“I have owners who say they have feral cats as pets, but they feed the cats outside,” says Truitt. “If cats aren’t socialized by 16 weeks of age, it usually doesn’t go well,” she says. Taylor Truitt, CEO and founder of The Vet Set, Brooklyn, New York, says that feral cats might be best cared for outside as community cats. I think you should be informed,” she says. Pet behaviorist Pamela Uncles, Companion Animal Behavior, a practice in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area, adds that behavioral challenges may abound. “”I am not saying you shouldn’t ever take a feral cat but think carefully about it first.” “If you adopt a feral cat, you are setting yourself up for heartbreak,” said Dr. Street cats may have serious illnesses that can spread-ringworm, feline leukemia, rabies and other infectious diseases can infect other pets and humans.
“But feral cats have lived outdoors and likely haven’t had any health care.” Stray cats can too, of course,” she says. “Feral cats are likely to have some health issues. Ann Hohenhaus, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM, oncology) at The Animal Medical Center in New York, urges extreme caution when attempting to turn a street cat into a pet. These distinctions can be critical for the health of your other pets and family members. Stray cats and some alley cats have often had socialization and may have even been neutered and received health care. So, what’s the difference? Feral cats are wild and not used to people or domesticated. Both types of cats may seem skittish when you first approach them. It’s often impossible to tell at first glance. Yes, that stray cat or alley cat can become your beloved house cat, but there are some caveats you should consider.įirst, understand the difference between a stray cat, an alley cat and a feral cat. Is there a stray cat hanging out outside your home? Or slowly spending more and more time in your yard? You might very well have been adopted by a local street cat and are now probably asking yourself, “Can you turn a stray cat into a house cat?” Reviewed for accuracy on October 22, 2018, by Dr.
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