Q: > Just curious - what is reward in rescuing feral cats. Do they become

A: I assume that by "feral" you mean a cat who was born into or a stray who
has reverted to a wild state. This is not the same as a stray that someone
dumped and is suspicious of strangers.
Cats are individuals. Some cats who have never been homeless or missed a
meal are aloof or shy. Others are so outgoing, they never find a stranger.
Others are in between.
A rescued feral can turn out to be anywhere in the spectrum.  Progress is
made in tiny increments over what can be a long time.  Each step forward is
extremely rewarding to the rescuer and something to celebrate.
Rosie was wild and homeless from birth until I trapped her when she was
seven months old.  Now, she is so sweet and loving. I can hold her in any
position, even on her back, like a baby.  All I have to do is touch her and
she purrs.  When we go on a trip, Rosie always greets the cat sitter. It
took a couple of years to get there.

Q:> - after a few months in "the wild" will they always be "different"..
A: Rosie is different than other cats we've had.  Although some of the
others have been strays, they were socialized to people.  I think Rosie is
more savvy about things.  It's kind of hard to describe, but she had to be
pretty smart to survive so long in an area with coyotes.  She pays attention
more than our other cats and actually has been easier to "train" to respond
to my voice.

Q:> Do ferals ever approach humans in public locations like parks, beaches

A: Not likely.  Ferals, for the most part, are invisible.  When Rosie was
growing up, before I trapped her, I only got glimpses of her just before
dark or dawn.  I worked with her for a month, feeding her and getting her to
associate me with food before I trapped her.
The cats that approach humans in public locations most likely are former
pets who have been abandonded or were frightened and ran and got lost.
There may be some places, such as Hemmingway's house in Key West, Florida,
where generations of cats have lived and are visible because they are used
to seeing a lot of visitors all their lives, but I wouldn't call them feral,
even though they aren't really pets in the usual sense.

Q:> Do released house pets become feral after time..or are they eaten alive

A: Some will find people with soft hearts who will take them in and keep
them or rehome them.  Others will become feral.  In the U.S., released house
pets are in danger of being eaten alive by coyotes, carried off by an owl,
killed by stray dogs, hit by a car, killed by mean people, suffering
frostbite, enduring parasites and disease, even if they are accepted by an
established colony.

Q:> Are there squads of rescuers roaming the countryside in the middle of

A: More like caring individuals who are stretched to the max financially and
emotionally to take care of the problem caused by irresponsible people.

Q: Just curious - not ready to join the rescue squads just yet!!

A:  You can start with just one cat at a time, or give whatever you can
financially or timewise to help to help a group or individual rescue strays
or maintain feral colonies.  You can advocate with your elected officials to
support spaying and neutering and enforcement of animal cruelty laws.

Annie

The personal satisfaction of doing something for someone else for absolutely
no reward.

for kittens

Some do, some don't. If they're handled a lot when they're young they grow
up tame (however mom will stay pissed at you for handling her kits)

Just for food,  (the really neat looking ones like to show off sometimes)

They would join a feral colony and if trapped later they could revert to
being tame. If there's a shortage of food, the existing colony may run off
any new ferals but I'm unaware of kitty canables.

No, we do it in broad daylight. Actaully I set out a trap in the evening and
check it the next morning. Of course I'v already alerted the vet that I'm
bringing in a wild one.

You don't have to join anything. If there's a feral(s) near you just get a
trap, line up a vet, and get started.

Ron
Rant Globally, Act Locally