Pathfinder Wiki - User contributions [en]

AY Honors/Cats - Advanced/Answer Key

2005-10-04T18:08:24Z

137.99.58.235:

[[Image:DorDor.JPG|thumb|right|'''Rescued feral kittens'''Most feral kittens have little chance of surving more than a few months and are vulnerable to starvation, predators, disease and even flea-induced anemia. Here, kittens from two feral litters are fostered by a domestic mother.]]

A '''feral cat''' is a [[cat]] which has been separated from domestication, whether through abandonment, loss, or running away, and become wild. The term also refers to descendants of such cats, but not to [[Wild Cat]]s, whose ancestors were never domesticated. It's a common myth that Feral cats usually cannot be re-socialized, even though it is difficult and not all cats will take to it. Feral kittens, however, can be much easier socialized to live with humans if they are taken from a feral colony before they are about twelve weeks old.

Feral cats may live alone, but are usually found in large groups called [[feral cat colony|feral colonies]] with communal nurseries, depending on resource availability. Many abandoned [[pet]] cats join these colonies out of desperation; these cats can usually be readopted into a new home. The average [[lifespan]] of a feral cat that survives beyond [[kitten]]hood is usually less than two years while a [[domestication|domestic]] housecat lives an average of sixteen years or more.

== In the United States ==
[[Image:Girl_kitty.JPG|thumb|right|TNR: Some adult feral cats can be socialized, depending on the degree of human interaction throughout their lives; feral kittens have a good chance of socialization and adoption up to about four months of age. Ferals like this one have one ear "tipped" prior to return to the feral colony, which identifies this feline as altered. This feral cat, however, was lucky enough to be brought together with a patient owner and resocialized.]]

[[City]]scapes and [[North America]] are not native environments for the cat; the domestic cat comes from [[temperate]] or hot, often dry, [[climate]]s and was distributed throughout the world by [[human]]s. 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]] against or understanding of such [[predator]]s as [[dog]]s, [[coyote]]s and even [[automobile]]s. The current population of twenty to forty million feral felines in the United States is due, initially, to human interference by environmental introduction and later, by simple human irresponsibility and neglect.

In the United States [[Trap-Neuter-Return]] or TNR programs, one of the more humane ways to deal with feral cat populations, are facilitated by many volunteers and organizations. In addition to sterilization, [[inoculation]] against [[rabies]] and the [[feline leukemia virus]] as well as the application of long-lasting [[flea treatment]]s before release are common. Frequently, attending [[veterinarian]]s nip 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 often continue to feed and give care to these cats throughout their lives. Many would like to do more, but most fully feral cats are unadoptable unless trapped and socialized before four months of age.

The TNR program is considered the most humane, efficient way to deal with the problem for several reasons. The wholesale removal of feral colonies by [[euthanasia]] is rarely effective, since new individuals move into the areas left by the removed animals almost immediately, and the blanket euthanasia of stray and feral cats has proven ineffective in controlling stray and feral overpopulation. TNR posits that, by providing basic care for a stable, neutered colony of feral cats, most of the problems associated with their presence can be eliminated or greatly reduced. As the existing cats are better fed and cared for, their lives are extended, and neutering stops the influx of kittens to replace adults dying from disease or starvation. This stable colony is less likely to compete for food or predate on local wildlife if it is fed regularly, and fighting with domestic pet cats, roaming, and other nuisance behaviours are greatly reduced by neutering.

By providing this basic support, caretakers insure that the resident colony will stabilize and prevent unknown new cats from moving into the neighborhood. As individuals in the colony die, new ferals move in to take their place, and can be trapped, neutered and vaccinated as they appear. Over time, these stabilized feral colonies can become sources of enjoyment and pride to neighborhoods rather than nuisances. Given the choice between a colony of rapidly reproducing, starving, and diseased animals and a colony of neutered animals given basic healthcare, the desirable choice is obvious to all.

Recognizing the ineffectiveness of blanket euthanasia as a means of controlling stray and feral cat population, more and more animal shelters throughout the United States are becoming "no kill shelters", and are gradually implementing more humane and effective animal population control methods. Some states such as California and many countries around the world have had tremendous success with humane methods to control feral cat populations. A proposal in the state of Wisconsin to legalize the hunting of feral cats in an attempt to reduce their population was recently (April 2005) blocked by the state's lawmakers. South Dakota and Minnesota still allow wild cats to be shot.

As is their nature, there is no doubt feral cats will hunt other small species. While control of rats, mice, and other rodents is a cat activity humans support, feral cats kill songbirds and other birds. Some estimate the bird loss at over two hundred million a year. These figures may be questionable, however, with some of the damage due to the resurgence of other small predators such as the gray fox (urocyon cinereoargenteus), fisher or pekan (martes pennanti), coyote (canis latrans), and puma (puma concolor). The loss of species due to overbuilding of native habitat by humans far outstrips that lost to feral cat predation.

[http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=31029&ntpid=3]

[[October 16]] is National Feral Cat Day in the United States.

== In Australia ==
Feral cats have been present in [[Australia]] since [[European]] settlement, and may have arrived with [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[shipwreck]]s 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 [[placental]] mammal [[species]]. (Cats are not believed to have been a factor in the extinction of the only mainland [[bird]] species to be lost since European settlement, the [[Paradise Parrot]]; their role in the loss of rare species on [[Australasia]]n islands, however, has been significant.)

Control programs are difficult to devise due to the [[nocturnal animal|nocturnal]] and [[solitary]] nature of feral cats, broad distribution in the landscape and continuous additions to the population from abandoned domestic cats. Due to the danger posed to human handling the animal, captured feral cats are almost always [[death|kill]]ed. Although trap neuter and return programs such as those in the United States are not prevalent in Australia, they are now being introduced in some urban and suburban areas such as [[Adelaide]]. More recently, such programs have been introduced in [[Sydney]] by the "World League for Protection of Animals".

== In Rome ==

[[Rome]], [[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]].

== Feral cats and island restoration ==
Feral cats [[introduced species|introduced]] to islands with ecologically naive fauna (that is, species that have not evolved or have lost predator responses for dealing with cats) have had a devastating impact on these islands' [[biodiversity]]. They have been implicated in the extinction of several species and local extinctions, such as the [[huita]]s from the [[Caribbean]] and the [[Guadalupe Storm-petrel]] from [[Pacific]] [[Mexico]]. Moors and Atkinson wrote, in [[1984]], "No other alien predator has had such a universally damaging effect." Given the damage they do, many conservationists working in the field of [[island restoration]] (literally restoring damaged islands through removal of introduced species and replanting and reintroducing native species) have worked to remove feral cats. As of [[2004]], 48 islands have had their feral cat populations removed, including [[New Zealand]]'s network of offshore island bird reserves (Nogales ''et al'', [[2004]]). Larger projects are also being planned, including their removal from [[Ascension Island]].

Feral cats, along with rabbits and some sea birds, are the entire animal population of the remote [[Kerguelen Islands]] in the southern [[Indian Ocean]].

== Activism ==

Feral cats are discarded as kittens largely because cats breed rapidly and have multiple-kit litters. Often the owners do not have the capacity or desire to care for a large number of cats.

Feral cats have short, dangerous, unhealthy, desperate lives, in deplorable conditions. Because of the dangers to humans, other species, and the cats themselves, and out of compassion toward the animals, many people, including [[celebrity|celebrities]] such as [[Bob Barker]], campaign to encourage people to spay and neuter their pets and support the humane control of feral cats.

