West Columbia Gorge Humane Society's Feral Cat Trap-Neuter-Return Program.

We assist the public in managing the feral cat population in Camas and Washougal. Our goal is to help citizens care for and monitor the health of our local feral cat population.

Studies have proven that a Trap-Neuter-Return policy is more effective than just trapping and removing feral cats. Feral cats create family colonies that are self-policing and stay in their own territories. A feral cat colony will rarely accept newcomers into their colony. If the entire colony is spayed and neutered, the size of the colony will eventually diminish as the members die out. The life span of a feral cat is short. An unmanaged colony cat, may only live two years. They die of disease, predators, injury from vehicles and fighting. Sadly, feral cats are also targeted by people with weapons and poisons. In areas where feral cats are trapped and removed (euthanized) there is nothing to keep other feral cats from moving in to the now vacant territory. The problem doesn't just go away.

Monitored feral cats colonies that have been Neutered and Returned are much better neighbors. Problems with feral cats include the noise of catterwalling and fighting, spraying urine to mark territories, diseases such as Rabies, Feline Leukemia and FIV, and the litters of unwanted kittens.

The odds of survival for a feral kitten are slim. Even if a kitten does survive, they need to be rescued at a very early age in order to have a chance at being tamed. Feral kittens over the age of 6-8 weeks are already too imprinted on their mother's wildness to be easily tamed. It is tragic to see the fear in kittens we have rescued too late and knowing that they may never come out of their timid and scared shells. They have a hard time being adopted and often end up as barn cats.

Spay and neuter your own cats. Keep them indoors only. Too often, it is an owned tom-cat that makes the rounds of feral cat colonies during breeding season. Owned female cats can also add to the feral problem if they are abandoned and left to fend for themselves and their kittens. By keeping your own cats indoors and spayed and neutered, you are taking responsibility for your own pets as well as keeping them safe.

What do you do if you have a feral cat colony that you are willing to monitor and care for? Please contact us for colony care information, trapping and medical care for the feral cats. We do not advocate that people try to trap and deal with feral cats on their own. Our goal is to assist caregivers with keeping the feral cat family colony together. We will trap the cats, get them spayed or neutered, vaccinated and then the cats are returned to the same colony.

When the entire colony have been spayed or neutered, they usually will not allow a strange cat to join their colony. Should a strange cat appear, and stay; the caretakers are to call us so the new cat can be medically tested for diseases, treated and then returned. In many cases, the new ones showing up have been friendly cats, left behind when someone moved from their apartment or home. The cat is more often then not; an indoor cat and is really unfamiliar with having to find food and a safe place to sleep. These friendly cats are often quite adoptable and enter our shelter to find safe new homes.

All cats deserve our respect and care. Caring for a Trap/Neuter/Release feral colony is a rewarding experience. Let us know how we can help you care for these special creatures.

How to Deal With Unwelcome Cats on Your Property:

Trap-Neuter-Return Program for Feral Cats and Neighborhood Strays