By: Amanda Melnyk, AS, CVT, ’09
Originally published in the March 25, 2022, edition of the Valley Advantage.
This month’s column is all about the different types and lifestyles of Felis catus: our friend, the domestic cat. So, let’s jump right in.
An indoor pet cat, let’s call her Maddie, watches the outside world through her favorite window. Not only does she watch neighbors, birds, and chipmunks go about their day, but other domestic cats as well!
These unowned outdoor cats are also known as “community cats,” and this term refers to any member of the Felis catus species that roam freely throughout the community, with or without human interaction/socialization. One of these community felines, a friendly intact male stray named Viktor, will soon make his way into a permanent indoor home. The other cat commonly seen coming and going (mostly at night) is called Freddy but is not interested in any human interaction, period.
Our first question is, “What terms can we use to describe the different lifestyles of Maddie, Viktor and Feral Freddy, who are all considered domestic cats?”
• Pet: Can be strictly indoor, outdoor or both. They, like Maddie, are well socialized and familiar with people.
• Stray: Abandoned outdoor cat, like Viktor, who has had human interaction/socialization at some point in their life or are young enough to be socialized and introduced into a household.
• Feral: Wild cats, like our friend Freddy, are part of the environment. They are not socialized with humans and are not interested in living in a household among humans.
“How can we tell the difference between these cats?” is our second question.
Focusing on stray (Viktor) vs. feral (Freddy), the following tips will help differentiate between the two. Please keep in mind, all cats are individual and may not follow our human criteria!
Appearance: As a stray, Viktor’s appearance is dirty and messy. They’re not accustomed to living outside. A feral cat, like Freddy, has a clean, well-kept hair coat because they adapted to living outside.
Schedule: You may see strays in your neighborhoods during the daytime, nighttime, or all hours. A feral cat will mostly make their rounds at night, including dawn and dusk.
Sociability with humans, including responsiveness and cage behavior: A stray may approach people or living areas (porches/cars), tolerate being touched with time, respond to household sounds such as opening a food can or treat bag, and eat with humans near. These cats may have a collar and are vocal when responding to human interaction. They may hiss or growl to show anxiety, and when put into a cage/confinement. They also may come to the front of the cage, rub on it, act friendly and relax over time.
A feral cat cannot be approached or touched and will hide. These cats also will not show any familiarity with or will ignore, household sounds. They are silent around humans and will only eat once humans are gone if food is available. If put into a cage or confinement, they will get as far back as possible and may lash out with aggression. They may also climb and bang around if startled, threatened or cornered. These cats will remain tense and unsocial.
When in a stressful situation, a stray like Viktor MAY act like a feral cat, so please keep a safe distance when interacting with any community cat!
Sociability with other cats: Strays are most likely to live alone and be seen independently, while feral cats may be accustomed to living in a feral cat colony.
Lastly, here is some information to help you help our domestic cat friends who are strays or feral like Viktor or Freddy.
If you’re thinking about helping to spay/neuter strays or feral cats, a TNR (trap, neuter, and release) program may be available through local public (mobile) spay/neuter clinics.
When you see feral cats in your neighborhoods, leave them be. They are wild and have adapted to the environment. If you run across a friendly stray who was introduced to humans before becoming feral, there may be a chance for adoption.
Please consult with your local community office about “community cats” to receive specific information and ordinances.
Education is the best tool for helping all cats included in the domestic cat species! Additional resources and information are available through: www.alleycat.org.
Amanda Melnyk, AS, CVT, ’09 JC Alumni, is a full-time CVT Instructor at Johnson College’s veterinary nursing program as well as a clinical rotation instructor at the Animal Care Center on campus. She has been a part of the veterinary field for 14 years.