The Difference Between Stray and Feral Cats

There are almost 60 million stray and feral cats in the United States, with the number growing everyday. Some cats are truly feral or wild animals while others are lost cats that have strayed too far from home.

 Feral cats are domestic cats that have reverted back to their ancestors’ natural, predatory state.They have been away from humans too long and may fear people or be downright hostile and vicious. A stray is simply a domestic housecat that has wandered too far from its owner’s front door.

A lost housecat may be dirty or banged up a bit from being outdoors for a few days. Some cats may withstand this initial experience better than others, but after awhile, they get tough. Most lost domestic cats who don’t get back to their home-or a new home - within a reasonable amount of time won’t survive very long on the streets. That is, unless they join a clowder or group of other feral cats. Clowder cats usually band together in alleys, parks or other secluded spots. If you live in a crowded urban area, a clowder of fighting or mating cats may wake you up with their high-pitched shrieks  in the middle of the night..


A Stray Story

My cat Petey was a stray. She would walk up repeatedly on my doorstep and rub up against me til I fed her. Petey followed me inside the first few times I left food on the porch , but I didn’t bring her in, figuring she belonged to one of the many “cat people” on the block who sometimes let their pets outdoors during the day. When a neighbor said she’d spied Petey sleeping on our porch one night ,that was it. The next day when she showed up at feeding time, I took her in. I was unable to locate her original owner, so she stayed with me for several years.

Wild In The Streets

It’s easy to tell a feral cat from a newly-minted stray, though it will take more than a quick sidelong glance. A feral cat will flat-out avoid humans or snarl and hiss when anyone approaches him. Unlike Petey and other strays, a feral cat has no interest in returning to a housecat status. They’ve had a taste of the hunter lifestyle, and it’s now permanently etched in their genes.

Taking in a feral cat is not recommended, even for the most experienced and patient cat people. There’s no way of knowing how long the cat has been in the wild or if he has contracted toxoplasmosis, rabies or other diseases while out on the streets.

 A friend of mine once took in a feral cat . He actually saved the cat’s life by rescuing him from a wheel well. He took the cat home, fed him, and tried to treat him like a regular housecat, but the feral feline would have none of it. He wasn’t interested in living in a home, except for the regular feedings. He did take to the other household cat, a mild-mannered domestic, and they would often play and clean each other’s ears. The feral cat never did get chummy with any of the people in the house, even after several years off the streets. He spent most of his time hiding and sleeping under the bed..Eventually, he ran away. He did return once, a few months after gallivanting, and followed me up the stairs. He took one look at my friend and ran away again. That’s gratitude for you!

Trap-Neuter-Return
 So while it may be tempting to take in a feral cat, you’re fighting a losing, and maybe dangerous, battle. The ASPCA and other animal and cat organizations advocate Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), a humane method of trapping feral cats so they can be neutered or spayed and checked for rabies before being released back into the wild. You can find out more about T-N-R by reading the ASPCA’s Feral Cat Sterilization Guidelines.

Article Copyright 2012 Jade Blackmore

This article was first published on Yeepet.com