It's easy to fall in love with an adorable homeless kitten or cat, and you may be tempted to rescue it on the spot with the good intentions of providing it a home. But before you do, be aware that if you are dealing with a feral cat or kitten, you need to understand what you're dealing with.

What is a Feral Cat? - There are several different kinds of feral cats. Some feral cats have gone wild. These cats may be lost or abandoned, and they may tolerate some human contact. Other cats have been born and raised in the wild and are completely unsocialized-they fear humans and human contact.

Ferals often form colonies wherever there is shelter and a food supply, such as, farms, rubbish tips, and other areas where they are able to find food. Urban ferals congregate near dustbins, markets, or where animal lovers provide food. They may perform a useful function by hunting rodents attracted to edible refuse.

The Dangers of Bringing Home Feral Cats - Feral colonies may act as reservoirs of disease such as FeLV/FIV which can be transmitted to pet cats that come in contact with ferals. There is also the fear of toxoplasmosis, and (in some countries) rabies, that may affect humans. They may become unhealthy and unsightly through continued breeding, poor nutrition and fighting.

For these reasons, many groups, such as Ally Cat Allies advocate the program, Trap Neuter Return or TNR, as a humane alternative to euthanizing cats. This program is internationally recognized as a best-practice initiative to reduce the feral cat population. Animal experts agree that taking home feral cats is not the answer.

Bringing Home a Feral Kitten is almost always a Huge Undertaking - Most people who take in a ferals, choose to rescue kittens because they are adorable and hard to resist. But this often leads to problems because the kittens are afraid of humans, difficult to socialize, and some will never become tame no matter how much love, effort, and attention you lavish upon them.

Research shows that the socialization stage in kittens is 3-9 weeks old, and they become progressively harder to tame with every day over 8 weeks. While kittens up to 12 weeks can be tamed, older kittens often retain a degree of fearfulness and a small percentage of kittens (approx 10%) can never be socialized.

Consider Adopting a Kitten from a Local Shelter! - As well as the right environment, the taming process takes time, commitment, and patience, and there is already a vast surplus of unwanted socialized cats in shelters that are waiting for adoption. In a shelter situation, it is recommended that ferals over the age of 5 months be neutered and returned to the colony otherwise they occupy space needed by kittens who can be more easily socialized.

Overall, the most reliable results are with ferals that approach humans of their own volition in the outdoor environment. If the taming process begins outdoors in this way, it can continue over a much longer period of time with much more reliable results as the cat itself makes the decision to enter your household.

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Kartika Damon is a writer who resides in Fairfield, Iowa, with her Chow-mix, Beardog, and Birman cat, Leanne. Her website, http://www.caringforpetsonline.com, is a source of information and inspiration for pet owners and animal lovers. For more articles by Kartika Damon, visit http://hubpages.com/profile/kartika+damon.