Community cats are all around us, even if we don’t see them. They lead tough lives and could use our help.

Chances are you know them as feral cats — but they’re not strays. Strays are pets that have been lost or abandoned. They rely on us for food and purr, meow or rub against our legs to get it. Instead, community cats are wary and used to surviving on the streets.

But life is tough. They can face extreme weather, starvation and animal attacks on a daily basis. If they get sick, community cats are on their own. For those lucky enough to survive kittenhood — and half aren’t — the average lifespan is only 2 years.

That’s why it’s so important to bring community kittens in from the wild as soon as possible. With knowledge from shelter experts, community cats can be fostered and socialized until they can find forever homes.