HOW TO IDENTIFY A FERAL CAT

HOW TO IDENTIFY A FERAL CAT

By Susan Floerchinger

First published by Fureverfelinecatrescue

Feral cats typically avoid people and seek hiding places like under porches, in alleyways behind dumpsters. A feral cat will hunt for their food or eat out of the dumpster.

Stray cats may approach people, houses, porches, or cars. A stray cat will beg for food, look for it on the porch, and might allow you to hand-feed it.

Feral cats are more likely to be nocturnal and may only be visible during the day occasionally. They prefer to hunt at night when most of their common predators are not out and about.

The stray cats are primarily active during the daytime. They have become accustomed to their human counterparts' routines and will continue to follow that routine.

Feral cats often move by crawling, crouching, or staying low to the ground with their tail protecting their body. This is a natural defensive behavior to reduce vulnerability and go undetected. It is a crucial behavior for survival in the wild.

Strays may walk with their tail up, indicating it is confident, happy, and friendly. They feel content in their environment and aren’t threatened by the people they encounter. It is a sign of peace.

Feral cats are unlikely to make eye contact because they are afraid and do not wish to encourage contact with you. Eye contact is intimidating, a warning that they may have to defend themselves from a predator. It is a way for them to tell you to keep your distance.

A stray may look at you, blink, or make eye contact. Strays are generally house cats that have run away, gotten lost, or have recently been abandoned. They don’t fear humans because they know them as a provider for food, comfort, and companionship. Most strays have not encountered trauma from humans and are not afraid to interact with humans.

Feral cats generally do not meow, beg, or purr, as strays may vocalize, meow, or respond to your voice. They were born in the wild and have not socialized with humans or other pets. They view humans as just another predator.

Feral cats cannot be touched, even by a caregiver. Feral cats have most likely been traumatized when interacting with humans. They do not trust us.

While strays may eventually tolerate touching or respond positively to gentle contact. Most strays were born indoors and have an imprint of humans being caregivers for them, providing food, shelter, and safety from the elements and predators. Eventually, they begin to trust humans again.

Feral cats will stay in the back of a cage and retreat if approached; they are fearful and trying to protect themselves from a situation they see as dangerous. In the past, humans might have encounter have yelled, threw things at them, or were abused by humans.

A stray may come to the front of a cage and even rub against it. They crave companionship and need interaction with humans to provide food, water, and companionship for them. Being outdoors on their own is a scary situation for them, and if they can find someone to take care of them, they will opt for that instead of living in the wild.

Feral cats remain tense and unsocial; even over time, it may take years for feral cats to allow someone to touch them and care for them. They will always feel slightly uncomfortable in a domestic situation, but may learn to interact in those settings if it is understood that the cat is in control.

After a short time, most strays will relax and adapt to a more comfortable, new environment. The stray will once more revert to a domesticated house cat with more acceptable behavior.

Feral cats ignore people, toys, and even food, these are strange to them as they have had to spend most of their lives defending themselves. They are not used to canned foods or dry kibble and would rather hunt for their food or find it in the dumpster, where they are more familiar with those situations.

Strays are more likely to investigate toys or food placed near them and respond to household sounds like cat food cans being opened. Strays were at one time, kept as a pet, loved and cared for by humans and that memory stays with them.

Feral cats may become aggressive and lash out if threatened, showing signs like ears back and eyes dilated. A feral cat may never desire being held and stroked like a domesticated house cat. Where strays may hiss or growl only as a sign of anxiety. It will only take a few days or a week or two for the stray cat to remember what it was like to live indoors, where food, comfort, and companionship were readily available, and they did not have to fight for every morsel of food.