To ascertain the health and reproductive status of free-roaming stray cats (Felis silvestris catus) in an urban residential area of Japan, an epidemiological investigation was conducted. Reproductive data collection (306 female cats) and blood tests for biochemical and infectious parameters (31 cats) were carried out in a typical residential area in a large city, Yokohama. All subjects were stray cats that were sterilized by a trap-neuter-return program. The proportion of female cats found to be pregnant was relatively high during March and July and peaked in April (58.6%). Mean litter size (±SD) was 3.8±0.5. Some cats showed a value out of the reference ranges in the blood tests, but no cat suffered from FeLV and FIV. Generally, reproductive and health status of free-roaming stray cats in Yokohama was not bad compared with that of healthy indoor cats. This serves as a reference to promote a measure so-called "Chiiki-neko" program based on sterilization.

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