Covering Everything You Need To Know About Feral Cats And The Holiday That Raises Awareness About Them
While there are plenty of pet-themed holidays that occur in October, one of the most important is National Feral Cat Day. National Feral Cat Day is observed annually on October 16th. This article will discuss National Feral Cat Day, what it means to be a feral cat, the struggles they face, and how you can help them.
What Is A Feral Cat?
According to Alley Cat Allies, there is a clear distinction between feral cats and stray cats. While both are the same species (domestic cats) the biggest difference between them is their social skills. Stray cats are socialized, meaning they are accustomed to and enjoy interacting with people. Feral cats on the other hand are not socialized with people and don’t fully understand how to interact with people.
A feral cat can be defined as an outdoor cat that is unsocialized with people. They are often fearful of people, do not like to be touched, and would not enjoy being kept indoors. Most feral cats are born & raised outdoors and do not have positive relations with people. While most feral kittens (less than 4 months old) can be socialized, most adult feral cats can not be socialized.
A Holiday About Feral Cats
National Feral Cat Day was founded by the Alley Cat Allies in 2001. The aim of National Feral Cat Day is to raise awareness about feral cat colonies and how to care for/prevent them. Feral cats didn’t end up feral by choice and they are still deserving of a good life regardless. While feral cats usually can’t be socialized and adopted, they can be helped in different ways.
How You Can Help Feral Cats
Alley Cat Allies does everything they can to help feral cats live a better life. One such way is through their Trap-Neuter-Return programs. This involves trapping feral cats, bringing them to local volunteer veterinarians, having them neutered or spayed, and releasing them back into the wild. This gives feral cats the opportunity to live their best lives on the streets, but not produce more kittens which then creates more feral cats.
Besides trap-neuter-return programs, you can also help feral cats by spreading the word about them! A simple post on social media about National Feral Cat Day can help educate people about the struggles that feral cats face and raise awareness on how to help them. Be sure to share this article too! For more information about feral cats and how to help them, click here or check out the Community Cats Podcast by clicking here.
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