Feral Cat Colonies Animal Blog from Animal Friends Pet Insurance

Many people wrongly assume that cats are loners and are not sociable animals. In actuality, feral cats are quite sociable and form close friendships with others. One of the reasons people believe this is because cats in a feline feral colony act very differently both from, and when around, humans or dogs, for example.

Cats usually form groups when there is an available food source. If food is scarce they will go off on their own to hunt or scavenge for food. A feral cat colony usually has related females and their young as the core of the group. Most of the time there is an older male attached to the group. Each tomcat is different; some prefer staying with one colony and others have very wide territory they cover.

The size of a feral cat colony depends on the availability of hiding and resting places and having a food source close by. If a cat is relying solely on hunting for its food they seem to stay in smaller numbers. On the other hand, when there is a good food source, such as a dumpster, you can find very large feral cat colonies.

The females in a feral community act as midwives and all the females collectively raise the young kittens. They will nurse, guard and groom each other's kittens. They also teach them how to behave and interact with other cats.

You will see the female cats band together to protect their own from other animals, including other cats from other colonies. Usually they will let another lone cat into their group after a few interactions. Surprisingly males often help care for kittens in their own colony. They will groom them, share their food and curl up with them to keep them warm.

In many places the feral cat colonies have become a major problem. It is important to remember to have your pets spayed or neutered to keep the pet population down. If you are looking for a new pet, be sure to visit your local rescue centre first and foremost. Organisations like The Mayhew Animal Home in North London not only have a fantastic rehoming program, but also run neutering initiatives and schemes to help deal with the over-population of pets in the UK.