Community Cats

What is a community cat?

Community cats go by many names: neighbourhood cats, stray cats, roaming cats, and more. They come from a variety of backgrounds: some are unsocial, while others were previously owned and abandoned. Community cats can also be owned but are outside near their home.

What should I do if I see a community cat?

When you see a cat in the community, you may be worried about its safety and well-being. The first question you should ask yourself is: Does the cat look healthy?

If the cat looks healthy and uninjured the best thing you can do is leave them alone. Here’s why:

• If the cat is abandoned but looks healthy, they are likely being cared for. Removing them from the area and bringing the cat to a shelter takes them from a familiar environment with food and water sources to an unknown, often stressful, space.
• Bringing a healthy cat to an animal shelter uses shelter resources that can be better used for animals in need of immediate, life-saving attention and care.
• If lost, a cat has a much better chance of finding its way home when in its community and not removed.

If the cat looks unhealthy or needs medical assistance, call the WHS Intake Department at 204-982-2025, option 5.

Isn’t the Winnipeg Humane Society supposed to HELP cats?

The Winnipeg Humane Society’s mission is to ensure the well-being of all animals. For some cats, that means living their life outside, not in a shelter or even a home. If a cat is thriving in its community, then it’s in their best interest to stay there.

The Winnipeg Humane Society will help any community cat that is sick or injured.

How can I help community cats?

Everyone can have a role to play in caring for community cats. Here’s how we can work together to keep community cats safe and healthy:

• Provide care: Leave out food, water, and offer some form of shelter, particularly in hot and cold weather. Are you concerned about the weather? When we have extreme heat or cold, it can be scary to see cats outside. You can help community cats stay comfortable by following some seasonal tips for cold weather and hot weather.
• Trap – Neuter – Return (TNR): The Winnipeg Humane Society offers TNR, a strategy for improving the lives of feral cats and reducing their numbers. Identified feral cats are spayed or neutered and are vaccinated against rabies and taken back to their community where dedicated caretakers provide food, water, and shelter, and watch over their health. Call the WHS Intake Department at 204-982-2025, option 5 to learn more about safely bringing a feral cat to the shelter for TNR.
• Adopt: The Winnipeg Humane Society’s Care to Adopt program provides a reduced fee for medical care, such as spay/neuter and vaccinations, and a City of Winnipeg license to help support people who want to adopt a community cat.
• Care for your cats: Ensure that your own pets are spayed/neutered, up to date on vaccines, licensed, and microchipped.

I don’t want community cats in my yard. What can I do?

It’s important to remember that even if a cat is removed from an area if there is a nearby food or water source, more cats will move in.

However, there are plenty of humane ways to deter community cats from entering your yard:

• Remove potential food sources – this includes securing your garbage can – and block access to hiding places.
• Sprinkle cayenne pepper, fresh orange and lemon peels, coffee grounds, lemongrass, lavender, citronella, or eucalyptus oil on the ground. Planting these herbs in your garden will also work.

If the cat is digging in your garden, lay down chicken wire or make a lattice with branches.