Feral Farm Friends - A Green Pest Control Program to Re-home Feral Cats

About the Program

Category: County Administration and Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2020

Wake County Animal Center (WCAC) has increased the live-release rate of feral cats – a notoriously hard-to-save population – through a pilot program placing them as barn cats. WCAC is an open-intake animal shelter that receives stray feral cats from several towns. Feral cats are like wildlife: They live near humans but are fearful of human handling. These cats live outside and have no owners. Because of their behavior, animal shelters generally euthanize feral cats instead of offering them for adoption.In 2016, Wake County began making healthy feral cats available to the public for adoption via the new barn cat program. The program launched with information on wakegov.com/pets and development of a Facebook page. Animal Healthcare Technicians select healthy cats for citizens wanting to adopt an outdoor cat for their property. Each cat is spayed or neutered, ear tipped for easy identification, vaccinated, administered parasite prevention and receives a brief health exam while anesthetized. Since inception, WCAC has placed approximately 700 cats on private farms or industrial properties. This translates into preventing approximately 6,000 kitten births in Wake County. Adopting feral cats for ‘green pest control’, preventing unwanted kitten births and increasing live placement are major accomplishments of this community initiative.