Date: March 20, 2018

To: Old Stone Crossing Homeowners Association (HOA) members

From: Cheyenne Milanovits, Manager
Subject: Feral Cat Alert & How You Can Help
Reference: Calls made to management about feral cats in the neighborhood
Action Required: Volunteer if possible
Distribution List: HOA Members

It has come to the attention of the Old Stone Crossing management that there is a feral cat colony located in our
neighborhood. Our support staff has followed up on the reports and found the colony congregating between the
10100 and 10300 block of Caldwell Forest Drive. So far, our staff have found twelve feral cats and three kittens.
We are in contact with the Friends of Feral Felines (FFF) organization for support in this matter but we need your
help.

SUMMARY
Feral cats are cats that have been born and raised outside or former pets that have been lost or abandoned.
Many factors are involved when determining how feral the cat is. Old Stone Crossing management will be
conducting trap, neuter, release (TNR) on the feral cat colony from April 6th through April 7th and again from
April 14th through April 15th if needed. During these dates, we ask that you do not feed any outside cats to make
trapping them easier. If you are interested in volunteering, please visit or call the front office. There will be a
trap training session on March 31st. After we have finished trapping, you may resume feeding. We also ask that
anyone who wishes to provide shelter for the safety of these cats do so outside with an insulated plastic bin (do
not use cardboard). We will be returning the cats to the area because it is in the best interest for our community
as well as the cat colony. Please feel free to contact the front office with any questions or concerns. Thank you
for your cooperation.

What Are Feral Cats?

Feral cats are cats that have either been born outside or pets that have been lost or abandoned and adopt feral
tendencies. “Feral” in itself is not biological, but a set of learned tendencies. Four factors determine how feral a
cat may be:
Age: A cat under the age of four months that has been born from a feral mother has a high likelihood of
being re-domesticated. Cats older than this can be trained, but it is increasingly difficult with age.
Generation of feral: How many generations separate the cat from the original domesticated mother
factors in to how extreme the feral behavior may be. The more separate, the more behaviors the cat has
learned from its colony.
Amount of human contact: A cat with very little contact with humans will be fearful and avoidant. The
more positive experience the cat has with humans (such as correlating humans with food), the more
likely the cat will be able to be re-domesticated.
 Personality: As anyone who has owned a pet can attest, animals have their own individual personalities.
A feral cat may be very friendly but still avoidant to a life indoors (Neighborhood Cats).
We will be considering all of these factors when dealing with our feral cat colony.

Who Are the FFF?

The FFF is a Charlotte-based non-profit organization dedicated to the health and well-being of feral cats. They
have been in in operation since 1998 and have completed TNR programs on over 20,000 cats in the area (Friends
of Feral Felines). Volunteers from the FFF will be arriving two days before trappings begin to drop off traps and
help assess our situation.

What We Are Doing

We have contacted the FFF to lend its support in the TNR of these feral cats. The process of TNR involves:
trapping the cats; transporting them to the Humane Society where they will be neutered, as well as receive
vaccination and flea treatment; and releasing them to their previous area (Friends of Feral Felines). Most of
these cats have not had contact with humans; if they are sent to shelters, they will most likely be euthanized.
TNR helps to save the lives of these feral cats and prevent new ones (side note: neutered cats also tend to fight
less for territory and therefore spread less disease through scratching and biting) (“Gotham Feral Cats”).

Why Are We Returning These Cats?

Simply put, it is beneficial for both our community and the cats’ well-being. Attempting to relocate these cats
once they have been neutered would be harmful. Cats are territorial animals and bond with their area and any
humans they frequently come in contact with. Many times, a relocated feral cat will attempt to return to their
former area, which is dangerous. Also, the sudden void of cats (who have been marking their territory) will
attract other, non-neutered feral cats, repeating the current issue we have. Please be advised this is a long-term
solution. Through neutering, these feral cats will eventually die natural deaths and the colony will slowly be
reduced. You will be able to identify the feral cats who have been neutered by their clipped left ear (this is done
while under anesthesia during the neutering process and does not cause the cat any undue harm) (Alley Cat
Allies).

When
Our grounds keeping staff will be trapping the feral cats from April 6th through April 7th and again from April 14th
through April 15th if needed. There will be a follow up email if we do not need the second round of trapping.
During these dates, we ask that you not feed any outside cats so that we may trap them with food (giving them
water is fine).

Volunteering
If you are interested in volunteering, please visit or contact the front office at 704-688-0568. We will hold an
FFF-sponsored trap training session from 2 pm to 4 pm on Saturday, March 31st (Friends of Feral Felines). Please
report to the front office the day before trappings begin so you may pick up your trap.
Once trappings have been completed and the cats have been returned, please notify the front desk immediately
if you spot any unclipped cat.

Additional Information
For more information about FFF or TNR, please visit friendsofferalfelines.org
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the front office at 704-688-0568.
CONCLUSION
Feral cats are a common occurrence in large cities such as ours. Old Stone Crossing is doing its part to manage
the situation as safely and humanely as possible. Cats that are deemed adoptable will be put up for adoption
through the Humane Society. Once our program has been completed, we will provide a list of adoptable cats for
anyone who wishes to give them a forever home. We would appreciate volunteers in the affected area to
provide outdoor shelter for the remaining cats. Old Stone Crossing has decided not to relocate these cats as
because doing so is not only detrimental to their well-being but and their hunting habits control the local rodent
population. We appreciate your support.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Here is how you can do your part to help and control the feral cat population:
• One day prior to scheduled trappings, do not feed any outside cat (water is still encouraged)
• Resume feeding once the cats have been returned
• Provide outdoor shelter for the safety of the cats by:
1. Cutting a hole out of a plastic bin
2. Lining with Styrofoam for insulation
3. Placing the bin upon two 2x4s to prevent moisture (“Gotham Feral Cats”)
Volunteers:
• Attend the trap training session on March 31st
• Once a cat has been caught, you may take the cat to the Humane Society yourself at 8315 Byrum Drive, Formatted: Font: Bold
Charlotte, NC 28217 or bring them to the front office
o Spay/Neuter clinic: 8315 Byrum Drive, Charlotte, NC 28217 (Humane Society of Charlotte)
o• Please notify the front office before drop-off so that we may arrange for pick-up Formatted

o• You will be compensated for any charges accrued during drop-off

REFERENCES
Alley Cat Allies. "Relocation: The Last Resort." 2018. Alley Cat. March 2018.
<https://www.alleycat.org/community-cat-care/relocation-the-last-resort/>.

Friends of Feral Felines. About Us. 2018. March 2018. <http://www.friendsofferalfelines.org/portfolio/about-

us/>.

Humane Society of Charlotte. TNR Instructions and Pricing. 2018. March 2018.
<http://humanesocietyofcharlotte.org/health-wellness/trap-neuter-return/trap-neuter-return-2/>.

“Gotham Feral Cats.” My Cat From Hell. season 8, episode 7. Animal Planet. 13 May, 2016.
Neighborhood Cats. "What is a Feral Cat?" 2018. Neighborhood Cats. March 2018.
<https://www.neighborhoodcats.org/how-to-tnr/getting-started/what-is-a-feral-cat>.