Decades Later: Feral Cats Still Deserve a Better Life

 

Feral cats still face misunderstanding and neglect. Learn why responsible TNR, humane trapping, and proper colony care give feral cats the better life they deserve.

 

Intro: From 2009 to 2026  What Hasn’t Changed

Back in 2009, I wrote my very first blog post about feral cats. I believed then with every fiber of my being that feral cats deserved a better life. All these years later, after countless trapping nights, colony seasons, kittens raised, adults socialized, and lessons learned the hard way, that truth hasn’t changed.

What has changed is how clearly we can now explain it.

We understand more about responsible TNR, humane trapping, colony management, and the emotional lives of feral cats. We’ve seen what works, what harms, and what truly helps these animals survive with dignity.

So this is the updated conversation  decades later, same truth, stronger voice.

Feral Cats Still Deserve a Better Life

Feral cats didn’t ask to be born outside. They didn’t choose alleyways, abandoned buildings, or the edges of town as their home. They ended up there because people failed to spay and neuter their pets, abandoned unwanted cats, or allowed generations of strays to reproduce. None of this is the cats’ fault yet they’re the ones who suffer for it.

Many people misunderstand feral cats. They assume ferals are diseased, dangerous, or “better off dead.” Some even believe euthanasia is the most humane option. But that belief comes from not knowing who feral cats really are.

A feral cat is simply a domestic cat who grew up without human socialization. They aren’t wild animals, and they aren’t broken pets. They’re family‑oriented, intelligent, and deeply connected to their colony. They raise kittens together, protect each other, and survive through instinct and cooperation. They live the only life they’ve ever known  and they live it with dignity.

But survival is not the same as living well.

Life outdoors is hard. Feral cats face hunger, parasites, untreated injuries, and harsh weather. They reproduce constantly, which keeps the cycle of suffering going. This is where people often step in with the wrong solution: ending the life of healthy feral cats under the belief that it’s “kindness.” But a feral cat who is alert, bonded to its colony, and thriving in its territory does not need to pass. What they need is stability.

That’s where Trap‑Neuter‑Return (TNR) changes everything.

TNR stops the endless cycle of reproduction. Once spayed or neutered, feral cats live calmer, healthier lives. They stop roaming, stop fighting, and settle into predictable routines. A managed colony with regular feeding, clean water, shelter, and monitoring  gives them the chance to live safely in the only environment they understand.

But TNR must be done responsibly.

Feral cats need trappers who understand timing especially when it comes to pregnant queens and unweaned kittens. Late‑term pregnant cats should not be trapped and forced into losing their litters simply because it’s convenient. And kittens should never be trapped before they are weaned. Their mother’s milk is their immune system; no store‑bought replacement can match what nature provides.

A good trapper watches, waits, and lets the mother cat signal when it’s time. Yes, it takes more work. Yes, it requires patience. But trapping should always be about the cat, not the trapper’s schedule.

And when it comes to socialization, people underestimate what’s possible. Kittens can be socialized but so can adults. It takes time, consistency, and patience, but it can be done. Every cat deserves the chance to show who they are when they feel safe.

Feral cats don’t need to be “rescued from the outdoors.” They need to be protected within it. They need warm shelters in winter, shade in summer, and someone who watches for illness or injury. They need communities that understand TNR is not enabling  it’s preventing suffering. They need people willing to see them not as pests, but as sentient animals who didn’t choose their circumstances.

The truth from 2009 still stands today:
Feral cats deserve a better life.
Not a perfect life. Not a domesticated life.
Just a life where their needs are met and their existence is respected.

And with responsible TNR, thoughtful trapping, and a shift in public understanding, that better life is absolutely possible.

Feeding Feral Cats at Colony

Colony cats live in thicket dens in the woods

This morning is chilly and rainy and I would rather stay indoors and watch the morning news under my warm down comforter but need to get up, get dressed and hike through the woods to feed the feral cats. 

Today is the first cool day in Autumn and it is supposed to rain all day but that is not an excuse as the feral and stray cats that reside in the woods depend on me for food and water.

I know that if I do not set the freshwater and cat food in the feeding station by a certain time the feral cats will get agitated, so it is important that I allow enough time to get up, get ready and hike down the nature trail, then cross the gully, up the embankment to the south bluff where the caves are located.

This cat colony is small so I don’t need to carry out many things; bowls for their food/water packaged dry kibble and water bottle. But I do need to dress properly, spray-on deep woods off, and must wear my hiking boots.

Right now the food station is set up under the overhang of a large rock but we will have to change that come winter. The overhang prevents a downpour of water from getting the food wet but when the wind blows the food does get wet. I am hoping that my husband can build me something that would be 4 feet off the ground so that we would not have to worry about snow or water runoff.

We have cared for this colony of feral and stray cats since 2008. All are part of TNR and we always watch out for the cats and will trap them if they are sick and are in need of veterinarian care.

So it is safe to say that no matter what the weather is, we take care of the feral and stray cats at the colony daily. Here are some photographs of our colony cats.

Paying People to Watch Cat Colony Questions

Recently I received a message from one of my blog followers that told me that they were a caretaker to a feral cat colony and that they were responsible for the colony as there were no other volunteers to help out with the feeding station and making sure cats had shelter or needed medical care This Cat Adoption Guide follower wanted to know if they should pay someone to watch over their cat colony when they go on vacation.

I would say it would be better to network for volunteers in your area that would care for the cats.  It is better to  have a cat lover as a caretaker.  Someone that is civic minded and does not mind donating their time to this worthy cause than to pay somebody.

Feral eat cat food in back garden a photo by Sgolis

One way to find people that are cat lovers in your area is to make up a flyer for cat caretakers and pass out in your neighborhood.  Ask your veternarian if you can hang the flyer on their bulletin board or contact the Cat Network or Alley cat allies and ask if there are any feral cat caretakers in your area. Also see if anyone at your church would be interested in volunteering their time to help care for your colony of cats.

Know that it hard to be solely responsible for a colony of cats and it is better to  know other civic minded people that will share in the duties of feeding the cats and chipping in for the food and or medical costs.  My husband helps me and I have two neighbors that donate their time and help the costs for food, spays and neuters, or vaccines for the cats.

Here is a post that I published that may be of interest to you:  What it means to be a Feral Cat Colony Caretaker