Feral cat

A feral cat is an unowned and untamed domestic cat. Feral cats are born in the wild or may be abandoned or lost pets that have reverted to a wild state. They should not be confused with the wildcat which are a separate species from the domestic cat. A stray cat (or alley cat), though unowned, still exhibits temperament similar to that of a pet.[1] Strictly defined, feral cats live without direct human contact, although in popular usage, these terms are sometimes used interchangeably.

Feral cats may live alone but are usually found in large groups called feral colonies. The average life span of a feral cat that survives beyond kittenhood is about two years for individual cats and five years for cats in a managed colony.[2] An indoor domestic housecat lives an average of 12 to 16 years.

Cats are extremely adaptable, and feral felines have been found in conditions of extreme cold and heat.

The environmental impact of feral and free-ranging cats is a subject of debate. Part of this stems from humane concern for the cats, and part stems from concerns about cat predation on endangered species. The domestic cat was distributed throughout the world by human travelers and is not native to many parts of the world. The amount of ecological damage done by cats depends on local conditions, with the most severe effect occurring to island ecologies. Environmental concerns may be minimal in places such as the UK where cats are an established species and few to none of the local prey species are endangered. In Australia, New Zealand and parts of North America they are considered pests due to their threat to endangered species.