== References ==
* Moors, P.J.; Atkinson, I.A.E. (1984). ''Predation on seabirds by introduced animals, and factors affecting its severity.''. In ''Status and Conservation of the World's Seabirds''. Cambridge: ICBP. ISBN 0-946888-03-5.
* Nogales, Manuel ''et al'' ([[2004]]). ''A review of feral cat eradication on islands''. ''Conservation Biology''. '''18''' (2), 310-319. [http://www.issg.org/database/species/reference_files/felcat/Nogales%20et%20al.%202004.pdf]

== External links ==
* [http://www.alleycat.org Alley Cat Allies] Feral Cat Resource - provides information about how to deal with feral cats humanely.
* Defenders of Wildlife. [http://www.defenders.org/defendersmag/issues/spring03/plightsongbird.html Plight of the Vanishing Songbirds]
* Australian Department of Environment and Heritage: [http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/cat-impacts/pubs/impacts-feral-cats.pdf Overview of the impact of feral cats on native fauna] (pdf)
* lovethatcat.com: [http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html List of US spay & neuter programs]
* [http://www.mikecade.com/wildkingdom/writings_feral_cats_pge_park.html Feral Cats of Portland, Ore.'s PGE Park]
* [http://www.messybeast.com/feralkit.htm#Kittens Taming Feral Kittens]
[[Category:Cat types]]

==Feral Cats in popular culture==
* Ginger, Daffodil, and others in "The Cats of Chaos"
[[fr:Chat haret]]

AY Honors/Cats - Advanced/Answer Key

2005-10-04T14:43:46Z

137.99.58.235: /* In the United States */

A '''feral cat''' is a [[cat]] which has been separated from domestication, whether through abandonment, loss, or running away, and become wild. The term also refers to descendants of such cats, but not to [[Wild Cat]]s, whose ancestors were never domesticated. It's a common myth that Feral cats usually cannot be re-socialized, even though it is difficult and not all cats will take to it. Feral kittens, however, can be much easier socialized to live with humans if they are taken from a feral colony before they are about twelve weeks old.

Feral cats may live alone, but are usually found in large groups called [[feral cat colony|feral colonies]] with communal nurseries, depending on resource availability. Many abandoned [[pet]] cats join these colonies out of desperation; these cats can usually be readopted into a new home. The average [[lifespan]] of a feral cat that survives beyond [[kitten]]hood is usually less than two years while a [[domestication|domestic]] housecat lives an average of sixteen years or more.

== In the United States ==
[[Image:Girl_kitty.JPG|thumb|right|Some adult feral cats can be socialized, depending on the degree of human interaction throughout their lives; feral kittens have a good chance of socialization and adoption up to about four months of age. Ferals like this one have one ear "tipped" prior to return to the feral colony, which identifies this feline as altered. This feral cat, however, was lucky enough to be brought together with a patient owner and resocialized.]]

[[City]]scapes and [[North America]] are not native environments for the cat; the domestic cat comes from [[temperate]] or hot, often dry, [[climate]]s and was distributed throughout the world by [[human]]s. 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]] against or understanding of such [[predator]]s as [[dog]]s, [[coyote]]s and even [[automobile]]s. The current population of twenty to forty million feral felines in the United States is due, initially, to human interference by environmental introduction and later, by simple human irresponsibility and neglect.

In the United States [[Trap-Neuter-Return]] or TNR programs, one of the more humane ways to deal with feral cat populations, are facilitated by many volunteers and organizations. In addition to sterilization, [[inoculation]] against [[rabies]] and the [[feline leukemia virus]] as well as the application of long-lasting [[flea treatment]]s before release are common. Frequently, attending [[veterinarian]]s nip 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 often continue to feed and give care to these cats throughout their lives. Many would like to do more, but most fully feral cats are unadoptable unless trapped and socialized before four months of age.

The TNR program is considered the most humane, efficient way to deal with the problem for several reasons. The wholesale removal of feral colonies by [[euthanasia]] is rarely effective, since new individuals move into the areas left by the removed animals almost immediately, and the blanket euthanasia of stray and feral cats has proven ineffective in controlling stray and feral overpopulation. TNR posits that, by providing basic care for a stable, neutered colony of feral cats, most of the problems associated with their presence can be eliminated or greatly reduced. As the existing cats are better fed and cared for, their lives are extended, and neutering stops the influx of kittens to replace adults dying from disease or starvation. This stable colony is less likely to compete for food or predate on local wildlife if it is fed regularly, and fighting with domestic pet cats, roaming, and other nuisance behaviours are greatly reduced by neutering.

By providing this basic support, caretakers insure that the resident colony will stabilize and prevent unknown new cats from moving into the neighborhood. As individuals in the colony die, new ferals move in to take their place, and can be trapped, neutered and vaccinated as they appear. Over time, these stabilized feral colonies can become sources of enjoyment and pride to neighborhoods rather than nuisances. Given the choice between a colony of rapidly reproducing, starving, and diseased animals and a colony of neutered animals given basic healthcare, the desirable choice is obvious to all.

Recognizing the ineffectiveness of blanket euthanasia as a means of controlling stray and feral cat population, more and more animal shelters throughout the United States are becoming "no kill shelters", and are gradually implementing more humane and effective animal population control methods. Some states such as California and many countries around the world have had tremendous success with humane methods to control feral cat populations. A proposal in the state of Wisconsin to legalize the hunting of feral cats in an attempt to reduce their population was recently (April 2005) blocked by the state's lawmakers. South Dakota and Minnesota still allow wild cats to be shot.

As is their nature, there is no doubt feral cats will hunt other small species. While control of rats, mice, and other rodents is a cat activity humans support, feral cats kill songbirds and other birds. Some estimate the bird loss at over two hundred million a year. These figures may be questionable, however, with some of the damage due to the resurgence of other small predators such as the gray fox (urocyon cinereoargenteus), fisher or pekan (martes pennanti), coyote (canis latrans), and puma (puma concolor). The loss of species due to overbuilding of native habitat by humans far outstrips that lost to feral cat predation.

[http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=31029&ntpid=3]

[[October 16]] is National Feral Cat Day in the United States.

== In Australia ==
Feral cats have been present in [[Australia]] since [[European]] settlement, and may have arrived with [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[shipwreck]]s 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 [[placental]] mammal [[species]]. (Cats are not believed to have been a factor in the extinction of the only mainland [[bird]] species to be lost since European settlement, the [[Paradise Parrot]]; their role in the loss of rare species on [[Australasia]]n islands, however, has been significant.)

Control programs are difficult to devise due to the [[nocturnal animal|nocturnal]] and [[solitary]] nature of feral cats, broad distribution in the landscape and continuous additions to the population from abandoned domestic cats. Due to the danger posed to human handling the animal, captured feral cats are almost always [[death|kill]]ed. Although trap neuter and return programs such as those in the United States are not prevalent in Australia, they are now being introduced in some urban and suburban areas such as [[Adelaide]]. More recently, such programs have been introduced in [[Sydney]] by the "World League for Protection of Animals".

== In Rome ==

[[Rome]], [[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]].

== Feral cats and island restoration ==
Feral cats [[introduced species|introduced]] to islands with ecologically naive fauna (that is, species that have not evolved or have lost predator responses for dealing with cats) have had a devastating impact on these islands' [[biodiversity]]. They have been implicated in the extinction of several species and local extinctions, such as the [[huita]]s from the [[Caribbean]] and the [[Guadalupe Storm-petrel]] from [[Pacific]] [[Mexico]]. Moors and Atkinson wrote, in [[1984]], "No other alien predator has had such a universally damaging effect." Given the damage they do, many conservationists working in the field of [[island restoration]] (literally restoring damaged islands through removal of introduced species and replanting and reintroducing native species) have worked to remove feral cats. As of [[2004]], 48 islands have had their feral cat populations removed, including [[New Zealand]]'s network of offshore island bird reserves (Nogales ''et al'', [[2004]]). Larger projects are also being planned, including their removal from [[Ascension Island]].

Feral cats, along with rabbits and some sea birds, are the entire animal population of the remote [[Kerguelen Islands]] in the southern [[Indian Ocean]].

== Activism ==

Feral cats are discarded as kittens largely because cats breed rapidly and have multiple-kit litters. Often the owners do not have the capacity or desire to care for a large number of cats.

Feral cats have short, dangerous, unhealthy, desperate lives, in deplorable conditions. Because of the dangers to humans, other species, and the cats themselves, and out of compassion toward the animals, many people, including [[celebrity|celebrities]] such as [[Bob Barker]], campaign to encourage people to spay and neuter their pets and support the humane control of feral cats.

