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DRAFT <br /> <br /> <br />what one would consider feral. Loosely-owned cats often show up in an area of the <br />community and may be cared for on some level by one or more persons. <br />Feral cats: In addition to loosely owned cats, free-roaming cats also include abandoned <br />cats and feral (wild) cats. These may be cats that self-reproduce or come from the <br />offspring of loosely affiliated or abandoned cats. They may depend upon human care or <br />become highly adaptive, surviving on scraps and other area resources. However, they <br />characteristically keep their distance from people due to the absence of human contact <br />and socialization during their formative developmental periods. Feral and semi-feral cats <br />have traditionally been the focus of trap, neuter, release programs (TNR). <br />Abandoned cats: It seems likely that cats are abandoned to a much greater extent than <br />dogs and other animals, partly on the basis of the preconception that they are self- <br />sufficient as well as solitary in nature. Whatever their status before abandonment, they <br />are afterward destined to become a member of the free-roaming population. Their <br />surviving offspring, unless rescued and brought into close contact with humans, will <br />become part of the feral segment of the population. <br />Communities and neighborhoods confront a variety of specific issues as a result of the presence <br />of free-roaming cats. While each issue is different in nature, what they all have in common is <br />the presence of free-roaming cats in some number. The three most prominent issues identified <br />by the task force are: <br />Public Nuisance: Outside and free-roaming cats may tear up gardens or yards, deposit <br />unwanted waste, and interfere with the ability of neighbors to have pets and children <br />safely outside. Such nuisance issues have traditionally been addressed through various <br />cat control measures such as confinement requirements or even cat leash laws, but <br />often call for measures to decrease the number of free-roaming cats. <br />Health and Welfare: Of the various human health concerns (e.g., toxoplasmosis) with <br />which cats are associated, the most significant continues to be rabies. Today, cats are <br />four times more likely than dogs to contract rabies.4 Because of their loose affiliation, <br />many cats do not to visit veterinarians with anywhere near the same frequency as dogs, <br />and thus are not vaccinated against rabies to the same extent. Moreover, they are <br /> <br />4 In North Carolina in 2014, there were 15 laboratory confirmed cases of rabies in cats, but only 4 in dogs.