The Difference Between Stray & Feral Cats
STRAY CATS
FERAL CATS
TOUCHING & HANDLING
A stray cat will approach, maybe cautiously/timidly, people, houses, porches, or cars ~ showing signs of wanting to connect.
It may be possible to touch the stray cat eventually or she may tolerate a small amount of touching with an object.A Feral Cat will not approach and will likely seek hiding places to avoid people/you. Demonstrates not wanting to get close to you for any reason.
Can not be touched, even by a caregiverSOCIALIZATION TO OTHER CATS
Stray Cats will likely live alone, not seen or wanting to be part of a group.
Feral Cats seek and often belong to a colony of other feral cats.
BODY LANGUAGE
Might walk and move like a house cat, such as walking with tail up—a sign of friendliness.
May crawl, crouch, stay low to the ground and protect body with tail.
Will probably look at you, blink or make eye contact.
Unlikely to make eye contact.
VOCALIZATION
May be vocal, meow, or “answer” and respond to your voice.
A feral Cat won’t meow, beg, or purr.
SCHEDULE
You will easily spot a stray cat. They are often visible ~ primarily during the daytime.
A feral cat prefers and is more likely to be nocturnal, but can also be spotted and occasionally present out during the day.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
Will probably be dirty or disheveled.
Will probably have a clean, well-kept coat. A male with a big head and thick neck, muscular body, and/or scars from fighting is more likely to be feral, since these are traits associated with intact males (and only 2% of feral cats are neutered in the U.S.).
He may also have a spiky coat from high testosterone levels and less time spent grooming; may also have “stud tail”—hair loss, greasiness, or bumps at the base of the tail due to hormones.Will not have an eartip.
Hopefully when you spot a feral cat it may have an eartip if it has been Trapped & Released {T&R} ~ spayed/neutered and is now part of a Tn’R program.
PREGNANCY, NURSING & KITTENS
A female who is pregnant or lactating is more likely to be feral, since only 2% of feral cats are spayed/neutered in the U.S.
CAGE BEHAVIOR
May come to the front of the cage.
Will likely stay in the back of the cage and retreat as far back as possible.
May eventually rub against the cage in a friendly way.
If jolted or frightened, may shake, rattle, or climb the cage, and could become injured banging into the cage.
LEVEL OF RELAXATION
May/Is likely to relax over time.
Will remain tense and unsocial.
RESPONSIVENESS
May investigate toys or food placed near the cage,
Will likely ignore all people and toys, and possibly even food
May respond to household sounds like cat food cans or bags being opened.
Will not show any familiarity or interest in household sounds
FEAR AND ANXIETY
May hiss or growl to show anxiety.
Will show signs of aggression when you try to get too close. and may aggressive lash out if threatened or cornered (signs of aggression include ears back and eyes dilated).
How do I get in touch with you. I have sent you multiple messages to delete my business listing as it is SOLD! I will cal my lawyer. I have proof that I been trying to contact you for over 5 weeks.
We would be happy to update and remove you from our listings but we have no idea who you are, what your Pet Service was, etc. Could you please send me all the pertinent information so I can find you in our listings and take care of it. Its hardly word hiring a ‘lawyer’ for such an easy correction that was never intended to do harm or hurt you but rather help pet owners. Be calm and carry on! My email: Bev@SaveARescue.org Please put in the Subject line “Please Remove Our Listing”. Politeness goes a long way! Good luck and have a happy day!
Please send us the proof you have been contacting us. So sorry. We are all unpaid Volunteers doing our best to cover everyone and every thing that comes our way ~ with our daily priorities in the emergency, life-saving calls, emails, etc. we receive that demand our immediate attention to save a pet’s live immediately. We get over 400+ emails/day ~ so its easy to not get a response from us ~ we aren’t avoiding you we just get overwhelmed, and we apologize for any inconvenience we have caused you that you would be so angry to now be threatening us with a lawsuit. Its just amazing what and how people fan the flames of ‘hate’ towards others. So sorry for you.