Feral or Stray?

Feral or Stray?

A feral cat is a cat that was lost or abandoned and has reverted to a wild state, or a cat that was born to a stray or feral mother and has had little or no human contact. They are not suitable to cohabitate with people. They live in families or groups called colonies that form near a source of food and shelter. A feral cat is silent, will not approach humans, and will generally be seen from dusk to dawn. A feral cat adapts to most conditions and is generally well groomed. If you put food down, she will wait until you move away from the way before approaching the food.  Sometimes feral kittens up to 8 to 10 weeks of age can be socialized and adopted into homes.

Stray cats were companion animals at one time and can be re-socialized and adopted. A stray cat is likely to approach you, although not close enough for you to touch him. If you put food down, a stray cat will likely start to eat right away. A stray cat is often vocal, sometimes talking insistently and may look disheveled as if he is unaccustomed to dealing with the conditions of the street. A stray can be seen at all times of the day.

Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR)

TNR is a non-lethal sterilization method to reduce the number of feral cats in the environment both immediately and in the long term by breaking the reproduction cycle– this is critical to reducing the pet overpopulation problem. TNR is a program in which feral cats are humanely trapped, then evaluated, vaccinated, and sterilized by a veterinarian. Kittens and tame strays are adopted into good homes. Healthy adult feral cats are returned to their familiar habitat under the lifelong care of volunteer caretakers.  Cats that are ill or injured beyond recovery are not returned to the environment.

Managing a Feral Colony

A volunteer caretaker is responsible for managing a group of feral cats living together. The caretaker regularly monitors cats and captures any who need veterinary care, in addition to trapping any newcomers to be sterilized and vaccinated.

Coexisting with Feral Cats

TNR works because it breaks the cycle of reproduction and enables feral cats to live in an environment that provides food and shelter. They are most content living in their established territory.