Identification - Feral cats are house cats living in the wild. They are small in stature, weighing from 3 to 8 pounds, standing 8 to 12 inches high at the shoulder, and 14 to 24 inches long. The tail adds another 8 to 12 inches. Colors range from black to white to orange, with many varied combinations in between.
Habitat - Feral cats prefer to be in and around human habitation. They use abandoned buildings, barns, haystacks, post piles, junked cars, brush piles, weedy areas, culverts, and other places that provide cover and protection.
Diet - Feral cats feed on rodents, rabbits, shrews, moles, birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish, carrion, garbage, vegetation, and leftover pet food.
Reproduction - Feral cats produce 2 to 10 kittens during any month of the year. An adult female may produce 3 litters per year where food and habitat are sufficient. Feral cats live 3-5 years on average, where the average house cat can live up to 27 years.
Feral cats feed extensively on song birds, game birds, mice and other rodents, rabbits, and other wildlife. In doing so they lower the carrying capacity of an area for native predators such as foxes, raccoons, coyotes, bobcats, weasels, and other animals that compete for the same food base.
Feral cats serve as a reservoir for human and wildlife diseases, including cat scratch fever, distemper, histoplasmosis, leptospirosis, mumps, plague, rabies, ringworm, salmonellosis, toxoplasmosis, tularemia, and various endo- and ectoparasites.
Exclusion - Exclusion by fencing, repairing windows, doors, and plugging holes in buildings is often a practical way of eliminating cat predation and nuisance. Provide overhead fencing to keep cats out of bird or poultry pens. Wire mesh with openings smaller than 2.5 inches should be adequate protection
Cultural Methods - Remove brush and piles of debris, bail piles, old machinery, and junked cars. Mow vegetation in the vicinity of buildings. Elimination of small rodents and other foodstuffs will reduce feral cat numbers.
Repellents - Anise oil, methyl nonyl ketone, Ro-pel, and Thymol are all registered with the EPA for use. However, there is little evidence of their effectiveness.
Frightening - Dogs that show aggression to cats provide an effective deterrent when placed in fenced yards and buildings where cats are not welcome.
Toxicants or Fumigants - No toxicants or fumigants are registered for control on feral cats.
Trapping - Live trapping cats in commercial or homemade box traps is a feasible control method, particularly in areas where uncontrolled pets are more of a problem than wild cats. Trap openings should be 11 to 12 inches square and 30 or more inches long. Double ended traps should be at least 42 inches long. The cat then can be turned over to its owner with a proper warning, or taken to the animal control shelter if its an abandoned cat.
Snares - Snare sizes No. 1 and 2 are very effective as live traps or kill traps when set properly. Place snares in entrances to dens or crawl spaces, in trails, weeds, garbage cans, boxes or other restricted access areas where bait is placed. This is not recommended in areas where children or pets are present.
Shooting - Feral cats can be shot with .22 rimfire and other calibers of centerfire rifles and shotguns in rural areas where it is safe. This is not an acceptable practice in urban areas.
Other Methods - Supplemental feeding of feral or free roaming house cats will probably have little effect in reducing their depredations on songbirds and other wildlife. Even well-fed cats will bring home a small prey to display to their owner.