Feral Cat Behavioral Analysis and Socialization: Synthesizing Shelter and Community Member Methods

Feral Cat Behavioral Analysis and Socialization: Synthesizing Shelter and Community Member Methods

Feral cats have become an increasing problem for cities and rural areas, as they affect human lives and wildlife. Management strategies of varying humane consideration such as Trap Kill and Trap Neuter Release are being implemented, but rely on the removal of potentially adoptable individuals. Shelters and animal control agencies struggle to identify socialized cats that can be placed in a home instead of being released or euthanized. Grassroots rescues, advocacy groups, and cat lovers often socialize kittens and cats with positive association and run their own Trap Neuter Release programs. It can be investigated that if their method of socialization is combined with current tests to determine socialization levels of feral cats, more social cats could be identified, thus preventing euthanasia. By using food as a positive association, cats who are shy but social may come out of their shells when tested in a three week study in a low unfamiliar stimulus environment.