A feral cat is essentially a cat that has been abandoned by his owners, or a cat who is the abandoned offspring of a house cat. Feral cats are often considered a nuisance in neighborhoods or areas with abandoned structures because they congregate there and continue breeding, bringing more and more feral kittens into the area.
Some people consider taming feral cats. While they think that taming a wild and feral cat or kitten is a great idea, sometimes this can go awry. It can be fine if the cat has had a previous owner and is used to human contact. However, if the cat has never lived with humans, then chances are good that he will not trust humans enough to even let you get close to him. Feral cat behavior indicates that a feral cat won’t approach a human, let alone allow one to pick him or take him home. If you do adopt a feral cat, be sure that he is clean and take him to a vet. Feral cat claws contain all kinds of bacteria that can harm you if you are scratched. If any feral cat scratches or bites you, wash and disinfect the area thoroughly.
Feral cat houses or a feral cat sanctuary tries to take cat of the problems feral cats cause in a community. For example, the community feral cat care in Waggaman, Louisiana – and many other similar facilities through out the US - offers catch/neuter/release programs. These programs catch feral cats. Once they have them, they neuter or spay them and then re-release them back into their neighborhoods. Unlike programs that catch and destroy feral cats, these programs offer a more humane option than death.
If you live in Savannah, feral cats may be a problem. Feral cats in Savannah and other US cities are often fed by local people as a way to treat homeless cats better without adopting them. While this is a noble action, there is a better option. In the islands, feral cat project organizations encourage the people who feed feral cats to bring them to the free catch/neuter/release program clinics that are held every few weeks. The benefits of the catch/neuter/release program are that these animals are treated humanely and they are no longer able to breed. Since they cannot bring any unwanted kittens into the area, the amount of animals killed by pounds and other organizations decreases dramatically.
