Caring for a feral cat colony is a noble deed, but it takes a bit more work than simply putting out food and water. If you're looking after one or more feral cats, you might want to consider bringing them to the vet for these surgical services. Each can help to prolong the cat's life and make them more comfortable as they live out their years on the streets. 

Spaying/Neutering

This is the most common surgical procedure that feral cats undergo courtesy of their caregivers. Spaying or neutering a feral cat can help them to avoid unwanted pregnancies, unnecessary fights, and potentially lethal injuries. In addition, spaying and neutering eliminate the possibility of uterine cancer and testicular cancer, respectively. This means that a feral kitty can potentially live for many more years than they otherwise would have without this procedure.

A clinic that provides veterinary surgical services can spay or neuter feral cats.

Eartipping

Another procedure that some caregivers choose for their feral cats is eartipping. Eartipping is a simple surgical procedure where a small cut is made in the ear while the cat is unconscious, usually during their spaying or neutering procedure.

Eartipping isn't done for an aesthetic reason, but rather as a signal to other potential caregivers and veterinarians. Sometimes, cats are caught and brought to a vet more than once for medical care and in an attempt to spay or neuter them. This is unnecessary and can put unwanted strain on the cat.

Eartipping is only performed after a cat has been spayed or neutered. It indicates to potential caregivers and vets that the cat has already been sterilized and doesn't need to be brought in to prevent unwanted breeding.

Teeth

Lastly, consider having the vet take a look at your feral kitty's teeth while they're under anesthesia for one of the above conditions. Cats in the wild often have seriously poor oral health. Without care, severely decaying teeth or gum disease can potentially trigger severe infections that can become lethal. Sadly, most feral cats will hide once they reach a point of severe pain, so helping them at this point could be fruitless.

Even if the cat doesn't reach that point of infection, if their teeth are badly decaying, there could be enough pain that it makes it very difficult for them to eat. This could lead to a long, miserable decline in health and eventually death. By ensuring that their teeth are as healthy as possible and any bad ones are extracted, you can stop this process and give them many more years of comfort and health.