Our feral feline "Tango, the Garden Cat" goes to the vet... @awanj @alleycatallies @HumaneSociety

Help Feral Garden Cats

Those of you who know me, know I am a cat lover since meeting my husband - the cat man. We never thought of the plight of feral cats until some arrived in our backyard. Now we try to help educate those we can to help in their survival. Anyone who has ever owned a domestic pet, knows how individual and special their animal personalities are and that they become part of the family.

All cats both domestic and feral are in abundance on our planet. Sadly, over 70% of cats taken to shelters (including domestic cats) get euthanized each year. Felines need your help for food, shelter and neutering to cut down on overpopulation and deaths. Donations to your local shelter or organizations like The Humane Society,  Animal Welfare Association or Alley Cat Allies help to make a difference.

Alley Cat Allies and others say that feral cats can not be adopted. I'm glad I didn't hear or think that before we adopted our sweet feral cat family. Some feral cats can be adopted into domestic homes. Our Tango, Zina and Cali are living proof. Doing this however, does not mean the cat(s) will become socialized to the point of allowing humans to pet and hold them. After years of love, food and security, our Tango and Cali only let me touch their noses - that is their limit. They eat, play with their toys, use their litter, and sleep happily in their beds. Zina on the other hand - our bravest feral cat - allows human touch, but she is still by no means a lap cat. At least not yet anyway.

Having feral cats live indoors may present a dilemma. The good news is they have food, safety, shelter and toys. The bad news is that if and when something goes wrong with their health it can be a challenge to take them to the vet since they probably won't allow you to pick them up. For us, the inevitable happened last night. We had to set a trap inside our house to catch Tango, the Garden Cat. Tango has what looks like some sort of tumor in his mouth. 

The vet did not find any tumors or masses. Tango was a cooperative patient, got his nails clipped, shots updated, a clean bill of health and is ready to come home from his second ever vet visit - his first was at AWANJ after being initially trapped and neutered. 

Tango and his furry friends were the subject of a 

short 3-part garden cat story that you can read on Dave's Garden.

Related Links
Tango, the Garden Cat part 1: Tango Arrives
Tango, the Garden Cat part 2: Tango's Garden Adventure
Tango, the Garden Cat part 3: Home for Christmas

Caring for Feral Cats in Winter