population in our community humanely and effectively.

HSOY’s Community Cat Program exclusively deals with community cats that are brought to the shelter. Cats that have been trapped or found outside, do not have any identification (Microchip, collar or ID tag), are of a healthy weight and good body condition are immediately scheduled for surgery, vaccinated, ear tipped and returned back to the location in which they were found. Cats are notorious for their navigational skills; they have a much higher likelihood of finding their way back home if returned to the place in which they were found. If they are of a healthy weight and good body condition, it signifies that they have a good food source and are capable of staying safe outdoors.

How to determine if a cat is an owned pet or is a community cat?

INTAKE METHOD

IDENTIFICATION

The Humane Society of Yuma uses the above-mentioned factors when determining if a cat is owned or is a community cat. If a cat is found/trapped outside and DOES NOT have any identification (i.e. a collar, identification tag or a microchip), the Humane Society of Yuma categorizes it as a community cat. Behavior is not a determining factor, because in a trap or shelter kennel, stress levels are high for any cat, owned/friendly or wild.

What is T.N.R.?

Trap - Neuter - Release, or TNR, is a method of managing feral cat colonies humanely and effectively. Feral cats are trapped in humane cages using food as bait. They are then spayed or neutered and released where they were originally trapped. We are able to continue to track these colonies because a cat that has gone through the TNR process will have the tip of his/her ear "tipped" off. That way if a cat is ever re-caught for TNR, he/she can be re-released and will in-turn save precious resources. These cats will also be vaccinated for many feline diseases including rabies.

The Humane Society of Yuma’s Trap-Neuter-Return program was able to spay and neuter 1,530 community cats that were brought into the shelter in 2021, and then returned back to the location in which they were found. This is outside of the work of Feline Friends.

What should I do if a cat starts hanging around my house?

If the cat is tame, you should take steps to find the cat's owner. If unsuccessful, the person should take steps to find a permanent home for the cat. If the cat is feral, unapproachable and wary for several days of feeding, please contact Feline Friends at (928) 782-1621 ext 355. We will let you know if the colony is currently being managed. If you see a cat with a notch on it's ear, it has already been trapped, neutered and returned.

Why should I support TNR?

When feral cats are trapped, neutered and returned to their territory, they no longer reproduce. The cessation of sexual activity eliminates the noise associated with mating behavior and dramatically reduces fighting and the noise it causes. Neutered feral cats also roam much less and become less visible and less prone to injury from cars. Foul odors are greatly reduced as well because neutered male cats no longer produce testosterone which, when they are unaltered, mixes with their urine and causes the strong, pungent smell of their spraying. When the colony is then monitored by a caretaker who removes and/or TNRs any newly arrived cats, the population stabilizes and gradually declines over time.

Goals

To educate the public and all local governments about all issues related to Yuma's feral cat population.

To examine, research and identify what other localities, cities and agencies are doing in order to humanely address the issue of feral cat overpopulation.

To seek funding in order to train and educate the public and to implement humane TNR (trap neuter release) programs throughout Yuma.

To explore the procedures needed to create and implement laws that address any crimes related to the dumping of animals in the desert, rural or urban locations.

Humane TNR Practices

All Cats must be in a humane cat trap. Cardboard boxes, cat carriers or cages are not permitted.
All traps are to be labeled with the trapper or caretaker's name, phone number, and trapping location. All surgeries need to be scheduled before you trap the cats.
Cat Traps should always be covered; this reduces stress and keeps all organic matter contained preventing the transfer of any contagious illnesses.
Make sure that there are no anthills near the traps and please place only one cat per trap.
Cats should be given 24 hours to recover and fed before being released.
Do not attempt to hold the cats, if a bite occurs we are required by law to quarantine the animal for 10 days.
Traps need to be thoroughly disinfected between each use. You will need a brush to scrub, bleach, and water.
Use a 1:10 ratio. For a 1:10 dilution, you should add 1 cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water. Or ¼ cup to 32 oz. of water.

Remember that bleach can burn. You should avoid exposing yourself and the cats to the fumes, and people should wear gloves and masks. Also, be sure there is adequate ventilation when using it.
Every cat will be sterilized, given a rabies vaccine & FVRCP, ear tip (on left ear), extended-release pain medication (lasts for 3 days), and medication if injury/illness is life-threatening. Additional vaccines, medication, and microchips can be administered upon request
Please update your catstats.org/yuma account after returning your cat to its home.

Add-on prices for feral cats

Microchip- $10
FELV/FIV test- $28
Feline Leukemia Vaccine (if test is negative)- $15
FVRCP- $22
Antibiotic Injection (lasts for 2 weeks)- $10

Cat Deterrent

Put out fragrances that keep cats away. Scatter fresh orange, grapefruit or lemon peels. Wet coffee grounds—which you may be able to get for free from coffee houses and fast food chains—and metal pans filled with vinegar also deter cats.
Make an outdoor litter box away from your garden by tilling the soil or placing sand in an out-of-the-way spot in your yard. Clean the area frequently.
Use plastic carpet runners, spike-side up, covered lightly in soil. They can be found at hardware or office supply stores. You can also set chicken wire firmly into the dirt (roll sharp edges under), arrange branches or sticks in a lattice pattern, or put wooden or plastic fencing over soil. “Plant” Plastic forks in the soil handle side down, tines sticking up. Old plastic chair mats can be cut to size for either burying lightly in the soil, spike side up or cut into longer stripes to add to the top of block walls to keep cats from traversing the tops.
Place a “scat mat”, a nonchemical cat deterrent consisting of plastic mats that are cut into smaller pieces and pressed into the soil. Each mat has flexible plastic spikes that are harmless to cats and other animals but discourage digging.
Get motion-activated sprinklers referred to as scarecrows. Sonic deterrents have also proved to be successful in keeping cats of vehicles when the sprinklers are not advisable.
Cover exposed ground in flower beds with large river rocks to prevent cats from digging. Rocks have the added benefit of deterring weeds.
Remove food sources from the area, do not feed other pets freely, and secure trash cans or dumpster lids without a food source the cats will move on to other areas

Register Your Colony

Registering your community cat colony allows you to receive important emails with information and T-N-R appointment dates.

Once you sign up and register your colony with the link above, you will be placed on the waiting list. A Humane Society of Yuma staff member will then contact you, via email, WHEN a surgery spot is available.