TNR Handbook - Neighborhood Cats

1. What is a Feral Cat?
The Neighborhood Cats TNR Handbook
A “feral” cat is a feline who lives outside
a normal home and has to some extent
reverted to a wild state. Ferals tend to be
fearful of people and keep their distance
unless the person is someone they have come
to know and trust. They originate from lost
or abandoned domestic cats who either
became wild themselves after living on their
own or parented feral offspring. In contrast
to ferals, a “stray” is a lost or abandoned cat
who still retains his tame nature.
Most cats living on their own are feral
and live in groups called “colonies.” The
cats in a colony share territory and a
common food source. Often the cats in a
colony are related by family, but not always.
Feral colonies can form anywhere there is adequate food and shelter. In urban areas, they
can be found in alleyways, vacant lots, abandoned buildings, warehouses, factories, parks
and backyards, to name a few. The vast majority of ferals are not completely wild
because they rely on people for their food source, whether it’s a restaurant dumpster or a
kind neighbor who comes by once a day. Relatively few subsist by hunting alone.
Cats can be feral to different degrees. Just how wild a cat is will depend on a
combination of four factors:
• Age
Usually, kittens six to seven weeks of age or younger are not yet developed enough to
be highly feral and can easily be socialized within a matter of days. As the kittens
progress to eight weeks and older, their feral nature grows stronger and socialization
becomes increasingly difficult with each passing week. Beyond five to six months of
age, the cat in most cases is fully feral and will likely remain so for life.
• Number of generations feral
Cats grow wilder with each succeeding feral generation. For example, a cat who
herself once lived in a domestic home will tend to be less feral than her offspring,
while a tenth generation feral cat will tend to be wilder than one who is second
generation.
• Amount of human contact
The amount of contact the cats have with people on a regular basis is another
important factor. A cat who lives in a community garden and has visitors coming
everyday to talk and play with him will be less feral than a cat who lives in the woods
and rarely encounters people.
1