Jump to content

Feral cat: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Birhanb (talk | contribs)
41 edits
mNo edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2013}}
⚫
[[File:Feral cat.jpg|thumb|right|A feral cat showing defensive behavior]]
A '''feral cat''' is a [[domestic cat]] that has returned to the wild. It is distinguished from a stray cat, which is a pet cat that has been lost or [[Abandoned pets|abandoned]], while feral cats are born in the wild. The offspring of a stray cat can be considered feral if born in the wild.<ref name="Wild">{{cite web|url=http://www.banderasnews.com/0706/nb-saveacat.htm|title=Wild Things? An Introduction To Feral Cats|author=Holton, Louise|date=June 2007|publisher=Bandaras News|accessdate=21 November 2010}}</ref>
A '''feral cat''' is a [[domestic cat]] that has returned to the wild. It is distinguished from a stray cat, which is a pet cat that has been lost or [[Abandoned pets|abandoned]], while feral cats are born in the wild. The offspring of a stray cat can be considered feral if born in the wild.<ref name="Wild">{{cite web|url=http://www.banderasnews.com/0706/nb-saveacat.htm|title=Wild Things? An Introduction To Feral Cats|author=Holton, Louise|date=June 2007|publisher=Bandaras News|accessdate=21 November 2010}}</ref>


Line 7: Line 8:


==Behavior of feral cats==
==Behavior of feral cats==
[[File:Transformation of a stray kitten in 3 weeks after adoption.jpg|thumb|left|Transformation of a stray kitten in 3 weeks after adoption]]

===Feral versus stray===
===Feral versus stray===

⚫
[[File:Feral cat.jpg|thumb|right|A feral cat showing defensive behavior]]


The term "feral" is sometimes used to refer to an animal that does not appear friendly when approached by humans, but the term can apply to any [[domesticated]] animal without human contact.<ref name="Wild"/> Hissing and growling are self-defense behaviors, which, over time, may change as the animal (whether "feral" or "stray") begins to trust humans that provide food, water, and care.<ref name="taming">{{cite web | url=http://www.feralcat.com/taming.html | title = Taming Feral Kittens | author = Feral Cat Coalition / Ray Savage |date=November 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://cats.about.com/od/behaviortraining/qt/catbehavior101.htm |title=Cat Behavior 101 – Everything you Need to Know About Cat Behavior |publisher=Cats.about.com |date=19 November 2011 |accessdate=10 December 2011}}</ref>
The term "feral" is sometimes used to refer to an animal that does not appear friendly when approached by humans, but the term can apply to any [[domesticated]] animal without human contact.<ref name="Wild"/> Hissing and growling are self-defense behaviors, which, over time, may change as the animal (whether "feral" or "stray") begins to trust humans that provide food, water, and care.<ref name="taming">{{cite web | url=http://www.feralcat.com/taming.html | title = Taming Feral Kittens | author = Feral Cat Coalition / Ray Savage |date=November 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://cats.about.com/od/behaviortraining/qt/catbehavior101.htm |title=Cat Behavior 101 – Everything you Need to Know About Cat Behavior |publisher=Cats.about.com |date=19 November 2011 |accessdate=10 December 2011}}</ref>

Revision as of 12:50, 15 May 2013

A feral cat showing defensive behavior

A feral cat is a domestic cat that has returned to the wild. It is distinguished from a stray cat, which is a pet cat that has been lost or abandoned, while feral cats are born in the wild. The offspring of a stray cat can be considered feral if born in the wild.[1]

In many parts of the world, feral cats are descendants of domestic cats that were left behind by travelers. Cats introduced into areas in which they are not indigenous often cause harm to local environments by preying on local species. This is especially true on islands where feral cats have sometimes had a substantial and deleterious effect on the local fauna.[2]

Cats have been blamed for the global extinction of 33 species.[3]

Behavior of feral cats

Transformation of a stray kitten in 3 weeks after adoption

Feral versus stray

The term "feral" is sometimes used to refer to an animal that does not appear friendly when approached by humans, but the term can apply to any domesticated animal without human contact.[1] Hissing and growling are self-defense behaviors, which, over time, may change as the animal (whether "feral" or "stray") begins to trust humans that provide food, water, and care.[4][5]