== References ==
* Moors, P.J.; Atkinson, I.A.E. (1984). ''Predation on seabirds by introduced animals, and factors affecting its severity.''. In ''Status and Conservation of the World's Seabirds''. Cambridge: ICBP. ISBN 0-946888-03-5.
* Nogales, Manuel ''et al'' ([[2004]]). ''A review of feral cat eradication on islands''. ''Conservation Biology''. '''18''' (2), 310-319. [http://www.issg.org/database/species/reference_files/felcat/Nogales%20et%20al.%202004.pdf]

== External links ==
* [http://www.alleycat.org Alley Cat Allies] Feral Cat Resource - provides information about how to deal with feral cats humanely.
* Defenders of Wildlife. [http://www.defenders.org/defendersmag/issues/spring03/plightsongbird.html Plight of the Vanishing Songbirds]
* Australian Department of Environment and Heritage: [http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/cat-impacts/pubs/impacts-feral-cats.pdf Overview of the impact of feral cats on native fauna] (pdf)
* lovethatcat.com: [http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html List of US spay & neuter programs]
* [http://www.mikecade.com/wildkingdom/writings_feral_cats_pge_park.html Feral Cats of Portland, Ore.'s PGE Park]
* [http://www.messybeast.com/feralkit.htm#Kittens Taming Feral Kittens]
[[Category:Cat types]]

==Feral Cats in popular culture==
* Ginger, Daffodil, and others in "The Cats of Chaos"
[[fr:Chat haret]]

AY Honors/Cats - Advanced/Answer Key

2005-06-24T17:43:46Z

137.99.58.235: /* Activism */

[[Image:DorDor.JPG|thumb|right|Most feral kittens have little chance of surviving more than a few months and are vulnerable to starvation, predators, disease and even flea-induced anemia.]]

A '''feral cat''' is a [[cat]] which has been separated from domestication, whether through abandonment, loss, or running away, and become wild. The term also refers to descendants of such cats, but not to [[Wild Cat]]s, whose ancestors were never domesticated. Feral cats usually cannot be re-socialized. Feral kittens, however, can be socialized to live with humans if they are taken from a feral colony before they are about twelve weeks old.

Feral cats may live alone, but are usually found in large groups called [[feral cat colony|feral colonies]] with communal nurseries, depending on resource availability. Many abandoned [[pet]] cats join these colonies out of desperation; these cats can usually be readopted into a new home. The average [[lifespan]] of a feral cat that survives beyond [[kitten]]hood is usually less than two years while a [[domestication|domestic]] housecat lives an average of sixteen years or more.

== In the United States ==
[[City]]scapes and [[North America]] are not native environments for the cat; the domestic cat comes from [[temperate]] or hot, often dry, [[climate]]s and was distributed throughout the world by [[human]]s. 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]] against or understanding of such [[predator]]s as [[dog]]s, [[coyote]]s and even [[automobile]]s. The current population of twenty to forty million feral felines in the United States is due, initially, to human interference by environmental introduction and later, by simple human irresponsibility and neglect.

In the United States "[[Trap-Neuter-Return]]" programs, one of the more humane ways to deal with feral cat populations, are facilitated by many volunteers and organizations. In addition to sterilization, [[inoculation]] against [[rabies]] and the [[feline leukemia virus]] as well as the application of long-lasting [[flea treatment]]s before release are common. Frequently, attending [[veterinarian]]s nip 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 often continue to feed and give care to these cats throughout their lives. Many would like to do more, but most fully feral cats are unadoptable.

The "trap, spay/neuter, release" program is considered the most humane, yet still efficient way to deal with the problem for several reasons. From the perspective of the cat, better quality and more food is provided by humans, competition for natural resources is reduced, and they are protected from the most debilitating diseases. From the human perspective, the feral cat problem is gradually eliminated because the cats do not reproduce. Behavior and nuisance problems due to competition for food and mating activities post-release are immediately reduced. Over time, these feral colonies becomes smaller and generally disappear; new cats will rarely join a colony of sterile animals. More and more animal shelters throughout the United States are becoming "no kill shelters", and are gradually implementing more humane, yet definitive animal population control methods. Some states such as California and many countries around the world have had tremendous success with humane methods to control feral cat populations.

As is their nature, there is no doubt feral cats will hunt other small species. While control of rats, mice, and other rodents is a cat activity humans support, feral cats kill songbirds and other birds. Some estimate the bird loss at over two hundred million a year. These figures may be questionable, however, with some of the damage due to the resurgence of other small predators such as the gray fox (urocyon cinereoargenteus), fisher or pekan (martes pennanti), coyote (canis latrans), and puma (puma concolor). It has been suggested by individuals without environmental science backgrounds that feral cats should simply be hunted to immediately reduce the feral cat problem. Radical specicide, especially when more animals are abandoned each day, is never a prudent long-term answer to any animal-human problem; the solution is more responsible husbandry of the domestic cat by the species that initially started the problem.

[http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=31029&ntpid=3]

[[October 16]] is National Feral Cat Day in the United States.

== In Australia ==
Feral cats have been present in [[Australia]] since [[European]] settlement, and may have arrived with [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[shipwreck]]s 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 [[placental]] mammal [[species]]. (Cats are not believed to have been a factor in the extinction of the only mainland [[bird]] species to be lost since European settlement, the [[Paradise Parrot]]; their role in the loss of rare species on [[Australasia]]n islands, however, has been significant.)

Control programs are difficult to devise due to the [[nocturnal animal|nocturnal]] and [[solitary]] nature of feral cats, broad distribution in the landscape and continuous additions to the population from abandoned domestic cats. Due to the danger posed to human handling the animal, captured feral cats are almost always [[death|kill]]ed. No program for spaying and neutering, akin to that in the United States exists in Australia.

== In Rome ==

[[Rome]], [[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]].

== Feral cats and island restoration ==
Feral cats [[introduced species|introduced]] to islands with ecologically naive fauna (that is, species that have not evolved or have lost predator responses for dealing with cats) have had a devastating impact on these islands' [[biodiversity]]. They have been implicated in the extinction of several species and local extinctions, such as the [[huita]]s from the [[Caribbean]] and the [[Guadalupe Storm-petrel]] from [[Pacific]] [[Mexico]]. Moors and Atkinson wrote, in [[1984]], "No other alien predator has had such a universally damaging effect." Given the damage they do, many conservationists working in the field of island restoration (literally restoring damaged islands through removal of introduced species and replanting and reintroducing native species) have worked to remove feral cats. As of [[2004]], 48 islands have had their feral cat populations removed, including [[New Zealand]]'s network of offshore island bird reserves (Nogales ''et al'', [[2004]]). Larger projects are also being planned, including their removal from [[Ascension Island]].

Feral cats, along with rabbits and some sea birds, are the entire animal population of the remote [[Kerguelen Islands]] in the southern [[Indian Ocean]].

== Activism ==

Feral cats are discarded as kittens largely because cats breed rapidly and have multiple-kit litters. Often the owners do not have the capacity or desire to care for a large number of cats.

Feral cats live in deplorable conditions, living short, dangerous, unhealthy, desperate lives. Because of the dangers to humans, other species, and the cats themselves, and out of compassion toward the animals, many people, including [[celebrity|celebrities]] such as [[Bob Barker]], campaign to encourage people to spay and neuter their pets and support the humane control of feral cats.

== References ==
* Moors, P.J.; Atkinson, I.A.E. (1984). ''Predation on seabirds by introduced animals, and factors affecting its severity.''. In ''Status and Conservation of the World's Seabirds''. Cambridge: ICBP. ISBN 0-946888-03-5.
* Nogales, Manuel ''et al'' ([[2004]]). ''A review of feral cat eradication on islands''. ''Conservation Biology''. '''18''' (2), 310-319. [http://www.issg.org/database/species/reference_files/felcat/Nogales%20et%20al.%202004.pdf]

== External links ==
* [http://www.alleycat.org Alley Cat Allies] Feral Cat Resource - provides information about how to deal with feral cats humanely.
* Defenders of Wildlife. [http://www.defenders.org/defendersmag/issues/spring03/plightsongbird.html Plight of the Vanishing Songbirds]
* Australian Department of Environment and Heritage: [http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/cat-impacts/pubs/impacts-feral-cats.pdf Overview of the impact of feral cats on native fauna] (pdf)
* lovethatcat.com: [http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html List of US spay & neuter programs]
* [http://www.mikecade.com/wildkingdom/writings_feral_cats_pge_park.html Feral Cats of Portland, Ore.'s PGE Park]

[[Category:Cat types]]

[[fr:Chat haret]]

AY Honors/Cats - Advanced/Answer Key

2005-06-24T17:39:34Z

137.99.58.235: /* In Australia */

[[Image:DorDor.JPG|thumb|right|Most feral kittens have little chance of surviving more than a few months and are vulnerable to starvation, predators, disease and even flea-induced anemia.]]

