Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
What is a feral cat?: Variation in definitions may be associated with different management strategies.
- Journal:
- Journal of feline medicine and surgery
- Year:
- 2013
- Authors:
- Gosling, Lara et al.
- Affiliation:
- University of Nottingham School of Veterinary Medicine and Science · United Kingdom
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
This study looked at how people define feral cats, which can vary a lot depending on who you ask. Researchers gathered opinions from feral cat rescue workers and veterinarians in the UK to come up with a clear definition that could help with managing and caring for these animals. The rescue workers generally believed that most feral cats could be tamed, while veterinarians thought that taming is usually not a good idea, especially for adult cats, unless they are very young kittens. The study suggests that a feral cat is one that avoids human contact and can live on its own, often showing fear or defensiveness when approached. Having a consistent definition could improve communication about how to care for these cats and help with future research and education.
Abstract
STUDY RATIONALE: The definition of a true feral cat is an area of much contention, with many variations used worldwide. In this study, opinions were gathered from feral cat rescue workers and veterinary surgeons working in the United Kingdom to identify a practical definition of a feral cat, suitable for use in the field, education and research. PROTOCOL: A mixed methods approach, using questionnaires and focus groups, was used to collect data from feral cat workers and veterinary surgeons. FINDINGS: Conflicts in opinion on the implications of taming feral cats exist. The rescue workers typically felt that most cats could be tamed, whereas the veterinary surgeons felt this was generally inappropriate, except in the case of young kittens. A consistent definition of feral cats would enable better communication regarding the welfare and management of these animals, and would be useful for further research and education of the public. PROPOSED DEFINITION: A feral cat is proposed by this study to be a cat that is unapproachable in its free-roaming environment and is capable of surviving with or without direct human intervention, and may additionally show fearful or defensive behaviour on human contact.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23966002/