About Cats
Stray and Feral Cats
Stray cats are companion cats that previously lived in human homes,
but now are forced to live on the street. These cats have gotten lost, or been
thrown out of their homes or abandoned by their former owners. Once captured or
taken in, they can be resocialized. They sleep in our parks, back yards,
military bases, alleyways, farmyards, barns, college
 campuses,
vacant houses and deserted
buildings. Abandoned by their human families or simply lost, unsterilized
housecats eventually band together in groups called colonies.
Without human contact for a prolonged period, the colonies become Feral.
"Feral" comes from the Latin word "ferus" meaning wild animal. It refers to
individual animals that have "escaped" from the domestication of their species
and become wild. According to Sara Pehrsson (Cats Magazine, August 1995), feral
cats are neither wildlife nor pets, so they don't get the advantages of either
group. They make homes wherever they can find food, be it in dumpsters or under
a boardwalk. Mothers teach their kittens to avoid humans and to defend
themselves. And their numbers steadily increase, even if meager scraps are all
the food to be had.
No one knows exactly how many feral cats live in the United States, but the
number is estimated in the tens of millions. They are often wrongly portrayed as
disease-ridden nuisances living tragic lives and responsible for endangering
native species. As a consequence, feral feline communities too frequently are
rounded up and because they have had little or no human contact and are thus
unadoptable they are killed.
But removing and killing feral cats does not reduce feral cat populations. It
only provides space for more cats to move in and start the breeding process
again. Unspayed, feral female cats spend most of their lives pregnant and
hungry, as will the female kittens that survive. Unneutered tomcats roam to
find, and fight to win, mates, and often suffer debilitating wounds in the
process. Half of all kittens born in feral colonies die within their first year.
Alley cats can be ferals, strays, or free roaming companion cats. It
can be difficult to tell these cats apart. For that reason, when feral cat
sweeps occur, untagged and unmicrochipped free roaming companion cats get caught
up and often pay the ultimate price for being outdoors unsupervised.
Why do you think they are called housecats? If you understand your
unique feline
and take the proper steps...there is no reason he or she needs to go outside. To
enrich the lives of indoor cats, use this "resource" checklist from the
Indoor Cat Initiative:
- Informed Owners - As an owner one of the most important things you can
do for you cat is to educate yourself about feline idiosyncrasies. These
resources will help you do just that.
- A Good
Start - Getting off to a purrfect start with your new cat.
- Feline
Life Stressors - How to make your cat more comfortable when stress
occurs.
- Litter Boxes - At least one litter box per cat and clean them daily,
find out what else can make a difference.
- Scratching - You already know they like to scratch, but why and how can
you encourage "proper" scratching?
- Resting
Areas - It may seem like all they do is sleep, but there is a method
behind narcoleptic tendencies.
- Perches - Everyone likes a pleasant view, cats are no exception.
- Toys
- Cats need recreation too!
- Identifying your cat's prey preference
- Identifying your cat's "prey preference" allows you to buy or make toys
that your cat will be more likely to play with rather than ignore.
- Making changes
- Cats are creatures of habit, and you won't want to risk frightening your
cat by changing too much too quickly.
- Problem
Solving - Here are some potential problems you may encounter as a cat
owner, and some suggested solutions to make life a little easier!
Helpful Videos for giving medicine, trimming claws and more
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