Difference between a stray cat and a feral cat
What’s the Difference Between a Stray Cat and a Feral Cat?
Cats have spread widely across the world since they were domesticated thousands of years ago. Because of their role as pest controllers, cats were used to hunt rats and other small animals both on land and at sea. Cats aboard ships helped expand their population. Besides working, cats have also been kept as pets all around the world.
But what happens to cats that are neither kept as pets nor used for work? Domestic cats that are not owned by humans are referred to in English as “stray cats.” Unlike outdoor cats (pets that are allowed to roam outside), stray cats are defined as cats that were once owned or cared for by humans but then got lost, escaped, or were abandoned on the streets. Generally, strays are still friendly toward or at least tolerant of humans, often associating people with food and shelter. However, stray cats must survive on their own by finding food from human garbage and other sources.
Because they have been accustomed to human contact, strays that are receptive to people can usually be adopted and live as pets again. If a stray cat has kittens, those kittens may be considered “stray kittens.” These unowned kittens can be adopted if they receive proper socialization with humans. Socialization is the key factor that distinguishes a stray cat from a feral cat. A cat that is comfortable with and enjoys human contact is said to be “socialized.” A stray cat is a street cat that is used to humans, whereas a feral cat is one that is not.
If stray kittens don’t receive human socialization, they may grow up to become feral cats. Feral cats tend to exhibit behaviors such as avoiding or being aggressive toward humans, staying silent but growling or hissing, and showing no signs of socialization. Whether or not a kitten becomes feral depends on its age and exposure to people. Feral kittens over 4 months old are considered difficult to socialize and are generally hard to adopt—especially if their mother is also feral.
One thing that distinguishes stray cats from feral ones is meowing. Cats that are used to people learn that meowing is a way to communicate with humans. However, cats generally don’t meow to each other. As a result, feral cats don’t “learn” to meow as they grow older. Instead, they rely on body language, growls, or hisses when interacting with humans.
| Stray Cat | Feral Cat |
|---|---|
| Domestic cat | Domestic cat |
| History Former pet | Never lived with humans |
| Human contact : Accustomed to humans | Not used to human contact |
| Communication : Meows | Doesn’t meow |
That’s the difference between stray and feral cats. In general, other domesticated animals can also be categorized as stray or feral based on their level of socialization with humans, but this article focuses on cats.
References:
https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/zoology/item/how-did-cats-become-domesticated/
https://www.alleycat.org/resources/feral-and-stray-cats-an-important-difference/
