What is a Feral?

A feral cat is a cat that no longer directly relies on a human for care. Ferals often pick abandoned buildings or vacant lots to house their colonies. Ferals often come from people abandoning pets. The vast majority are abandoned pets. The problem is that many of those pets are joined by existing strays, and subsequently newer generations appear, even more terrified of humans. These animals are a direct result of pet overpopulation and human cruelty. Some humans are stepping up to alleviate the suffering.

Around the country there are people who manage feral cat colonies. In their own time they trap cats in their colony, have them neutered and given their shots, then release them back into the colony. Kittens that are adoptable are removed from the colony completely, as are cats with communicable diseases, such as FelLeu or FIV. The colony is also fed by this volunteer, and within a few years the colony would be empty, if humans stopped dumping cats. Thankfully, newly dumped cats (strays) in a feral colony can often be captured and put up for adoption as they have not yet become terrified of humans.

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