FERAL CAT Felis silvestris catus

Feral animals are domestic or tamed animals that go back to the wild. These animals go back to hunting for their own food and shelter. They do not depend on people to help them. Cats are a wonderful example of a feral animal because they can go back to nature (become wild) very easily. This means that they have not given up all of their independence when they became pets, at least not as much as the laboratory rat and the dog. The laboratory rat and the dog would not live very long in the wild after they become tamed.

When a kitten is between 3 and 12 weeks of age, there is a good chance the cat will become a feral cat if it is only around its mother. These kittens do not like or trust people. They do not like people to pet them. If the kitten is cuddled and cared for by people during this time, it will probably become a pet.

In the city, there are uptown feral (wild) cats, and cats that live on the wrong side of the tracks--factory yards, dumps and slums. The cats that live in these bad areas live from trash can to trash can. They do not live well. Some animals, like opossums or coyotes, are omnivores. They can eat other things beside meat. Cats are true predators. Their stomachs and intestines are made especially to use animal meat. Sometimes they can eat old French fries but they do not get all of the vitamins they need. Cats living mostly on garbage get sick often and become run down. They soon die of disease.

The opposite of the garbage can cats, is the life of the uptown cats. They have a pretty good life. Uptown cats are often neighborhood cats. There are a lot of nice open spaces like parks or colleges, places where a smart cat can hunt birds, lizards, moths and other food. Many times they get pet food from the neighbors too. Still you cannot get close enough to touch these cats.

Too many feral cats is a big problem because these wild cats have lots of kittens. Sometimes, house cats run away to join the feral cats. Ellen Perry Berkeley, in her 1982 book "Maverick Cats," writes that a California survey shows that 60% of house cats run away from their homes within three years. Some of these run-away cats find new homes but many probably become feral. Why do these cats run away? Sometimes when cats fight, the weaker ones run away. Sometimes mean people make the kittens run away. Boy cats (males) who have not been neutered (an operation on male animals so that they can not make babies), often feel the urge to run away and find their own space. Sometimes, people just dump their pet cats in the streets if they do not feel like taking care of them anymore.