Feral Cats in Two Worlds

Just as feral cats occupy a unique niche between wild and domestic, they also occupy a gray zone in the law. For many cats, their status as "domestic animals" means certain death in shelters. But wild animals tend to fare little better.

In those states where it is allowed, wildlife is subjected to trapping, poisoning and hunting, particularly, if they are an unprotected species. Feral cats, in essence, are caught between two anachronistic world views. If they are legally domestic, they are subject to mass slaughter in shelters by the humane movement. If they are they are legally wild, they are subject to hunting, trapping and poisoning.

The feral cat, in this case, is a grim reminder of how far we have yet to go - as a humane movement and as a society.

from Nathan Winograd's No-Kill Newsletter