Frequently Asked Questions
What is a feral cat?
What is the difference between an abandoned cat and a feral cat?
Where do feral cats come from?
What is Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)?
What is an ‘eartip’?
Why can’t feral cats be socialized and then adopted into homes?
What happens to feral cats when they are brought to most shelters?
Why doesn't removing feral cats from an area work?
What is a feral cat?
A feral cat is a cat who has either never had any contact with people or her contact with people has diminished over time.
She is not socialized to people and survives on her own outdoors. Most feral cats are not likely to ever become lap cats or enjoy living indoors.
Outdoor cats have existed alongside humans for 10,000 years.
They are not a new phenomenon.
Feral cats are members of the same species as pet cats, they are domestic cats—and are therefore protected under animal anti-cruelty laws.
The difference between feral cats and your pet cat is that they have had little or no contact with people, and so they are wary of us,and cannot be adopted. They have a home—outdoors. They live and thrive in every landscape, from the inner city to rural farmland.
Since feral cats are not adoptable, they should not be brought to animal pounds and shelters, because there they will likely be killed.
What is the difference between an abandoned cat and a feral cat?
Abandoned cats are socialized to people and can be adopted into homes, but feral cats are not socialized to people and are happy living outdoors.
An abandoned cat:
Is a cat who has been socialized to people at some point in her life, but has been abandoned or lost her indoor home, as well as most human contact and dependence.
An abandoned cat can become feral as her contact with humans dwindles.
Can under the right circumstances become a pet cat once again. Abandoned 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.
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 not socialized to people and survives on her own outdoors. Most feral cats are not likely to ever become lap cats or enjoy living indoors.
Although feral cats can have kittens who can be socialized at an early age and adopted into homes.
Where do feral cats come from?
Contrary to some common misconceptions, feral cats are not a new phenomenon, Domestic cats came into existence about 10,000 years ago, when humans began farming. According to scientists, cats are one of the only animals who domesticated themselves—choosing to live near humans to feed on the rodents attracted by stored grain. Evolutionary research shows that the natural habitat of cats is outdoors in close proximity to humans—and that is how they have lived ever since. In fact, it wasn’t until the 1940s—and the invention of cat litter—that "indoor only" for cats was even a concept.
What is Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)?
Trap-Neuter-Return is the humane, effective approach for feral cats. Feral cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and eartipped (the universal symbol of a neutered and vaccinated cat), and then returned to their outdoor home.
Socialized cats and kittens are adopted into homes. The colony’s population stabilizes—no more kittens! Trap-Neuter-Return improves their lives and their relations with the community: the behaviors and stresses associated with mating stop.
What is an ‘eartip’?
We use the word “eartip” to describe when a small portion of the tip of a feral cat’s left ear is surgically removed during neuter surgery, to denote that the cat has been neutered and vaccinated. Eartipping is done while the cat is anesthetized and is not painful for the cat. Eartipping is the most effective way to identify neutered feral cats from a distance, to make sure they are not trapped or undergo surgery a second time.
Why can’t feral cats be socialized and then adopted into homes?
A feral cat is a cat who has either never had any contact with people or her contact with people has diminished over time.
They are not socialized to people and cannot be touched, except sometimes by a regular caregiver.
The ideal window for socializing feral kittens is 12 weeks of age or younger—beyond 12 weeks, feral cats may never socialize completely or at all. As a result, we do not recommend attempting to socialize feral cats older than 12 weeks—it is dangerous and stressful for both you and the cat. Feral cats live healthy lives in their outdoors homes and the best thing you can do to help them is Trap-Neuter-Return. Outdoor cats that are friendly and socialized to people are called stray cats, and they can be re-homed.
What happens to feral cats when they are brought to most shelters?
Many shelters now realize that allowing feral cats to enter their doors is a death sentence and that Trap-Neuter-Return
is the humane approach for their care. In recognition of this, some pounds and shelters have a “no feral cats accepted” policy,
as well as a policy of returning eartipped cats to the place where they were initially trapped. Unfortunately, there are more
pounds and shelters that still kill feral cats—some as soon as the cat enters the facility. Feral cats live full, healthy lives outdoors,
but are killed in shelters.
Why doesn't removing feral cats from an area work?
Animal control’s traditional approach for feral cats—catching and killing—is endless and cruel, and it does not keep an area free of cats. Cats choose to reside in a location for two reasons: there is a food source(intended or not) and shelter. Because of a phenomenon called the vacuum effect, when cats are removed from a location, survivors of the catch and kill effort and new cats who have moved in breed to capacity. Cats have been living outside alongside people for 10,000 years—a fact that cannot be changed.
Feral cat caregivers can take steps to make feral cats more comfortable, like neutering them, feeding them, and providing shelter.
These steps promote the cats’ well-being, improve their relationships with neighbors, and assist the people who live nearby to understand and co-exist with the cats. But most feral cats don’t require intervention beyond Trap-Neuter-Return.
