How Do You Know if a Cat Is a Stray

Quick Facts:

• "Customs cat" is an umbrella term that refers to whatsoever fellow member of the Felis catus species who is unowned and lives outdoors. Both feral and stray cats are customs cats.
• Community cats have a wide range of behaviors and degrees of socialization. See our comprehensive Cat Socialization Continuum guide.
• Observing a cat's behavior, including their body language, can assist you assess their level of socialization.
• Understanding a true cat's level of socialization tin help you human activity in their best interest.
• Trap-Neuter-Render (TNR) protects and improves the lives of all community cats, regardless of their level of socialization.

Feral, stray, and pet cats are all members of the aforementioned species; they are all domestic cats. Merely devious cats and feral cats are also dissimilar from each other in a very important way—in their relationship to and interactions with people.

Whether you are a shelter worker, veterinarian, or cat advocate—or yous just share your neighborhood with community cats—knowing how to tell the deviation tin assistance inform how best to interact with a cat or what, if any, intervention would be in each cat's all-time interest.

• What is socialization?
• What is the deviation between a stray cat and a feral cat?
• Why does it thing?
• How do I tell the difference when the cats are outdoors?
• How do I tell feral and stray cats autonomously once I accept trapped them?
• What do I exercise side by side?

What is socialization?

When we say a cat is "socialized" we mean she is accustomed to and enjoys companionship with people. To socialize a true cat means to acclimate her to human bear upon, homo spaces, and human sights, smells, and sounds. Information technology's a process that'southward influenced past many factors of a cat'southward life and takes time and attempt from compassionate people.

Kittens becomes socialized by interacting with people—being held, spoken to, and played with—from an early age. If a kitten does non get accustomed to people property her and petting her within this crucial window, she will grow upwards apprehensive of humans and volition not be suited to or happy living in homes.

What is the difference between a stray cat and a feral cat?

Pet and stray cats are socialized to people.

Feral cats are non socialized to people. While they are socialized to their feline family members and bonded to each other, they practise non have that same human relationship with people.

Community Cats

"Community true cat" is an umbrella term that refers to whatever member of the Felis catus species who is unowned and lives outdoors. Both feral and stray cats are community cats. Customs cats have a wide range of behaviors and degrees of socialization, but they by and large do non desire to alive indoors and are unadoptable.

Stray:

• A stray true cat is a cat who lived indoors and was socialized to people at some point in her life, only has left or lost her habitation, or was abandoned, and no longer has regular human contact.
• Over time, a stray cat can go feral as her contact with humans dwindles.
• A stray cat may be socialized plenty to allow people to bear upon her, simply she volition get less socialized—or even feral—if she spends likewise much time without positive interaction with humans.
• Nether the right circumstances, a stray cat can also become a pet cat once again. Stray cats that are re-introduced to an indoor domicile afterward living outdoors may require a period of fourth dimension to re-acclimate; they may be frightened and wary later spending fourth dimension outside away from people.

Feral:

• A feral cat is an unsocialized outdoor cat who has either never had any physical contact with humans, or human being contact has macerated over enough time that she is no longer accepted to it. Most feral cats are fearful or people and are not likely to e'er become a lap cat or enjoy living indoors.
• Kittens born to feral cats tin be socialized at an early historic period and adopted into indoor homes.
• Alley True cat Allies does not, in general, recommend trying to socialize a feral kitten over 4 months of age. Socializing is time consuming, especially for older kittens, and results are not guaranteed. Learn more nigh socializing kittens.

Why does it thing?

• Agreement the many degrees of socialization cats can exhibit will help you lot make up one's mind the best mode to care for, aid, and protect them. Run into our guide "The True cat Socialization Continuum: A Guide to Interactions Between Cats and Humans" for all the details.
• Devious cats tin can readjust to living with people and may exist proficient candidates for adoption into indoor homes if people have the time and means to foster and prefer.
• Stray and feral cats can be difficult to tell apart, especially when they are trapped or frightened. Scared stray cats often need time to relax and show their level of socialization.
• Adult feral cats are not socialized to people, which means they cannot be adopted to indoor homes. As a result, they are likely to be killed if picked up by brute control or brought to shelters, so it is in their best involvement to continue living outdoors.
• Trap-Neuter-Return saves feral cats' lives, and benefits all community cats, regardless of their level of socialization. Cats who are part of TNR programs are humanely trapped, scanned for microchips, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, eartipped and microchipped (if they don't already have one). Stray cats who are thriving and don't accept microchips indicating they are lost can be returned to their outdoor home or fostered and adopted.

