Feral Cats

Don't Cage Me In!

Eastwood's narrow eyes tell the story of what should never be done with a feral cat.

Once upon a time, she lived in the "wilds" of Dallas, Texas. Her caregiver moved and brought Eastwood along with her.

Why was that a mistake?

"Relocation of ferals is very hard," says Best Friends' Faith Maloney, "since they instinctively want to go back to their home territory. Just to let a cat go into the wild without some habituation is a bad idea. They would not know the locale, food sources, etc."

In the country now, and fearing coyotes, Eastwood's guardian worried about releasing her outside. That was the second mistake.

"Ferals do not like to be confined," says Faith. Feral cats are wild animals, and being caged is a frustrating, depressing, and traumatizing experience for them.

So a local group, Feral Friends of Dallas, stepped in and rescued Eastwood from her cage. They tried, but could not make her adoptable.

This is fairly usual. "A feral cat does not receive early socialization to humans as a young kitten," Faith says. "Therefore we are not considered part of their family. Ferals rarely warm up to humans. Some people will say they can tame them, but after the socialization window has closed at around 16 weeks, their view of the world is formed, and we are usually not welcome in it."

What to do with Eastwood? No one knew where her original colony was anymore; she couldn't be released somewhere unfamiliar; and clearly, she would never be a pet. The solution was to bring her to the Best Friends WildCats Village.

As Faith points out, feral cats are wild, and should be left in the wild whenever possible. But in a case like Eastwood's, where going home isn't an option, a place like WildCats Village is far better than being killed. "Ferals do not like to be confined, even in our large indoor/outdoor catteries. However, we do provide enough hideout space for them to feel safe, while they adjust to their new environment."

Eastwood is indeed hiding - way up high in the rafters at WildCats Village. She has open space, and is well-fed and safe from harm. Over time, she'll adjust. But today, her angry eyes tell the story of a wild animal who should not have been moved in the first place.

Forgiveness will come slowly... but it will come.

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