Feral Facts

Feral cats are domestic cats that were born and raised with little or no contact with people.
Feral cats are not stray cats. Strays are homeless pet cats, while Ferals were born in the wild, and were never socialized to humans.
Some feral cats can be tamed (socialized to humans) but this takes time and effort and is more suitable for kittens then adult cats.
Feral cats often live in colonies, forming groups around food sources.
Killing feral cats does not lower their numbers. New feral cats will soon take up their place.
The only humane way of controlling the feral cat population is by TNR - Trapping, Neutering and Returning them to where they were trapped. Read more about TNR here.
If you feed feral cats, you have to TNR, to prevent overpopulation.
Feral cats can have happy healthy lives outdoors. Humans can help that by TNR'ing feral cats.
Studies show that feral cats pose no public health risk. Read more here.
You can also help feral cats by providing shelter during the cold season and water during the dry season.

Stray Facts

A stray cat is a cat who has been socialized to people at some
point in her life, but has left or lost her domestic home, as well as most human contact and dependence.
Over time, a stray cat can become feral as her contact with
humans dwindles.
Under the right circumstances, however, a stray cat can also become a pet cat once again. Stray cats that are re-introduced to a home after living outdoors may require a period of time to re-acclimate; they may be frightened and wary after spending time outside away from people.
Another definition that may help:
– “A stray cat is a domestic cat that has been abandoned or has ‘strayed’ from home and become lost. Stray [cats] were once pets and they can usually be successfully rescued and placed in homes.” – Stray Cat Handbook