So what is a feral cat anyway?
***A feral cat is one that roams outdoors exclusively and doesn’t want or need human contact. They are unsocialized to us and do not usually fair well when captured or end up at shelters or humane societies.
Should you be worried about feral cats?
Yes and no. Yes be worried if they do not look like they are in good health. Sometimes it is a good idea to use a live trap to catch them simply to vaccinate or give short term treatment and then return them to their environment. We have a new feral cat in one of our barns at the farm. He looks in good health but is showing dominance over our other tame kitties who live in that same barn. My husband has been able to start petting him over the last month and he seems quite content now. The only reason at this point to catch him is that he is an intact male. Granted all our other kitties are spayed but having everyone “fixed” makes life a lot easier and usually takes the fight out of most of the barn kitties.
These cats provide a natural way to control rodents and birds in rural and surburban areas. During wintertime it is a great time to provide a bit of extra help to these cats. Putting out fresh water daily and kibble can provide a much needed respite for these animals.
On this national feral cat day, let’s remember these much needed partners in keeping our world clean and healthy.