Trapping Feral Cats

Editor’s Note: The following article was adapted from Techletter, with permission from Pinto & Associates.

Wild (feral) cats are considered a pest problem because of the diseases and parasites they can transmit to people and other animals. With their reputation as very successful hunters, cats keep rodent populations down but they also kill many songbirds, game birds, rabbits, poultry, and other wild-life. Often though, people want you to trap feral cats because they are a nuisance with their yowling, and urinating and defecating in gardens and flower beds, or they may be denning underneath the porch, or their fleas may be a threat to your customer's pet cats.

You may be asked by a customer to trap a wild cat so it can be neutered, treated or euthanized by a vet, or domesticated, or so that it can be relocated. You may also find yourself addressing the issue of cats if you find a cat accidentally caught in one of your traps when you were trying to catch raccoons or some other animal instead. How you handle these situations will depend largely on your state's regulations regarding control of cats.

Can You, Or Should You, Trap Feral Cats?

You have no legal authority to dispose of "found property" which is how a stray cat without a collar could be defined. if someone disputes your activity, you could be charged with a criminal lawsuit (under animal cruelty laws) and a civil lawsuit (under property laws).

Rather than euthanizing trapped cats yourself, one trapper says that, if at all possible, you should turn trapped cats in to the county or city animal control for legal disposal or adoption. You will also get a reputation for doing the right thing and you might get referrals for animal control work.

The authors are co-owners of Pinto & Associates.