A '''feral cat''' is a [[cat]] which has been separated from domestication, whether through abandonment, loss, or running away, and become wild. The term also refers to descendants of such cats, but not to [[Wild Cat]]s, whose ancestors were never domesticated. Feral cats usually cannot be re-socialized. Feral kittens, however, can be socialized to live with humans if they are taken from a feral colony before they are about twelve weeks old.

Feral cats may live alone, but are usually found in large groups called [[feral cat colony|feral colonies]] with communal nurseries, depending on resource availability. Many abandoned [[pet]] cats join these colonies out of desperation; these cats can usually be readopted into a new home. The average [[lifespan]] of a feral cat that survives beyond [[kitten]]hood is usually less than two years while a [[domestication|domestic]] housecat lives an average of sixteen years or more.

== In the United States ==
[[City]]scapes and [[North America]] are not native environments for the cat; the domestic cat comes from [[temperate]] or hot, often dry, [[climate]]s and was distributed throughout the world by [[human]]s. 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]] against or understanding of such [[predator]]s as [[dog]]s, [[coyote]]s and even [[automobile]]s. The current population of twenty to forty million feral felines in the United States is due, initially, to human interference by environmental introduction and later, by simple human irresponsibility and neglect.

In the United States "[[Trap-Neuter-Return]]" programs, one of the more humane ways to deal with feral cat populations, are facilitated by many volunteers and organizations. In addition to sterilization, [[inoculation]] against [[rabies]] and the [[feline leukemia virus]] as well as the application of long-lasting [[flea treatment]]s before release are common. Frequently, attending [[veterinarian]]s nip 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 often continue to feed and give care to these cats throughout their lives. Many would like to do more, but most fully feral cats are unadoptable.

The "trap, spay/neuter, release" program is considered the most humane, yet still efficient way to deal with the problem for several reasons. From the perspective of the cat, better quality and more food is provided by humans, competition for natural resources is reduced, and they are protected from the most debilitating diseases. From the human perspective, the feral cat problem is gradually eliminated because the cats do not reproduce. Behavior and nuisance problems due to competition for food and mating activities post-release are immediately reduced. Over time, these feral colonies becomes smaller and generally disappear; new cats will rarely join a colony of sterile animals. More and more animal shelters throughout the United States are becoming "no kill shelters", and are gradually implementing more humane, yet definitive animal population control methods. Some states such as California and many countries around the world have had tremendous success with humane methods to control feral cat populations.

As is their nature, there is no doubt feral cats will hunt other small species. While control of rats, mice, and other rodents is a cat activity humans support, feral cats kill songbirds and other birds. Some estimate the bird loss at over two hundred million a year. These figures may be questionable, however, with some of the damage due to the resurgence of other small predators such as the gray fox (urocyon cinereoargenteus), fisher or pekan (martes pennanti), coyote (canis latrans), and puma (puma concolor). It has been suggested by individuals without environmental science backgrounds that feral cats should simply be hunted to immediately reduce the feral cat problem. Radical specicide, especially when more animals are abandoned each day, is never a prudent long-term answer to any animal-human problem; the solution is more responsible husbandry of the domestic cat by the species that initially started the problem.

[http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=31029&ntpid=3]

[[October 16]] is National Feral Cat Day in the United States.

== In Australia ==
Feral cats have been present in [[Australia]] since [[European]] settlement, and may have arrived with [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[shipwreck]]s 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 [[placental]] mammal [[species]]. (Cats are not believed to have been a factor in the extinction of the only mainland [[bird]] species to be lost since European settlement, the [[Paradise Parrot]]; their role in the loss of rare species on [[Australasia]]n islands, however, has been significant.)

Control programs are difficult to devise due to the [[nocturnal animal|nocturnal]] and [[solitary]] nature of feral cats, broad distribution in the landscape and continuous additions to the population from abandoned domestic cats. Due to the danger posed to human handling the animal, captured feral cats are almost always [[death|kill]]ed. No program for spaying and neutering, akin to that in the United States exists in Australia.

== In Rome ==

[[Rome]], [[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]].

== Feral cats and island restoration ==
Feral cats [[introduced species|introduced]] to islands with ecologically naive fauna (that is, species that have not evolved or have lost predator responses for dealing with cats) have had a devastating impact on these islands' [[biodiversity]]. They have been implicated in the extinction of several species and local extinctions, such as the [[huita]]s from the [[Caribbean]] and the [[Guadalupe Storm-petrel]] from [[Pacific]] [[Mexico]]. Moors and Atkinson wrote, in [[1984]], "No other alien predator has had such a universally damaging effect." Given the damage they do, many conservationists working in the field of island restoration (literally restoring damaged islands through removal of introduced species and replanting and reintroducing native species) have worked to remove feral cats. As of [[2004]], 48 islands have had their feral cat populations removed, including [[New Zealand]]'s network of offshore island bird reserves (Nogales ''et al'', [[2004]]). Larger projects are also being planned, including their removal from [[Ascension Island]].

Feral cats, along with rabbits and some sea birds, are the entire animal population of the remote [[Kerguelen Islands]] in the southern [[Indian Ocean]].

== Activism ==

Unlike [[novelty pet]]s which are often discarded 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 or desire to care for a large number of cats.

Feral cats live in horrible conditions, living short, dangerous, unhealthy, desperate lives. Like any uninoculated mammal species, there is a risk they will develop [[rabies]] and pose a threat to human health.

Because of the dangers to humans, other species, and the cats themselves, and out of compassion toward the animals, many people, including [[celebrity|celebrities]] such as [[Bob Barker]], campaign to encourage people to spay and neuter their pets and support the humane control of feral cats.

== References ==
* Moors, P.J.; Atkinson, I.A.E. (1984). ''Predation on seabirds by introduced animals, and factors affecting its severity.''. In ''Status and Conservation of the World's Seabirds''. Cambridge: ICBP. ISBN 0-946888-03-5.
* Nogales, Manuel ''et al'' ([[2004]]). ''A review of feral cat eradication on islands''. ''Conservation Biology''. '''18''' (2), 310-319. [http://www.issg.org/database/species/reference_files/felcat/Nogales%20et%20al.%202004.pdf]

== External links ==
* [http://www.alleycat.org Alley Cat Allies] Feral Cat Resource - provides information about how to deal with feral cats humanely.
* Defenders of Wildlife. [http://www.defenders.org/defendersmag/issues/spring03/plightsongbird.html Plight of the Vanishing Songbirds]
* Australian Department of Environment and Heritage: [http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/cat-impacts/pubs/impacts-feral-cats.pdf Overview of the impact of feral cats on native fauna] (pdf)
* lovethatcat.com: [http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html List of US spay & neuter programs]
* [http://www.mikecade.com/wildkingdom/writings_feral_cats_pge_park.html Feral Cats of Portland, Ore.'s PGE Park]

[[Category:Cat types]]

[[fr:Chat haret]]

AY Honors/Cats - Advanced/Answer Key

2005-04-21T23:11:44Z

137.99.58.235: /* External links */

[[Image:DorDor.JPG|thumb|right|Most feral kittens have little chance of surviving more than a few months and are vulnerable to starvation, predators, disease and even flea-induced anemia.]]

A '''feral cat''' is a [[cat]] which has been separated from domestication, whether through abandonment, loss, or running away, and become wild. The term also refers to descendants of such cats, but not to [[Wild Cat]]s, whose ancestors were never domesticated. Feral cats usually cannot be re-socialized. Feral kittens, however, can be socialized to live with humans if they are taken from a feral colony before they are about twelve weeks old.

