Because feral cats are accustomed to the wild, they are often overlooked as a prime choice for a house cat. However, with proper precautions and lots of patience, feral cats can become part of your family. Elaine Hughes shares how to help your feral friend make this transition.
Feral or wild cats are a huge animal-control problem. Often regarded as a public nuisance, animal-control agencies frequently capture and euthanize these free-roaming animals. However, most are never successfully captured doomed to die young of disease, accidents, or bait for illegal dogfighting. Herds of feral cats also contribute to the growing spread of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV).
For many years, cat fanciers regarded these unfortunate animals as unadoptable, and recommended their humane capture and euthanasia. But now, a growing number of organizations can help cat lovers tame and adopt these animals into loving homes. And for truly unadoptable feral cats, these same organizations can help humanely contain and support feral populations while preventing the spread of disease.
**For the full article, pick up the August issue of CAT FANCY.**