FAQ | Rocky Mountain Alley Cat Alliance

General Questions

Q: Are you a non-profit organization? Are my contributions tax deductible?
A: Yes, Rocky Mountain Alley Cat Alliance (now dba The Feline Fix) is a Colorado non-profit corporation that the IRS has qualified as a 501(c)(3) organization, so your contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Q: How can I contact you?
A: Our mailing address is: 2600 West 2nd Avenue, #8 Denver, CO 80219. Our phone number is 303.202.3516. We try to return all calls as quickly as possible, usually within two business days.

Q: I’d like to make a donation to The Feline Fix. What do you need?
A: The Feline Fix appreciates all types of monetary donations and donations of materials and supplies. Click here for our wish list.

Feral Cat Questions

Q: What is a “feral” cat?
A: A feral cat is a cat that has never socialized with humans. Either it has grown up wild, with little to no human contact, or it is a stray that has reverted to a wild state.

Q: I never see any feral cats in my neighborhood so why should I care about them?
A: Feral cats are the most underserved population of companion animals. Many live on the margins of human society, unnoticed by humans. Most animal shelters have no choice but to euthanize feral cats brought to their facilities. But, it doesn’t have to be that way if we take action. Doing nothing simply makes the situation worse, and ensures that thousands of kittens will be born to continue the cycle.

Q: What is an “ear tip” and why do you do it?
A: Feral cats that are spayed or neutered in our clinics are ear tipped, meaning during surgery we remove the very tip of their left ear. This is the universal indicator of a sterilized and vaccinated feral cat. The ear tip also helps caretakers identify which cats in their colony are already spayed or neutered since so many cats can look alike. This process is not painful to the cat and is done entirely under anesthesia. The ear heals very quickly and prevents the cat from being trapped again and put through another trip to the spay/neuter clinic.

Q: Why are there are so many feral cats?
A: All it takes is a couple of lost or abandoned unaltered cats, and a feral cat colony has begun. A female cat can become pregnant by the time she is five months old, and she can have 2-3 litters a year. As her offspring also start breeding, the population grows quickly. It’s important to recognize that a new stray needs help before kittens are born.

Q: I am feeding a group of stray/feral cats, but they are wild and run from me. I do not mind caring for them, but I am worried because of how quickly they are reproducing. What should I do?
A: As long as you are (or someone in the area is) willing to continue providing daily food and water for the cats, the number one thing you can do to help them is to TNR (trap/neuter/return) them as soon as possible. This way, they will not continue to reproduce, and as long as you make sure to fix any newcomers, you will notice that the population will gradually start to decrease rather than continue to grow. Please review our information on how to TNR cats. You can also request our TNR packet, which will include a list of places to borrow humane traps and directions on how to trap feral cats correctly. It is also a good idea to make sure that the cats have some type of waterproof shelter. Please review our resources for maintaining a feral cat colony, including inexpensive shelter ideas.

Q: What is TNR?
A: TNR means Trap-Neuter-Return. TNR was designed as a humane means to stop feral cat colonies from continuing to reproduce by humanely trapping feral cats, spaying/ neutering them, and releasing them back to their home territories. Many TNR programs also vaccinate the cats against diseases such as distemper and rabies.

Q: There is a mother cat and babies in my backyard. What should I do with them?
A: This depends largely on whether they are tame or wild. If the mom cat is tame, and her babies are young enough to easily catch or pick up, you should try to place them with a shelter or rescue organization as soon as possible. Please review our list of shelter and rescue groups in the Denver area.

If they are wild, you will need to take a different approach. If the mom is wild and the babies are less than eight weeks old, the best thing to do is to TNR (trap-neuter-return) mom, and socialize and/or place the kittens with a rescue organization. Ideally, it is best to take the kittens from their mom when they are approximately five weeks old. At this age, you can easily catch and socialize feral kittens, but they are old enough to wean easily too. Please click here for information on how to judge the age of kittens and how to socialize feral kittens.

If the kittens are more than eight weeks of age, you have a decision to make. Should you try to tame the kittens and place them with an organization, or should you TNR the kittens as well? If you decide to try and tame them, please do so with the realization that you may end up having to keep them if they do not fully tame. If you are not prepared to do this, it may be best to TNR the kittens (they can be safely sterilized at eight weeks of age). Kittens may be returned to their territory up to two weeks after being removed from it. If you have tried to tame the kittens for two weeks and they still are acting very wild, we strongly urge you to sterilize them and release them back to their territory. After two weeks, you cannot safely return them to their territory and you may be stuck with them if an organization will not take them.

