Uncivilized Behaviors: How Humans Wield “Feral” to Assert Power (and Control) over Other Species

Abstract

This paper examines the use of the term “feral” as a form of control over other animals. The concept of this “power word” is explored within the context of what it means for those who find themselves labelled as such. As a prefix, “feral” is used by various interest groups to justify the treatment of subpopulations of species, particularly with regards to wildlife conservation. The “feral” label differentiates animals that are perceived as being out of place or out of control from those who are kept as companions or commodities. “Feral” is most often used to describe an unwelcome presence or noise, and can be contrasted to alternative words, such as “wild” or “free-living” that control how these presences are perceived by humans.

Categorisation of cats: Managing boundary felids in Aotearoa New Zealand and Britain

“…Categories also change based on socio-political and geo-temporal contexts, with the status of domestic cats, for example, having shifted over time and place (Crowley et al, 2020;Schuurman & Dirke, 2020). Considerable literature has explored how animals shift in classification and hence in killability (Braverman, 2013(Braverman, , 2017Hill et al, 2022;Hovorka, 2019;Palmer et al, 2022;Sutton & Taylor, 2019). At the same time, scholars have examined how, even within categories, animals are valued differently, for example, how animal advocates and conservationists value feral cats differently (Johnston, 2021a;van Patter & Hovorka, 2018;Wald & Peterson, 2020).…”

“…In both of our case studies, in‐the‐field decisions are made as to whether a cat is ‘feral’ or something more valuable. According to Hill et al (2022, p. 2) feral cats ‘are those who for whatever reason are no longer living under human control’, yet ‘the term is far from benign’. As Johnston (2021a, p. 7) points out, the classification of cats as feral is used to either consign them to a continued feral existence or render them killable through ‘exclusionary narratives that construct them as not belonging [in either wild or domestic spaces] and in need of management’.…”

“…As Johnston (2021a, p. 7) points out, the classification of cats as feral is used to either consign them to a continued feral existence or render them killable through ‘exclusionary narratives that construct them as not belonging [in either wild or domestic spaces] and in need of management’. Classifying cats as feral therefore transforms them from pets to pests (Fredriksen, 2016; Hill et al, 2022; Philo & Wilbert, 2000; van Patter & Hovorka, 2018). The term ‘pest’ is, however, particularly problematic when applied to cats (Section 3.2) and other domestic species that enjoy widespread positive perceptions (e.g.…”

Solutions-Based Approach to Urban Cat Management—Case Studies of a One Welfare Approach to Urban Cat Management

“…Applying the word feral to free-roaming domestic cat populations happens regularly and is problematic, as it makes lethal management methods more palatable by devaluing the cat's life. This implies that these animals can be treated differently from those that are deemed to be pets [14]. This trap-adopt-kill management leads to the unnecessary euthanasia of healthy and treatable cats and kittens.…”