Feral cats may live alone, but are usually found in large groups called [[feral cat colony|feral colonies]] with communal nurseries, depending on resource availability. Many abandoned [[pet]] cats join these colonies out of desperation; these cats can usually be readopted into a new home. The average [[lifespan]] of a feral cat that survives beyond [[kitten]]hood is usually less than two years while a [[domestication|domestic]] housecat lives an average of sixteen years or more.

== In the United States ==
[[City]]scapes and [[North America]] are not native environments for the cat; the domestic cat comes from [[temperate]] or hot, often dry, [[climate]]s and was distributed throughout the world by [[human]]s. 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]] against or understanding of such [[predator]]s as [[dog]]s, [[coyote]]s and even [[automobile]]s. The current population of twenty to forty million feral felines in the United States is due, initially, to human interference by environmental introduction and later, by simple human irresponsibility and neglect.

In the United States "trap, [[oophorectomy|spay]] or [[castration|neuter]], and release" programs, one of the more humane ways to deal with feral cat populations, are facilitated by many volunteers and organizations. In addition to sterilization, [[inoculation]] against [[rabies]] and the [[feline leukemia virus]] as well as the application of long-lasting [[flea treatment]]s before release are common. Frequently, attending [[veterinarian]]s nip 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 often continue to feed and give care to these cats throughout their lives. Many would like to do more, but most fully feral cats are unadoptable.

The "trap, spay/neuter, release" program is considered the most humane, yet still efficient way to deal with the problem for several reasons. From the perspective of the cat, better quality and more food is provided by humans, competition for natural resources is reduced, and they are protected from the most debilitating diseases. From the human perspective, the feral cat problem is gradually eliminated because the cats do not reproduce. Behavior and nuisance problems due to competition for food and mating activities post-release are immediately reduced. Over time, these feral colonies becomes smaller and generally disappear; new cats will rarely join a colony of sterile animals. More and more animal shelters throughout the United States are becoming "no kill shelters", and are gradually implementing more humane, yet definitive animal population control methods. Some states such as California and many countries around the world have had tremendous success with humane methods to control feral cat populations.

As is their nature, there is no doubt feral cats will hunt other small species. While control of rats, mice, and other rodents is a cat activity humans support, feral cats kill songbirds and other birds. Some estimate the bird loss at over two hundred million a year. These figures may be questionable, however, with some of the damage due to the resurgence of other small predators such as the gray fox (urocyon cinereoargenteus), fisher or pekan (martes pennanti), coyote (canis latrans), and puma (puma concolor). It has been suggested by individuals without environmental science backgrounds that feral cats should simply be hunted to immediately reduce the feral cat problem. Radical specicide, especially when more animals are abandoned each day, is never a prudent long-term answer to any animal-human problem; the solution is more responsible husbandry of the domestic cat by the species that initially started the problem.

[http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=31029&ntpid=3]

[[October 16]] is National Feral Cat Day in the United States.

== In Australia ==
Feral cats have been present in [[Australia]] since [[European]] settlement, and may have arrived with [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[shipwreck]]s 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 [[placental]] mammal [[species]]. (Cats are not believed to have been a factor in the extinction of the only mainland [[bird]] species to be lost since European settlement, the [[Paradise Parrot]]; their role in the loss of rare species on [[Australasia]]n islands, however, has been significant.)

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. Due to the danger posed to human handling the animal, captured feral cats are almost always terminated. No program for spaying and neutering, akin to that in the United States exists in Australia.

== In Rome ==

[[Rome]], [[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]].

== Feral cats and island restoration ==
Feral cats [[introduced species|introduced]] to islands with ecologically naive fauna (that is, species that have not evolved or have lost predator responses for dealing with cats) have had a devastating impact on these islands' [[biodiversity]]. They have been implicated in the extinction of several species and local extinctions, such as the [[huita]]s from the [[Caribbean]] and the [[Guadalupe Storm-petrel]] from [[Pacific]] [[Mexico]]. Moors and Atkinson wrote, in [[1984]], "No other alien predator has had such a universally damaging effect." Given the damage they do, many conservationists working in the field of island restoration (literally restoring damaged islands through removal of introduced species and replanting and reintroducing native species) have worked to remove feral cats. As of [[2004]], 48 islands have had their feral cat populations removed, including [[New Zealand]]'s network of offshore island bird reserves (Nogales ''et al'', [[2004]]). Larger projects are also being planned, including their removal from [[Ascension Island]].

Feral cats, along with rabbits and some sea birds, are the entire animal population of the remote [[Kerguelen Islands]] in the southern [[Indian Ocean]].

== Activism ==

Unlike [[novelty pet]]s which are often discarded 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 or desire to care for a large number of cats.

Feral cats live in horrible conditions, living short, dangerous, unhealthy, desperate lives. Like any uninoculated mammal species, there is a risk they will develop [[rabies]] and pose a threat to human health.

Because of the dangers to humans, other species, and the cats themselves, and out of compassion toward the animals, many people, including [[celebrity|celebrities]] such as [[Bob Barker]], campaign to encourage people to spay and neuter their pets and support the humane control of feral cats.

== References ==
* Moors, P.J.; Atkinson, I.A.E. (1984). ''Predation on seabirds by introduced animals, and factors affecting its severity.''. In ''Status and Conservation of the World's Seabirds''. Cambridge: ICBP. ISBN 0-946888-03-5.
* Nogales, Manuel ''et al'' ([[2004]]). ''A review of feral cat eradication on islands''. ''Conservation Biology''. '''18''' (2), 310-319. [http://www.issg.org/database/species/reference_files/felcat/Nogales%20et%20al.%202004.pdf]

== External links ==
* [http://www.alleycat.org Alley Cat Allies] Feral Cat Resource - provides information about how to deal with feral cats humanely.
* Defenders of Wildlife. [http://www.defenders.org/defendersmag/issues/spring03/plightsongbird.html Plight of the Vanishing Songbirds]
* Australian Department of Environment and Heritage: [http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/cat-impacts/pubs/impacts-feral-cats.pdf Overview of the impact of feral cats on native fauna] (pdf)
* lovethatcat.com: [http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html List of US spay & neuter programs]

[[Category:Cat types]]

[[fr:Chat haret]]

AY Honors/Cats - Advanced/Answer Key

2005-04-21T23:11:19Z

137.99.58.235: /* External links */

[[Image:DorDor.JPG|thumb|right|Most feral kittens have little chance of surviving more than a few months and are vulnerable to starvation, predators, disease and even flea-induced anemia.]]

A '''feral cat''' is a [[cat]] which has been separated from domestication, whether through abandonment, loss, or running away, and become wild. The term also refers to descendants of such cats, but not to [[Wild Cat]]s, whose ancestors were never domesticated. Feral cats usually cannot be re-socialized. Feral kittens, however, can be socialized to live with humans if they are taken from a feral colony before they are about twelve weeks old.

Feral cats may live alone, but are usually found in large groups called [[feral cat colony|feral colonies]] with communal nurseries, depending on resource availability. Many abandoned [[pet]] cats join these colonies out of desperation; these cats can usually be readopted into a new home. The average [[lifespan]] of a feral cat that survives beyond [[kitten]]hood is usually less than two years while a [[domestication|domestic]] housecat lives an average of sixteen years or more.

== In the United States ==
[[City]]scapes and [[North America]] are not native environments for the cat; the domestic cat comes from [[temperate]] or hot, often dry, [[climate]]s and was distributed throughout the world by [[human]]s. 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]] against or understanding of such [[predator]]s as [[dog]]s, [[coyote]]s and even [[automobile]]s. The current population of twenty to forty million feral felines in the United States is due, initially, to human interference by environmental introduction and later, by simple human irresponsibility and neglect.

