Managing Cat-Wildlife Conflicts

Overview

With a mission to protect all animals, Friends of HSI stands on common ground with those who care about both cats and wildlife. With determination, innovation and collaboration, we can implement and sustain effective programs to humanely resolve human-cat-wildlife conflicts.

Our ultimate goal is to dramatically and humanely reduce the number of cats outdoors, leading to much less risk and harm to the cats, no predation of birds and wildlife and the elimination of potential public health concerns and nuisance-related issues.

The Benefits of Collaboration

Most people care about both cats and wildlife and want to protect all animals.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution and efforts limited to removing cats from the landscape are bound to fall short as economically and logistically impractical and publicly unacceptable in light of the mass euthanasia that would likely result.

We are collaborating with partners to build and support coalitions in a number of regions to find innovative and humane solutions that work at the local level. These efforts will lay a foundation for greater progress in the protection of cats and wildlife.

The Value of Trap-Neuter-Return

Robust trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs and related strategies are part of the solution, not the problem and should be more widely practiced with broader support from animal welfare organizations, conservationists, policy makers and individual residents. Properly managed, TNR programs can work, are squarely in line with public opinion and can tap into a willing volunteer workforce that represents hundreds of thousands if not millions of dedicated people.

Keep Cats Inside, Keep Cats Safe, Keep Cats in Homes

FHSI asks pet owners to protect their cats by keeping them indoors (or transitioning an indoor/outdoor cat inside), having them spayed or neutered and maintaining collars and visible identification on them at all times. These three simple actions directly protect wildlife by reducing the number of cats outdoors, lowering the overall population of cats in need of homes and allowing lost cats to be quickly reunited with their families. Cats can live exciting and stimulating lives indoors with proper enrichment and can experience nature safely within a catio, screened porch or other secure outdoor enclosure.

Our programs focus on keeping cats in homes by breaking down housing barriers and solving behavior issues that can contribute to abandonment and relinquishment, reaching underserved communities and assisting animal shelters and rescue organizations expand adoptions and their capacity to care for more cats in their community.

Support our Spay and Neuter Clinic Efforts

Help us provide valuable veterinary care in remote Northern communities in Canada.

Act Now

Discover More

Image of 3 puppies from a puppy mill being held by an FHSI employee

Cat Welfare

In too many communities, shelters are overwhelmed with cats and kittens.

Declawing Cats: Worse Than a Manicure

People often mistakenly believe that declawing their cats is a harmless “quick fix” for unwanted scratching.

Why You Should Spay or Neuter Your Pet

The choice to spay or neuter your pet may be one of the most important decisions you make impacting their long-term health—and your wallet!