If the kittens are wild, and more than ten weeks old, we strongly urge you to TNR them, as you will have much difficulty taming/placing them at this age. If the mom is wild and the kittens are very young, we would recommend that you wait to trap mom for spaying until the kittens are at least three to four weeks old. But if you inadvertently trap mom cat, STERILIZE HER FIRST before you release her from the trap. Many cats will not go into a trap a second time and you will be stuck with an untrappable breeding cat. Don’t worry, mother cats will continue to lactate and nurse, even after they are spayed.

Q: How do I determine if the cats I am feeding are tame or feral?
A: Unfortunately, there are no easy ways to determine this. Sometimes, a tame stray cat will revert to feral cat behavior after being on the streets for a while. Usually, a truly feral cat does not meow, runs from people, and stays hidden much of the time. A tame stray may run from you as well, but you may notice that they appear to “want” to approach you or they may meow. To determine whether an individual cat is wild, you may have to humanely trap them in a live trap. Once you have the cat in a trap, take a long, thin, blunt object and begin gently petting them through the side of the trap. If they obviously enjoy this (lean into it, purr, rub, etc.) you may have a tame cat. If the cat freezes up, bites/hisses/growls, or otherwise does not seem to enjoy being petted, give it a few hours and then try again. If the cat still does not show any signs of obvious enjoyment, there is a good chance it is a feral cat and it would be best to TNR it. NEVER put your fingers through the trap! We have seen a feral cat bite off the tip of a wooden spoon handle, so imagine if that were your finger.

Q: There are stray cats in my neighborhood, but nobody is feeding them. Should I still TNR them?
A: If you have them neutered but put them back outside to continue facing starvation day after day, you really are not providing them with a better life. First, scout your area to make sure someone isn’t already providing food for them. You may have to follow the cats and/or knock on some doors, but you will find an answer. If someone is already feeding the cats, great! You’re ready to start TNR and you may have found a grateful helper. Otherwise, you need to find someone else (either yourself, a neighbor, or a combination) to start feeding the cats. If your neighbors are cat-friendly and you can get them involved, all the better for everyone! If you or your neighbors cannot provide food on a regular basis, we recommend either taking the cats to a shelter for euthanasia or relocating them only after they are neutered and only by strictly following our relocation guidelines.

Q: I like feeding the cats in my neighborhood and I would like to see that they are all spayed and neutered, but I don’t want to do it myself. Can The Feline Fix do it for me?
A: Unfortunately, The Feline Fix cannot physically come out and provide TNR for everyone. We just do not have the capability to send a volunteer out for every situation. If you feed 15 or more cats on a regular basis, you may want to contact Divine Feline, an organization that runs a mobile clinic specifically for feral and stray cats. (www.divinefeline.org) Otherwise, we strongly urge you to start requesting help from your cat-loving friends, neighbors, family members, co-workers, etc. We can even send you multiple copies of our TNR packet to pass around. You’d be surprised how often people are willing to pitch in to help make an animal’s life better!

Q: How can I request your TNR packet to have feral cats in the Denver metro area spayed and neutered?
A: Please call our office at 303.202.3516 and leave a complete name and mailing address or e-mail info@thefelinefix.org for an electronic copy. We will send you a packet that will include a list of places to borrow humane traps, directions on how to trap feral cats correctly, and information on The Feline Fix and our TNR workshops.

Q: There are feral cats in my neighborhood and I want them gone. What can I do?
A: Sadly, there are not many options for feral cats who cannot be returned to their territory. We would urge you to reconsider whether they can be returned to their home territory. Keep in mind that once the cats are fixed, the population will start to decrease and you will also notice a decrease in those annoying mating behavior problems, such as yowling, fighting, and spraying. Also, removing feral cats does not create a “cat free” zone; their removal leaves a void that, sooner or later, will be filled in by other cats expanding or changing territories.

If the cats absolutely cannot be returned to their home territory, the next best option would be relocation to another area. Relocation, however, is a dangerous proposition.

If relocation is not a suitable option, the only other option you have is to trap the cats and take them to an open admission shelter for euthanasia.

Above all else, we encourage you not just to ignore the cats. By ignoring them, we allow them to continue reproducing indefinitely, which will only add to the overwhelming numbers already on the street.