Feral cats that are born and living outdoors, without any human contact or care, have been shown to be adoptable and can be tamed by humans, provided they are removed from a wild environment before truly feral behaviors are established. Such behaviors are established while it is still a kitten being raised by its mother.[4][6]

Life span and survival

The lifespan of feral cats is hard to determine accurately, although one study reported a median age of 4.7 years, with a range between 0 and 8.3 years,[7] while another paper referenced a mean life span of 2–8 years.[8] By contrast, in captivity, an average life expectancy for male indoor cats at birth is 12 to 14 years,[9] with females usually living a year or two longer.

History

During the Age of Discovery, ships released rabbits onto islands to provide a future food source for other travelers. They eventually multiplied out of control and cats were introduced to keep their numbers, and that of mice and rats, down. The cats tended to favor local species as they were ecologically naive and easier to hunt. Their numbers, too, increased dramatically and soon they colonised many areas and were seen as pests. Cats were introduced to Tasmania in 1804 and had become feral by the 1840s. Feral cats were reported on mainland Australia around Sydney in 1820.[10] It has been suggested that feral cats could have been introduced accidentally to the north-western coast in the 17th century from the wrecks of Dutch ships; alternatively, they could have arrived earlier, possibly around the fifteenth century, via mariners from Indonesia.[11]

Diet and predators

Domestic and feral cats have generally been found to eat a very broad range of vertebrate and invertebrate prey. Preferred prey usually are small mammals, birds and lizards, especially those with body weights under 100g. Feral cats in Australia prey on a variety of wildlife. In arid and semi-arid environments they eat mostly introduced European rabbits and house mice. In arid environments where rabbits do not occur, native rodents are taken. In forests and urbanised areas, they eat mostly native marsupial, birds and reptiles.[11] On Macaronesian islands, cats prey mainly on introduced mammals but also on birds and reptiles.[12]

Feral cats may be apex predators in some local ecosystems. In others, they may be preyed on by feral dogs, dingoes, coyotes, wolves, bears, cougars, leopards, bobcats, lynx, hyenas, fishers, crocodilians, snakes, foxes and birds of prey.[citation needed]

Effects on wildlife

Feral cats can be effective hunters of small animals

A recent study by the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute suggests that cats are the top threat to US wildlife as they were found to be responsible for the deaths of up to 3.7 billion birds and 20.7 billion mammals annually, with feral and stray cats being the worst offenders.[3] These figures were much higher than previous studies suggested as they found cats had killed more than four times the amount of birds as had been previously estimated. In the US, the American Robin along with shrews, voles, mice, squirrels and rabbits were most at risk from cat predation.[3]

The impact of domestic cats on wildlife is a century-old debate between passionate cat lovers and those of conservation and scientific beliefs. In a 1916 report for the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture titled The Domestic Cat: Bird Killer, Mouser and Destroyer of Wildlife, noted ornithologist Edward Howe Forbush stated in the preface:

Questions regarding the value or inutility of the domestic cat, and problems connected with limiting its more or less unwelcome outdoor activities, are causing much dissension. The discussion has reached an acute stage. Medical men, game protectors and bird lovers call on legislators to enact restrictive laws. Then ardent cat lovers rouse themselves for combat. In the excitement of partisanship many loose and ill-considered statements are made.[13]

The report cited Extinct Birds, published in 1905 by zoologist Walter Rothschild, who stated, "man and his satellites, cats, rats, dogs, and pigs are the worst and in fact the only important agents of destruction of the native avifaunas wherever they go."[14] Rothschild gave several examples of cats causing the extermination of some bird species on islands.

Some farmers and gamekeepers see feral cats as vermin. Feral cats catch and eat ground nesting birds such as pheasants and partridge. To protect their birds, some gamekeepers set traps and shoot feral cats as part of pest control.[citation needed].

Cats are the sole threat to some bird species, such as Townsend's Shearwater, Socorro Dove, and the Marquesan Ground Dove,[15] or the cause of outright extinction in other cases, notably the Stephens Island Wren.

