Feral Cat Program

Lollypop Farm is proud to now offer assistance to people in the Rochester community committed to helping feral and un-owned cats.

Lollypop Farm has a goal that all cats in our community have homes. One step in achieving this goal is working on behalf of feral and un-owned cats. Lollypop Farm is assisting in the control of feral cat populations by endorsing the trapping of feral cats, and, whenever possible, the use of Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) as our best option for aiding this population.

A TNR program involves humanely trapping a cat, spaying or neutering it, and returning the cat back to its home turf. (Cats are trapped by the property-owners themselves, not by Lollypop Farm.) Feral cats often live in colonies. Lollypop Farm will return a cat to a site that has a “colony caretaker,” someone responsible for providing food, water, and basic shelter. Ongoing medical care is difficult to provide for feral cats, but we do expect caretakers to take appropriate steps if a cat is observed with a serious injury (such as a broken leg) or other severe medical condition.

Cats trapped by this program may also be available for adoption into new locations such as a barn. If you are interested in adopting some feral cats for your barn, you can start by downloading the Barn Cat Home Request Form and contact us at (585) 223-1330, x100. The adoption fee for these cats will be $25.

For those interested in helping feral and un-owned cats by maintaining a colony, the clinic at Lollypop Farm is now offering spay/neuter services. Through the Feral Cat Program, cats brought to the Lollypop Farm Clinic are tested for feline leukemia, given a rabies vaccination, are spayed or neutered, and are ear-tipped to indicate that they are now spayed or neutered. The fee for these services is $50 per cat and appointments are made by calling (585) 223-1330, x100 or via email. You can also download our surgical consent form that gives you more information about what Lollypop Farm has to offer. Please note that surgeries are done by appointment only. We regret that we can't accommodate people who bring in cats without an appointment.

Click here for information on trapping feral cats. If you are interested in learning more about the Feral Cat Program at Lollypop Farm, or would like assistance with a feral cat(s), please call (585) 223-1330, x100 or email us.

Note: Lollypop Farm does not send staff or volunteers to trap your cats. You have to trap the cats yourself. Humane have-a-heart traps are available to borrow from Lollypop Farm if you do not already have one. They are available for rent through our Admissions Department. The traps are a free rental, though you will be charged if they are not returned in a timely manner. Remember, feral cats MUST arrive in a humane trap the day of their surgery.

Feral Cat FAQs

• What is a feral cat?
• What is a feral cat colony?
• Are feral cats dangerous to humans?
• What about stray cats?
• What is Lollypop Farm doing?
• What is TNR?
• Why is it so important to spay/neuter cats?
• Do you ever euthanize the cats?
• Why can’t Lollypop Farm just take the cats in and put them up for adoption?

Q. What is a feral cat?

A. Feral cats are "wild cats" that are the same species as the domestic cat that people have in their homes. Feral cats are not friendly. In fact, they are very afraid of humans and will avoid contact with people. When cornered, they can be aggressive. Feral cat populations usually begin when a non-spayed/neutered domesticated cat is abandoned by its owner. Cats can begin to have litters at 5-6 months old. The cats reproduce and the offspring are "feral", cats that have had little to no interaction with humans.

Q. What is a feral cat colony?

A. When several feral cats group together in a specific space they become a colony. Colonies are all over the Greater Rochester area and can be in backyards, behind restaurants, on college campuses and in trailer parks. Feral cats gather where there is a food source and some kind of shelter. Feral cats in a colony will continue to breed with one another and the population will continue to grow.

Q. Are feral cats dangerous to humans?

A. Feral cats are usually very afraid of people and will not come close and harm you. You can in fact tell that a cat is feral by that very characteristic. Feral cats will not come up to you seeking attention. If they have no escape route and are cornered, they can be aggressive.

Q. What about stray cats?

A. It is possible that a stray or "unowned" cat may end up living among a feral colony. A stray cat is one that has had the opportunity to interact with humans on a regular basis but is now no longer owned and cared for.

Q. What is Lollypop Farm doing?

A. Lollypop Farm has a goal that all cats in our community have homes. One step in achieving this goal is working on behalf of feral and unowned cats living in our community. Lollypop Farm is assisting in the control of feral cat populations by endorsing trapping of feral cats and, when possible, the use of a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program as our most viable present options.

Q. What is TNR?

A. TNR is a program where feral cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered and then returned to their "home." In our program the cats are returned when there is a "colony caretaker" who has agreed to provide the cats with food, water, shelter and health care. They are brought to Lollypop Farm, spayed or neutered, vaccinated for rabies, tested for feline leukemia and ear tipped (a small piece from their tip of their ear is removed during surgery) for tracking purposes. They are then returned to their colony.

Q. Why is it so important to spay/neuter cats?

A. There are many benefits to spay and neuter. First and foremost, we need to combat the overpopulation issue. There are just not enough homes for all of the cats in our community. Spay/neuter will decrease mating behavior like yowling, roaming and spraying!

Q. Do you ever euthanize the cats?

A. Every situation that we deal with is handled on a case-by-case basis. Often, feral cats are very ill and we believe that it is better for them to be humanely euthanized than to continue to suffer. Also, in the case where there is no “colony caretaker” we do not think it is humane to return them to an uncertain fate. Many people have the misconception that cats can “fend for themselves” but it is not true. Cats that are living on their own are susceptible to disease, starvation, predators, poisoning, abuse, cars and in Rochester, the very cold weather.

Q. Why can’t Lollypop Farm just take the cats in and put them up for adoption?

A. In some cases, we can and we do that as much as possible. If the cat has had a significant amount of interaction with humans or if they are young enough they may be adoptable. However, most feral cats have not had the socialization they need to interact with humans safely. They can be dangerous and it is very, very difficult to rehabilitate them. Lollypop Farm had 8,701 cats admitted in 2005 and as much as we would like to find a home for every cat we have to focus on the cats that are most adoptable.