For Paws Sake

¤ Colony Management ¤

WHAT IS A CAT COLONY?
A group of cats living together is called a "colony". Sometimes the cats are wild and sometimes they are stray cats that are tame. A colony can contain both.

COLONY CARETAKERS
People who regularly care for a colony are called "Colony Caretakers". If you are thinking of doing this, THINK. It requires a minimum of two responsible people and if you can’t or aren’t willing to supply the basic requirements (see list below) then don’t bother. Caretaking should always be a team effort (team being at least two). If you are taking care of the colony after dark, two people together are safer than one. Also, if one caretaker needs to be absent for any reason (illness, vacation, business, etc.) the other caretaker can continue the care and the animals won’t suffer. Also, it helps to have someone else to lend moral support and to consult with about situations that arise and problems with animals.

BASIC MANAGED COLONY REQUIREMENTS
These are basic things that every well-managed colony needs:

Food
Regular cat food, dry and/or canned fed on a regular basis is much better than their normal subsistence which can consist of dumpster fare, rodents or birds they manage to catch or occasional human handouts. Believe it or not, even declawed cats sometimes show up in these colonies and they would have a hard time catching their own food.
Fresh Water
If there is no fresh water source such as a stream nearby, provide containers such as ceramic bowls that won’t blow away when empty. Buy gallon jugs at the grocery store once and then refill from the kitchen sink each day. Make sure to dump out old water before adding new.
Shelter (from the cold and rain)
Frequently feral cats call storm drains, house crawl spaces, sheds or woodpiles home. If there isn’t any good shelter around, consider putting something inexpensive together for them. Some web sites have instructions for constructing feral cat shelters. Maybe there’s an inexpensive used dog house you find at a yard sale or a trash can that can be turned on it’s side.
Sterilization
This is top priority. Don’t procrastinate. A couple of animals can quickly become a much larger colony. Unaltered animals also spread deadly diseases, such as FIP, Feline Aids and Feline Leukemia through mating and territorial fighting. A regular food source will attract other cats from surrounding areas. Colonies that are fed regularly will breed more frequently, have larger litters and more of the kittens will survive to mature and reproduce. It is essential to have these animals spayed and neutered as soon as possible.

THE NICE BUT UNNECESSARY EXTRA’S
In a perfect world, the best thing would be to do all of the following at the time of sterilization surgery: Test for Feline Leukemia & Feline Aids, vaccinate for rabies & distemper, and treat for ear mites, fleas, ticks, worms and other intestinal parasites. But fortunately, these are not necessities. Money is always an issue in colony management and costs can get way out of hand when your dealing with 20-30 cats. The combo tests for Leukemia & Aids are expensive. Sterilizing the animals reduces/possibly eliminates the behaviors (fighting & mating) that put them at risk of contracting/transmitting the diseases. The parasites will probably be back as soon as the treatment wears off. It would be unrealistic and probably unaffordable to trap each cat in the colony on an annual basis for vaccines, so the vaccination immunity would wear off. If you manage to get a lot of funding for your colony, by all means do all these things. The cats will be healthier. But don’t let the cost of the extra’s scare you off from getting the cats sterilized.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT SOURCES FOR THE COLONY
Contact local private shelters and rescue groups. They might have extra food or supplies they can share with you. They may be able to refer you to veterinarians that you can work with that may offer discounts and may be able to help you get financial help to get the cats altered. Neighbors or neighboring businesses may be able to donate food and/or contribute to the cost of feeding or spaying/neutering. Handout flyers explaining what you are doing, why you need help and what help you need.

MAINTENANCE OF THE COLONY
The average lifespan of cats living outdoors is 5 years. In theory, as long as the colony is not reproducing and no new cats are added, the colony should be self-limiting, dwindling down to no cats eventually. It’s probably unrealistic to assume that no new cats will find their way into a colony where there is a ready food source. As you have each animal sterilized, keep a log of the date, description of the cat (short or long hair, color, sex). Having this information can help you identify a new arrival. Each new arrival should be trapped/altered/re-released as soon as possible.

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