Australia

File:Feral cat and Major Mitchell Cockatoo.JPG
Feral cat with an Australian Major Mitchell's Cockatoo
See also: Cats in Australia

Feral cats in Australia have been linked to the decline and extinction of various native animals. They have been shown to cause a significant impact on ground nesting birds and small native mammals.[11] Feral cats have also hampered any attempts to re-introduce threatened species back into areas where they have become extinct as the cats have simply hunted and killed the newly released animals.[16] Numerous Australian environmentalists claim the feral cat has been an ecological disaster in Australia, inhabiting most ecosystems except dense rainforest, and being implicated in the extinction of several marsupial and placental mammal species.[17]

New Zealand

See also: Cats in New Zealand

The fauna of New Zealand has evolved in isolation for millions of years without the presence of mammals (apart from a few bat species). Consequently, birds dominated the niches occupied by mammals and many became flightless. The introduction of mammals after settlement by Māori from about the 12th century had a huge effect on the indigenous biodiversity. European explorers and settlers brought cats on their ships and the presence of feral cats were recorded from the latter decades of the 19th century.[18] It is estimated that feral cats have been responsible for the extinction of six endemic bird species and over 70 localised subspecies as well as depleting bird and lizard species.[19]

Islands

Consequences of introduction

The Stephens Island Wren became extinct within two years of the introduction of cats to Stephens Island

Many islands host ecologically naive animal species; that is, animals that do not have predator responses for dealing with predators such as cats.[20] Feral cats introduced to such islands have had a devastating impact on these islands' biodiversity. They have been implicated in the extinction of several species and local extinctions, such as the hutias from the Caribbean, the Guadalupe Storm Petrel from Pacific Mexico, the Stephens Island wren; in a statistical study, they were a significant cause for the extinction of 40% of the species studied.[21] Moors and Atkinson wrote, in 1984, "No other alien predator has had such a universally damaging effect."[20]

Feral cats, along with rabbits, some sea birds, and sheep, form the entire large animal population of the remote Kerguelen Islands in the southern Indian Ocean. Although exotic mammals form the bulk of the diet, cat's impact on seabirds is very important.[22]

Restoration

Because of the damage cats cause in islands and some ecosystems, many conservationists working in the field of island restoration have worked to remove feral cats. (Island restoration involves the removal of introduced species and reintroducing native species). As of 2004, 48 islands have had their feral cat populations removed, including New Zealand's network of offshore island bird reserves,[23] and Australia's Macquarie Island. Larger projects have also been undertaken, including their complete removal from Ascension Island. The cats, introduced in the 19th century, caused a collapse in populations of nesting seabirds. The project to remove them from the island began in 2002, and the island was cleared of cats by 2004. Since then, seven species of seabird that had not nested on the island for 100 years have returned.[24]

In some cases, the removal of cats had unintended consequences. An example is Macquarie Island (off the coast of Tasmania), where the removal of cats caused an explosion in the number of rabbits, rats, and mice that harm native seabirds.[25][26][27] The removal of the rats and rabbits was scheduled for 2007 and it could take up to seven years and cost $24 million.[28]

Hybridisation with wild felids

Feral cats have interbred with wildcats to various extents throughout the world, the first reported case occurring more than 200 years ago. The significance of hybridisation is disputed. Some old books suggested that the wildcat was a separate species to the domestic cat but modern genetic analysis[29] has shown that the domestic cat is a domesticated version of the near eastern wildcat (Felis sylvestra lybica), which is itself of the same species as the European Wildcat (felis sylvestris sylvestris). In some locations, high levels of hybridisation has led to difficulties in distinguishing a "true" wildcat from feral domestic and domestic hybrid cats, which can complicate conservation efforts.[30] Some researchers argue that "pure" wildcats do not exist anymore, but this is disputed by others.[31] One study in Scotland suggests that while "true" Scottish wildcats are unlikely to exist, the current wildcat population is distinct enough from domestic cats to be worth protecting.[32] For a discussion of this issue see The Encyclopedia of Mammals, OUP, pages 656–657.[33]

