10/16/2026
Since it's National Feral Cat day, let's talk about what feral means.
Cat friendliness is on a continuum from friendly to feral. There's a whole swathe of possible ranges of friendliness. A truly feral cat doesn't want to be around people and hasn't had human contact. A scared friendly stray might act the same way initially but will eventually warm up and want interaction. But any cat that is friendly is NOT feral; these are referred to as strays or unowned kitties. All deserve kindness.
Oct 16 - National Feral Cat Day
Founded in 2001 by Alley Cat Allies, the observance aims to raise awareness for community cats (feral and stray cats) and promote humane management through Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs.
Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is valued as the only humane and effective approach for managing free-roaming community cats, as it stabilizes populations, reduces shelter euthanasia, and improves cat health without killing them.