The term "feral" brings to mind images of wild beasts on the hunt, so let me clear it up when it comes to urban settings. The word "feral" in this case only means that these are animals that have never been in a domestic situation and are usually very wary of humans. Some cats are friendlier than others, meaning that they will get close to you if you have food, and sometimes will let you pet them once they've gotten to know you. For six examples, check out these pics of the Cotton Mill Apartments Colony, a.k.a. "my" courtyard kitties.
Adopting a feral cat is not the "bring 'em home, leave 'em be" kind of thing that it is with domesticated cats that have been dropped off at a shelter or abandoned on the street (think Tarzan movies), but it can be very worthwhile. Check the (hopefully) upcoming section for information on taking in a feral cat.
If you don't feel up to that challenge and just want to know how to spot a feral cat, care for them, or help reduce the growing population, read on here . . . .
"Feral cats are the offspring of unneutered pets that have been abandoned, or neglected pets that are allowed to breed. They can be found eating out of dumpsters behind restaurants, at apartment complexes, in industrial parks, in urban areas, in residential neighborhoods, and on farms.
"Traditional options for dealing with strays are limited. The most common way we deal with this problem is leaving the cats alone to breed at alarming rates. A pair of breeding cats can produce over 120,000 more offspring in just seven years. ... The second solution for controlling feral cats is extermination. Cats are trapped and killed. Although this appears to be a solution, it really isn't. When the cats are removed, new animals move into the area to take advantage of the existing food sources. The new cats breed up to capacity for the area, and the problem starts all over again.
"This brings us to the humane management of feral cat colonies and the method our program promotes: Cats are humanely trapped, tested for disease, vaccinated, sterilized, ear-tipped for identification purposes, and released back into their habitat."
-- from the SpayMart Organization flyer (NOLA)