Kittens and recently abandoned or lost cats may be adopted. The remaining cats are released, usually back to the site where they were trapped, and given food and water daily. To identify cats in a managed colony, 1cm of the tip of one ear is often removed by the veterinarian. There is little data to substantiate such claims. Cat colonies often serve as dumping grounds for unwanted cats and the food often attracts more cats.
Colonies often contain cats too wary to be caught.
Contrary to claims by feeders, colony cats do not keep other cats from joining a colony. Domestic cats are not territorial because they do not exclude other cats from a given area. Diseases that can be transmitted to humans, such as ringworm, cat scratch fever, and toxoplasmosis, cannot be controlled in managed cat colonies. Rabies is a very real threat, and raccoons and skunks are two of the most common carriers of the disease in wildlife. Raccoons and skunks are attracted to feeding stations, as well as foxes, opossums, skunks, and rats.