In the United States "trap, [[oophorectomy|spay]] or [[castration|neuter]], and release" programs, one of the more humane ways to deal with feral cat populations, are facilitated by many volunteers and organizations. In addition to sterilization, [[inoculation]] against [[rabies]] and the [[feline leukemia virus]] as well as the application of long-lasting [[flea treatment]]s before release are common. Frequently, attending [[veterinarian]]s nip 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 often continue to feed and give care to these cats throughout their lives. Many would like to do more, but most fully feral cats are unadoptable.

The "trap, spay/neuter, release" program is considered the most humane, yet still efficient way to deal with the problem for several reasons. From the perspective of the cat, better quality and more food is provided by humans, competition for natural resources is reduced, and they are protected from the most debilitating diseases. From the human perspective, the feral cat problem is gradually eliminated because the cats do not reproduce. Behavior and nuisance problems due to competition for food and mating activities post-release are immediately reduced. Over time, these feral colonies becomes smaller and generally disappear; new cats will rarely join a colony of sterile animals. More and more animal shelters throughout the United States are becoming "no kill shelters", and are gradually implementing more humane, yet definitive animal population control methods. Some states such as California and many countries around the world have had tremendous success with humane methods to control feral cat populations.

As is their nature, there is no doubt feral cats will hunt other small species. While control of rats, mice, and other rodents is a cat activity humans support, feral cats kill songbirds and other birds. Some estimate the bird loss at over two hundred million a year. These figures may be questionable, however, with some of the damage due to the resurgence of other small predators such as the gray fox (urocyon cinereoargenteus), fisher or pekan (martes pennanti), coyote (canis latrans), and puma (puma concolor). It has been suggested by individuals without environmental science backgrounds that feral cats should simply be hunted to immediately reduce the feral cat problem. Radical specicide, especially when more animals are abandoned each day, is never a prudent long-term answer to any animal-human problem; the solution is more responsible husbandry of the domestic cat by the species that initially started the problem.

[http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=31029&ntpid=3]

[[October 16]] is National Feral Cat Day in the United States.

== In Australia ==
Feral cats have been present in [[Australia]] since [[European]] settlement, and may have arrived with [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[shipwreck]]s 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 [[placental]] mammal [[species]]. (Cats are not believed to have been a factor in the extinction of the only mainland [[bird]] species to be lost since European settlement, the [[Paradise Parrot]]; their role in the loss of rare species on [[Australasia]]n islands, however, has been significant.)

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. Due to the danger posed to human handling the animal, captured feral cats are almost always terminated. No program for spaying and neutering, akin to that in the United States exists in Australia.

== In Rome ==

[[Rome]], [[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]].

== Feral cats and island restoration ==
Feral cats [[introduced species|introduced]] to islands with ecologically naive fauna (that is, species that have not evolved or have lost predator responses for dealing with cats) have had a devastating impact on these islands' [[biodiversity]]. They have been implicated in the extinction of several species and local extinctions, such as the [[huita]]s from the [[Caribbean]] and the [[Guadalupe Storm-petrel]] from [[Pacific]] [[Mexico]]. Moors and Atkinson wrote, in [[1984]], "No other alien predator has had such a universally damaging effect." Given the damage they do, many conservationists working in the field of island restoration (literally restoring damaged islands through removal of introduced species and replanting and reintroducing native species) have worked to remove feral cats. As of [[2004]], 48 islands have had their feral cat populations removed, including [[New Zealand]]'s network of offshore island bird reserves (Nogales ''et al'', [[2004]]). Larger projects are also being planned, including their removal from [[Ascension Island]].

Feral cats, along with rabbits and some sea birds, are the entire animal population of the remote [[Kerguelen Islands]] in the southern [[Indian Ocean]].

== Activism ==

Unlike [[novelty pet]]s which are often discarded 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 or desire to care for a large number of cats.

Feral cats live in horrible conditions, living short, dangerous, unhealthy, desperate lives. Like any uninoculated mammal species, there is a risk they will develop [[rabies]] and pose a threat to human health.

Because of the dangers to humans, other species, and the cats themselves, and out of compassion toward the animals, many people, including [[celebrity|celebrities]] such as [[Bob Barker]], campaign to encourage people to spay and neuter their pets and support the humane control of feral cats.

== References ==
* Moors, P.J.; Atkinson, I.A.E. (1984). ''Predation on seabirds by introduced animals, and factors affecting its severity.''. In ''Status and Conservation of the World's Seabirds''. Cambridge: ICBP. ISBN 0-946888-03-5.
* Nogales, Manuel ''et al'' ([[2004]]). ''A review of feral cat eradication on islands''. ''Conservation Biology''. '''18''' (2), 310-319. [http://www.issg.org/database/species/reference_files/felcat/Nogales%20et%20al.%202004.pdf]

== External links ==
* [http://www.alleycat.org Alley Cat Allies] Feral Cat Resource - provides information about how to deal with feral cats humanely.
* Defenders of Wildlife. [http://www.defenders.org/defendersmag/issues/spring03/plightsongbird.html Plight of the Vanishing Songbirds]
* Australian Department of Environment and Heritage: [http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/cat-impacts/pubs/impacts-feral-cats.pdf Overview of the impact of feral cats on native fauna] (pdf)
* lovethatcat.com: [http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html List of US spay & neuter programs]
* [http://www.alleycat.org Alley Cat Allies] Feral Cat Resource - provides information about how to deal with feral cats humanely.

[[Category:Cat types]]

[[fr:Chat haret]]

AY Honors/Cats - Advanced/Answer Key

2005-04-21T23:08:59Z

137.99.58.235: /* In the United States */

[[Image:DorDor.JPG|thumb|right|Most feral kittens have little chance of surviving more than a few months and are vulnerable to starvation, predators, disease and even flea-induced anemia.]]

A '''feral cat''' is a [[cat]] which has been separated from domestication, whether through abandonment, loss, or running away, and become wild. The term also refers to descendants of such cats, but not to [[Wild Cat]]s, whose ancestors were never domesticated. Feral cats usually cannot be re-socialized. Feral kittens, however, can be socialized to live with humans if they are taken from a feral colony before they are about twelve weeks old.

Feral cats may live alone, but are usually found in large groups called [[feral cat colony|feral colonies]] with communal nurseries, depending on resource availability. Many abandoned [[pet]] cats join these colonies out of desperation; these cats can usually be readopted into a new home. The average [[lifespan]] of a feral cat that survives beyond [[kitten]]hood is usually less than two years while a [[domestication|domestic]] housecat lives an average of sixteen years or more.

== In the United States ==
[[City]]scapes and [[North America]] are not native environments for the cat; the domestic cat comes from [[temperate]] or hot, often dry, [[climate]]s and was distributed throughout the world by [[human]]s. 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]] against or understanding of such [[predator]]s as [[dog]]s, [[coyote]]s and even [[automobile]]s. The current population of twenty to forty million feral felines in the United States is due, initially, to human interference by environmental introduction and later, by simple human irresponsibility and neglect.

In the United States "trap, [[oophorectomy|spay]] or [[castration|neuter]], and release" programs, one of the more humane ways to deal with feral cat populations, are facilitated by many volunteers and organizations. In addition to sterilization, [[inoculation]] against [[rabies]] and the [[feline leukemia virus]] as well as the application of long-lasting [[flea treatment]]s before release are common. Frequently, attending [[veterinarian]]s nip 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 often continue to feed and give care to these cats throughout their lives. Many would like to do more, but most fully feral cats are unadoptable.

The "trap, spay/neuter, release" program is considered the most humane, yet still efficient way to deal with the problem for several reasons. From the perspective of the cat, better quality and more food is provided by humans, competition for natural resources is reduced, and they are protected from the most debilitating diseases. From the human perspective, the feral cat problem is gradually eliminated because the cats do not reproduce. Behavior and nuisance problems due to competition for food and mating activities post-release are immediately reduced. Over time, these feral colonies becomes smaller and generally disappear; new cats will rarely join a colony of sterile animals. More and more animal shelters throughout the United States are becoming "no kill shelters", and are gradually implementing more humane, yet definitive animal population control methods. Some states such as California and many countries around the world have had tremendous success with humane methods to control feral cat populations.

