Baby, it’s cold outside…
It’s getting to the time of year again that if you see a cat outside too regularly, you start to wonder if they have access to a home. While in an ideal world, every cats comfort zone would be an indoor environment, it’s sadly not the case. And trying to coerce some cats to adapt can do more harm than good. International Cat Care have presented studies on the psychological aspect of ferals with regards to human interaction. You can read it by following this link:
Even if a cat isn’t a cuddly indoor lap cat, there are still ways to help make them safer and warmer over the colder months which I’ve covered in previous blogs.
Less intact cats free roaming would likely result in less feral colonies. And obviously, the best way to tackle the possibility of attempted domestication causing psychological trauma, is to address the issue at the source. Neutering is definitely likely to reduce the number of large groups of cats struggling the way there are at present.
There will obviously still be some cats that are genetically predisposed to be less tolerant of human interaction.
If you are aware of a feral colony close to you, and you’re concerned, there are several independent organisations throughout the UK dedicated to helping them. A quick internet search is likely to bring up any rescues near you that you can contact for assistance. Ferals may not like human contact, but it certainly doesn’t mean they can’t benefit from our help.
(Photo source: Google images.)