'The system actually does work': Reducing feral feline populations by creating cat colonies

Feral cats in Petrolia CTV London’s Gerry Dewan with an organization trying feed/spay/neuter a massive colony of feral cats in Petrolia.

They're seeing a surge in feral felines in Lambton County and a volunteer organization is working to keep the wild cat population under control.

When the volunteers arrive at a cat colony, it doesn't take long for the cats to emerge, looking for food and sometimes a little attention.

Julie Medeiros is a member of Caregivers of Petrolia Ferals, "The objective is to take care of the cats in Petrolia by means of neuter and spay."

'Caregivers of Petrolia Ferals' maintains the colony of feral cats, which sit north of the downtown behind Fire Station No. 1 on Centre Street.

A cat shack on the property is the size of a large garden shed, and was donated by Shell Canada. Volunteers said that in just the last 10 years, the population has dropped from around 150 cats to just over 25 cats.

“This is the perfect proof that the system actually does work because we had many more cats here,” volunteer Bea Vasey told CTV News.

Once a cat becomes feral, it doesn't like to be handled or stay indoors. It’s difficult to domesticate them once they’ve adopted that lifestyle.

All the cats in the Petrolia colony are spayed or neutered, so they can live out their lives in the wild without adding to the wild cat population.

Other health issues are also taken care of by the caregivers, but a spike in feral cats, most believed to be pandemic pets, is raising concerns.

"It's becoming really difficult to manage,” said Medeiros. “We get anywhere from 20 to 30 messages a day of cats being born, kittens being born, under porches or people are finding them in their garages."

A pregnant female was recently found under a porch near the community of Courtright.

She and her five kittens are being cared for by a volunteer. The kittens can be adopted because they haven't lived a feral life. The caregivers believe mom should be adoptable as well.

Medeiros estimates more than 350 feral cats are now in rural areas in Lambton County.

She said one popular location for dumping unwanted cats is the Lorne C. Henderson Conservation area, located just west of Petrolia.

She said wild cats have an impact on the local ecosystem that many people don't consider, "They become predators. They will go after songbirds and approximately 250 million songbirds a year are killed as a direct result of feral cats."

She said those birds eat insects which damage trees, food crops, and other fauna, putting them at risk.

The agency is encouraging people to drop off unwanted cats to humane societies or adoption agencies rather than letting them roam.

The caregivers also hope people chip in during fundraising campaigns so they can continue spay and neuter programs.

They point out that all of their funding comes strictly through donations.