As is their nature, there is no doubt feral cats will hunt other small species. While control of rats, mice, and other rodents is a cat activity humans support, feral cats kill songbirds and other birds. Some estimate the bird loss at over two hundred million a year. These figures may be questionable, however, with some of the damage due to the resurgence of other small predators such as the gray fox (urocyon cinereoargenteus), fisher or pekan (martes pennanti), coyote (canis latrans), and puma (puma concolor). It has been suggested by individuals without environmental science backgrounds that feral cats should simply be hunted to immediately reduce the feral cat problem. Radical specicide, especially when more animals are abandoned each day, is never a prudent long-term answer to any animal-human problem; the solution is more responsible husbandry of the domestic cat by the species that initially started the problem.

[http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=31029&ntpid=3]

[[October 16]] is National Feral Cat Day in the United States.

== In Australia ==
Feral cats have been present in [[Australia]] since [[European]] settlement, and may have arrived with [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[shipwreck]]s 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 [[placental]] mammal [[species]]. (Cats are not believed to have been a factor in the extinction of the only mainland [[bird]] species to be lost since European settlement, the [[Paradise Parrot]]; their role in the loss of rare species on [[Australasia]]n islands, however, has been significant.)

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. Due to the danger posed to human handling the animal, captured feral cats are almost always terminated. No program for spaying and neutering, akin to that in the United States exists in Australia.

== In Rome ==

[[Rome]], [[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]].

== Feral cats and island restoration ==
Feral cats [[introduced species|introduced]] to islands with ecologically naive fauna (that is, species that have not evolved or have lost predator responses for dealing with cats) have had a devastating impact on these islands' [[biodiversity]]. They have been implicated in the extinction of several species and local extinctions, such as the [[huita]]s from the [[Caribbean]] and the [[Guadalupe Storm-petrel]] from [[Pacific]] [[Mexico]]. Moors and Atkinson wrote, in [[1984]], "No other alien predator has had such a universally damaging effect." Given the damage they do, many conservationists working in the field of island restoration (literally restoring damaged islands through removal of introduced species and replanting and reintroducing native species) have worked to remove feral cats. As of [[2004]], 48 islands have had their feral cat populations removed, including [[New Zealand]]'s network of offshore island bird reserves (Nogales ''et al'', [[2004]]). Larger projects are also being planned, including their removal from [[Ascension Island]].

Feral cats, along with rabbits and some sea birds, are the entire animal population of the remote [[Kerguelen Islands]] in the southern [[Indian Ocean]].

== Activism ==

Unlike [[novelty pet]]s which are often discarded 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 or desire to care for a large number of cats.

Feral cats live in horrible conditions, living short, dangerous, unhealthy, desperate lives. Like any uninoculated mammal species, there is a risk they will develop [[rabies]] and pose a threat to human health.

Because of the dangers to humans, other species, and the cats themselves, and out of compassion toward the animals, many people, including [[celebrity|celebrities]] such as [[Bob Barker]], campaign to encourage people to spay and neuter their pets and support the humane control of feral cats.

== References ==
* Moors, P.J.; Atkinson, I.A.E. (1984). ''Predation on seabirds by introduced animals, and factors affecting its severity.''. In ''Status and Conservation of the World's Seabirds''. Cambridge: ICBP. ISBN 0-946888-03-5.
* Nogales, Manuel ''et al'' ([[2004]]). ''A review of feral cat eradication on islands''. ''Conservation Biology''. '''18''' (2), 310-319. [http://www.issg.org/database/species/reference_files/felcat/Nogales%20et%20al.%202004.pdf]

== External links ==
* Defenders of Wildlife. [http://www.defenders.org/defendersmag/issues/spring03/plightsongbird.html Plight of the Vanishing Songbirds]
* Australian Department of Environment and Heritage [http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/cat/index.html fact sheet on feral cats]
* Australian Department of Environment and Heritage: [http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/cat-impacts/pubs/impacts-feral-cats.pdf Overview of the impact of feral cats on native fauna] (pdf)
* Wisconsin State Journal: [http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=31029&ntpid=3 Proposal would make feral cats fair game]
* Ascension Island Government: [http://www.ascension-island.gov.ac/restoration.htm Ascension Island Restoration]
* lovethatcat.com: [http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html List of US spay & neuter programs]
* [http://www.alleycat.org Alley Cat Allies] Feral Cat Resource - provides information about how to deal with feral cats humanely.

[[Category:Cat types]]

[[fr:Chat haret]]

AY Honors/Cats - Advanced/Answer Key

2004-10-01T16:44:14Z

137.99.58.235:

[[Image:DorDor.JPG|thumb|right|Most feral kittens have little chance of surving more than a few months and are vulnerable to starvation, predators, disease and even flea-induced anemia.]]

A '''feral cat''' is a [[cat]] in a [[feral]] or wild state. They are distinguished from [[wild cat]]s since they are domestic cats that live without human care as opposed to being truly wild. Feral cats are generally cats that grow up without direct human interactionation and usually cannot be tamed. Feral kittens, however, can be socialized to live with humans if they are taken from a feral colony before they are about fourteen weeks old.

Feral cats may live alone, but most are found in large groups called [[feral cat colony|feral colonies]] with communal nurseries, depending on resource availability. Many abandoned [[pet]] cats join these colonies out of desperation; these cats can usually be readopted into a new home. The average [[lifespan]] of a feral cat that survives beyond [[kitten]]hood is usually less than two years while a [[domestication|domestic]] housecat lives an average of sixteen years or more.

National Feral Cat Day is October 16.

== In the United States ==
[[City]]scapes and [[North America]] are not native environments to the cat; the domestic cat comes from [[temperate]] or hot, often dry, [[climate]]s and was distributed throughout the world by [[human]]s. 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 [[predator]]s as [[dog]]s, [[coyote]]s and even [[automobile]]s.

However, throughout the [[United States]], there are thousands of volunteers and organizations that trap these unadoptable feral felines, [[oophorectomy|spay]] or [[castration|neuter]] them, [[inoculation|inoculate]] the cats against [[rabies]] and [[feline leukemia]] and treat them with long-lasting [[flea treatment|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.

== In Australia ==
Feral cats have been present in [[Australia]] since [[European]] settlement, and may have arrived with [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[shipwreck]]s 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.

== In Rome ==

[[Rome]], [[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]].

== Kerguelen ==

Feral cats, along with rabbits and some sea birds, are the entire animal population of the [[Kerguelen Islands]]

== Activism ==

Unlike [[novelty pet]]s which are often discarded 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. There is also a small risk that they will develop [[rabies]] and post a threat to human health.

Because of these dangers presented by a large population of feral cats, and also out of compassion toward the animals, many [[celebrity|celebrities]] campaign to encourage people to spay and neuter their pets, including [[Bob Barker]].

== External links ==
* [http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html List of US spay & neuter programs]
* [http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/ferals/cat/ Australian Department of Environment and Heritage fact sheet on feral cats]
* [http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/tap/cats/index.html Threat Abatement Plan for Predation by Feral Cats, prepared by the Aust Dept of Environment and Heritage]
* [http://goeurope.about.com/cs/rome/a/rome_cats.htm About.com: Rome cats]

[[Category:Cat types]]

AY Honors/Cats - Advanced/Answer Key

2004-08-13T23:42:37Z

137.99.58.235: /* In Australia */

A '''feral cat''' is a [[cat]] in a [[feral]] or wild state. Feral cats may live alone, but most are found in large groups called [[feral cat colony|feral colonies]] with communal nurseries, depending on resource availability. Many abandoned [[pet]] cats join these colonies out of desperation. The average [[lifespan]] of a feral cat that survives beyond [[kitten]]hood is usually less than two years while a [[domestication|domestic]] housecat lives an average of sixteen years or more. More information on the generally harsh short life of a feral cat can be found on your local [[SPCA]] website, a society devoted to caring for animals and found in virtually every corner of the world from America to Zimbabwe.

[[Image:DorDor.JPG|thumb|right|Most feral kittens have little chance of surving more than a few months and are vulnerable to starvation, predators, disease and even flea-induced anemia.]]

