Stray cats are socialized to people and can be adopted into homes, but feral cats are not socialized to people and are happy living outdoors. A stray cat: Is a cat who has been socialized to people at some point in her life, but has left or lost her indoor home, as well as most human contact and dependence.
Many experts agree that feral adult cats simply can't be tamed. They are wild animals, like raccoons. They tend to stay away from humans, hide during the day, and when adopted, are very difficult to socialize. Just like you would never try to handle a raccoon, you should never try to pick up a feral cat.
Some stray cats will be friendly right off the bat, but with others, it may take time and patience to establish trust. “If a cat is not comfortable with humans, they will mostly scratch or bite if you attempt to handle them.
Feral cats are the result of a domestic cat being abandoned or lost and left to fend for itself. The offspring of the domestic (now considered feral) cat are usually never handled by people and become terrified. Many times, when approached by people, they will hiss out of fright.
A kitten that is born on the street could be feral by 5 weeks of age. If the mother is fearful of humans, she will teach her kittens at an early age to be fearful.
Cats probably arrived in Australia as pets of European settlers and were later deliberately introduced in an attempt to control rabbits and rodents. Cats now occupy 99% of Australia, including many offshore islands.
What can you do? If you have a stray visiting you, think about taking it to a local vet or shelter, where it can be scanned to see if it has a microchip, and given a health check. It may prove to be someone's lost pet, giving it a chance of being reunited with its owners.
There are actually a number of reasons. Cats meow as a way of greeting you, to demand attention, to ask for food, to be let inside or outside, to find a mate (for cats who are not fixed), or if they are elderly and suffering from mental confusion, such as a result of the cat version of Alzheimer's Disease.
Though they may form a bond of trust with the caretaker(s) that regularly feed and care for them, they will typically actively avoid contact with other people if at all possible. As a cat lover, you should leave these cats alone if you are not one of their caretakers.
Today, many stray cats that roam freely throughout their imaginary territories of about 200 acres each choose their families the same way. Many of them are fed by different families for years until they select the one who provides the safest place and the most comfortable conditions.
The Feral Feline
Even though they are able to purr, scientists have discovered that it's not uncommon for feral cats not to purr. One theory as to why feral cats are more likely to be non-purrers than domestic cats is that wild cat mothers discourage purring in their kittens to prevent them from attracting predators.
Do Feral Cats Pose Health Risks to You or Your Pets? It's difficult for humans to catch diseases from feral cats since they don't often come in physical contact. However, because feral cats can carry diseases, worms and fleas, it is possible for them to pass infections on to your domesticated pets.
Feral cats are stressed by being indoors. Feral cats are not socialized to people and do not like being confined. The only reason to bring a community cat into a shelter is to spay or neuter her and then return her to her outdoor home.
Feeding a stray cat will likely make it your cat. Scared and lost cats will enjoy coming back to your home as a source of food. We strongly recommend going beyond feeding stray cats and reaching out to a veterinarian and no-kill shelter to ensure the cat is healthy and safe.
Stray cats could be vocal – you could hear them meowing and could respond to your voice while feral cats won't meow, beg or respond. Stray cats are active during the day while feral cats are primarily nocturnal.
If the cat has tags, contact the owners. You can also bring her to your vet or a shelter to scan for a microchip. It's the fastest way to identify her owner and help her get back home. If the cat's family can't be located, consider fostering her yourself and looking for a forever home.
Cats are often quite independent creatures but if they have a strong bond with you, they may simply follow you around because they want to be near to you and see what you're up to. Or perhaps they're waiting for you to sit down so they can jump on your lap for a snooze.
Cats tend to be most active at dusk and dawn. So they may well cry from boredom if they have nothing to occupy them at these times. This is especially true of cats who are outdoor cats but are kept inside at night.
If the cat is not owned and you would like to take them in, you should ensure they are vaccinated, desexed, and microchipped before adding them to your family. A vet can also scan the cat to see if it is microchipped. Microchipping your pet is required by law in South Australia.
We will not remove a healthy stray cat. You can find out if it has an owner by popping it down to the local vets and having it checked for a microchip. Alternately you can attach a paper collar to the cat – click here for one you can use. If you feed a cat, it will keep coming back.
If you are able to transport the animal, take them to the nearest animal shelter. If you plan to keep the animal in the event no owner is found, notify animal control that you have the animal or that you have taken them to a veterinary hospital for treatment.
Poison baits intended for feral cats must be laid on the ground (as cats, unlike other feral species such as foxes, will not dig up a buried bait). There are two types of bait currently available for use in Australia — Curiosity® and Eradicat®.
There are millions of feral cats in Australia, killing many millions of native animals every day. Scientific analysis shows they occur across 99.8% of the nation, from Australia's highest alpine peaks to remote central Australian deserts, from our beaches, to our forests and across our farmlands.
It's estimated that feral cats kill 75 million native animals every night across Australia, including birds, frogs, small mammals, and reptiles.