Feeding community cats more common than previously thought

Study

“Who Cares? Exploring the Demographics and Proportion of People Providing Care for Community Cats in Seven Study Communities in the United States,” published in the Journal of Shelter Medicine and Community Animal Health, 2024. Complete article available online here.

Overview

A 2021 survey of “seven geographically diverse regions in the United States” (N = 6,318) found that 29% of respondents “put out food for stray cats in the neighborhood,” ranging from 15% of New Hampshire residents to 47% in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. [1].

Key Points

The results of this survey suggest that feeding “stray” cats is more common than previously believed (10–26%, depending on the survey [2–6]). The reasons for these differences aren’t clear, but it’s likely that the wording of the questions used in each survey was a factor.

In addition to the questions about feeding cats, these researchers collected demographic data for survey participants. Their analysis led them to conclude that “a very diverse group of people have the potential to benefit from programs aimed at supporting the sterilization and return of community cats to their outdoor homes. Not only are cat feeders as (or even more) diverse as non-feeders, they are perhaps much more common in the study communities than previous surveys would indicate” [1].

The article’s authors concluded, “Communities show a high capacity for caring for com­munity cats when measured as a function of both the diversity of individuals feeding cats and the current pro­portion of the community that provides care for the cats” [1].

“Policymakers should consider the impact to the cats and their caregivers before implementing programs that target removal of community cats from their outdoor homes.”

Regular feeding of community cats is not only common, but also an important factor in managing their numbers. Indeed, regular feeding has been shown to improve trapping efficiency for TNR [7,8] and can also decrease predation levels [9,10].

See related Issue Brief

• Feral cat feeding bans: The reasoning, risks, and results

References

1. Neal, S.M.; Kremer, T. Who Cares? Exploring the Demographics and Proportion of People Providing Care for Community Cats in Seven Study Communities in the United States. Journal of Shelter Medicine and Community Animal Health 2024, 3.

2. Levy, J.K.; Isaza, N.M.; Scott, K.C. Effect of High-Impact Targeted Trap-Neuter-Return and Adoption of Community Cats on Cat Intake to a Shelter. Vet J 2014, 201, 269–274.

3. Levy, J.K.; Woods, J.E.; Turick, S.L.; Etheridge, D.L. Number of Unowned Free-Roaming Cats in a College Community in the Southern United States and Characteristics of Community Residents Who Feed Them. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2003, 223, 202–205.

4. Lord, L.K. Attitudes toward and Perceptions of Free-Roaming Cats among Individuals Living in Ohio. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2008, 232, 1159–1167.

5. APPA 2015–2016 APPA National Pet Owners Survey; American Pet Products Association: Stamford, CT, 2017.

6. APPA 2019-2020 APPA National Pet Owners Survey; American Pet Products Association: Stamford, CT, 2020.

7. Stoskopf, M.K.; Nutter, F.B. Analyzing Approaches to Feral Cat Management—One Size Does Not Fit All. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2004, 225, 1361–1364.

8. Normand, C.M. Feral Cat Virus Infection Prevalence, Survival, Population Density, and Multi-Scale Habitat Use in an Exurban Landscape. M.S., Arkansas Tech University, 2014.

9. Cove, M.V.; Gardner, B.; Simons, T.R.; Kays, R.; O’Connell, A.F. Free-Ranging Domestic Cats (Felis Catus) on Public Lands: Estimating Density, Activity, and Diet in the Florida Keys. Biol Invasions 2018, 20, 333–344.

10. Silva-Rodríguez, E.A.; Sieving, K.E. Influence of Care of Domestic Carnivores on Their Predation on Vertebrates. Conserv Biol 2011, 25, 808–815.