Feral cats are cats which have "gone wild" and those born and raised in the wild. "Semi-ferals" are those which tolerate some human contact. Ferals often form colonies wherever there is shelter and a food supply e.g. farms, airbases, rubbish tips etc.
There are also other referrences for the definiton of FERAL cat;
"A feral cat is a descendant of a domesticated cat that has returned to the wild. It is distinguished from a stray cat, which is a pet cat that has been lost or abandoned, while feral cats are born in the wild; the offspring of a stray cat can be considered feral if born in the wild.."
- Wikipedia
"A "feral" cat is a cat who has reverted in some degree to a wild state. They originate from former domestic cats who were lost or abandoned and then learned to live outdoors or in environments involving little human contact"
-Neigborhoodcats.org
Feral colonies may act as reservoirs of disease such as FeLV/FIV which can be transmitted to pet cats which interact with ferals. There is also the fear of toxoplasmosis and (in some countries) rabies affecting humans.
They may become unhealthy and unsightly through continued breeding, poor nutrition and fighting (among unneutered cats). The habits of unneutered cats, especially males, makes them unwelcome.
Many people often pick up stray feral cat to be kept as a pet, but there are also many things that a person need to consider and sacrifice in order to allow both cat and owner to live in peace.
The process of taming an adult feral is much longer and harder than working with kittens and I prefer to neuter and release wild adults. If you are prepared to make a lifetime commitment then it may be worthwhile. Bear in mind the following;
- If the cat shows no signs of progress over 5 or 6 months, seriously consider returning it to its colony.
- If the cat is, and remains, extremely aggressive towards humans, then trying to tame it will probably be very stressful and almost certainly unsuccessful.
- If the cat's health suffers as a result of stress, consider trap-neuter-release (TTVARM) instead. I have known feral adults die due to the stress of confinement.
Taming adult ferals is traumatic for both parties, time-consuming and often unsuccessful. However, by maintaining a sensible outlook, most feral tamers report their work to be challenging, satisfying and very worthwhile.
To read more on how to tame or taking feral cat as a pet, you can read more at
