PETS

             

Stray and Feral Cats

          Feral, stray, and pet cats are all members of the same species; they are all domestic cats. But stray cats and feral cats are also different from each other in a very important way in their relationship to and interactions with people.

           Whether you are a shelter worker, veterinarian, or feral cat advocate—or you just share your neighborhood with feral cats knowing how to tell the difference can help inform how best to interact with a cat or what, if any, intervention would be in each cat’s best interest.Pet and stray cats are socialized to people.

Feral cats are not socialized to people. While they are socialized to their colony members and bonded to each other, they do not have that same relationship with people.

• A stray cat is a cat who has been socialized to people at some point in her life, but has left or lost her domestic home, as well as most human contact and dependence.
• Over time, a stray cat can become feral as her contact with humans dwindles.
• Under the right circumstances, however, a stray cat can also become a pet cat once again. Stray cats that are re-introduced to a home after living outdoors may require a period of time to re-acclimate; they may be frightened and wary after spending time outside away from people. ·
• Another definition that may help:
  - “A stray cat is a domestic cat that has been abandoned or has ‘strayed’ from home and become lost. Stray were once pets and they can usually be successfully rescued and placed in homes.”  

• A feral cat is a cat who has either never had any contact with humans or her contact with humans has diminished over time. She is fearful of people and survives on her own outdoors. A feral cat is not likely to ever become a lap cat or enjoy living indoors.
• Kittens born to feral cats can be socializes at an early age and adopted into homes.

Written by Atikah Fatihah