Zoonotic risk

There is concern about the role of feral cat colonies, wild dog, and other native mammals, as a vector of diseases, particularly toxoplasmosis, giardiasis (esp. from beavers), rabies (e.g. raccoons), Campylobacter, Parvovirus and other diseases and parasites that can infect both humans and animals. Felids such as cougars and cats, the mammals they feed on, and undercooked meat and chicken are a source of Toxoplasma gondii, which causes toxoplasmosis.[34]

Colonies

Population

A feral cat colony (or "clowder") is a population of feral cats. The term is used primarily when a noticeable population of feral cats live together in a specific location and use a common food source. The term is not typically applied to solitary cats passing through an area. A clowder can range from 3–25 cats.[7] Their locations vary, some hiding in alleyways or in large parks.

Members consist of adult females, their young, and some adult males. Unneutered males in a clowder fight each other for territory and for females. Some will be driven out to find another place to live.

Feral cats who have been trapped in many warm areas where fleas exist are usually found to have a large number of fleas, causing them to be anemic. Both the fleas, and the food source, if limited to garbage and rodents, cause the cats to have intestinal microorganisms (such as coccidia or giardia) and other parasites (commonly known as roundworms, tapeworms, and hookworms), which lead to diarrhea and subsequent dehydration. They also can have ear mites, ringworm, and upper respiratory infections. Others are wounded in mating-fights and die from the infected wounds. Still others eventually contract feline immunodeficiency virus or feline leukemia due to the constant transmission of blood and bodily fluids via fighting and sexual activity.

While all of these illnesses are quite treatable, human intervention is necessary to stop these illnesses from becoming fatal.

Control and management

See also: Animal population control
A clowder of feral cats

In Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), volunteers trap feral cats, sterilize them through spaying or neutering, and then release them, though some keep kittens or cats which are more tame. Variations of the program include testing and inoculation against rabies and other viruses and sometimes long-lasting flea treatments.[35] TNR programs are only now being introduced in some urban and suburban areas, such as Adelaide. More recently, such programs have been introduced in Sydney by the "World League for Protection of Animals". While various long-term studies have shown TNR is effective in stopping the breeding of cats in the wild and reducing the population over time,[36][37][38] opponents of TNR frequently cite a study by Castillo (2003)[39] as evidence TNR does not work.[40] Many humane societies and animal rescue groups of varying sizes throughout the United States have some type of TNR program.[41][42][43] The practice is endorsed by the Humane Society of the United States and the National Animal Control Association.[44][45] While the United States Department of Defense does not formally advocate TNR, it does provide information to military installations on how to implement TNR programs.[46] The main message from the department is that population control programs must be humane.[47]

Eradication methods include shooting, trapping, poison baiting and biological controls. For example on Marion Island cats were infected with the feline panleukopenia virus, which drastically reduced their population within six years.[48] The remaining cats were killed by shooting, trapping and poisoning.[49]

Feral cats can also be controlled by larger native predators like coyotes, dingoes, or foxes because many cats are too small to defend themselves against larger predators.[citation needed]

The multiple, managed, feral colonies at the Colosseum in Rome exceed 250 cats. Other notable colonies include the Canadian Parliamentary Cats, and the cats of Jerusalem[50]

Ascension Island

Ascension island was the third largest island, and one of two islands with a human population, on which feral cats had been successfully eradicated. This took two years to accomplish. Cat eradication took 14 years on Marion Island and the 25 years on Macquarie Island.[49]

The programme on Ascension island made use of live-trapping and poisoned bait – raw fish chunks injected with 2 mg of sodium monofluoroacetate, a poison which has no effect on the island's only large native animal, the land crab. Live trapping replaced poison within 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) of settlements to avoid taking domestic cats – the island's population of 168 domestic cats had been previously microchipped, neutered and given reflective cat collars. Domestic cats caught in the traps were returned to their owners; land crabs and birds were released; feral cats and rats were euthanized.[49]

