Stray Cats

[Former Member]

Nov 15, 2016 2:36:05 GMT -8 Shady said:

Is there not a local charity that traps and neuters strays?

30 minutes away yes. But they will only come out if the cat is aggressive.

[Caajscot (John)]

Nov 15, 2016 2:55:29 GMT -8 @ncbean said:

Nov 15, 2016 2:36:05 GMT -8 Shady said:

Is there not a local charity that traps and neuters strays?

30 minutes away yes. But they will only come out if the cat is aggressive.

They should do @ncbean, as I mentioned before I was in the RSPCA years ago and many a time we dealt with issues like this. 

[Former Member]

Nov 15, 2016 4:54:18 GMT -8 Caajscot (John) said:

Nov 15, 2016 2:55:29 GMT -8 @ncbean said:

30 minutes away yes. But they will only come out if the cat is aggressive.

They should do @ncbean, as I mentioned before I was in the RSPCA years ago and many a time we dealt with issues like this. 

We've tried in the past. :/

[Caajscot (John)]

Nov 15, 2016 5:09:38 GMT -8 @ncbean said:

Nov 15, 2016 4:54:18 GMT -8 Caajscot (John) said:

They should do @ncbean , as I mentioned before I was in the RSPCA years ago and many a time we dealt with issues like this. 

We've tried in the past. :/

Strange, they do across here in the UK, have a read of this below, it's quite interesting. 

Rescue cat aggressive behaviour

[♥ ℒʊ√ ♥]

Nick, if you read the link I posted there is a huge difference between strays and ferals. 

Strays are domesticated, friendly cats that are either dumped or lost by their owners. Obviously, that's what your cat was.

Ferals are offspring from feral cats or unfixed domesticated stray cats and they are not domesticated because they've never been touched or interacted with humans.

[Former Member]

Nov 15, 2016 11:55:23 GMT -8 ♥ ℒʊ√ ♥ said:

Nick, if you read the link I posted there is a huge difference between strays and ferals. 

Strays are domesticated, friendly cats that are either dumped or lost by their owners. Obviously, that's what your cat was.

Ferals are offspring from feral cats or unfixed domesticated stray cats and they are not domesticated because they've never been touched or interacted with humans.

I'm so sorry, I did not. I see now. 

When I think feral I think aggressive. 

[♥ ℒʊ√ ♥]

Well, you're not wrong there, @ncbean.

Since ferals have never been touched by humans, they are aggressive (if cornered) but moreso, they are more fearful ~ hence why traps are necessary for TNR programs.

Even a domesticated cat will give birth to a feral litter if they are born outside and have no human contact to domesticate them.

Domestication is not an inherited trait. It's acquired through human interaction.

[Boy_Wonder]

I think what happened with the feral cat that was a kitten when you first started to interact so friendly is that it was domesticated by the feeding, allowing human interaction to occur. Therefore unlike a feral it's not bound to life on the street, and could find a domestic home because the early interaction has modelled it to act more like a stray then a true feral.

[♥ ℒʊ√ ♥]

Merely feeding a feral doesn't tame it unless one interacts and starts petting the cat while feeding.

That's the easiest way to start to win them over ~ when feeding.

But TNR colonies are all well fed, but remain feral because most feeders don't have the time to interact with them all, or they are not so inclined to do so.


I prefer trying to connect to tame them, so I can take them off the streets and place them in loving homes. And the first connection is always made at feeding time, when they are so hungry they will bear your touching them. As time goes on, they not only bear it, they enjoy it! And things progress from there. I have a pretty good success rate at domesticating, particularly kittens. 

[Boy_Wonder]

Nov 16, 2016 1:01:45 GMT -8 ♥ ℒʊ√ ♥ said:

Merely feeding a feral doesn't tame it unless one interacts and starts petting the cat while feeding.

That's the easiest way to start to win them over ~ when feeding.

But TNR colonies are all well fed, but remain feral because most feeders don't have the time to interact with them all, or they are not so inclined to do so.


I prefer trying to connect to tame them, so I can take them off the streets and place them in loving homes. And the first connection is always made at feeding time, when they are so hungry they will bear your touching them. As time goes on, they not only bear it, they enjoy it! And things progress from there. I have a pretty good success rate at domesticating, particularly kittens. 

I was referring more to the kittens. From what I do understand of ferals its the kittens that are easiest to domesticate just as they've never really learnt a fear of humans and to be feral. 

[♥ ℒʊ√ ♥]

Lol, Boy_Wonder ~ I've been TNRing for decades, and although kittens are quicker to domesticate then adult cats, they are as mean as mean can be and not handleable at all ~ with some of the sharpest teeth and claws you'll encounter. But yes, they do take less effort to tame, although there are always exceptions to the rule. And some ferals may tame over with their feeders, but that's it. They are one person domesticated only and usually remain that way.


They have a really hard time on the streets and TNR caregivers provide food, medical care and shelter to make life a bit easier for them.

[Former Member]

Now they're all gone. So I assume someone came and got them, or they're in warmer area's it's been in the 40's and 50's. I know my black cat needs warm air, she usually sits on the heater when it turns on, or goes under the blanket when we're trying to go to bed. So I assume that's where the rest of the cats are is in buildings that are open.