Ferals

I had to be at the hospital at 7 am. this morning to help register folks for a breakfast event, so I had to go out to feed cats a little earlier than I normally do, if you can believe that.  So here I am at 4:55 a.m. leaving my house to drive to the hood to feed the 30-40+ kitties waiting for me, and waiting for me they were.  So were a few raccoons.  I am trying to drop off one plastic tote shelter each morning at a different location.  The weather we have now is one that humans like to cuddle under blankets for, which is the best part of my day, and for cats, they have none of these comforts.  I hope these shelters provide some comfort for them.  I hope they find the straw that I line the bottoms of them with are soft and pliable.  Again, it is nice to be able to look inside one in the morning and see an indentation in the straw that a cat was using it to lay (lie?) in. 

So far nothing has been taken.  I am so grateful for this.  I must remember my camera to show you a couple of spots that Kristen helped me to make little forts for the kitties.  If those could stay intact, I wouldn't have so much to worry about when the really bad winter weather arrives. 

I read an article that had statistics of the number of stray/feral cats in this country.  This article quoted 50 million.  When you think about that, its overwhelming.  What am I doing to make a difference?  How am I helping to reduce this really mind-boggling number?

Here is an interesting article I recently read about sheltering and socializing feral cats.

Feral cats are domestic cats, and just like friendly cats, they benefit from having an indoor home or sanctuary.


People who adopt friendly cats normally intend to give themselves a companion or a sweet dependent pet. Typically in this situation, when adopting an additional friendly cat down the road, special precautions need to be taken for a smooth transition, since there may be territorial or jealousy issues from the original house cat.

Providing sanctuary for feral cats is altruistic: the goal is to get the cats off the streets and into an indoor, protected environment. Normally at minimum, a small handful of cats are rescued at a time. Typically feral cats are not loners, but rather are part of a group, or colony of cats. These cats will socialize on their own schedule and will then act similarly to cats that are adopted as friendly cats, except generally there will not be jealousy or territorial issues with the feral cats. Even after they become social, they find great comfort in the company of cats, including new cats that join the group.

Feral cats will not appeal to the person who wants an instantly companionable pet, but rather to the person who has the desire and the means to provide sanctuary. Rescuers of feral cats will generally light up with stories of how funny their feral cats are and how they have become loving companions in time. Also, feral cats that have a home will generally stay clear of the outside door when it’s opened, as they clearly want to remain indoors. Friendly cats, on the other hand, are more likely to show curiosity or a desire to go outside. Feral cats know better.

Feral cats are not wild animals. Rather, they are domestic animals that have taken on wild behaviors, apparently as an instinctive defense mechanism to aid in their survival. In contrast to wild animals such as squirrels, raccoons, and skunks, they are ill-equipped to survive on their own. Feral cats do not thrive in the woods where there is no human existence. Stray and feral cats form colonies around human food sources, such as open trash cans or dumpsters. Truly wild animals will den-up or hibernate during harsh winter weather, while feral cats typically search for relief in precarious places. Feral cats prefer a comfortable, safe indoor life to a lifelong experience of homeless perils.

Another untruth is that after 6 weeks, a feral cat can no longer be socialized.  While kittens six weeks and younger will typically socialize rather quickly and easily, there are three primary factors that influence how quickly an adult feral cat will become social:

The individual nature of each cat. Some feral cats come around faster than others, even when they are from the same family and same litter of kittens. Each cat has a unique and individual personality, just like humans.

How many generations the feral cat is away from a social mother cat. Kittens born in the wild from a tame cat will be semi-feral, while kittens born in the wild from a semi-feral cat will be feral. As each generation progresses, the more feral the kittens will be and the more difficult it will be to socialize
them. However, there are countless exceptions to this rule, and this factor seems to be less relevant than other factors.

• The cat’s past and current associations with people. After a friendly, trusting cat has been abandoned or lost in the streets, particularly if he encounters a tough life, his behavior will often gradually become feral as an instinctive defense or survival mechanism. Generally these cats will come around rather quickly with some kindness and effort, and these cats make good adoption candidates into new homes.  Cats that were born in the wild and were given kind attention from their caregivers will generally socialize more easily than feral cats that either had no caregiver or were treated indifferently by their caregiver.

Other facts:

No Meows. Feral cats will generally not meow in front of you until they feel comfortable in your presence.


No eating in front of you. Cats, especially feral cats, typically need to feel comfortable in their surroundings before they will eat. A feral cat may go for several days eating barely a thing after it is brought into your home, and even then it may only eat after you have gone to the office or gone to bed. When a feral cat will eat in front of you, it is usually a sign of trust.

Hiding. A feral cat may hide after you put it in a taming cage (cat playpen) or after you first release it from the playpen. This is symptomatic of its lifestyle in the wild. In the outdoors, feral cats typically hide unless it is feeding time or near feeding time. A feral cat will slowly break that habit after it feels safe in your home. For example, in the beginning stages, if you are out of the room, the cat may bravely enjoy the comfort of your sofa and then run to hide as you enter the room.