Colony Caretakers Want You To Call ‘Feral’ Cats ‘Community’ Cats As Many Are Too Friendly For The Wild

There are many names for housecats without homes—stray cats, alley cats, feral cats, and others. Although they may not have kitchens to patrol or couches to sit on, that doesn't mean they're any different from those with a roof over their head.

Tens of thousands of cats live outdoors in Hawaii. Their placement isn't by choice, however. Unfortunately, many are abandoned when residents move off the island, or stringent housing policies force them into the wild. Yet, many dedicated volunteers seek to flip the script on feral felines to show others they aren't undomestic animals but sociable, lovable personalities.

Posted by Alex Lemieux

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Maui colony caretaker Linda J. looks over multiple clowders and has seen an uptick in cats pushed out of homes to fend for themselves. Still, the growing number of cats is met with fierce passion from people like Linda, who has a sharp eye for newcomers to the groups she manages. Linda knows "every single cat" and knows "the first night someone new shows up," she explained.

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Linda explained that people on the island think that dumping their cats in colonies fed by volunteers means they will live on. Hawaii has year-round warmth and hosts no natural feline predators, but that isn't a guarantee. Most housecats are fed at home in a bowl or on a plate; therefore, they don't know how to hunt for their own food, and there are far too many to take care of them all. While the risk of starvation is real, Linda and others work tirelessly to ensure cats can survive in unconventional places.

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"People think of feral cats as scruffy, starving creatures, and they're not," Linda said. Additionally, she explained that the term "feral" shouldn't be applied to cats trying to survive outside a home, as many don't have a wild bone in their body. The term "community cats" is preferred in Hawaii, and it's a name change that Linda and others want to spread to the U.S. mainland and worldwide.

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"We're talking about people's cats that are very social," she said. "They shouldn't be in colonies; they should be in homes.

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Since many were abandoned, cats may not initially trust a helping human hand. While cats may have hostility towards their former pet parents, rescue volunteers will do anything to show cats they are loved. The Good Cat Network, with whom Linda works, is one of many rescue groups committed to giving cats a new lease on life.

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Linda explained that so many more cats need to be helped, but there must be more people to catch them and places to put them. Nevertheless, getting involved in cat rescue is a relatively easy task. While many cannot house a full clowder or manage multiple colonies of community cats, people can always donate food, litter, and toys, or even temporarily look after one while housing arrangements are made. Even helping spread the word about the change in cat rescue culture is a big help. Community cats deserve love and deserve a home.

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