Q: Should I relocate the feral cats in my neighborhood?
A: As a rule, we suggest relocating feral cats only as a very, very last resort. Feral cats should NEVER just be released into an unfamiliar territory without following the proper relocation guidelines. Although their current home may not seem ideal to us, they almost always do better in familiar territory because they know the dangers, hiding places, food sources, etc. Even when following proper guidelines, only 50% of the cats may accept the new location. The other 50% may try to find their old territory, and are usually killed along the way by cars, predators, starvation, etc. Before choosing to relocate, we urge you to exhaust all other resources that would allow the cats to stay in their present territory. If you believe the cats are in danger, you may want to try and relocate the cats. If you choose to relocate cats on your own, PLEASE refer to our relocation guidelines. Relocation can be highly stressful on feral cats, and there are many do’s and don’ts that you should know.

Q: I have a colony of feral cats that I have already fixed, but now I am moving and will no longer be able to feed them. What should I do?
A: Again, feral cats always do best in their home territories, so the first thing you should do is try your best to find some way to continue feeding them where they are. Many times, if your neighbors know that the cats are fixed and won’t be causing any major problems or breeding, they may willing to take over feeding. You might even offer to help supply the food. If you are not moving too far away, perhaps you could set up an automatic feeder and come back once or twice a week to refill it (since they wouldn’t have to do it every day, this might be a good way to get your neighbors to do it too). If you absolutely cannot find a way for the colony to continue being fed in their home territory, you might want to consider taking the colony with you if possible. Many people have successfully relocated their beloved colonies to their new homes when they couldn’t be sure the cats would continue to be fed in their old territories. Or if you know of someone who owns a barn, garage, or shed, you may ask them if they would be interested in adopting a couple of outdoor kitties. You can even advertise for good barn homes in your local tack stores, feed stores, and community newspapers. If you are considering relocating your cats, either with you or to another location, please review our relocation guidelines. Finally, if these suggestions are not options, it would be more humane to trap the cats and take them to an open admission shelter to be euthanized than to just abandoned them. Ordinarily we do not advocate euthanizing feral cats, but it would be extremely cruel to just abandon them after they have become dependent on a human food source, and unfortunately euthanasia would be a kinder solution.

Q: Why can’t The Feline Fix just find homes for all the feral cats?
A: Unfortunately, once feral kittens pass the age of eight to ten weeks, they are extremely difficult to socialize for adoption. Even if they are tame with the person working with them, they may act completely wild with strangers. Many shelters are faced with having to euthanize even completely tame cats and kittens every day because there are simply not enough homes, and cannot spare space for feral cats. All of us MUST do our part to prevent this tragedy by spaying and neutering. If you know of someone with an intact cat, insist that they have it spayed or neutered.

Q: People say that I should just stop feeding the cats and they will go away. Is this true?
A: No! Starving cats don’t vaporize. We have seen cats linger to the point of starvation rather than “move on” as some well-meaning friends hope they will. Ignoring the cats only perpetuates the problem for the whole community; neutering and responsible care solves it. The problem isn’t feeding, it’s breeding. Animal Control is limited in its ability to help other than to trap for euthanasia, and generally does so only when a complaint is filed. Feral cats rely on the rest of us to take responsibility for their care.

Q: Are there any diseases I should be concerned about with feral cats?
A: Large, unmanaged feral cat colonies are particularly susceptible to the spread of disease. It’s important to keep your own cats isolated, and to use caution when handling unfamiliar cats until the possibility of contagious disease has been ruled out.

Q: I need help with feral cats but I don’t live in Colorado. What should I do?
A: The Feline Fix operates only in the Denver Metro area. Alley Cat Allies, a national organization, has state-by-state listings of feral cat resources that may be able to assist you. Visit their website at www.alleycat.org.

Lost Cat Questions

Q: I’ve lost my cat. What should I do?
A: First, search the neighborhood, making sure you call the cat. He or she may be well hidden, but may hear you calling and come running. You may have to try this at night, when there are fewer people and other distractions to scare the cat. Also, talk to people in the neighborhood who may see or have seen the cat. Put up fliers in the neighborhood, and in local stores, and consider placing “lost” ads in the newspapers and on the Internet, so that anyone who sees or catches the cat knows whom to call. Check with area shelters EVERY DAY. Do not rely on them to identify your cat after your initial call. If your cat has a microchip, make sure the company has your current contact information. And don’t give up hope — many animals have returned to their families after a great deal of time has passed.

The Missing Pet Partnership, at www.lostapet.org has additional ideas and resources for locating lost cats. Also, please click here for lost pet information from the Metro Denver Shelter Alliance.