Urinary tract infections, which frequently lead to urinary blockages in male cats, cause slow and extremely painful deaths if they go untreated.Īlso, outdoor cats pose a threat to wildlife. Others die of blood loss or anemia because of worms or fleas. Cats often scratch their ears until they bleed, because they’re driven mad by the pain and itching of ear mites and related infections. Untreated upper-respiratory infections cause cats’ eyes and noses to become so caked with mucus that they can barely see or breathe. Minor cuts or puncture wounds can turn into raging infections and abscesses. 3 These are only a few examples of the myriad horrible injuries and deaths that outdoor cats must face.Įven easily treatable conditions can be deadly for cats who are not afforded basic veterinary care. 2 A surveillance camera at a school in California captured footage of a man torturing and killing a cat by “kicking and punching” the animal and dragging him or her by a rope. His mouth was lacerated from trying to chew the wire off. 1 A cat in Massachusetts who was described as “a barn cat” was found “screaming” and “dragging himself home” after becoming trapped in a snare that was constricting his stomach. In Kentucky, several cats described as “neighborhood cats” died from apparent poisoning, and another died after being beaten to death or hit by a car. Some may take matters into their own hands by shooting, drowning, poisoning, or otherwise killing cats in cruel ways. Many people consider homeless cats a “nuisance” for digging in their flowerbeds, seeking shelter under their porches, or climbing on their cars.

Others die of exposure, starvation, or highly contagious fatal diseases, such as rabies, feline AIDS, feline leukemia, and feline infectious peritonitis. Homeless cats do not die of “old age.” Many are tortured by cruel people, attacked by other animals, or hit by cars.

Although so-called feral cats-who have not been socialized and who are often the offspring of other abandoned cats-are fearful of humans, they are still domesticated animals who struggle to fend for themselves and don’t survive for long on their own. It is estimated that more than 60 million homeless cats are roaming the parks, parking lots, backyards, alleys, and streets of America.

Download trapping feral cats for free