The Ward 1 Alley Cat Coalition

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Cat Colony Care & Relocation

Relocation Tips - Guidelines on how to relocate cats into a new area.

In every alley in the City, there are countless cats and kittens who are struggling to survive. Many starve or freeze to death, while many more are tortured and abused. We have reports of noose hangings, burnings, eyes gouged out, dog attacks, beatings and other horrific incidents. You can help these defenseless cats by providing protection, food, water and, in the harsher months, shelter.
There are about 40 houses per square block in the average city neighborhood. All it takes is one caring resident to maintain an alley cat colony. Or, a few residents can share this responsiblity. It takes about 10 minutes a day to put some food and water out for these cats and to keep a watchful eye out for them.
After several weeks, you will start to notice the cats starting to know and trust you. Perhaps one or two will let you pet them. You should give them names to keep track of them. The thanks you get will be their gratification and knowing that you saved an animal's life.

Sharing the Trust
(an excerpt)
Each dawn brings with it the feral cat
seeking her handout breakfast
wary yet trusting the hand that feeds her
timid and disillusioned, she will not venture close
remaining safely at the end of the porch
postponing her feasting until I return inside
she grows plump from my humble offerings
her fur now thick and lustrous again
someone who didn't honor deserted her
she has survived by reversing her species evolution
and is once again a creature of the uncertain wild
this Siamese splendor is now part alley-cat defiance.

by Marcia Miller-Twiford

Alley Cat Colony Maintenance Care

Humane Trapping
All alleys cats need to be spayed/neutered. We believe in TNR - Trap, Neuter, Release where by the cats are humanely trapped and then spayed/neutered and released. We can lend you traps and show you how to trap.

Spay/Neuter
Spaying and neutering of both your domestic cats and feral alley cats are the best way to prevent overpopulation, starvation, freezing to death and abuse. There are millions and millions of homeless, abused cats. Only spay/neutering can solve this problem. Contact a local spay/neuter clinic.
Note: A tipped left ear shows that a cat was neutered.

Feeding
Provide food and water for cats on a daily basis. A 18 pound bag of dry cat food costs only $8.00 at Safeway or Giant and could feed 10 cats for 2 weeks - that's about 50 cents a day to prevent cats from starving to death. Place the food in the same place and feed about the same time each day. The cats will start to expect the food and probably will start to warm up to you and consider you their friend. Be sure to also provide fresh water on a daily basis.

Shelter
Provide shelter for the harsh winter months, i.e carboard boxes, garages, blankets, etc.

Medication/Diseases
There are some common medical problems to be aware of that alley cats are suspect to including:

Viral Diseases: The three major feline viral diseases are Feline Leukemia (FeLV), Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), and Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), all of which appear to exist more in domestic cats than in feral cat populations.
Colds and upper respiratory infections are caused by various viruses and claim many kittens each year. Some of these same viruses, or an organism known as Chlamydia, can also cause permanent damage to a kitten's eyes. If bacteria invade the infected eye the organisms can puncture the tough covering, resulting in blindness. Even a lesser infection can leave the eyeball badly scarred. Many of the kittens will survive these illnesses if they can be kept long enough to treat and if they will eat. Warmth, good nutrition, antibiotic eye ointments and oral antibiotics are recommended until recovery is complete
Diarrhea can result from disease, food changes, worms, or overfeeding. The resulting dehydration can be deadly. Make sure to always provide water for your cats.
Distemper (Feline Panleukopenia) is also a chronic danger to young cats, especially those who did not have the advantage of the mother cat's antibodies. It is airborne, very contagious, and often a killer. Distemper can cause high morbidity and mortality in a group of feral cats. For this reason, one vaccination of Feline Panleukopenia is recommended for all cats neutered. This provides one year and possibly up to three years of protection from this virus, primarily fatal to kittens. The respiratory component of the vaccine will not provide protection unless repeated at a recommended three week interval.
Fleas: Fleas, ticks, ear mites and other external parasites can be treated while the cats are anesthetized for surgical neutering, by cleaning their ears and applying a topical miticide. Vets have a variety of products to control fleas and ticks.
Roundworms: Roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms and other internal parasites can be eliminated with injections.
Wounds: A feral cat's skin should be examined for wounds, which can be cleaned and treated while the cat is anesthetized for surgical neutering. Any suspicious lesion should be examined for the fungus commonly known as ringworm, which is more common in kittens than adults.

Coalition volunteers can help you identify some common ailments and assist you in getting medication.

Monitoring
Get to know your cats and make sure they all remain healthy. You will gradually start to know your alley cats and perhaps even give them names. You can make sure they come each night for their feedings. Sometimes they do wander, so don't panic the first evening they don't show up. However, after a few days of no-shows, it's smart to check garages, hiding places, etc. to see if they may be injured.

Report Abuse
Report animal abuse to the police or Animal Control and fight for stricter animal abuse legislation. It is now against DC law to abuse animals.

Relocation - An overview on how to relocate cats from one area to another area.

Other Hints

Do not use (flea) collars particularly on kittens because the collars will cause severe neck injuries.
Name your cats to become more familiar with them.
A tipped left ear shows that the cat has been spayed/neutered

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