Definitions/Resources

Definitions

For the ease of conversation, here are some definitions for terms that might be used to discuss this topic.

Socialized: Cats have a crucial period of their development between the ages of 5 to 10 weeks (approximately) that determines their level of socialization to humans. If a cat receives positive hands-on experience with humans during this time, they are likely going to be socialized to people and be a successful indoor pet.

Feral: There are different degrees of feral (unsocialized) behavior. Some formerly owned pets may act scared, distrustful, and unsocialized after being outside for a while, and some apparently feral cats may decide on their own that they would like to live inside your house.

For the purposes of the shelter, a feral cat is one that cannot be safely handled, does not have an owner, and needs the use of a trap to be captured.

Caretaker-tame: Even genuinely feral cats can develop a deep, trusting bond with the person who cares for them. These cats may allow some degree of touching, handling, and affection.

This does not necessarily mean that the cat could successfully live indoors, especially with a stranger who is not you. If the cat has safely and happily lived outside for years, there is no good reason to rip them permanently from their home.

TNR: Trap-Neuter-Return. This is a process of trapping feral cats and bringing them to a TNR clinic (currently at the Reno and Carson shelters, as well as through Options Veterinary Clinic). There, they are scanned for a microchip, neutered, vaccinated, ear-tipped for easy identification, and given any other basic medical care they may need.

This ensures that the cats are healthy, are less likely to engage in nuisance behavior (like roaming, fighting, and urine-marking), and are unable to contribute to the existing free-roaming cat population.

TNR is the only humane, long-term solution to the problem. This issue has existed for thousands of years; if it were easy to address, we would have done it long before now.

Free-roaming: This term refers to any cat existing outside. It includes unsocialized and unowned feral cats, lost/stray pets, indoor/outdoor pets, or genuine “community cats” that are friendly and simply taken care of by the neighborhood.

It should always be assumed that if a cat is outside and looks healthy, there is a solid chance it knows exactly what it’s doing.

WCRAS/Stray Hold: Washoe County Regional Animal Services is our local animal control. It is their duty to enforce local laws and codes, but also to hold stray animals for the opportunity to be reunited with their owners.

Nevada views animals as legal property, and so there are very specific (and sometimes circular) ways that WCRAS and NHS must deal with animals and legal ownership.

Any found animal needs to serve a legal stray hold of 5-7 days. If they are not reclaimed by an owner during that time, any potential previous ownership is forfeit and the animal can now be placed up for adoption. All animals (except dogs deemed unsafe to adopt out) are then transferred to Nevada Humane Society or other rescues for adoption.

If there is no known caretaker of a cat, or a new friendly cat begins hanging around, it’s important to first make efforts to determine if they have an owner before even attempting to bring them to WCRAS for a stray hold. The return rate of cats with their owners is significantly lower than with dogs.

There are only two exceptions to this rule:

1) If there is a found kitten under ~7 weeks of age (1.5lbs), it can be surrendered directly to NHS as a Good Samaritan Surrender. 

2) By bringing a cat to the TNR clinic, a trapper signs an agreement stating that to the best of their knowledge any trapped cats are unowned, unsocialized, free-roaming animals. There is an assumption the caretaker of a trapped cat was involved in this process and can attest to the fact that the cat is feral and unowned.

Return-to-Field: This is a shelter term that refers to cats that have come to NHS through WCRAS. There is limited information about these cats that is sent over, so if we evaluate them to be truly feral, we do our best to determine where they came from and if it is safe for them to return.

Because the survival rate of relocated cats is significantly lower than the chance of a cat continuing to live in their familiar outdoor home, NHS does not take part in and does not condone the trapping and relocation of feral cats unless there is no other option.

Barn Cat Adoptions: Barn Cat Adoptions are a nice resource for people who want mousers, but it is a last resort for cats. While people may mean well by trying to get cats into a “better” situation, the reality is that all cats want to go home, and they will often do their absolute best to do so. If the cats do not successfully bond with their new caretaker during the acclimation period, they are likely to disappear quickly. Many of the cats in this program also likely come from an urban or suburban environment; they are unfamiliar with the hazards of rural living.

Like any other animal, cats are autonomous creatures who deserve respect and dignity, which also means accepting that the best choice for a cat might not be the most emotionally comfortable decision for the humans around them.

Sometimes Barn Cat Adoptions are cats' best chance at a happy, healthy life. But if a cat has an outdoor home, it should stay there.

Resources