Feral and stray cats can be found right throughout Ireland in our cities, towns and countryside. In housing estates, industrial estates, at factories, on farms, at hotels and hospitals, in car parks and derelict buildings. In groups called colonies, they manage to survive by living on their instincts and with the kindness of humans who feed them daily.
Feral cats in Ireland are more commonly described as “wild” cats. They are the same species as domestic cats, in fact many are former domestic pets that have been abandoned by their owners or left behind when their owners moved house or passed away. Some have strayed from home and are lost. Many become wild in order to survive and their offspring will also be wild as they will have had little or no human contact. All are trying to survive as best they can. It is not their fault they find themselves homeless and hungry.
There are no official statistics as to the number of feral cats in Ireland but their numbers have been guesstimated at hundreds of thousands. The reason for this vast number is that the majority of feral cats are unspayed and unneutered and consequently breeding uncontrollably. One female cat and her offspring can be responsible for a colony of 30 cats in an area in just one year.
Whatever the true number, Ireland has a feral cat crisis. That such numbers of cats are living in our communities, often struggling to survive in sometimes harsh conditions with not enough to eat on a daily basis, a lack of adequate shelter from the elements and with no access to veterinary treatment for minor or major illness or injury or just the basics such as parasite treatment is unacceptable.
We have created this crisis and it is up to each of us to be compassionate in our dealings with stray and feral cats in our neighbourhoods,
responsible and humane when addressing their plight and to educate ourselves on the most effective way to address the issue of uncontrolled breeding which is Trap/Neuter/Return.
Feral cats have the right to live long, healthy, safe and peaceful lives in their territories without the burden of breeding or threat of death. Trap/neuter/return offers them that opportunity.
Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) is the most effective and humane solution for feral cats.
Trap/neuter/return stops the breeding and ends population growth immediately. The number of cats in an area is controlled and contained and over time declines naturally. Because the cats are no longer breeding, the undesirable behaviours associated with mating such as yowling, fighting, spraying and wandering are eliminated. People have no reason to complain about the noise or smell or ever increasing number of cats and no longer have to watch helplessly as young kittens succumb to disease or death.
TNR involves the cats being trapped using a humane trap, brought to a vet where they are spayed/neutered, health checked and treated for parasites such as fleas, lice, worms and ear mites. Also while the cats are under anaesthetic, the tip of one ear is removed (not all vets do this automatically so do ask). This is the universal sign to identify them as being neutered or spayed so they are not needlessly trapped again. After a recovery period of 24 – 36 hours, the cats are returned to their location to continue to live and be fed by caring individuals.
Information taking from the Feral Cats Ireland website. Please see for more details
