How to Help Neighborhood Cats

If you live in a city or visit popular tourist destinations, you’ve almost certainly seen cats strolling about outdoors, seemingly living a life of carefree freedom. But not all outdoor cats are sharing the same experience, and each of those varied experiences has a different name. In other words, they’re not all strays.

Then what are they?

Strays are domesticated cats who have previously lived with, or been cared for regularly by, humans. For whatever reason—lost, abandoned, dumped—these unfortunate kitties no longer have the home they’re used to and are not receiving regular care. These are the real strays. They’re the cats who are not where they belong. Outdoor cats, on the other hand, are owned and cared for by a primary owner but spend all or part of their life roaming a neighborhood freely and typically returning home based on somewhat of a routine schedule. They are intentionally outside, and though we could debate whether this is healthy for the cat or good for the neighborhood, they are currently where they belong, as far as they and their humans are concerned. In short, they’re not lost. Finally, there are feral cats. These cats have never lived with humans or received regular feeding and care, and are the ones you may find in colonies. These are the ones who have the bad rap for fighting in the night, turning a garden or park into a malodorous litter box, damaging wildlife populations, and spreading diseases to pets. Since you’re here asking what to do with stray cats, the first important step is determining if this cat is actually a stray at all.

Okay, how?

It should be easy to determine if the cat in question is simply an outdoor cat. If no one is new to the neighborhood and a cat randomly appears, it’s most likely not an outdoor cat. If you are new to the neighborhood, ask around. Your neighbors will know if there’s a neighborhood cat who makes the rounds. Separating strays from feral cats will take a little more sleuthing and often more time. The process is the same for both: wait and watch. If you see a cat once and never again, this question is moot, but if a cat reappears, then set out some wet food and observe the response.

Dry food is okay, too, but remove it before nightfall to avoid attracting other guests like raccoons, opossums, skunks, and other funky friends. The goal is to observe how willing the cat is to take your food, especially if you are visible. Both are likely to be standoffish initially, but feral cats may remain aloof. They have never lived among people and have never been fed by people, so they may take this freebie, but they don’t associate you with being a provider or representing a safe space. A stray is used to being fed and will be more willing to tolerate your presence, and even petting over time. A stray may even be friendly right away. If so, definitely ask the neighbors again before deciding this one isn’t an outdoor cat. Never invite the cat indoors if you have other pets during this process. A friendly cat outdoors may not remain friendly indoors, especially in the presence of other animals. A fight may not just cause injury (or damage to your home) but can spread a disease the newcomer may be carrying. It will also cause stress to your cats and your dogs, too.  

Okay, I know what we have here. Now what?

Great! Obviously, if you have an outdoor cat, do nothing. Well, feel free to pet the furball if that’s of interest and the cat is clearly friendly, but there’s no need to feed him. In fact, you really shouldn’t. You don’t know what this cat’s dietary needs are, and his owner can’t moderate his intake if random neighbors are also feeding him at random times. Just enjoy his presence or ignore him. If he’s causing damage to your property or distress to your own pets, talk to the owner calmly, but don’t necessarily expect a resolution—that cat will practically refuse to stay indoors if he’s already used to going out.

If you have identified a feral cat, you should also resist the urge to continue feeding it. In some neighborhoods, it’s against association rules, and in some municipalities, it’s actually illegal, but it’s inadvisable regardless. Attracting feral cats to your property is bad news for everyone and everything living nearby and can cause conditions that are dangerous to the cat, too. The best you can do to help is to trap it for sterilization and vaccination, then release it. These cats are not adoptable as they’ll never accept captivity, so they need to be set back into the wild once they are medically treated and unable to grow the colony. Trapping feral cats can be difficult, but Neighborhood Cats offers several tips on trap styles and techniques, and a local shelter or vet will be able to advise you further, and possibly support your mission.

If you have a stray on your hands, trapping is also the next step, but you should additionally seek a potential owner. Not all strays were abandoned, and there is a decent chance someone is looking for this cutey. Look for posters around town and messages in neighborhood chat groups, post your own announcements of a found cat (NO photo here—let any responders identify and describe the cat to be sure she actually belongs to them), and take her to a vet to be scanned for a microchip, which would reveal the owner. If her owner can’t be found and you have a cat-less home in need of a cat, feel free to adopt her after getting her vaccinated and sterilized, but keep in mind she may be claimed later, so prepare yourself mentally by thinking of her as a foster for a while. If keeping her is not in the cards, surrender her to a no-kill shelter after getting her treated. The vet may even be able to recommend some good ones. Strays should rarely be re-released, as they’re not used to surviving independently and are unlikely to succeed in the wild.