The programme was in three phases. A "knock–down" phase (Feb 2002 – Oct 2002) killed the majority of feral cats. During the "mop–up" phase (Oct 2002 – Jan 2004) individual survivors were tracked down and captured using traps, as some of these showed avoidance of poison bait. Finally, a "confirmation phase (Jan 2004 – Jan 2006) was a monitoring programme intended to confirm there were no survivors. The programme was entirely successful in eradicating feral cats – around 488 cats were poisoned, 73 trapped, two were shot and four captured by hand. However, around 38% of the island's domestic cats disappeared during the programme, indicating they had wandered beyond the 1 km buffer zone and had taken poisoned bait.[49]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Holton, Louise (June 2007). "Wild Things? An Introduction To Feral Cats". Bandaras News. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  2. ^ "Feral and unwanted cats" (PDF). gw.govt.nz. August 2006.
  3. ^ a b c Morelle, Rebecca (29 January 2013). "Cats killing billions of animals in the US". BBC News. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  4. ^ a b Feral Cat Coalition / Ray Savage (November 2009). "Taming Feral Kittens".
  5. ^ "Cat Behavior 101 – Everything you Need to Know About Cat Behavior". Cats.about.com. 19 November 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  6. ^ "How to Turn a Stray Cat Into a Pet – Page 1". Petplace.com. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  7. ^ a b Levy JK, Gale DW, Gale LA, JK (2003). "Evaluation of the effect of a long-term trap-neuter-return and adoption program on a free-roaming cat population" (PDF). J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 222 (1): 42–6. doi:10.2460/javma.2003.222.42. PMID 12523478. {{cite journal}}: |first2= missing |last2= (help); |first3= missing |last3= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 16342526, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid= 16342526 instead.
  9. ^ E. J. Taylor, C. Adams & R. Neville (1995). "Some nutritional aspects of ageing in dogs and cats". Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 54 (3): 645–656. doi:10.1079/PNS19950064. PMID 8643702.
  10. ^ Abbott, Ian (2008). "Origin and spread of the cat, Felis catus, on mainland Australia: re-examination of the current conceptual model with additional information" (PDF). Conservation Science Western Australia Journal (7). Retrieved 11 February 2013. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ a b c Dickman, Chris (May 1996). Overview of the Impacts of Feral Cats on Australian Native Fauna (PDF). The Director of National Parks and Wildlife – Australian Nature Conservation Agency – Institute of Wildlife Research. ISBN 0-642-21379-8. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  12. ^ Cat diet on Macaronesia (Atlantic Ocean). petsaspests.blogspot.com.es (28 March 2013).
  13. ^ Forbush, Edward Howe (1916). The Domestic Cat: Bird Killer, Mouser and Destroyer of Wildlife, Boston, Wright & Potter printing co.
  14. ^ Rothschild, Walter (1905). Extinct Birds, London : Hutchinson.
  15. ^ Collar, N. J. (2001). Endangered Birds (PDF). Vol. 2. New York: Academic Press. p. 400. in Encyclopedia of Biodiversity
  16. ^ The Threat Of FeralCats. Environment.nsw.gov.au (28 October 2011). Retrieved on 5 May 2013.
  17. ^ "Interactions between feral cats, foxes, native carnivores, and rabbits in Australia" (PDF). CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems / Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research. September 2004. Retrieved 12 February 2013. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ King, Carolyn (1984) Immigrant Killers. Auckland: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-558121-0
  19. ^ Toxic bait and baiting strategies for feral cats. University of Nebraska – Lincoln: Proceedings of the Fifteenth Vertebrate Pest Conference 1992. 1992. {{cite conference}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ a b Moors, P.J.; Atkinson, I.A.E. (1984). "Predation on seabirds by introduced animals, and factors affecting its severity" in Status and Conservation of the World's Seabirds. Cambridge: ICBP. ISBN 0-946888-03-5.
  21. ^ Barcott, Bruce (2 December 2007). "Kill the Cat That Kills the Bird?". The New York Times.