== In the United States ==
[[City]]scapes and [[North America]] are not native environments to the cat; the domestic cat comes from [[temperate]] [[climate]]s and was distributed throughout the world by [[human]]s. Although cats are somewhat adaptable, feral felines are unable to thrive in extreme cold and heat, and with a protein requirement of about 90%, few cats find adequate nutrition on their own. In addition, they have no [[defense]] or understanding of such [[predator]]s as [[dog]]s, [[coyote]]s and even [[automobile]]s.

However, throughout the [[United States]], there are thousands of volunteers and organizations that trap these unadoptable feral felines, [[oophorectomy|spay]] or [[castration|neuter]] them, [[inoculation|inoculate]] the cats against [[rabies]] and [[feline leukemia]] and treat them with long-lasting [[flea treatment|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.

== In Australia ==
Feral cats have been present in [[Australia]] since [[European]] settlement, and may have arrived with [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[shipwreck]]s 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 sadly 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. Eradication is not considered feasible nor humane.

== In Rome ==

[[Rome]], [[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]].

== External links ==
* [http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html List of US spay & neuter programs]
* [http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/ferals/cat/ Australian Department of Environment and Heritage fact sheet on feral cats]
* [http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/tap/cats/index.html Threat Abatement Plan for Predation by Feral Cats, prepared by the Aust Dept of Environment and Heritage]
* [http://goeurope.about.com/cs/rome/a/rome_cats.htm About.com: Rome cats]

AY Honors/Cats - Advanced/Answer Key

2004-08-13T23:36:58Z

137.99.58.235:

A '''feral cat''' is a [[cat]] in a [[feral]] or wild state. Feral cats may live alone, but most are found in large groups called [[feral cat colony|feral colonies]] with communal nurseries, depending on resource availability. Many abandoned [[pet]] cats join these colonies out of desperation. The average [[lifespan]] of a feral cat that survives beyond [[kitten]]hood is usually less than two years while a [[domestication|domestic]] housecat lives an average of sixteen years or more. More information on the generally harsh short life of a feral cat can be found on your local [[SPCA]] website, a society devoted to caring for animals and found in virtually every corner of the world from America to Zimbabwe.

[[Image:DorDor.JPG|thumb|right|Most feral kittens have little chance of surving more than a few months and are vulnerable to starvation, predators, disease and even flea-induced anemia.]]

== In the United States ==
[[City]]scapes and [[North America]] are not native environments to the cat; the domestic cat comes from [[temperate]] [[climate]]s and was distributed throughout the world by [[human]]s. Although cats are somewhat adaptable, feral felines are unable to thrive in extreme cold and heat, and with a protein requirement of about 90%, few cats find adequate nutrition on their own. In addition, they have no [[defense]] or understanding of such [[predator]]s as [[dog]]s, [[coyote]]s and even [[automobile]]s.

However, throughout the [[United States]], there are thousands of volunteers and organizations that trap these unadoptable feral felines, [[oophorectomy|spay]] or [[castration|neuter]] them, [[inoculation|inoculate]] the cats against [[rabies]] and [[feline leukemia]] and treat them with long-lasting [[flea treatment|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.

== In Australia ==
Feral cats have been present in [[Australia]] since [[European]] settlement, and may have arrived with [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[shipwreck]]s 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, solitary and suspicious nature of the cat, broad distribution in the landscape and continuous additions to the population from dumped domestic cats. Eradication is not considered feasible.

== In Rome ==

[[Rome]], [[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]].

== External links ==
* [http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html List of US spay & neuter programs]
* [http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/ferals/cat/ Australian Department of Environment and Heritage fact sheet on feral cats]
* [http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/tap/cats/index.html Threat Abatement Plan for Predation by Feral Cats, prepared by the Aust Dept of Environment and Heritage]
* [http://goeurope.about.com/cs/rome/a/rome_cats.htm About.com: Rome cats]

AY Honors/Cats - Advanced/Answer Key

2004-08-13T23:17:46Z

137.99.58.235:

{| border="1" cellspacing="0.5" align="right" cellpadding="15" style="margin-left: 15em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"
!bgcolor=pink| Feral Cats
[[Image:DorDor.JPG|thumb|center|Rescued Feral [[Kitten]] Most feral kittens have little chance of surving more than a few months and are vulnerable to starvation, predators, disease and even flea-induced anemia''.]]

|align="center"|

A '''feral cat''' is a [[cat]] in a [[feral]] or wild state. Feral cats may live alone, but most are found in large groups called [[feral cat colony|feral colonies]] with communal nurseries, depending on resource availability. Many abandoned [[pet]] cats join these colonies out of desperation. The average [[lifespan]] of a feral cat that survives beyond [[kitten]]hood is less than two years (although this varies a lot by region), while an average [[domestication|domestic]] housecat lives an average of sixteen years or more.

== In the United States ==
[[City]]scapes and [[North America]] are not native environments to the cat; the domestic cat comes from [[temperate]] [[climate]]s and was distributed throughout the world by [[human]]s. Although cats are somewhat adaptable, feral felines are unable to thrive in extreme cold and heat, and with a protein requirement of about 90%, few cats find adequate nutrition on their own. In addition, they have no [[defense]] or understanding of such [[predator]]s as [[dog]]s, [[coyote]]s and even [[automobile]]s.

However, throughout the [[United States]], there are thousands of volunteers and organizations that trap these unadoptable feral felines, [[oophorectomy|spay]] or [[castration|neuter]] them, [[inoculation|inoculate]] the cats against [[rabies]] and [[feline leukemia]] and treat them with long-lasting [[flea treatment|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.

== In Australia ==
Feral cats have been present in [[Australia]] since [[European]] settlement, and may have arrived with [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[shipwreck]]s 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, solitary and suspicious nature of the cat, broad distribution in the landscape and continuous additions to the population from dumped domestic cats. Eradication is not considered feasible.

== In Rome ==

[[Rome]], [[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]].

== External links ==
* [http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html List of US spay & neuter programs]
* [http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/ferals/cat/ Australian Department of Environment and Heritage fact sheet on feral cats]
* [http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/tap/cats/index.html Threat Abatement Plan for Predation by Feral Cats, prepared by the Aust Dept of Environment and Heritage]
* [http://goeurope.about.com/cs/rome/a/rome_cats.htm About.com: Rome cats]

AY Honors/Cats - Advanced/Answer Key

2004-08-12T21:00:14Z

137.99.58.235:

A '''Feral cat''' is a [[cat]] in a [[feral]] or wild state. Feral cats may live alone, but most are found in large groups called [[Feral cat colony|feral colonies]] with communal nurseries, depending on resource availability. Many abandoned [[pet]] cats join these colonies out of desperation. The average lifespan of a feral cat that survives beyond kittenhood is ''less than two years'', while an average domestic housecat lives an average of ''sixteen years'' or more.[[Image:DorDor.JPG|thumb|right|'''Rescued feral kitten'''Most feral kittens have little chance of surving more than a few months and are vulnerable to starvation, predators, disease and even flea-induced anemia]]

== In the United States ==
[[City]]scapes and [[North America]] are not native environments to the cat; the domestic cat comes from temperate climates and was distributed throughout the world by [[human]]s. Although cats are somewhat adaptable, feral felines are unable to thrive in extreme cold and heat, and with a protein requirement of about 90%, few ferals 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.

== External link ==
* [http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html List of US spay & neuter programs]

AY Honors/Cats - Advanced/Answer Key

2004-08-12T17:20:34Z

137.99.58.235: Feral Cats

Feral cats may live alone, but most are found in large groups called feral colonies with communal nurseries, depending on resource availability. Many abandoned pet cats join these colonies out of desperation. The average lifespan of these feral cats is less than two years, while an average domestic housecat lives an average of sixteen years or more. Cityscapes and even North America are not native environments to the cat; the domestic cat comes from temperate climates and was distributed throughout the world by humans. Although cats are somewhat adaptable, feral felines are unable to thrive in extreme cold and heat, and with a protein requirement of about 90%, few ferals 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 feral cat colonies through these efforts.

Low cost spay and neuter clinics [3] (http://www.lovethatcat.com/spayneuter.html)are available throughout the United States.