Why did my feral cat colony population suddenly shrink? Is this normal?

River could certainly be losing light in the summer from more exposure to parasites, more activity while hunting, and many pets actually do tend to eat less during the heat of the summer months. There are parasites that the cats can pick up from hunting and keeping them on a routine parasite prevention Such as revolution or Advntage multi would be a good idea. There may have been a recommendation to give the cats milk if they were excessively foaming after hunting lizards and frogs as this will decrease the taste in their mouth to stop the hypersalivation. thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

They will hopefully be able to find enough food on their own as long although it may be difficult if they have been fed since they were kittens and have not acquired hunting skills. You may want to see if there is a rescue organization near you that could help trap and spay/neuter the cats to decrease the population and even rehome some to work in barns or warehouses as mousers. This is a good resource: https://www.alleycat.org

I recommend to have the kittens examined by the veterinarian with in the next day. Many times these kittens will be played with internal and external parasites. Changes in diet and viral infections are also possible causes. There are a few types of parasites which can be transmitted to humans so it is very important to make sure they are treated appropriately to keep the humans in the household safe. I also recommend to look into a trap neuter release program for the mother cat to help control the population. One female cat can have almost 30 kittens in a year and this can lead to disease outbreaks and sanitation concerns. Best of luck.

Hello. Weight loss of that amount is, unfortunately, going to require some investigation. If the cat’s feeding routine has basically remained unchanged, he has been dewormed....then we need to be looking for other, more serious problems. A thorough physical exam, bloodwork and possibly x-rays. He will likely need sedation for all of this, so presenting him to the vet in a humane trap that he can be sedated while still in the trap is the safest method for all involved. Reasons for dramatic weight loss could include diabetes, intestinal diseases, kidney or liver issues, cancer, etc. I deal with feral cats all the time and it is relatively simple to sedate them through the trap in order to do any procedures necessary. Good luck

It could be that Brute wandered far away and didn't have access to food, causing him to lose weight. It could also be that he is sick causing him to lose weight, or he may have a heavy intestinal worm burden. If you can catch him, I'd take him into a vet for a health check. I hope this helps!

Cats tend to eat slightly less once they have finished growing and their behavior can also settle as they grow up. If there is any weight loss or other signs of ill thrift such as poor coat or muscle condition i would recommend a full health check. Be sure to keep up to date with deworming medications and other preventions

Poor girl! There could be something that has spooked her. Or she could be not feeling well. Or there could even be an internal conflict with another cat in the household. The first thing I would do is make sure she is healthy. I would see if your vet can look at her and make sure she isn’t painful, no infection, no fever, no urinary tract infection, etc. if she isn’t feeling well, this definitely can cause a change in behavior. If everything is normal then I would make sure she is getting along with everyone in the house. Make sure there are plenty of litter boxes as this is something they commonly will become territorial over. You can even put out some feliway diffusers which are pheromones they help calm down cats. Unfortunately these don’t work on everyone. You make also look into vetriscience composure treats as a natural calming supplement. I hope this helps!