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| Introduction |
| Who Is A Feral Cat? |
| What is TNR? |
| Dispelling The Myths |
| Frequently Asked Questions |
| What You Can Do |
| Ginger's Story: Living With FIV |
| Bangor's Story: FeLV Survivor |
| Download Free Information |
| Links |
| What People Are Saying |
 Feral Cat Network is dedicated to Charlie and his colony. |
Feral cats exist due to the public's failure to adopt, spay/neuter, and its reluctance to make a lifetime commitment to cats in their care. Killing the victims of such negligence should not be a consideration. For decades, the public has been apathetic regarding the plight of homeless animals. It is time to take responsibility for the tragedy we have created. It is time to stop blaming the animals and their caregivers. Traditional, agency-run attempts to trap and kill cats have historically resulted in greater numbers -- and greater suffering for that reason alone -- of stray animals, than have well-planned systems to trap, neuter, and return cats. TNR, in conjunction with public education and low-cost spay/neuter clinics, stabilizes numbers and facilitates the eventual elimination of colonies of homeless cats. Our goal is to end the homeless cat crisis. Feral cat caregivers have been directly responsible for the prevention of hundreds of thousands of cats. We are actively working to address the root of the problem. We acknowledge that the safest place for domestic cats is indoors; cats who are lucky enough to have a home should be kept strictly indoors. However, because of the overpopulation crisis, there are not enough available homes. The next best thing for homeless feral domestic cats born outdoors is a managed colony where food, water, shelter, and medical care are consistently provided. The public can choose to rely on unethical, ineffective trap and kill attempts, or we can work toward our goal by implementing an organized, proven-effective, cost-efficient method of population control. We have made our choice. We hope you will join us. If you live in New Jersey and would like to become more involved with feral cat advocacy and Trap-Neuter-Return, please contact Homeless Animal Lifeline (HAL) at RescueHAL@aol.com. If you live outside of New Jersey, please click here for a listing of feral-friendly organizations throughout the United States. |    |
The information provided on this site is for educational purposes. Feral cats are very afraid of humans and their behavior when trapped or cornered is unpredictable. Do not attempt to handle a homeless cat before consulting with an experienced rescuer! Injury can be caused to you and/or the cat.
| HAL promotes responsible caretakers and properly managed colonies. Cat food should not be left out for free feeding; extra food and debris should be promptly removed after feeding times. Feeding areas and shelters should be kept clean and neat. All cats within a colony must be spayed or neutered. HAL encourages caretakers to work with community members, including those for and against the cats; compromise that ensures the safety of the cats as well as harmony within the community is the goal. |