Myths & Facts About Free Roaming Cats

Myth: Take the cats to the humane society/shelter so they can find a good home.

Fact: 72% of all cats coming into shelters are euthanized. Only 23% are adopted.

Just 2% are reunited with their owners.

100% of free roaming cats are killed.

Myth: Free roaming cats are wild animals.

Fact: Calling these cats wild is a misnomer. They are homeless domestic animals who have no choice but to survive "in the wild." A lot of free roaming cats were house cats and have been left behind by their owners.

Myth: The cats will go away if you stop feeding them.

Fact: Cats are very attached to their neighborhoods. If people stop feeding the cats, they will NOT move away. They can survive for weeks without food and they will continue to reproduce, encroaching closer to humans.

Myth: Free roaming cats attack humans.

Fact: Free roaming cats are afraid of humans and will run from them. You are only in danger of being bit or scratched if you try to corner one.

Myth: Feral cats are diseased and have rabies.

Fact: Cats can occasionally be the victims of rabies, but they are not the cause. In Arizona, bats are the most commonly affected species. There have been no known cases of cat to human rabies in Arizona in more than 12 years (available reports from State Animal Control records). Cats consistently account for roughly 3% of all reported rabies cases in the United States. These numberscome from the Center of Disease Control (CDC). Cats in managed colonies are checkd and vaccinated by veterinarians. Statistics show that free roaming cats are no more likely than house cats t have acquired feline leukemia virus (FeLV) or feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).

Myth: It's easier to eradicate a colony by trapping and killing.

Fact: Eradication has never been an effective way to control any animal population. When animals are removed from a location, new animals move in to take advantage of the food source. This is called the "vacuum effect."

Myth: Free roaming cats cause a significant decrease in bird and wildlife populations.

Fact: Habitat destruction and pesticides (humans) are the main cause of wildlife depletion!

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