Here are two hidden or underlying reasons why some people hate feral cats. No doubt, there are others. I has always surprised me that for some people the feral cat is at the opposite end of the spectrum to the domestic cat. They can hate the former and love the latter, yet they are the same species of animal.
Reason 1
To some, it is obvious that we are not that good at caring for the environment. Even the most arrogant, self-centered and narrow minded among us will find it hard to deny that we are poor guardians of the planet that sustains us. We are making a bit of a mess of it. We won’t admit it but we feel guilty particularly because we can’t change our ways. At present, we appear to be incapable of doing something about the way we abuse the planet, its natural resources and environment.
So what do we do? We blame something or someone else. The human animal passes the buck to an non-human animal that is considered an outsider. All outsiders even humans are shunned and criticised. They are not part of the group.
Feral cats are an ideal scape goat for human transgressions that mess up the environment. Blame the feral cat. What is particularly galling and guilt-making is that we created the feral cat through our carelessness and throw away mentality.
The feral cat is but one animal that takes the rap for our misdemeanors with respect to looking after the planet together with the other species of animal that share it with us.
Detractors declare that the feral cat spreads disease and kills millions of native species. These people are blind to their own prejudices, neuroses and weaknesses.
Reason 2
People have preconceived ideas of what they like and what they believe is right. Take food. If it does not fit in with what they like it becomes trash. People do tend to have fixed ideas about all sorts of things and then the mind remains closed to other options and ideas. What does not fit in, is out. Literally thrown out.
Does that remind you of something? Abandoned cats. Relinquished cat to shelters to be euthanised. People do have fixed ideas about fluffy, cute family members that are cats. They don’t want to open their minds to a much more complete knowledge of the cat.
If a person has a fixed and closed notion that the cat is a cute, fluffy creature that decorates the home, they will detest the dirty, scrawny feral cat that is outside the home; the outsider.
The solution is to open the mind and educate the brain.
Photo by Michael Newton
HI Dee, Thank you so much for your kind words. I am glad this site is here and I know there are like-minded folks out there in the world who feel as I do. I don’t think I’m being unreasonable in the situation I’m going through now. I understand some cat colonies can get out of hand/too large (cats -and dogs-had to be removed from the Gallapagos Islands, I agree with the need to remove those cats it was having a major impact on a fragile eco system). But these are two males left over from a “colony” that was never any bigger than 4. No one is eating off the land nearby so these cats are not pooping in someone’s crops, etc. And again, who has a bigger impact on the land than man? This guy drives a monster truck that sounds like it needs a new muffler, who knows what pollutants he’s spewing. PS: while I’m at it, look at the poor beaver! Its treated like a “pest” now because it builds dams indiscriminately. Well guess who builds dams that stops water flow by the billions of gallons, effecting people and wild life eco-systems down stream so someone can have a green golf course or a water park? M-A-N. It just make me sad. Sad and angry. Oh well. I wish I could take these two cats inside but I have 3 cats in a small condo already, I can’t officially adopt any more. Well, you have a nice Labor Day weekend!
Thank you for this post. I needed it today, feeling low, and I agree with your observations, you articulated a lot of what I couldn’t. I know it is an old post but hope my comment will be accepted. “What does not fit in, is out.” I live in narcissistic superficial, trendy Silicon Valley and more and more I feel like the old timer with the old dog in “Of Mice and Men.” Have lived in my condo over 13yrs and no one ever ratted to the HOA that I fed 4 fixed feral cats.(I have helped home so many others, those that could be homed.)Now I am down to 2 old toms and a new “yuppie” type couple moved in diagonally across from me and the guy is all polite and smiles while badgering me to stop feeding these last 2 because “its a public area and they bring fleas and disease.” I moved one cat to another feeding area per his request but hoped if I picked up food and other signs of his existence more carefully after the one on my door step it would be enough of an improvement. No. Another knock on the door. Its not about picking up the food before nightfall or cleaning up the poop. Its the fleas–he insists the fleas are assaulting him every time he leaves his house. A)I doubt it and B) its the OUTDOORS. It has bugs. And if it doesn’t stop “I’ll have to contact HOA”. Said with a smile I’d like to wipe off his face. Meanwhile, he owns a yappy dog that I have never complained about, because I am “live and let live”. But HOA will side with him, I’m nothing but an aging outlaw “catwoman” – trying to survive in an over crowded area with manic values, that is building on every available postage stamp sized lot these days, bull dozers tearing up the earth for profit, adding to congestion for the sake of the almighty $- while trying to offer food to two apparently worthless Toms. This couple is everything I can’t stand about this valley: unforgiving, no heart. If its not young, sanitized, trendy and the latest and you’re not keeping up its “wrong”. That’s how I feel some days and I think feral cats have become a symbol of that, just like the aging dog in “Of Mice and Men.” Shoot it, euthanize it. It doesn’t belong, it serves no purpose, put it out of OUR misery. (A feral cat survives for its own sake, not ours. I think that angers a lot of people who feel they should control everything in their environment. A cat does not exist for them.)And by the same token…if its human, price it out of the valley if it doesn’t fit in and conform. Ironically, trendy ol Silicon Valley has been and still is home to many industries (including military–though I’m not trying to wax political here!) that have done much to destroy the environment locally and abroad. And yes, some of this money-making chaos includes indirectly the promoting of disease and fleas elsewhere! But its so much easier to focus on a poor frumpy old cat and make it the scapegoat isn’t it? Rather than look at our own part in the planets woes. PS: I believe in fixing cats, and I prefer they live indoors these days for the sake of the birds -and they’re own safety, people are cruel- but the ferals are no more dirty and diseased then the rest of nature- nature is sloppy and beautiful and imperfect. Unfortunately this valley is all about money, shopping mauls, clogged dirty highways, smog, and owning the latest piece of manufactured shiny-ness to prove you’re own worthiness in the eyes of your fellow consumers. Those of us barely keeping up, such as little old ladies and cats are looked down on. Very sad. Thank you for your words, I so relate.
