When you see cats running around your neighborhood, they may be domestic cats that spend time out-of-doors, or they may be stray or feral cats. What distinguishes stray cats from feral cats? Stray cats are domestic cats whose owners have either lost or abandoned them. Feral cats are the offspring of stray cats, or the abandoned offspring of domestic cats; feral cats are cats who have only ever lived in the wild. There are an estimated 50 million feral cats in the United States; the population fluctuates with weather conditions, population, and food availability. Approximately 80% of the kittens born each year are born to either stray of feral cats; feral cats are the number one source of cat over-population in the U.S. Feral cats’ lives are very difficult, and harsh conditions and environments impact their health and well-being.
People react to feral cats differently — with concern, indifference and annoyance. In any case, though, spaying and neutering your cats helps the issues feral cats face. Why? Because feral cats often are not spayed or neutered, and thus increase the problem by increasing the cat population. Non-profit programs exist that temporarily trap feral cats, spay or neuter them, and then re-release them into the wild. This helps prevent additional cats from being born into the difficulties and dangers of life in the wild.
If you notice your neighborhood has feral cats, there are many things you can do to take care of these creatures, help your neighborhood, and decrease the feral cat population. Here are some tips.
How to Best Care for Feral Cats
- Feral cats are typically too shy or too wild to be handled in the same way as domestic cats. They avoid human interaction. Take care when attempting to handle feral cats.
- If you being feeding feral cats, make sure to use the opportunity to participate in a trap-neuter-return program. Feeding feral cats without spaying or neutering them only adds to the problem — healthy cats produce healthy off-spring.
- Talk to your neighbors about local trap-neuter-return programs. Ask them to participate in the program for the cats that frequent their yard, trash bins, gardens, etc.
- Help find permanent homes for humanely-trapped or domestic cats. Abandonment adds to the issues experienced by feral cats — abandonment increases feral cat population.
- Humanely trap feral cats, and release them over to a humane society or organization in your area that deals with stray and feral cats.
Thank you for sharing this brief article about the feral cat population. I am familiar with TNR organizations like http://www.fixinferalfelines.org. Organizations are often asked what the difference between feral and domestic cats are.
We adopted a feral kitten 6 years ago, she has lived indoors with us with no problems. She is shy with strangers and friendly to our family. She is no lap cat, except with my son, which is her best buddy and follows him throughout the house. She is a very sweet cat and likes our dog and 2 guiena pigs, the only problem we have she likes to climb and sleep in the Chrismas Tree.
That is great – it sounds like she has adjusted very well. Many domestic cats are shy with strangers too.