Feline health care for feral cats

Feral Cats

A feral cat is an undomesticated cat that has lived by himself or in a colony of feral felines. If you might find a feral cat and decide to adopt him, there are a few feline health care steps that you need to follow in order to protect your household and for his well-being.

Diseases Transmissible to Humans and Pets

Feral cats are carriers of possible diseases that are transmissible to humans or pets. The zoonotic diseases (diseases that can be transmitted to humans) may be dangerous for your health, so avoid scratches from a feral cat before you take him to the vet. Feral cats may spread parasites and viruses to the other pets in your household. Rabies is among the most common diseases feral cats spread. An anti-rabies vaccine is a priority when offering health care to the cat.

Feral cats have fleas, so you will need to take care of these before they are all over your place and the other pets.

Vaccines for Feral Felines

Even if a feral cat has a stronger immune system, due to the environment he used to live in, he will still need all the vaccines. Treat your cat like a kitten and provide all the necessary shots.

Video: Feral Cat Behaviour

Feral Feline Spraying

Feral cats, just like domestic cats, tend to spray. If such a cat enters your household, he will spray and mark the territory. Urine might be a virus spreader, so it is advisable to take the cat to a vet and detect any parasites or viruses. The feral cat marking will be a behavior that is difficult to correct.

Video: How to Take Care of a Stray Kitten

Deal with Feral Aggressive Behavior

Feral cats may become aggressive towards you and your pets. Try to keep the feral cat away from other pets for the first few weeks and introduce them gradually to the other house animals.

Neutering Feral Cat Care

Neutering your feral cat may be recommended. This will possibly stop your cat from spraying and will reduce his aggressiveness towards humans and other pets.

If you adopt a feral cat, he will bring you surprises such as dead birds or mice. Neutering will also make the feral cat less interested in hunting and fighting.

Even if feral cats are adaptable, it is difficult to domesticate them. Take care of the health issues first- visit a vet and run some blood tests, get vaccines and get rid of parasites. Then try some house training. If the cat is younger than 8 weeks, you may easily control his behavior and turn him into a good feline friend. If the feral cat is uncooperative, seek advice from a feral cat organization. You can receive tips on how to train your cat.

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