Stupid question on feral cats
Sharon Talbert
Actually, you have asked an interesting question, though perhaps to the
wrong newsgroup. I hope you don't mind that I'm going to reply here and
to rec.pets.cats.rescue. You might visit that newsgroup for other
responses. I am also posting to the Friends of Campus Cats newsgroup,
which is a tiny thing limited to UW staff and students.
I am a rescuer of feral cats, and my lazy definition of feral has always
been "born in the bushes." In the past year or so I joined the forming
body of a local feral cat coalition, and we are still fiddling a slightly
more scientific definition, but it still amounts to a cat born into a
"wild" state, with little or no direct support from humans and fearful of
humans. Ferals often form loose familial structures known as colonies
where there is a common food source and shelter.
If you look up "feral" in a common dictionary, you see all sorts of
nonsense and very little information, including the unfortunate origin of
the word (I would hardly call a scared skinny cat ferocious). Some of the
scientific dictionaries are a little better, though surprisingly not much.
(If someone has a really good and understandable definition of feral
I would love to hear it; our coalition would be glad to take it up.)
Feral can be applied to any offspring of domestic animal that has been
released or abandoned by man and that has "reverted" to a "wild" state to
become a default member of the ecosystem. Even our beloved (and virtually
extinct) honeybees are a feral animal, as are many, many (way too many)
other animals.
A "stray" (read abandoned) pet cat is often called feral as well, as
these cats and kittens are prone to quickly become unapproachable and
"wild." They have little choice, if they wish to survive. Such cats,
once captured and taken in, however, generally rehab fairly quickly,
unlike a cat born in the bushes. Feral kittens, if taken young enough,
generally tame up quickly and make wonderful companions. Even adult
ferals will socialize (some more than others) if given the opportunity.
Those referring to their household pets as "feral" are generally
referring to the cat's origins as a homeless cat or kitten. whether feral
or "stray."
That, at least, is my spin on what feral means. I am sure there
other opinions out there, and I hope there will be a debate on the
subject.
Visit the Feral Cat Coalition at http:www//feralcat.com for lots of
excellent information. Thanks, Ray Savage, for what you do with this
incredible website and your work on behalf of feral cats.
Sharon Talbert
Friends of Campus (feral) Cats
Seattle
On 20 Jun 1997, ZIGTAM wrote:
> Ok, I'm gonna ask a stupid question. What exactly does it mean when a cat
> is feral. I have always thought that it meant wild, but I have heard it
> used to describe household pets. Please forgive my ignorance.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Tami
>
>