|
|
|
|
Feral Cat
A feral cat is a cat in a feral or wild state. They are distinguished from wild cats since they are domestic cats that live without human care as opposed to being truly wild. Feral cats may live alone, but under urban conditions, many are found in large groups called feral colonies with communal nurseries. Many abandoned pet cats join these colonies out of desperation. Unlike novelty pets which are discarded, often, upon reaching adulthood, most feral cats are discarded as kittens. This is because cats breed rapidly and have large litters, and often their owners do not have the capacity to care for a large number of cats. Feral cats live in terrible conditions. Often they subsist on garbage, and many suffer parasites and health problems. Most often, they have difficulty walking, as cats develop hip problems in poor conditions. The average lifespan of a feral cat that survives beyond kittenhood is usually less than two years while a domestic housecat lives an average of sixteen years or more. When a feral cat colony grows to a large size, those living or working nearby might consider the presence of a locally concentrated cat population to be a nuisance. Specific concerns often include:
Those who consider feral cat colonies to be a nuisance traditionally have attempted to eliminate the colony, by requesting that municipal or private pest control services trap the cats and remove them (typically to be euthanized). However, if the factors that allowed the colony to develop in the first place (e.g. food resources) are not addressed as well, a new colony can form in the same location when cats that escaped trapping and cats from the surrounding area move in and breed. Because of the dangers presented by a large population of feral cats, and also out of compassion toward the animals, many celebrities campaign to encourage people to spay and neuter their pets.
Feral Cats in the United StatesCityscapes and North America are not native environments to the cat; the domestic cat comes from temperate or hot, often dry, climates and was distributed throughout the world by humans. Although cats are somewhat adaptable, feral felines are unable to survive in extreme cold and heat, and with a need for a diet of 90% protein, few cats find adequate nutrition on their own. In addition, they have no defense or understanding of such predators as dogs, coyotes and even automobiles. However, throughout the United States, there are thousands of volunteers and organizations that trap these unadoptable feral felines, spay or neuter them, inoculate the cats against rabies and feline leukemia and treat them with long-lasting flea products. Before release back into their feral colonies, the attending veterinarian nips the tip off one ear to mark the feral as spayed/neutered and inoculated, as these cats will more than likely find themselves trapped again. Volunteers continue to feed and give care to these cats throughout their lives, and not only is their lifespan greatly increased, behavior and nuisance problems due to competition for food are greatly reduced. In time, if the entire colony is successfully spayed and neutered, no additional kittens are born and the feral colony disappears. Many hope to see an end to the harsh and unnatural world of urban feral cat colonies through these efforts.
Feral Cats in AustraliaFeral cats have been present in Australia since European settlement, and may have arrived with Dutch shipwrecks in the 17th century. Intentional releases were made in the late 19th century in the hope that cats would control mice, rabbits and rats. The feral cat has been an ecological disaster in Australia, inhabiting most ecosystems except dense rainforest, and being implicated in the extinction of several marsupial and bird species. Control programs are difficult to devise due to the nocturnal and solitary nature of the cat, broad distribution in the landscape and continuous additions to the population from abandoned domestic cats.
Feral Cats in RomeRome, Italy is perhaps the place with most feral cats, the total number being estimated between 250,000 and 350,000, organized in about 2,000 colonies, some of them living in famous ancient places such as the Colosseum.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Feral Cat" and from Cat-Purr.com
Instant Cat Urine Smell Remover! The #1 Brand in Odor Control - Instantly Removes Cat Urine Odor. Read Our Customer Reviews. Free Expert Advice! Questions? Call 517-579-9557 - For Orders Only Please Call 800-930-7949. cat Don't just search for cat, find results. Cat Gold Coins "Cats and Dogs on genuine Gold coins, Eagles, Pandas, Dragons, old and new coins, gold coins under $50 each! Shop on line with PayPal. Money orders, or checks by mail order accepted. 1,000+ Cat Information Read all about Cat and how to get it started. This is one of the web's largest Cat resource. Attention frustrated cat owners. Cat Trainer reveals powerful strategies that transformed antisocial "wild cats" into lovable housecats in less than 13 days. Best Sites about Cat We will show you the best websites related to Cat.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Click on a book for more information and reviews
page 1 of 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
|
