what is the difference between wild, feral, and stray animals?

Answer 1

A wild animal is typically one who is born out in the wild and remains wild. Never has been domesticated, never will.
A feral animal is typically one who used to be domesticated, and since it has been freed back into the wild, has reverted back to it's wild, instinctual behavior.
A stray animal is typically one who has been freed into the wild (willingly or unwillingly), but still acts like a domesticated animal, albeit, a frightened one.

Answer 2

Wild animals are those of an undomesticated species. They're unpredictable and rarely make good pets. Sometimes they are sold as "exotic" pets but they are harder to take care of than domestic pets.

Feral animals are domestic animals that have adjusted to life in the wild. They may have been abandoned or runaways. Some are actually born in the wild. Usually they're fearful of people and behave very much like wild animals. The only thing that makes them "feral" instead of "wild" is that they are domesticated animals, like cats and dogs.

Strays are abandoned or runaway domestic animals that got away from home, but still act like domestic animals. People can approach and handle them eventually, even if the animal is scared.

Answer 3

Feral in cats is technically born in the wild and never handled by humans.

Stray is born in a domestic environment then lost/got away/kicked out to live away from humans - these are the ones that will usually approach people.

Wild--technically that doesn't apply to any 'domestic' species, just wild animals.

You can have a stray (formerly owned) who has a litter of kittens outdoors, and the kittens will be classified as feral. Bring one of them indoors, tame it if you can (it's harder the older the cat is), and you've got a 'former feral' who can easily revert back to feral. Breed that cat in a home environment, and the kittens are domestic/tame. Get one lost outside, that one is a stray.

Answer 4

Generally speaking, wild animals are those that have never been domesticated. Feral animals are domesticated animals that live in a wild state ('wild' horses are technically feral). Stray animals are domesticated animals that have been purposely or accidently put out of their home.

Answer 5

Wild animals are non-domesticated creatures. Feral are domestic animals that have escaped and bred in the wild. Strays are how ferals come about. They escape and if they survive and are intact, they breed with others.

Poor strays...

Answer 6

wild is basic wild animals that you dont see as pets (usually)
feral..term basically just used for stray cats, some may have been just off spring of house or barn cats that were never handled a lot when they were young so they reley on themselves to get food and water..they will accept hand outs though..
stray...used for pets not wanted any more and let loose, pets who ran away or got lost, or just born from a stray parent that never had humans in their life ..again like feral cats..but i only heard feral used for cats....so feral and stray are the same!

Answer 7

um, i think that stray is an animal that has lived with humans but got lost or escaped, a feral is a domesticated animal that has been living on the streets all their life, usually their parents are strays or other feral animals. and a wild animal is one that has never been domesticated

stray=lost dog
feral=lost dog's child
wild=wolf

i think

Answer 8

wild and feral are pretty much the same, it means the animal has grown without human help, e.g in a forest. like a bird or badger.
and stary just means that the animal had an owner, just that it no longer lives with them and lives on the streets, for instance a lost cat.

Answer 9

Wild means that the animal hasn't, probably never been tamed... ex: badger, wolf, tiger

Feral means that it was once tamed and gone wild... ex: a wild cat or dog

Stray means that it is an animal that was either never tamed, or they ran away/got lost but is still kind of domesticated... ex: a cat or dog

Answer 10

wild is an animal that has never been domesticated, such as a coyote
feral is an animals that is a domesticated breed, such as a cat or dog, that has never been in a social situation with humans
stray is an animal that is domesticated, such as a dog or cat, that has been socialized to be with humans but has found itself homeless, generally due to the ignorance of some human