Feral cats can pose big problems for homeowners. Fortunately, there are pest control services that offer cat control as one of their processes. Before you take advantage of a free pest inspection from them, you should also know the risks that may come with the presence of feral cats. Although there are some who do harm people, there should still be measures observed to manage feral cat populations correctly. Here are a few reasons why feral cat control solutions should be considered:
The common misconception about cats is that the feral and stray types are similar to each other. However, a big difference is that stray cats are simply ones that have been abandoned by humans, or are just lost. Feral cats, on the other hand, live in the wild and have lived without human contact. As a result, they become unfriendly and even sometimes hostile towards humans. They do not have the friendly attitude that some stray cats have. That is why feral cats are more likely to hurt humans when they come into contact with them.
They will have a lot of trouble dealing with human contact because their temperaments can be quite erratic. Feral cats can also carry rabies which poses a dangerous and even fatal risk to humans.
Cats can come in large groups called colonies that can multiply at an alarming rate if left unchecked by a pest control service. Cat population control is important because you wouldn’t want to have that many predators wreaking havoc in your local ecosystems. A reliable pest control team will find places where feral cats gather like abandoned properties or sheltered hiding places. It is not a bad thing to have a few cats in the vicinity, but if you are bothered by their presence then it would be better for you to call a pest control team to deal with them.
Cats can pose a risk to a human’s health because they carry parasites and diseases which can easily be transmitted through contact. According to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, these parasites and bacteria like Toxocara canis, Toxoplasma gondii, Pasturella multocida, and Bartonella henselae can also expose humans to danger when it is transmitted via cat bites or exposure to their feces. In the event of disease contraction, precautions should be taken immediately.
Most homeowners find feral cats quite inconvenient because of the noise they make and the smell their droppings emit. There are people who also do not like the fact that cats spray urine to mark their territory — urine that is usually quite pungent. Feral cats can also be aggressive as seen in the way they fight with other cats. These fights often end up damaging your yard because they tend to dig up the ground and leave their feces strewn about. Cat control is essential to minimize these inconveniences, so if you don’t want the same thing happening to you, you should call pest control services immediately.
Cats can also be a threat to your pets just as they are a threat to you. Feral cats can carry parasites that can be transmitted to pets. If you have a house cat, they will be exposed to diseases like feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus which can be deadly for them. Feral cats can also be infested with fleas, intestinal bacteria, and worms. Because these type of cats are not properly cared for, they can also be riddled with ear mites, cat flu, and ringworm which can spread to your other pets if you do not exercise cat control as soon as possible.
Cat control is considered as a type of pest control service since they are sometimes treated as a nuisance to homeowners. In the event that this is so, methods such as extermination and Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) are the primary solutions to deal with this problem. When it comes to extermination, cats are removed from the area as well as the surrounding vicinity, so they cannot start another colony.
The TNR program is a more humane alternative approach to cat control. This is done by capturing the cats and handing them over to volunteers who would want to watch over them, provided that they have done the necessary steps to neuter or spay them.
It is essential that pest control services are maximized even in situations when larger pests such as cats are involved. This is a testament to the versatility of the service because they are not limited to bugs, insects, and small rodents. As stated here in this article, you can see that there are detrimental effects when you come in contact with a cat so you should be mindful enough to contact a team of pest experts for a free pest inspection when you need it.