What is a feral cat?
What is the difference between an abandoned cat and a feral cat?
Where do feral cats come from?
What is Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)?
What is an ‘eartip’?
Why can’t feral cats be socialized and then adopted into homes?
What happens to feral cats when they are brought to most shelters?
Why doesn't removing feral cats from an area work?
What is a feral cat?
A feral cat is a cat who has either never had any contact with people or her contact with people has diminished over time.
She is not socialized to people and survives on her own outdoors. Most feral cats are not likely to ever become lap cats or enjoy living indoors.
Outdoor cats have existed alongside humans for 10,000 years.
They are not a new phenomenon.
Feral cats are members of the same species as pet cats, they are domestic cats—and are therefore protected under animal anti-cruelty laws.
The difference between feral cats and your pet cat is that they have had little or no contact with people, and so they are wary of us,and cannot be adopted. They have a home—outdoors. They live and thrive in every landscape, from the inner city to rural farmland.
Since feral cats are not adoptable, they should not be brought to animal pounds and shelters, because there they will likely be killed.
What is the difference between an abandoned cat and a feral cat?
Abandoned cats are socialized to people and can be adopted into homes, but feral cats are not socialized to people and are happy living outdoors.
An abandoned cat:
Is a cat who has been socialized to people at some point in her life, but has been abandoned or lost her indoor home, as well as most human contact and dependence.
An abandoned cat can become feral as her contact with humans dwindles.
Can under the right circumstances become a pet cat once again. Abandoned 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.
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 not socialized to people and survives on her own outdoors. Most feral cats are not likely to ever become lap cats or enjoy living indoors.
Although feral cats can have kittens who can be socialized at an early age and adopted into homes.
Where do feral cats come from?
Contrary to some common misconceptions, feral cats are not a new phenomenon, Domestic cats came into existence about 10,000 years ago, when humans began farming. According to scientists, cats are one of the only animals who domesticated themselves—choosing to live near humans to feed on the rodents attracted by stored grain. Evolutionary research shows that the natural habitat of cats is outdoors in close proximity to humans—and that is how they have lived ever since. In fact, it wasn’t until the 1940s—and the invention of cat litter—that "indoor only" for cats was even a concept.
What is Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)?
Trap-Neuter-Return is the humane, effective approach for feral cats. Feral cats are humanely trapped, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and eartipped (the universal symbol of a neutered and vaccinated cat), and then returned to their outdoor home.
Socialized cats and kittens are adopted into homes. The colony’s population stabilizes—no more kittens! Trap-Neuter-Return improves their lives and their relations with the community: the behaviors and stresses associated with mating stop.
What is an ‘eartip’?
We use the word “eartip” to describe when a small portion of the tip of a feral cat’s left ear is surgically removed during neuter surgery, to denote that the cat has been neutered and vaccinated. Eartipping is done while the cat is anesthetized and is not painful for the cat. Eartipping is the most effective way to identify neutered feral cats from a distance, to make sure they are not trapped or undergo surgery a second time.
Why can’t feral cats be socialized and then adopted into homes?
A feral cat is a cat who has either never had any contact with people or her contact with people has diminished over time.
They are not socialized to people and cannot be touched, except sometimes by a regular caregiver.
The ideal window for socializing feral kittens is 12 weeks of age or younger—beyond 12 weeks, feral cats may never socialize completely or at all. As a result, we do not recommend attempting to socialize feral cats older than 12 weeks—it is dangerous and stressful for both you and the cat. Feral cats live healthy lives in their outdoors homes and the best thing you can do to help them is Trap-Neuter-Return. Outdoor cats that are friendly and socialized to people are called stray cats, and they can be re-homed.
What happens to feral cats when they are brought to most shelters?
Many shelters now realize that allowing feral cats to enter their doors is a death sentence and that Trap-Neuter-Return
is the humane approach for their care. In recognition of this, some pounds and shelters have a “no feral cats accepted” policy,
as well as a policy of returning eartipped cats to the place where they were initially trapped. Unfortunately, there are more
pounds and shelters that still kill feral cats—some as soon as the cat enters the facility. Feral cats live full, healthy lives outdoors,
but are killed in shelters.
Why doesn't removing feral cats from an area work?
Animal control’s traditional approach for feral cats—catching and killing—is endless and cruel, and it does not keep an area free of cats. Cats choose to reside in a location for two reasons: there is a food source(intended or not) and shelter. Because of a phenomenon called the vacuum effect, when cats are removed from a location, survivors of the catch and kill effort and new cats who have moved in breed to capacity. Cats have been living outside alongside people for 10,000 years—a fact that cannot be changed.
Feral cat caregivers can take steps to make feral cats more comfortable, like neutering them, feeding them, and providing shelter.
These steps promote the cats’ well-being, improve their relationships with neighbors, and assist the people who live nearby to understand and co-exist with the cats. But most feral cats don’t require intervention beyond Trap-Neuter-Return.