TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats
TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats
1. What is a Feral Cat? The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook A “feral” cat is a feline who lives outside a normal home and has to some extent reverted to a wild state. Ferals tend to be fearful of people and keep their distance unless the person is someone they have come to know and trust. They originate from lost or abandoned domestic cats who either became wild themselves after living on their own or parented feral offspring. In contrast to ferals, a “stray” is a lost or abandoned cat who still retains his tame nature. Most cats living on their own are feral and live in groups called “colonies.” The cats in a colony share territory and a common food source. Often the cats in a colony are related by family, but not always. Feral colonies can form anywhere there is adequate food and shelter. In urban areas, they can be found in alleyways, vacant lots, abandoned buildings, warehouses, factories, parks and backyards, to name a few. The vast majority of ferals are not completely wild because they rely on people for their food source, whether it’s a restaurant dumpster or a kind neighbor who comes by once a day. Relatively few subsist by hunting alone. Cats can be feral to different degrees. Just how wild a cat is will depend on a combination of four factors: • Age Usually, kittens six to seven weeks of age or younger are not yet developed enough to be highly feral and can easily be socialized within a matter of days. As the kittens progress to eight weeks and older, their feral nature grows stronger and socialization becomes increasingly difficult with each passing week. Beyond five to six months of age, the cat in most cases is fully feral and will likely remain so for life. • Number of generations feral Cats grow wilder with each succeeding feral generation. For example, a cat who herself once lived in a domestic home will tend to be less feral than her offspring, while a tenth generation feral cat will tend to be wilder than one who is second generation. • Amount of human contact The amount of contact the cats have with people on a regular basis is another important factor. A cat who lives in a community garden and has visitors coming everyday to talk and play with him will be less feral than a cat who lives in the woods and rarely encounters people. 1
The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook • Personality On rare occasion, a feral cat is naturally friendly towards people despite being beyond kitten age, born of a feral mother and/or living in a reclusive environment. But the naturally occurring “gregarious feral” is very much the exception. However, after neutering, some feral cats do gradually become friendlier and more approachable, sometimes to the point of becoming adoptable. Assessing whether a cat is feral can be relevant to determining what is the best situation for the feline. If the cat is a friendly domestic, then adoption is the best option, but if the cat is feral, then allowing him to live in his own territory with his colony mates might be the most compassionate choice. For more on this question, see “Determining if a cat is adoptable” in Chapter 15. 2
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The <strong>Neighborhood</strong> <strong>Cats</strong> <strong>TNR</strong> <strong>Handbook</strong><br />
• Personality<br />
On rare occasion, a feral cat is naturally friendly towards people despite being beyond<br />
kitten age, born of a feral mother and/or living in a reclusive environment. But the<br />
naturally occurring “gregarious feral” is very much the exception. However, after<br />
neutering, some feral cats do gradually become friendlier and more approachable,<br />
sometimes to the point of becoming adoptable.<br />
Assessing whether a cat is feral can be relevant to determining what is the best<br />
situation for the feline. If the cat is a friendly domestic, then adoption is the best option,<br />
but if the cat is feral, then allowing him to live in his own territory with his colony mates<br />
might be the most compassionate choice. For more on this question, see “Determining if<br />
a cat is adoptable” in Chapter 15.<br />
2
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