These are feral cats. They come close for food, but flee if anyone attempts to touch or pet them.

Feral cats in traps awaiting their surgery. They are held overnight to recover before return to their colony.

Feral cat deciding how best to get into the trap for the food bait. He was successfully trapped, fixed, vaccinated, and returned to his owner.

1. A feral cat is a free-roaming, wild (unsocialized) cat. Some feral cats were once pets who were abandoned; a few became lost while roaming to find mates. Frightened and alone, the cats often revert to wild behaviors and become fearful of humans. Most ferals are the offspring of domesticated pet cats who were never fixed. Feral cats may approach if food is offered, but will flee if contact with them is attempted. 
2. Feral cats cannot be safely handled; humane trapping is necessary in order for them to receive veterinary care. If you know of feral cats in need of care, please call us. We’ll try to help or refer you to another experienced feral cat program. Feral cats will not "attack" people unless captured or cornered and left with no option but to fight. They are fearful of humans and will flee if you attempt to catch or pet them. 
3. Adult feral cats, juvenile cats, and kittens older than about 10 weeks can seldom be “tamed” and will likely be severely stressed by attempts to handle or socialize them. Don’t attempt to capture and handle a wild feral cat; you will be bitten and the cat will escape but may suffer from the stress and trauma of the encounter. Feral kittens less than 6 weeks old (before their fear imprinting period) CAN often be tamed, socialized, and become household pets. One of the best protections against homelessness in cats is being well socialized—loving, friendly cats are far more likely to be adopted and remain in a home. So if you hope to place or plan to adopt a feral kitten, get started petting and handling as early as possible.  
4. Feral cats who aren't fixed generally have a short life span, usually less than 18 months in our area. If they are spayed/neutered/vaccinated and live in a stable, monitored colony, they may live 5-10 years or more. By contrast, indoor pet cats often live 12-20 years. 
5. Attempts to eliminate feral cats by traditional catch and kill methods do not work. More cats move in as the cats already there are eliminated, and the cycle is never-ending. TNR (trap-neuter-return) STOPS the growth of the colony, which gradually is reduced in numbers by attrition. 
6. Forbidding the feeding of feral cat colonies doesn’t make them go away. The cats only roam further seeking food, while returning to the sheltered area they’ve already established. Laws forbidding the feeding of feral cats haven’t worked in communities where they’ve been tried. 
7. Relocating a feral cat or colony is difficult; if at all possible they should remain in their territory. If a feral cat or colony MUST be relocated, i.e., their habitat is to be destroyed or landowner wants them gone, then the cats must be trapped, fixed, and then detained in their new location for 3-5 weeks before release. Visit operationcatnip.org, search the internet for more information, or call us at 662-292-0922.  
8. To signify that a feral cat is sterile (spayed or neutered), the tip of the cat’s left ear is removed during their surgery. This eliminates the need to retrap an animal to insure that it has been spayed/neutered. It eliminates the need to anesthetize a female cat and open her abdomen to make sure she’s been spayed. Ear tipping is a universal symbol indicating the cat has been spayed/neutered. This helps the cats avoid future trapping and enables the colony caregiver to know who’s been helped. Homeless Animals Relief Project also provides a 3-year rabies vaccine at the time of ear tipping and surgery, so cats in our service territory are also known to be protected against this deadly disease. 
9. Got a feral colony? If you’ll allow the cats to remain where they are and commit to daily feeding and monitoring, we’ll loan you traps to humanely catch the cats and provide a deep discount on the cost of spaying or neutering,  Known as Trap-Neuter-Return, this will stop the reproduction and stabilize the colony. It works, and it’s the right thing to do.

Tip of left ear was removed while these kittens were asleep for spay surgery. It signifies that both have been fixed and cannot reproduce. Ear tipping eliminates having to anesthetize and re-operate to see if female cats have been spayed. These kittens are caged to rest after their spay surgeries and while we work on socialization.