How do I tell the difference when the cats are outdoors?

Since it is difficult to determine each cat's socialization during a stressful event such every bit trapping, it's a skillful idea to observe cats on their own outdoors using the guidelines beneath.

NOTE: There is a lot of variation on the Socialization Continuum. Cats may not fit solidly in either socialized-stray or unsocialized-feral categories. Learn more than variations possible using our Socialization Continuum guide.

Socialization to Humans

Devious: May approach people, houses, porches, or cars

Feral: Will non approach and will likely seek hiding places to avoid people

Socialization to Other Cats

Stray: Will likely alive alone, not part of a group

Feral: May vest to a colony

Body Language

Stray: Might walk and move similar a house cat, such as walking with tail up—a sign of friendliness. Will probably look at y'all, blink, or make eye contact.

Feral: May crawl, hunker, stay low to the ground, and protect body with tail. Unlikely to make centre contact.

Vocalism

Stray: May exist vocal, meow, or "reply" your voice

Feral: Won't meow, beg or purr

Schedule

Devious: Will be visible primarily during the daytime

Feral: More than likely to be nocturnal; occasionally out during the day

Physical Appearance

Devious: Will probably exist dirty or disheveled; will not have an eartip.

Feral: Will probably take a make clean, well-kept coat. A male with a big head and thick neck, muscular torso, and/or scars from fighting is more likely to be feral, since these are traits associated with intact males (and simply 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 too accept "stud tail"—hair loss, greasiness, or bumps at the base of the tail due to hormones. Will likely accept an eartip if neutered every bit part of a TNR plan.

Pregnancy, Nursing, Kittens

Feral: A female who is pregnant or lactating is more probable to exist feral, since merely 2% of feral cats are neutered in the U.S.

Remember: A cat'due south level of socialization and behavior is not always black and white, particularly for community cats who recognize their caregiver.

They may bear witness signs of familiarity, such as a tail up or hanging out on a caregiver's porch, but these behaviors are unremarkably express to the cat's interaction with the caregiver and only develop after building a relationship over time. It'due south important to note that this behavior does non hateful that the true cat is a skillful candidate for living indoors.

How do I tell feral and devious cats apart once I have trapped them?

When in a frightening or stressful environment—such as a trap or a shelter—a friendly devious true cat may act like a feral true cat, avoiding people and perhaps even showing aggression to avoid beingness touched. Who can blame them? The cat is in a new and unfamiliar place.

Here are some ways that will help distinguish a feral cat from a scared stray cat when they are frightened, confined, or in a new place.

Touch Barrier

Stray: It may be possible to touch the cat eventually or she may tolerate a small amount of touching with an object.

Feral: Cannot exist touched, fifty-fifty by a caregiver.

Muzzle Behavior

Stray: May come up to the front end of the muzzle. May somewhen rub against the cage in a friendly way.

Feral: Will likely stay in the back of the muzzle and retreat equally far dorsum as possible. If jolted or frightened, may shake, rattle, or climb the muzzle, and could get injured banging into the cage.

Level of Relaxation

Stray: May relax over time.

Feral: Will remain tense and unsocial.

Responsiveness

Stray: May investigate toys or food placed near the cage. May answer to household sounds similar cat food cans or bags beingness opened.

Feral: Will likely ignore all people and toys, and mayhap fifty-fifty food. Will not show any familiarity or interest in household sounds.

Fright and Anxiety

Devious: May hiss or growl to show feet.

Feral: Will be aggressive and lash out if threatened or cornered (signs of aggression include ears back and eyes dilated).

What exercise I do side by side?

Make sure you take all the information needed to make a good evaluation. In one case yous accept evaluated a cat and feel similar you have a sense of the cat's level of socialization, the next pace is to get the true cat neutered. From there, use your evaluation to practice what's in the cat's best interest, which may include:

• Returning community cats to their outdoor home
• Maximizing a scared stray's chances of adoption
• Finding socialized cats a good adoptive home
• Socializing kittens for adoption

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Source: https://www.alleycat.org/resources/feral-and-stray-cats-an-important-difference/

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