Is it illegal to release cats into the wild?

Few people understand that this is an illegal and frankly unethical practice. The degree of punishment you receive from releasing a non-native species into the wild varies by state. Some repercussions include large fines or small jail time.

What happens if I release my cat into the wild?

There your cat may get adopted or transferred to a rescue group. If it doesn’t, it will be humanely euthanized. If you release it outside, any number of terrible things could happen to it. Death at an animal control facility is better than most of what would happen to it outside.

Can cats be domesticated?

Other scientists have also discovered another potential instance of cat domestication. J.D. Vigne studied skeletal remains of cats in China and found that there may have been a short-lived domestication of leopards in China, independent of domestication elsewhere (Vigne and others 2016).

When did humans first domesticate cats?

By studying ancient cat DNA from all over the world, the researchers found that cat domestication began in the Fertile Crescent (in the Neolithic period) and accelerated later in ancient Egypt (in the Classical period) (Ottoni and others 2017).

Are feral kittens like their mother?

Like a kitten born to a pet, feral kittens rely upon their mother at birth. Just because a cat is feral, it does not mean that they are cold or unfeeling. A feral queen will be just as protective of her litter as a housecat. Arguably more so, as feral cats tend to live in all-female colonies.

How did cats spread across the world?

By analyzing the ancient DNA of cat remains found in port cities, the scientists concluded that cats were brought along on ships, most likely to help protect food storages on board by killing rodents (Ottoni and others 2017). This allowed cats to spread across the world.