Not everyone is fond of cats. It’s hard for many of us to accept. How could they not love the little furry comedians? If you are a business or homeowner who lives near a group of feral or stray cats, you are probably all too familiar with male cat spray. It will rust your vehicles, eat the clear coat off rims, and is nearly impossible to eliminate. While we may think a group of cats sounds terrific, others may not feel the same. But what is a group of cats called?
What is a Cat Colony?
What is a feral cat? What is a colony? Those two things typically go hand in hand or paw in paw. Feral cats are often found living in groups of related cats called colonies. These colonies can grow to be large, and when that happens, it isn’t easy to keep them disease-free. Many colonies are inbred because they are made up of cat families. This can cause many genetic anomalies, such as differing organ sizes from other cats, shortened lifespans, heart and kidney issues, neurological issues, and more.
It is important that the colony has caretakers who feed, trap, neuter, and return cats, trap for veterinary needs, remove kittens, elderly cats, and at-risk cats and place them into homes, build feeding stations that predators cannot reach, and advocate for them when businesses or property owners want to have animal control come in and remove/euthanize all.
It is also possible that if you have a group of cats you call your own, they are also in a colony because they eat, groom, and sleep together. It’s basically like what you would call your community. Not everyone gets along all the time, and sometimes there are battles. You probably won’t attack your neighbor and bunny-kick them in the face for parking too close to your car, but you get the point. Emotions run high when territories are shared.
Dangers of Cats Living in a Colony
Living in a feral or homeless cat colony is likely much like living in a homeless camp for humans. Fights will break out, food may not exist for days at a time, foraging for water can be difficult depending on the weather, and there are likely plenty of pregnancies that will sadly only increase the number of cats in the colony. There will then be more mouths to feed and bodies to keep healthy, which can be detrimental to the senior or sick cats who tend to pick up the scraps after everyone has eaten.
When living on the streets, predators lurk everywhere. Some are in the form of unkind humans, stray or loose dogs, starving coyotes or cougars, hunting hawks or eagles, while others are dressed as gigantic steel and plastic monsters that roar by on the street. It’s dangerous out there for a little eight-pound animal. That’s not counting disease, illness, accidents, fights, and other causes of demise in feral cats.
Indoor Cats Can Have Colonies, Too
Indoor cat gangs aren’t completely unheard of. If you adopt siblings from a litter, they will likely stick together even though they are inside. If you have six cats, they have formed a colony. Some will be bonded, while others might not be so nice. Regardless, they all seem to stick close to one another. Of course, when food enters the picture, they turn into scrappy furballs fighting for the best selection. After that, they may groom each other and snuggle up for a nap.
You may think this sounds insane if you have a multi-cat household with cats who do not get along, but if they were suddenly forced to live outdoors on their own, they would stick together and chase off any newcomers.
Colonies Can Have Caretakers
Caring for a colony of cats can be difficult during inclement weather. A caretaker will typically show up at the same time daily to put food and water out for the cats. During this time, the bravest cats of the colony may come forward and grab a bit while you are still filling bowls, but the majority will stay hidden or just out of sight until the caretaker leaves. Then, it’s a mad dash to get the most and best food.
Cats are relatively social animals when in a colony. Fights can break out over food, territory, and, of course, the ladies. This happens more often in feral cat colonies than with domesticated housecats because they are cats used to fighting for everything they need. It may also be because some are ill, in pain, in heat, or are old, toughened tom cats that are not neutered. It’s a bit like magic with neutering cats. Not only is it vital to the health of the colony, but it prevents large inbred populations.
It is also difficult to transport colony cats to the vet. Once they see a trap and realize what it is, they will not go in and are far too feral to be captured by hand. That’s when caretakers need to get creative with their trapping methods in the hopes of capturing the correct injured or sick cat. It is not an easy job at all.
Trapping is done initially to capture the colony cats and have them spayed/neutered and vaccinated. The top of their ear is clipped off to symbolize a colony cat that has been spayed/neutered. The goal is to control the population increase of the colony, become inbred or fall victim to disease.
It is also vital that caretakers and feeders create safe, dry, and warm housing for the cats during winter. This can be easily done using a big Rubbermaid container with a styrofoam cooler inside. The space between the cooler and the container is packed with hay, and some hay is left for bedding. This will keep the cats much warmer than a cat house with a blanket. Any cloth used for bedding can pick up moisture and create unsafe conditions. Caring for a colony is a lot of work but equally rewarding.