Hi Dana. I love your comment. You are like me. That’s for sure. I can empathise with everything you write. What I’d like to do is convert your comment to an article. I think it will do just fine because a lot of people have similar thoughts to yours.
I’ll publish it as an article to day and, of course, you’ll be the named author. Thanks again.
Thank you! Sounds good to me. Thank you for letting me share and express my pain on this issue.
Dana, you comment is amazing. You covered so many areas that I hold dear – and, are truthful. I just loved it.
You have a sound knowledge of ferals. I’m so impressed and look forward to an article done by Michael.
Thank you so much for being here.
Several of the nicest cats I’ve had were former ferals. One of them, Muggsy, was the sweetest cat you’d ever want to meet. He was (according to the vet when I brought him in to be neutered) about six years old. It took quite awhile to get him to trust humans, but, once he did, he was a fantastic companion.
Bumper, the other feral I trapped and neutered and later adopted, started out being extremely aggressive. I needed to wear welding gloves and high rubber boots just to go out to feed him. He, however, decided that he wanted to be an indoor kitty, and wouldn’t take “No” for an answer. I have never seen a cat try so hard to figure out what was required of him to be able to remain as an indoor kitty. Once he figured out that attacking humans and other cats wasn’t acceptable, he, too, became a loving companion.
Right now, I have a new cat, Misha, that begged me to help her when I found her wandering in the parking lot of a local flea market, so starved that I could feel every bone in her body. No, she wasn’t “feral” per se, but, if she had lived long enough on her own (which was probably doubtful) she would have become semi-feral, and all her kittens would have added to the feral population…through no fault of her own.
Ferals do not deserve to be labeled “evil” or “vicious” of any of the other labels people are so prone to pasting on them simply because they refuse to understand that is is people who caused the problem and not the cats.
I agree with everything everyone has already said and I don’t know what more those of us who are facing the truth about the human race destroying the Earth can do, there are not enough of us to change things, we can only try to change as much as we are able to.
I keep on saying the same thing, I’m sorry, but lack of education is the cause and the trouble is that too many people don’t want to be educated, to think for themselves, they prefer to go along their own selfish way because it’s easier.
I can see disaster looming for the creatures on this planet and all because of the selfish, ignorant, ever breeding human race who think they are above the animals they use and abuse.
I agree with your 2 ideas Michael. I think they are certainly about right for many cases. People might also be worried about feral cats hurting their own little fluffy cuddly versions. I know I was worried about Gigi in Canada getting hurt by the feral cats but I didn’t hate the feral cats nor did I consider Gigi a teddy bear – I was just concerned of her getting hurt. – Normal really. Feral cats are a serious consideration to “owners” of indoor/outdoor cats.
Hi Dee. Most cats in Turkey and Cyprus are feral because few people would dream of taking them into their house and taming them. Never-the-less they often learn to trust and appreciate people. I took one of my feral rescues to a WCF show in Germany where the judge was amazed with her gentle nature and even wrote on the report that she is a sweet cat. Several other rescues went to Holland, England, Belgium, Poland where their new owners are very pleased with their good gentle behaviour at shows. . These cats were born in the bushes and I suspect behave a lot better than some inbred pedigree cats. So what’s with this nasty feral cat assumption? It’s true that some are not as nice as others, but some are really nice. Could it be because Mediterranean countries have lots of open-air restaurants where the feral cats learn to trust people on account of the tidbits they get? After all those tidbits make the difference between life and death for them.
I think the Mediterranean feral cats are better described as community cats. They are integrated into human society and therefore somewhat socialised or even completely socialised. I am not sure you can call some of these cats feral cats. They are shared outdoor cats.
Hi Michael. I think the third reason would be they feel offended by the fact that here is an animal that they can’t control. They have their. own tame cat but those feral ones are like a slap in the face for someone who thinks he or she must be able to bend everything to their will, otherwise things will just get out of control.
O.k. Not sleeping now…
You hit it right on the head, Harvey!
It’s really a fear.
As we know, ferals carry no more diseases than humans. I laugh at those people who say that they caught a cold being in cold weather. IDIOT! You caught a cold because another human gave you an influenza
virus.
Ferals have nothing to do with the destruction of this planet.
It makes me mad when we go “half cocked” and spew our opinions of issues that we are unwilling to support.
If we care about cats (ferals included), what are we doing to help? You can’t say that you love cats and not be working for them. Protest at circuses, for heavan’s sake.
If we care about the environment, what are we doing to improve it? Get the damn plastic off this planet!
If we believe that all life has value, why aren’t we picketing outside kill shelters, abortion clinics, and prisons? I have a special disgust for anti-abortionists that turn around and support the death penalty. In my mind, you care about life or you don’t. You ncan’t pick and choose.
Done for now!
Yes, good one Harvey. I am trying look at the reasons that are not obvious and which we are unwilling to address and your third reasons fits that.
I think I’ll sleep om the rant boilimg in me. I need some quiet time with my babies and, then, to sleep. 2AM comes early. G’night!