Stray or feral? Advice needed for a friend please...

[Millys Mum]

Sounds more like a domestic cat thats had to live on its wits for a while, they soon come round when given a bit of TLC

[Liz]

Just a note to say that even farm cats get fed as do ferals that are homed to farms - they will still hunt but need to know that a regular food source is available and this is usually part of any feral homing contract

We have several farm cats around here and I also live in the wilds of Scotland - I do occassionally neuter the boys if they hang around here as we have our own band of ferals who are fed every day at our 2 feeding stations all bar one of them is done - dear Red still won't go in the trap and as we still have an awful lot of snow have given up setting it for the time being.

Some ferals will come up to folks when food is being put out to - some lead with their stomachs and others will hide till you leave - depends if they are from a domestic Mum or a feral Mum - dumped domestics with kittens will try where possible to have a close food source and take the kittens to it and this may involve them being touched a true feral usually hides till you are gone - we have some of them in the house!

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

I agree with Des.  I would have thought if she was "feral" there would a lot of hissing and spitting rather purring and mewing (not that I have any experience with ferals  ).

[Desley (booktigger)]

Doesnt' sound like a feral cat. Your friend ideally should catch and take to the vet to see if it is someone's pet, and whehter neutered.

[fluffybunny]

Hello all!  I have received this from someone I know - she lives in the wilds of scotland.  What do people think - does this sound more like a stray than a feral?  What advice would you suggest?  Thanks!

For the last couple of months I have had a cat living in my barn.  I had assumed she was one of the feral cats from the farm.

A couple of weeks ago she didn't just run and hide when I cme in as normal but looked at me and mewed which I assumed to mean she was hungry and being a soft touch I gave her some milk and food.  I wasn't going to feed her every day as I didn't want her to rely on me.  However, with all the snow and whatnot I have been a big softy and ended up actually buying whiskas and feeding her most days.  She now runs up to me whenever I come in and mews.  She won't let m touch her yet but she purred yesterday when I put her food down and will come right up and start eating when I'm still putting the bowls down.

Problem is - I know nothing about cats.

Can you tell me how much I should feed her.  Bearing in mind, I'd rather she still hunted for her own food sometimes to keep the mice and rats down and also so that I can go away without having to worry about her (or have I already made this too much of a problem for myself?)  I don't really want to get into taking her to the vet or anything and don't want to domesticate her but I realise she really should be neutered if she is going to stay here but then again she's feral.  And I have no idea if she is a she or not.