Defining a Feral Cat

The news is always reporting things about feral cat problems and how to control the cat population. But how do you define a feral cat?? Darlene Anderson has a great article on http://www.petside.com/ discussing what is meant by a feral cat.

http://www.petside.com/news/what-is-a-feral-cat.html

An interesting point she makes is the impact on public health.
"Ferals that form colonies, or individual strays that go from place to place, are often flea-ridden and have worms relegating them to a very poor quality of life. Not vaccinated for rabies, Ferals impact public health."

Plus, these cats survive without human interaction, and like many wild animals, are often afraid of people.

The suggested way of dealing with this problem is Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR). " Humane traps are set, and the cats are taken to a low-cost spay/neuter clinic where they’re given a cursory exam, a rabies vaccination and are altered. They’re then replaced in their colony, living out their lives without reproducing, ultimately resolving the overpopulation problem."

So the next time you hear a story about feral cats, you can refer back to this article to understand why it is a problem.