Feral Cats Info!!!?

Question

how do feral cats:
~obtain shelter
~obtain food
~avoid danger
~care for its young
~find a mate???

Answer 1

They live where they can find a place that is dry, and sheltered from the elements. They are good at finding openings in foundations, abandoned houses, space under porches, garage doors they can squeeze under.

They hunt, preferably rodents or rabbits, birds if necessary, but the feathers are a problem. They will eat some insects and garbage cans hold treasures. There are some kind people who put out food.

Only the smart survive. The mother's teach them to fear humans, dogs (big - run; small - try to intimidate first), they have a wonderful sense of hearing and even "hear" through vibrations in their whiskers. The careless run under cars, the cautious dodge cars and live on. Some ferals have smelled poison on the snout of a fellow citizen who has died, and will eat nothing, from that day forward, that smells like that. The one's who survive are highly intelligent and creative.

A pregnant female will nest with another female of the colony. They will find the most secure, out of the way, cleanest spot they can and that is where the kittens will be born. Sometimes feral cats will keep their kittens together and take turns nursing and caring for the kittens while the other goes out to hunt, bathroom, break time. Females tend to stay with other female relatives and young male relatives. Unrelated male cats will kill kittens that aren't his, so that the female will go into heat sooner. The colony is usually very protective of their babies. When the kittens are old enough to eat solid food, the mothers will go out to eat and then come back and regurgitate for the kittens to eat. As the kittens get older, they will bring live prey back to the nest, so the kittens can get the smell of what they are to hunt, and learn how to kill. Sounds mean, but it is the only way to survive. If there are accessible food sources, when the kittens are old enough, the mother will escort them to the place where they can find food, like dumpsters, garbage cans, places where people put out food. In this way, the kittens learn what to eat, how to get something to eat, and where to find that something.

A male feral will have a territory that he marks with his spray. A female in heat gives off an odor. She will not mate with anyone who is available. Females instinctively know that their kittens have to be smart to survive. She will sniff a male to see if he has eaten meat lately. She knows that the kittens will inherit their father's personality, so she looks for the smartest, toughest survivor she can find. If there isn't an adequate food supply available, a female feral will refuse to mate, even though being in heat makes her very uncomfortable and in need of mating. The courtship is elaborate and it sometimes takes days of gentle prodding and tender romancing, before she allows breeding. It also gives her a chance to test the determination of the male. Determination is often the difference between death and survival in the wild.

All in all, even though they are difficult for humans to befriend, you have to have the greatest respect for them. They have strong family ties, are devoted to the welfare of the young in their colony, and don't breed indiscriminantly. Our indoor lap cats bring some of their majesty indoors for us to admire at close range.

Can you tell I LOVE cats?

Answer 2

Feral cats live in colonies in an area that usually has some sort of shelter available. Food comes when it comes - whether it is prey, mice, birds, squirrels or comes from some kind person who has "adopted" the colony and takes them food regularly. Avoiding danger - again, like any cat that is outside - climbing trees, running, claws. As for taking care of their young - it's instinctual. And, finding a mate - there are usually plenty of mates in the colony which is why the colonies grow.
If you're interested in more information about feral cats ----
www.alleycatallies.com
It's an organization that teaches individuals and groups about the benefit of developing a "trap, neuter, return" program. Which is when cats in established colonies are humanely trapped, taken to a participating vet who examines, vaccinates and neuters the cats, after recovery, they are returned to their colony. Established colonies keep new cats from populating the area, and since the colony members have all been neutered, the colony will slowly - through member deaths - disappear.
It's an awesome organization!!
Hope this helps...........

Answer 3

They will look for somewhere that is safe. Under a house or in a shed or under pieces of wood, anywhere that will give them shelter from the weather and other predators. They get their food from people who leave out food for other cats like their own, or hunt..that's their natural instinct. They avoid danger just like any other animal in the wild..instinct, though sometimes the cars do get them. They care for their young by nursing and moving the kittens to different areas if they feel threatened. They find a mate with the help of mother nature.

Answer 4

I've been pretty involved in capturing ferals in different neighborhoods to spay/neuter and release them again.

Some how they find a way to take care of these needs but they don't always do it successfully. If you notice most ferals who have not been fixed look pretty bad. They are skinny, scarred and skiddish. There is a higher incidence of sickness, disease and death.

Shelter - they'll find any nook to hide in to keep dry, warm in the cold or climb a tree to stay safe from dogs attacking them.

Food - they eat garbage, snakes, lizards, fish, people set food out for them in communities

Danger - they learn to watch out for cars, dogs, people. Watch a feral cross a road. They're pretty smart

Care for their young - thats a natural instinct

Mating - when they come into heat the female doesn't need to find a mate -- the males are usually fighting each other to get to her

I'm a member of The Cat Network in Miami, Florida and as a member I buy a $25.00 certificate that covers the cost of spay/neuter and rabies shots with a number of vetrinarians in the area.

Take a look at their site for more information on this subject. If you are interested in doing something in your area look on the internet or contact them, maybe they can help.
http://www.catnetwork.org

Hope this helps

Answer 5

I know this might sound mean, but the best thing to do is stop taking care of them. Healthy, feral cats & dogs = More feral cats & dogs. It was their decision to go out on their own and they're going to keep it that way. Also, feral animals are a threat to the native habitat by challenging and killing the native animals. But if you want to keep on doing what you're doing, then don't let me stop you. Neutering and spaying them is the most important thing though.

Answer 6

Well the cats in my neighborhood live in an abandoned building, they eat the rats in my dumpster or I put a can of food out here and there for them, they move so fast sometimes they really look like a blur, they do lose some of their kittens to lack of food/water but other wild animals do to, and they find mates by scent. But since I'm trapping them and getting them spayed and neutered soon they won't have to worry about the reproduction things anymore :)

Answer 7

shelter-under cars, in garages, barns, pipes, construction sites, bushes, etc.
food-kill mice, birds, rats and eat food left out for peoples pets
avoid danger-they don't always...many get hit by cars, die of disease, are poisoned, etc.
care for young- instinctually know how to nurse them and care for them (most of the time)
find a mate- females go into heat and release pheramones to attract males.

Answer 8

Instinct