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Thread: Cat Experts! Feral or Domestic?

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    Cat Experts! Feral or Domestic?

    Cats aren't really my specialty.

    There are a lot of feral cats near where I live and today one of them came up to our door and just started meowing and meowing. And pretty normal meows, nothing freaky or scary. We gave 'her' food, she was very jumpy but she comes right up to us to get it and doesn't run from us. She still sits around our porch meowing. She also rolls over on her back in front of us a lot and holds her tail low and wags it.

    I'd think she was just someone else's frightened cat by the way she acts, but there's so many feral cats around and she looks the most feral of them all. And I have seen some freaky looking cats that I didn't even think could exist in this neighborhood(it's seriously like being in a safari at times) but this one(I call her Theodosia) takes the cake. She has markings almost like a jaguar, she has the roundest, widest face and the most close-together eyes I have ever seen on a cat by far. When I first saw her she honestly freaked me out because of how eerily bizarre her face was, and I do not get scared of animals.

    And yet she's so social with us? I tried to look up info giving some behavioral differences between feral and domestic cats but I can't find any. Is she feral or not?

    BTW, she looks kinda fat but she inhaled the food we gave her like there was no tomorrow.

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    God/dess Silverback's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cat Experts! Feral or Domestic?

    Doesn't sound feral. Just sounds like one that's been on her own for a while looking to adopt someone.
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    Default Re: Cat Experts! Feral or Domestic?

    Quote Originally Posted by Zinaida View Post
    She also rolls over on her back in front of us...

    And yet she's so social with us?...

    BTW, she looks kinda fat...
    These three things lead me to believe she's not a feral cat. Probably ran away from home.

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    Default Re: Cat Experts! Feral or Domestic?

    Awwww! We're going to try and lure her in next time.

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    Default Re: Cat Experts! Feral or Domestic?

    ^ Uh, be careful. She may just want a place to get some attention and food/water.

    We brought in a cat that was used to living outdoors and man oh man she peed on everything and ripped out our screens whenever she wanted to be let out. I would say to just keep feeding/watering her, give her a lot of affection when she's around and if she wants to come in, she will (*see the next section). Other than that, trying to lure her in (with her fleas, etc...) would probably not be in your best interest.

    *If the time comes and you want to bring her into the house and she's willing, I would strongly suggest a trip to the vet first for a flea/mite dip, check up and the rest.

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    Default Re: Cat Experts! Feral or Domestic?

    That's not a feral cat.

    You're in New Jersey. I'm pretty sure there are rescue or feral cat groups who can help with trap/neuter/return of feral cats (will probably help trap and pay for the surgery). It would be so wonderful and humane if you were to start trapping and having them fixed to end the cycle of suffering. I've done this many times. Maybe even set up a feeding station, if they're not being fed elsewhere. Poor cats - it gets cold there!

    Read up on feral cats:
    http://www.alleycat.org/resources_care.html

    Some resources for New Jersey:
    http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...+cat+coalition
    http://www.nj-ara.org/ferals/ferals.html
    http://www.theanimalspirit.com/feralcatnetwork.html
    http://www.njferals.org/results.html

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    Featured Member Sindi's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cat Experts! Feral or Domestic?

    She has spots ? That is very rare in a domestic cat , even more rare in a feral cat . Until recently only wild cats had spots , now you may see them in hybrid breeds like Bengals and Savannahs , www.purr-fectsavannahs.com These cats are bred down from Servals or Cervals with a Bengal or E.mau ....very pretty and very sweet cats actually . I found a stray and it turned out to be a Savannah and he is the best cat I have ever owned . I am not sure if spots where what you meant by Jaguar or not but I would say bring in and bring her to a vet asap . She might be pregnant if she is all the sudden seeking shelter and help from humans . Either way she needs you help !! Keep us posted xo
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    Default Re: Cat Experts! Feral or Domestic?

    Awwww! We're going to try and lure her in next time.
    She might be someone's cat that got outside and can't find her way home. If you decide to let her in make sure you give someone the chance to have her back. Take a picture of her and post them around where you live. I would be SO SAD if my kids ran away and someone took them in and kept them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    Default Re: Cat Experts! Feral or Domestic?

    She has some spots sort of like dalmatian spots, but most of what she has is weird stripes around her legs(not like most normal striped cats) and she looks like she has big jaguar spots that got dragged....does that make sense? And her face is so bizarre. Creepy looking.

    We had a cat(not sure if she was feral or alley) who one day just ran in when my brother in law opened the door. She was pregnant.

    I told Mike we had to take her to the vet if we were going to keep her before we let her into the house in case she had worms and stuff...

    Although she's been gone all day, maybe she is someone else's?