  22. ^ Pontier, D., L. Say, F. Debias, J. Bried, J. Thioulouse, T. Micol & E. Natoli (2002). "The diet of feral cats (Felis catus L.) at five sites on the Grande Terre, Kerguelen archipelago". doi:10.1007/s00300-002-0424-5. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ Nogales, Manuel; Martin, Aurelio; Tershy, Bernie R.; Donlan, C. Josh; Veitch, Dick; Puerta, Nestor; Wood, Bill; Alonso, Jesus (2004). "A review of feral cat eradication on islands" (PDF). Conservation Biology. 18 (2): 310. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2004.00442.x.
  24. ^ Stamps celebrate seabird return. Birdlife.org (27 July 2005). Retrieved on 5 May 2013.
  25. ^ "Up against rats, rabbits and costs". The Sydney Morning Herald. 12 April 2007.
  26. ^ Fears for sub-antarctic island plagued by rabbits. ABC News (15 July 2006).
  27. ^ Draper, Michelle and La Canna, Xavier (14 January 2009) Cat kill devastates Macquarie Island. Nine News
  28. ^ Macquarie Island World Heritage Area. Plan for the Eradication of Rabbits and Rodents on Macquarie Island. Parks and Wildlife Service, Tasmania. parks.tas.gov.au
  29. ^ Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 17600185, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid= 17600185 instead.
  30. ^ European wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia) Arkive.org
  31. ^ European wildcat species account IUCN Species Survival Commission. See also Genetic pollution)Cat Specialist Group
  32. ^ Genetic diversity and introgression in the Scottish wildcat. Molecular Ecology (2001) 10: 319–336.
  33. ^ The Encyclopedia of Mammals, OUP, ISBN 978-0-19-920608-7, pages 656–657
  34. ^ "CDC – Toxoplasmosis". Cdc.gov. 2 November 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  35. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". saveacat.org. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  36. ^ Attention: This template ({{cite doi}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by doi:10.2460/javma.2003.222.42, please use {{cite journal}} (if it was published in a bona fide academic journal, otherwise {{cite report}} with |doi=10.2460/javma.2003.222.42 instead.
  37. ^ Attention: This template ({{cite doi}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by doi:10.1207/S15327604JAWS0501_2, please use {{cite journal}} (if it was published in a bona fide academic journal, otherwise {{cite report}} with |doi=10.1207/S15327604JAWS0501_2 instead.
  38. ^ Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 8226225, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid=8226225 instead.
  39. ^ Castillo, D., and A. L. Clarke (2003). "Trap/neuter/release methods ineffective in controlling domestic cat "colonies" on public lands". Natural Areas Journal. 23: 247–253.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  40. ^ Hamilton, Frank RE: ‘The Truth About Trap-Neuter-Return and Feral Cat Colony Movement’. floridacatnews.com
  41. ^ Mitchell, Carolyn (January 2000). "Femmes Ferals!" (PDF). Best Friends Magazine. p. 12. Retrieved 21 November 2010. (PDF)
  42. ^ "Cat Action Network-List of Participating Rescue Groups and Animal Shelters-TNR". Alley Cat Rescue. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  43. ^ "Feral Cat Organizations". Humane Society of the United States. 21 October 2009.
  44. ^ "Position On Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR)". Humane Society of the United States. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  45. ^ "Taking A Broader View Of Cats In The Community" (PDF). Animal Sheltering. September–October 2008. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  46. ^ Kozaryn, Linda D. "Cat Herding on the Military Range-"Trap, Neuter, Return," Cat Lovers Urge". United States Department of Defense. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  47. ^ Kozaryn, Linda D. "Cat Herding on the Military Range-DoD Advocates Humane Cat Control". United States Department of Defense. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  48. ^ Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 11416908, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid=11416908 instead.
  49. ^ a b c d Ratcliffe, Norman; Bell, Jim; Pelembe, Tara; Boyle, Dave; Banjamin, Raymond; White, Richard; Godley, Brenda; Stevenson, Jim; Sanders, Sarah (2009). "The eradication of feral cats from Ascension Island and its subsequent recolonization by seabirds" (PDF). Oryx. 44 (1): 20–29. doi:10.1017/S003060530999069X.
  50. ^ Hamilton, Jill (30 July 2007). "Blair and the stray cats of Jerusalem". JPost.com. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Feral cats.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Feral_cat&oldid=555207473"