Why Don’t Feeding Bans Eliminate Feral Cats?
The logic behind such bans is that if there is no food available, the cats will go away. This is not true. “Starving out” cats will only make the situation worse for the community and for the cats. Feral cats are territorial animals who can survive for weeks without food and will not easily or quickly leave their territory to search for new food sources. Instead, they tend to move closer into human habitations as they grow hungrier and more desperate. Their malnourished condition will also make them more susceptible to parasitic infestations, such as fleas and roundworms. Plus, feeding bans do nothing to stop reproduction, so malnourished cats will continue to give birth, resulting in the visible deaths of many kittens. (Feed cats are healthier cats.) Individuals who feed stray/feral cats should NOT be blamed or penalized, but rather encouraged for their acts of compassion. City officials should be assisting them with the resources and information available to care for and sterilize th
