Under the right circumstances, stray cats can be reintroduced to domestic living, but they will most likely require some time to re-acclimate to an indoor lifestyle and they may be frightened and wary after spending time away from people.
If a stray cat willingly enters your home, check for tags but keep her away from your own pets until you are certain she is healthy. Many cats that live on the streets have mites, mange, fleas, worms, and other contagious diseases, and you surely don't want to expose your own cat to any transmittable conditions.
Once you're able to coax the cat inside, they should not be allowed free rein of your home. Instead, select one room where your stray cat can get acclimated to being indoors. This room should have water and food bowls, a litter box, and perches where your cat can get up high and away from it all.
Community cats aren't homeless. Their home is the outdoors, and just like you, they don't want to be taken from their homes. While you might have the time and resources to dedicate to adopting out a socialized community cat, unsocialized cats, also called feral cats, never belong indoors.
Because stray cats often carry dangerous diseases, the best thing that you can do to protect your domesticated cat against serious illness is to keep it indoors. By staying inside, your cat is less likely to fight with other animals and risk the chance of spreading diseases through wounds.
Petting or touching a free-roaming cat puts you and your pets at risk of diseases like rabies and bacterial infections like cat scratch fever. It's a good idea to avoid picking up a free-roaming cat altogether, even to rescue them. If you're unable to secure them using a trap, call in the professionals.
Feral cats live short, hard lives on the streets. They never die of “old age.” Contagious diseases such as herpes viral conjunctivitis, feline AIDS, leukemia, and infectious peritonitis are common in cats left outdoors.
Cats carry disease.
You could be exposed to zoonotic diseases (diseases spread from animals to humans), or you could expose your cats at home to feline diseases when you pick up a stray cat or handle any cat with an unknown background.
It may take up to 4 weeks for the cats to ultimately feel comfortable. The more feral the cat, the longer this process can take, as a less-socialized cat will take longer to bond to a new person and place.
For some cats, yes! As mentioned earlier, kittens need other kittens/cats to interact with and develop, cats in the wild find each other and often share resources. Cats are social creatures by nature. The reason we say only some cats get lonely is because many have solitary survival instincts that kick in as an adult.
What can you do? If you have a stray visiting you, think about taking it to a local vet or shelter, where it can be scanned to see if it has a microchip, and given a health check. It may prove to be someone's lost pet, giving it a chance of being reunited with its owners.
Today, many stray cats that roam freely throughout their imaginary territories of about 200 acres each choose their families the same way. Many of them are fed by different families for years until they select the one who provides the safest place and the most comfortable conditions.
Any stray kitten should be washed immediately if brought into the home to prevent an indoor flea farm. 2. Spaying and neutering is an important part of responsible cat ownership, as is purchasing a pet insurance policy for your beloved feline.
The Fastest Way to a Stray Cat's Heart Is Through Her Stomach. Stray cats are often hungry cats, so the best first move is to feed the kitty and provide lots of water. Once the cat learns you're a source for food, she will visit every day. For some very friendly cats, this is enough to gain their trust.
Ears held back, tail tucked, hair standing on end, and other body signs are all forms of silent communication that your cat may be unhappy. Aggression or fear: Sad cats tend to be more reactive and act out with aggression or fearfulness.
With a traumatized, frightened, or shy cat, never rush the introduction process. “Give it a chance to acclimate to you first, and then slowly acclimate it to the rest of your house,” she says. This is another function of the two-week quarantine—it both protects your other pets from illness and helps with adjustment.
The key is to introduce your new cat in a systematic and gradual way, utilizing the principles of desensitizing and positive reinforcement. Keep them separated for a few days. Create a separate space for your new cat with a litter box, toys, water, bed and a scratching post.
One of the best ways you can protect yourself from getting sick is to thoroughly wash your hands after handling, cleaning up after, or feeding cats. By providing your cat with routine veterinary care and following the Healthy People tips, you are less likely to get sick from touching, petting, or owning a cat.
Worms and cats go hand-in-hand, especially when they have access to the outdoors or live in feral cat colonies. Regular deworming should be routine for those of us who care for community cat colonies as almost all outdoor cats have worms or other parasites.
It is unlikely that you would be exposed to the parasite by touching an infected cat because cats usually do not carry the parasite on their fur. In addition, cats kept indoors (that do not hunt prey or are not fed raw meat) are not likely to be infected with Toxoplasma.
Among the zoonotic agents most often associated with free-roaming cats are the rabies virus and Toxoplasma gondii parasite.
Free-roaming cats are an important source of zoonotic diseases including rabies, Toxoplasma gondii, cutaneous larval migrans, tularemia and plague.
A healthy cat usually has a shiny and smooth coat. Cats that get good nutrition receive the vitamins they need to have healthy skin and a healthy coat. They also feel well enough to groom themselves. The exception may be a cat with long fur, such as a Persian.
But human contact with these fleas is unlikely, Burton notes, stressing that “feral cats avoid people by nature and are therefore not a major threat for transmission of flea-borne disease to humans.”