While feral cats don’t exactly make great pets, they do, on the other hand, make great exterminators.
There are thousands of feral cats living in the US and in order to help with the problem, homeowners and businesses are lending a hand with a very special adoption program.
Instead of trying to turn them into pets, cities are getting on board with offering “adoptions” for cats as working animals.
Animal lovers and advocates can rescue felines as mousers to save them from being euthanized while getting rid of rats and mice from their property.
The NYC Feral Cat Initiative has had a lot of success so far, too, processing over 1,000 cats in veterinary offices or animal shelters across the city every month. Feral cats are trapped, altered, and returned to the wild with one ear clipped at the corner so that other rescuers know the feline has been treated. However, if the cat’s original territory has been destroyed or isn’t suitable for the cat to return, the Feral Cat Initiative pairs it with someone who has a rodent problem.
Cities like Chicago, Austin, and Los Angeles have all since begun their own working cat programs, as well.
Said one working cat owner in New York, “I tell the neighbors how important they are. They don’t need any poison or mouse traps around the house.”