Do feral cats have special diseases and dangers?
They often have upper-respiratory infections and “goopy eye” infections. One cat here recently had to have an eye removed. They also have flea infestations that can kill them by making them anemic; one kitten was brought here covered with fleas, and it died in 24 hours. A house cat lives 15-20 years, but a feral cat will only live 12. It’s heartbreaking to see starving kittens eating out of garbage cans and sick in backyards. It really gets me. It’s not cute — it’s really tough for feral kittens and their mom. I heard of a pint-size mom cat fighting tooth and nail with a huge tomcat that was trying to kill her kittens. Raccoons are another terror. Feral kittens get sick easily, and only the lucky ones survive: Their mortality rate is 50 percent. Your program has enemies like the Audubon Society. It claims feral cats kill millions of birds, and wants them exterminated. (Blackwood) The Audubon Society wants to eliminate feral cats from city parks. We butt heads with them on their Save t