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    Default Re: Cat Experts! Feral or Domestic?

    Her leg markings actually look pretty similar to that lol, only more stripes and less dots.

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    Default Re: Cat Experts! Feral or Domestic?

    Hate to say it, but I will:

    You may live near a breeder. If the breeder is a "backyard breeder" as they are called, the reason her face is "different" could be inbreeding. A cat like that won't sell and they are often dumped or abandoned. I've seen it a lot working for shelters. That's probably why she isn't scared of people.

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    Default Re: Cat Experts! Feral or Domestic?

    Cats that have truly gone feral also do not 'meow' like domestic cats. That is an infantile noise which domestic cats simply never grow out of, whereas cats that grow up feral produce more adult feline sounds like throat growls, yowls, and other sounds which are only used by domestic cats as signs of aggression or heat.

    Yep.

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    Default Re: Cat Experts! Feral or Domestic?

    Quote Originally Posted by cherry_sin View Post
    You may live near a breeder. If the breeder is a "backyard breeder" as they are called, the reason her face is "different" could be inbreeding. A cat like that won't sell and they are often dumped or abandoned. I've seen it a lot working for shelters. That's probably why she isn't scared of people.
    Shit. I wished I knew where their 'headquarters' are, I'd so call the cops(?) on them. Or can I call and report anyway? A couple of the cats around here have 'different' faces and they are actually feral ones, but this one is just so odd.

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    Default Re: Cat Experts! Feral or Domestic?

    Quote Originally Posted by RebeccaSolidarity View Post
    Cats that have truly gone feral also do not 'meow' like domestic cats. That is an infantile noise which domestic cats simply never grow out of, whereas cats that grow up feral produce more adult feline sounds like throat growls, yowls, and other sounds which are only used by domestic cats as signs of aggression or heat.
    Good point. She meows normally, just over and over again. It's like she's trying to tell us something!

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    Default Re: Cat Experts! Feral or Domestic?

    Sounds like a domestic that got dumped.

    There's a couple kinds of deformities caused by inbreeding. Some of them have a chance of going away with time as the cat's face shape grows and changes into adulthood. Inset eyes are one of those. Backyard breeders are all about the profit - they will take the chance and feed it for a couple months to see if they can sell it. Savannahs and Bengals can go for 500-3500 dollars.

    Most breeders have three different types of cats at three different prices: show/breed/pet. Sometimes the ones with deformites can still sell as pets. However older cats hardly ever sell. They're most often the ones that get dumped.

    Real feral cats have the same problem with rampant cross breeding and inbreeding so that's why you see the facial deformites there as well.

    Is it like this tiger?

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    Default Re: Cat Experts! Feral or Domestic?

    No, but that poor tiger.

    They're normally shaped and colored, just very close together. And the head and neck is huge compared to the rest of his body. And his body isn't skinny. He's fully grown. Yes, we realized that Theodosia is a boy! And not a neutered one. I've renamed HIM Vespasian.

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    Default Re: Cat Experts! Feral or Domestic?

    And now we know he's definitely not feral. He came up to and was rubbing on us and sat on our laps purring.

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    Default Re: Cat Experts! Feral or Domestic?

    Quote Originally Posted by Zinaida View Post
    She has some spots sort of like dalmatian spots, but most of what she has is weird stripes around her legs(not like most normal striped cats) and she looks like she has big jaguar spots that got dragged....does that make sense? And her face is so bizarre. Creepy looking.

    We had a cat(not sure if she was feral or alley) who one day just ran in when my brother in law opened the door. She was pregnant.

    I told Mike we had to take her to the vet if we were going to keep her before we let her into the house in case she had worms and stuff...



    Although she's been gone all day, maybe she is someone else's?

    Wow did you check out the link I posted before ? www.purr-fectsavannahs.com I really think this is what you are talking about . I never heard the thing about feral cats having a different cry , that sounds really weird to me . Plus what really is a feral cat anyways ? A 1st generation litter born outside , a cat left homeless ??? It wouldnt take long for a stray to become feral so ......anyways thats off topic . It comes down to this , you seem like a person and your concerned , your not going to feel better until you do something . Even if you dont the cat into your home you can still put up flyer's or an Ad , telling the person the cat has been seen in the vincenty . I would say at the least do that . I take in strays , a few of my cats (all litter mates) didnt get along in adulthood and disappeared only reappear with collars or in someones window ....and ya know if they are happy and well taken care thats good enough for me .
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    Default Re: Cat Experts! Feral or Domestic?

    Quote Originally Posted by Zinaida View Post
    And now we know he's definitely not feral. He came up to and was rubbing on us and sat on our laps purring.

    Sounds like he chose you .
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