Distinguishing Between "Feral" Cats and Socialized "Strays" (Reply)

Jmuhjacat Writes: However, in the wake of a huge rescue operation out in the Nevada desert, members of and volunteers for Best Friends have had some excellent success working with extremely frightened cats who exhibit all the signs of having been feral and over time, learn to "come in from the cold" (or heat, in this case) in response to regular food, clean water, medical care, and love and patience. Just as human beings respond negatively to abuse, neglect, fear, stress, and deprivation, so do cats; and conversely, just as humans thrive in caring, loving, comfortable, healthy circumstances, so do cats.

Reply: I think it important to differentiate between true "feral" cats (born outside and never receiving human handling) and cats who at one time were in a human home.

In any group of "strays," there are usually one, two or sometimes more cats who began their lives in a human setting.

As you know, there are many people who (irresponsibly) allow their cats to roam outside. Especially if unneutered males, the cats tend to wander off. Other people freely abandon cats with the idea that pet cats are able to fend for themselves. If such people have knowledge of an area where stray cats are being fed by humans, they are more likely to abandon cats to such location.

When doing cat rescue in junk lots and abandoned buildings years ago, I always took a carrier with me when feeding cats because inevitably I would find abandoned pets who would freely walk up to me and into the carrier. These were obviously NOT "feral" cats!

Any cat who originally started life in a human home will adapt well, as you say, to rescue and care. Even if living outside for years, the cat still retains the memory of early socialization and imprinting with humans and responds to human handling. ALL of the stray cats I rescued without use of a humane trap, adapted quickly to being in a home and were easy and fairly quick adoptions.

I remember particularly a male tabby cat, I rescued with a "New York One" TV camera filming the event. The rescue was actually unanticipated as I was simply showing areas in Harlem where our group was involved in trying to help stray cats. But, with the camera running, a very friendly Tabby cat walked right up to me -- a cat I had never seen before. Luckily I had a Sherpa bag with me and he walked right in.

Following neutering and shots, the cat was easily and quickly adopted out.

But, as noted yesterday, feral cats are very different.

They always have to be humanely trapped and though they may adapt well to living indoors and with other cats, if rescued as adults, they are almost never adoptable, even when receiving all the love and care in the world.

I should know. Over the years, I kept a number of feral cats, most of whom lived beyond ten years. Except for occasionally getting a hand on them if they walked by or were eating, I was never able to truly socialize the cats to humans.

When they finally became ill in later life, I had to have the cats euthanized at my vet, because there was no way to medicate or treat them for illness. They never accepted human handling!

Bottom line: If doing cat rescue, one always has to distinguish between lost or abandoned "pets" and truly feral adult cats. Socialized pet cats should be adopted out. Adult ferals should be released back to original environment after neutering. As noted previously, feral kittens need to be rescued as soon as possible (preferably before 8 weeks), vetted, socialized and adopted out.

Early environment (imprinting) and socialization is almost everything (aside from genetics which has minimal bearing on behavior and physical health) in terms of evaluating later possibilities for both humans and animals. We cannot emphasize that enough! -- PCA

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Distinguishing Between "Feral" Cats and Socialized "Strays" (Reply)