section_path: Ecology/Ferality
section_name: Ferality
paragraph_text: Ferality
  
  Feral cats are domestic cats that were born in or have reverted to a wild state. They are unfamiliar with and wary of humans and roam freely in urban and rural areas. The numbers of feral cats is not known, but estimates of the United States feral population range from 25 to 60 million. Feral cats may live alone, but most are found in large colonies, which occupy a specific territory and are usually associated with a source of food. Famous feral cat colonies are found in Rome around the Colosseum and Forum Romanum, with cats at some of these sites being fed and given medical attention by volunteers.
  
  Public attitudes toward feral cats vary widely, from seeing them as free-ranging pets to regarding them as vermin.