With more than 60 million feral cats in the United States alone, the odds are that we ve all seen our share. Feral cats are those that have lived so long without human companionship that they have reverted to the ways of their wild ancestors and are therefore fearful and distrustful of humans. Because they cannot be handled and very few can be tamed, they are not suitable as family pets which, sadly, is the reason most shelters choose euthanasia for ferals. Happily, though, things are now changing for the forgotten feral cat, with groups such as Alley Cat Allies in Washington, D.C., San Diego s Feral Cat Coalition, and the U.K. s Cat Action Trust looking out for their welfare. With a method called Trap, Neuter, Return, or TNR, feral cats can be helped humanely, without resorting to euthanasia, effectively helping the population to be reduced gradually over time.
Feral cats live in groups called colonies.
Colonies are generally found living near whatever meager food source they can find, such as dumpsters or trash areas, and in almost any environment imaginable farms, beach resorts, college campuses, hospital grounds, military bases, restaurant alleyways, just to name a few anyplace that might look promising for food, water, and shelter. Feral cats are the result of domesticated cats that were lost or abandoned and, because they were unaltered, bred unchecked. The cats are then returned to the site where they have been living, given food and clean water daily, and shelter against the weather, if necessary. Along with the daily feedings, the cats are monitored by the caretaker, and any that become ill or injured are retrapped and taken to the veterinarian for treatment. Tame cats and kittens are placed in adoptive homes.