Are Feral Cats a Problem in Elkhart Co. Indiana?

Some might think that feral cats are only a problem in big cities like Indianapolis, Dallas or New York City. Not true. They are a problem most everywhere. A feral cat is one that was once domesticated or whose ancestors were once domesticated, but has reverted back to a wild state. They are unowned cats that roam near your home, neighborhood or business. A feral cat is the domestic cat thrown out because she was pregnant. They are the kittens that were born in your garage, shed, barn or under your deck. The feral cat is the once-beloved cat left to fend for itself when your neighbors moved to a house that wouldn't allow pets.

I first became aware of the problem where I work. There were cats living outside my office building which is situated next to a woods and creek. I work in Elkhart County and I discovered 6 cats living outside the building in March. I also found out through co-workers that various cats have lived off and on over the years there in the wooded area. Upon finding this out, I wanted to help care for them by making sure they had shelter and food. I was curious how they survived the bitter Indiana winter and amazed at the same time that they had. Upon investigation, I found out they originated from a house across the creek, which had been vacant since October 2007. The cats cross a fallen log across the creek to get to our building. Apparently, the previous owner moved out leaving kittens outside fend for themselves. A caring neighbor had been feeding them on occasion only until winter was in full force. They made their home inside a couple of fallen buildings on the property.

I went home the day I had discovered the feral cats and began doing research on the internet about the care and behavior of feral cats. INDYferal.org became a great resource for me. I copied their ideas for a food shelter and eventually a shelter home.

As I followed their guidelines about feeding, I found the 6 cats living near my office came at the regular time that I pulled up to work every morning. It was fun to see them expect me and race back and forth until I set the food dishes inside their shelter. They were indeed hungry! Knowing that two of the cats were probably female because they were calico, I worried about how many cats this colony would grow to be. I decided to find out if any groups were in my area, like IndyFeral, or if any Elkhart County Veterinarians or the Elkhart County Humane Society would be willing to work with me on getting the cats neutered at a low-cost. Since these cats were not mine but I was willing to help them out of the goodness of my heart, I didn't want to spend a fortune, nor could I afford to. I made phone call after phone call to various vets and animal rescue groups and I came to realize, that no one cared enough about the situation nor had the resources to help me. The only offer was to rent traps to me for capture and euthanasia to get rid of the cats or pay the regular cost of neutering that you might pay for your house cat. Who can afford an average of $200.00 per cat? Not me, that's for sure!

I decided it was time I wrote an article about it in my local Elkhart Truth newspaper. Ideally, I thought maybe a local vet would step up to the plate and help me. Instead, I received a phone call from a local lady named Anne, who experienced the same problems and was already trying to come up with a solution for Elkhart County. She had a colony of 10-12 cats living on her property and the woods behind her house. She had tried in the past to organize a Feral Cat Coalition having a meeting the fall of 2007. My letter in the newspaper prompted her to call me and schedule another meeting and gather other interested parties. Anne was the only one I had met who understood and was willing to help me as much as she could. Apparently, when Anne wanted to get her cat colony neutered, she too ran into stumbling blocks and decided to give it a go herself. She did research and bought for herself humane traps to capture the colony of feral cats in her own back yard. After using them herself, she has rented them out at a most reasonable price, almost free, to others like herself ,who love cats and want to help get feral cats neutered. Anne is there to help educate any potential colony caretakers.

At my first feral Cat Coalition meeting in Elkhart County, I met with others who have also discovered cats living under porches, abandoned homes and we heard stories about many cats who beg for food and attention in industrial areas. The solution is not to capture and euthanize them or move out of sight and out of mind. The solution is T-N-R. Trap, Neuter and Return the feral cats back to their original habitat. Before T-N-R, you must have a feeding plan and caretaker in place. If kittens are caught, homes might be found for them, if they can be tamed. Healthy adults are returned outdoors, where volunteers feed and look after them for the remainder of their lives.

In the long run, if Elkhart County had their own T-N-R program set into motion, it would save Elkhart County Humane Shelter money that they would not have to spend on the care and euthanasia of unowned cats and kittens brought in every year. Feral cats do not belong in humane shelters and they are not candidates for adoption since they are not socialized to humans. Ferals are like wildlife and are most content living outside. Volunteers who advocate for feral cats are saving shelters potentially thousands of dollars over a short period of time. I believe that investing in the success of a feral cat coalition for Elkhart County, it will save taxpayers money and felines their lives .

According to an article in the September 2004 National Geographic News, the U.S is facing a growing epidemic of feral cats. The article went on to say how some people believe that the decline of birds is blamed on feral cats. In the article,Michael Mountain, one of the founders of Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah, says "Ferals are savvy, don't have enough to eat, and have to live like real (wild) animals," Mountain said. "So the last thing a feral cat wants to do is waste his energy chasing after birds." Instead, he said their diet consists of mice, insects, and lizards. "What we all need to do, since we all care about animals, is find real solutions (to controlling the feral cat population)," Mountain said. "Trying to kill off all the feral cats is not going to help the birds."

There are solutions to most problems that people think they have with wild or stray cats. People that support feral cat organizations help you to solve those problems, like cats digging in garden to cats getting into your trash, without harming the cats themselves.

Spreading the word to friends about what I was looking for, I was finally made aware of an organization that could help me. So, if you know of feral cats in Elkhart, IN and want to keep them from multiplying and help control the population by getting them neutered, contact www.pawsnpurrs.org/. They were a big help to me when I caught 3 of the feral cats at my work in May 08. I got them neutered at a very reasonable cost. They have extra low-cost prices for ferals and I was able to get them all done for less than half the price of having one cat done at a local veterinarian. I appreciate pawsnpurrs.org based out of Mokena, ILL and their efforts to reach out to us in Indiana. But what I would really love is to help Elkhart County organize their own feral cat organization.

Do I think Elkhart County has a feral cat problem? Yes, I think they do but on a much smaller scale than a place like Indianapolis. The problems remain in most every city and it remains to be solved In Elkhart County in Indiana. You can help be part of the solution by joining the Feral Cat Coalition and helping us help Elkhart County solve the issues of feral cats multiplying. I found a couple articles from the Elkhart Truth dating back to February 2006 of an Elkhart County resident and business owner named Steve, in Wakarusa, who was trying to do his part of feeding stray or feral cats who visited him on a regular basis in front of his business. We need more people like Steven and Anne who are living in Elkhart County and truly have a heart for the feral cats. Elkhart is supposed to be the city with a heart. I just hope Elkhart proves it!