In one study, stray cats were defined as cats that were taken from dumps and residential or industrial areas, while feral cats were defined as cats that were remote from these locations. I would have thought that this was an inaccurate way of going about things.
Other scientists have defined feral cats with reference to their non-reliance on humans for food and shelter. Well, feral cats certainly are often not completely independent of humans and neither are they dependent. If a feral cat is highly dependent upon regular feeding from a certain source and the cat is relatively friendly it could be argued that the cat is no longer feral.
Sometimes feral cats can be defined as domestic cats that have gone wild or a cat that reproduces in the wild. One scientist, M.R.Slater defined “feral cat” in what he calls a pragmatic way “based on the status of an individual cat had a particular point in time”.
“A feral cat is one that cannot be handled and is not suitable for placement in a typical pet home, that is, the cat that is un-socialised.”
“Socialisation” has been defined as the process by which an animal develops social behaviour that is appropriate towards other cats and animals in the human household together with people. This is because the word “socialise” refers not only to whether a cat develops appropriate social behaviour towards animals of the same species but animals that he or she lives with of different species.
What is the difference between being domesticated, being tame for being socialised? “Tame” in the context of a cat means that the cat is not frightened of people nor dangerous to people. Such a cat is also domesticated. A domesticated cat feels comfortable at home. I have already defined the word socialisation. There is clearly a very large overlap between these three terms.
In the context of discussing cats, people often use the word “tame” to refer to a wild cat that has been tamed but is not domesticated. In other words the wild cat is safe and relaxed around people but not suited to living in the home.
Source: Myself and The Welfare of Cats ISBN 978-1-4020-6143-1
Thanks, Valerie.
But, that gorgeous Yellow was Dw’s love although I feel that she was my love too.
We learn to know each others’ cats and love them as if they were with us.
Those semi-ferals…
They love the nighttime.
Do they allow closeness?
You’re a good mom if they sleep in your bed during the day.
What are their names?
Lovely cat Dee my 2 young ones will always be semi-feral they still go out hunting at night and often bring mice in. Can’t lock them in or he scratches the carpet near the back door but it is quite safe for them here no main roads and they know their way around.they like to sleep on my bed all day though lol and do show me affection!!
Also, you can get free AOL now and use their email.
Anything is better than Yahoo. There are so many complaints about being locked out of email, but they’re not doing anything about it.
Surprise!
How did I know you were using Yahoo email?
The best solution is to dump it and go to google or hotmail.
But, read this if you don’t want to change. It’s a backdoor fix.
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100106025249AAt60mg
Dee — Since you kindly asked, I dashed off an e-mail a few days ago explaining what was wrong, but the thing got wafted off into the swirling mists –whatever.
In nutshell, when you try to open the Yahoo e-mail screen, two messages pop up: ‘Cannot Find Server,’ and ‘Cannot Display This Page.’ While the technician who’s come out here three times in a row, now, has become a tad waspish around the edges, somehow or other he gets into the e-mail after rapping away for a few minutes and opening a dozen binomial screens – none of which keystrokes I have the force of intellect to duplicate. As for driving up to the library every few days to retrieve my stuff, it doesn’t matter all that much in the Grand Scheme. But thanks anyhow – you’re a dear!
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DW: Yes — moving is far worse on a cat than on a human because they don’t understand what’s going on. McWee was horrified by the 110-mile commute and by this strange house, and our equally strange third-of-an-acre with its nocturnal aromas of deer, cougars, opossums, a mink and who knows what else traipsing around out there (he wanted to get outside all the same, though I had to keep him on a leash). Moving is no fun under the best of circumstances, but moving with your fur-kids is a foretaste of hell.
Your feral was gorgeous, as was your photo of her. And yes – you’re probably right. Cats have a memory, and someone, in a cat’s distant past, may have done something that scarred them for life. Though Weeza didn’t want any contact, she knew she was Momma’s girl, and loved to lie on her pillow, near my feet, next to the woodstove on wintery nights. But she too had been spayed long ago by someone or other, who let her run loose afterwards or abandoned her, because she never trusted people after that incident. Come to think, she might have been a TNR!? Whatever her history, she was a wildling to the end. Apparently, your golden girl was the same. But how lucky she was to have found you.
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Howdy Ruth!
Still laugh at your e-mails.
Am sitting here waiting for the rain to return in a couple of hours so I can get out and transplant the acorn squash and a bag of potatoes. Dasn’t venture out in the yard while it’s still sunny, as the Steaming Zipper is lurking on the other side of the fence – pseudo-coughing, hacking, and engaging in other what he considers ever-so-subtle modes of meta-communication. Cannot believe he and I are the only two spooks in this wilderness, much less my good fortune in the arrangement. Have been blessed from birth…
Sidney Vicious sits on the porch twice a day now, looking for victuals. Can’t keep up with much more of this, Ruthie. I’d take him to a no-kill shelter if I could be DEAD CERTAIN he’d get a half-decent home. But how to do this when there’s no way of knowing whom he’d end up with?
xx
I love that photo 🙂