Feral Cats in the Billings Area: What Can You Do?

Feral cats are a serious problem in Montana.

Cats living wild without human care are a big issue across the United States, including Montana. Estimates put the feral cat population somewhere between 60 and 100 million in the US! That's a lot of roving, homeless cats. These cats, often born from abandoned or stray cats, struggle to find food and shelter. They reproduce quickly, leading to overpopulation.

Another major issue with feral cats is their impact on native wildlife.

They hunt birds, small mammals, and reptiles, disrupting ecosystems. This can lead to declines in native species populations. Feral cats typically live in groups called colonies, often in or under abandoned outbuildings, old cars, or other places that offer shelter from the elements.

Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter offers free feral cat clinics.

Attempts to control feral cat populations include trap-neuter-return programs. In these programs, cats are caught, spayed or neutered, then released back into their territory. This helps reduce the number of kittens born and prevents future generations from contributing to the problem.

YVAS hosts free feral cat clinics routinely throughout the year.

The next event is Saturday, April 13. Residents can bring trapped feral cats to these clinics, where the cats are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and their ears are tipped to indicate they've been sterilized. Billings Animal Control rents cat traps for $10 per week with a $55 refundable deposit. Shipton's also sells live-capture animal traps.

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Tiffany Smith, Development Director at Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter told us that the April 13 clinic is at capacity, but another feral cat clinic is scheduled soon. Contact the shelter if you'd like to learn more about upcoming dates.

Managing feral cats requires community involvement.

In Helena last year, city officials approved its Trap Neuter Release (TRN) program to help deal with multiple colonies of feral cats.  Educating pet owners about responsible ownership and the importance of spaying and neutering their cats is crucial. Additionally, supporting local animal shelters like YVAS and other local rescue organizations helps provide resources for feral cat population control.