WAKAW, Sask. — National Feral Cat Day falls on Oct. 16. While no one wants to see cats navigate life on the streets, the day raises awareness and prompts people to take action to make life easier for stray and feral community cats.
A feral cat is different from a stray. Stray cats used to live with humans and were once accustomed to being around people. While many strays are lost and unable to find their way home, unfortunately many others have been abandoned. Over time, stray cats will often become increasingly feral. True ferals are regular cats that were not socialized as kittens to accept humans. Unsocialized cats often avoid people entirely and run away if approached, but some permit more contact and interaction than others.
Canada is home to an estimated 8.3 million domestic cats, according to the Canadian Animal Health Institute (CAHI), and an estimated 5.4 – 9.6 million free-roaming cats, with 1.5 – 4.1 million of these being feral or unowned. (https://www.canadianveterinarians.net/policy-and-outreach/position-statements/statements/free-roaming-owned-abandoned-and-feral-cats/)
Not every community cat is the same. Some will run away at the first sight of a human, while others will sit at a distance and observe. Some will grow to accept petting, while others will not. Some live in colonies, and others maintain territories of their own, but most feral cats prefer to live outdoors. Relatively few cats from feral colonies can adapt to life in a home, but for those that can, rehoming is always the preferred option.
Providing food and shelter to community cat colonies can significantly improve their well-being but must be paired with a TNR (trap-neuter-return) program to control population growth. This approach benefits the community by reducing shelter intake and euthanasia, decreasing roaming and nuisance behaviours, and supporting healthier cat colonies.
Ultimately, feral cats are a human-created problem, and therefore humans must find the solution. TNR may not be the only answer, but it has, in many cases, proven to be a humane and effective way to control feral cat populations. Another part of a broader approach includes sterilizing owned pets and reducing the number of cats entering the outdoor population in the first place. Feral cat management programs are often undermined by continuous fueling from the owned-cat population through stray and abandoned animals, and unintended litters. The finite number of rescues can not solve the problem they did not create.
SOS Prairie Rescue is a volunteer-run charity supporting cats and communities across Saskatchewan and beyond, through prevention, accessible support and sustainable solutions. SOS is one of fewer than a handful of cat rescues in Saskatchewan supporting rural communities. Too many communities without access to care; too many caregivers trying to help without support; and too many cats left to continue the cycle was too much for the founders to ignore.
As of Wednesday evening, October 14th, SOS Prairie Rescue initiated a temporary intake closure. From the Rescue’s Facebook page:
"Until the shelves are stocked, the bills are paid, and the work we’ve started is seen through. Until more foster homes are ready to open their doors, and we’ve had a chance to breathe and regroup. … Over the last two years, we’ve welcomed an average of nearly 60 new cats every month, while consistently caring for around 170 at any given time. Today, there are 216 cats in our care, each with their own needs, their own story, and a promise from us to see them through. …"
SOS was born out of need and responded with foster homes, veterinary care, practical support, and a commitment to long-term change, prioritizing prevention through spay/neuter, TNRM (trap-neuter-return-maintain), and accessible support for caregivers, because the goal is not just to rescue cats today, but to reduce the need for rescue tomorrow.
