Because feral cats are unsocialized and therefore not adoptable, bringing feral cats to the shelter is not the best option as they will most likely be euthanized. Whatever their origin, most survive where there is food and shelter and do well in a variety of settings, from urban to rural.Ĭats living in the neighborhood, whether friendly or feral, owned or not, are referred to as "neighborhood" or "community" cats. Feral cats can still have a caregiver, someone who is providing food and shelter, or they may seek food and shelter on their own, and consider the neighborhood to be "home". These cats may have been former house cats (pets) or may have been born to former house cats or other feral cats.
This story was originally posted in May 2018.Feral cats are cats that are unsocialized and avoid human contact because they have never had human contact, or over time have lost contact with people. So why not give a stray a chance at a happy home?Īre you already a pet owner? Make sure you’re up to speed with the new laws about dog registration, microchipping and desexing. If not, the cat may be able to be put up for adoption – or you could consider having it desexed, microchipped and vaccinated, then taking it home to be your pet.Ĭats can make wonderful companions, and if kept inside or confined to your property, they need not have an impact on the local wildlife. It may prove to be someone’s lost pet, giving it a chance of being reunited with its owners.
If you have a stray visiting you, think about taking it to a local vet or shelter, where it can be scanned to see if it has a microchip, and given a health check. Hunting for food puts native wildlife at risk, and with unrestricted breeding, they can add thousands of kittens a year to the cat population, adding to the burden on animal shelters.īut what if, instead of just putting out a bowl of food and water, we decided to take more responsibility for the cats we fed? What can you do?
If a stray cat turns up at your door for a meal, then goes about its business again, it qualifies as a ‘semi-owned’ cat.īecause of disease and the injuries caused by fighting and vehicle accidents, these free-living cats tend to have short, harsh lives – often just three years compared to 12-15 years for a pet cat that is desexed and cared for. With more than half a million unowned cats in South Australia, and thousands of good-hearted cat-lovers out there, many people are feeding strays.
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