Contents What is a community cat? Where do community cats live? Who takes care of community cats? Why are there so many cats outdoors? What is TNR? Why do some people consider outdoor cats a nuisance? How does TNR solve common complaints about outdoor cats? Isn't living outside dangerous for cats...

You may think that cats have to go outside to be happy. But cats would disagree with you (and so would local birds!) Actually, close to two-thirds of owned cats live indoors either exclusively or for a majority of the time. Cats can live a happy and healthy life indoors with their families. Allowing...

If you’ve encountered a cat outdoors, or an unfamiliar cat has started hanging out in your backyard, you’ve likely wondered if the cat needs your help. The answer is maybe. The cat may be: an owned pet who lives nearby and is allowed to roam outside. a lost cat whose owners are searching for their...

Scratching is a normal, instinctive cat behavior. Cats have a need to scratch. They do it to express emotions, like excitement or stress, to mark objects with their scent (they have scent glands in their paws), to remove the dead part of their nails and, often, just to get a good stretch. It’s also...

Although community cats are resourceful and instinctively seek out safe places in times of danger, extreme weather may pose a threat to them. If you take care of a colony of cats, there are many things you can do to increase their chances of coming through the storm safe and sound. What to do right...

Shelter, food, and water are especially important to outdoor cats--feral and stray--in the cold of winter. Follow our advice on building the best kind of shelter and keeping food and water from freezing. Also, to TNR or not to TNR? We'll answer that question.

So your indoor cat wants to go outdoors—but you know that keeping cats inside is better for their safety and the safety of wild animals. What’s a caring cat guardian to do? Enter catios, or cat patios. These screened porches designed for cats provide enrichment and a (safe) way to spend time in...

Everything from our household cleaning habits to the way we interact with our cats can cause anxiety and stress. And when cats face multiple sources of stress, they can become very unhappy. Cat stress can lead to problematic behaviors, like peeing outside the litter box, and it can also affect their...

If community cats are aggravating you or your pets, you should first identify who is caring for the cats and connect them with local trap-neuter-return ( TNR ) resources. Simply removing outdoor cats is seldom a long-term solution as more cats move into the area to take advantage of handouts from...

An excellent way for you to keep tabs on your cat's health between vet visits is a regular seven-step nose-to-tail check-up. Learn how now.

For years we managed our lovable but anxious cat’s behavior in ways that, looking back, seem silly. Pepper, an indoor cat , would become upset if she looked through the sliding glass door in our kitchen and saw another cat passing through our backyard. As she began to growl, we would hastily retreat...

Wherever you live or work, chances are there are community cats living nearby. You may see them hanging outside a neighbor’s home, lurking around dumpsters or loitering around commercial lots. An estimated 10-12% of the American public feed community cats , but many lack the information or help they...

Beth McNulty was used to seeing the occasional cat cross her property. In her rural community in Monrovia, Maryland, some of her neighbors let their pet cats roam free. And from time to time, a stray would show up and take shelter in her backyard shed. Over the years, she’d adopted two of these...

Organizations can play a huge role in the lives of community cats Whether you are a large shelter, a private nonprofit, a municipal agency or a small volunteer rescue, there are ways to help your area’s outdoor cats, whether they are community cats (feral and stray) or cats whose owners allow them...

Government officials and lawmakers: Use policy to change the lives of community cats Have you been hearing from citizens who don’t want cats on their property? Are you looking for a way to modify ordinances so that Trap-Neuter-Return ( TNR ) programs are allowed? You're not alone. More and more...

When we think of “aggression,” we may think of a variety of motivations and impulses deriving from our own experience as humans. Fortunately, aggression in cats is easier to make sense of and typically derives from two impulses: fear and mistrust. These are the most likely scenarios to cause fear...

Nov 28 update: The cats have been placed with our shelter and rescue partners to find loving homes. We are happy to hear that many of the cats have been adopted and are enjoying life in their new homes! Nov 7 update: After almost a month of care and veterinary treatment, the cats are ready to look...

The words might seem alarming: “Positive for FIV.” Because many people are unfamiliar with feline immunodeficiency virus, it can seem like a daunting diagnosis for potential adopters. Yet the myths and misconceptions around FIV—such as the mistaken assumption that it is a “death sentence”—might...