wondering about what words mean

[Freedom]

Wild, domesticated, tame.

Are these subjective terms, or do they objective meanings?

Wild - lions and tigers and bears, oh my!
Domesticated - farm animals
Tame - pets.

So a cat is a stray she had kittens, they grow up in the colony (call these the second generation) and then they have kittens. If you get to those kittens before 9 to 12 weeks of age, you can "make them tame?" Those second generation kittens which grew up - are they wild? I know we use the term "feral," but isn't that just another word for the same thing as wild?

Coyotos are living in the wooded area behind my home. They are wild. I wouldn't consider getting one of their pups and making it a pet. But the cats that are out there, they aren't wild? (well, there aren't many cats since the coyotes moved in 2 years ago; all the rabbits and squirrels are gone, too. But that is a different topic.)

I can't have this right. If I get to a leopard cub at an early age, it is never going to be tame, like a pet. I don't think it is ever even considered a domesticated animal. Zoo animals are still wild, or domesticated, depending on the animal type.

So over time, does some mutation happen in the genes that makes the animals friendlier towards humans? So it is an objective thing that we are talking about? And once a type of animal - say, CAT - has been at the level of tame for many years, all of them are or can be tame?

I've been musing on this for a bit over a week now. Probably in part due to all the little kittens various PTers have found and brought in. When you go get thes little ones from the wild, it is not the same as bringing in a tiger cub. I KNOW that, and I agree with what we are doing bringing them in. I have 3 foundlings myself.

I just can't seem to get it sorted in my mind. I hope I explained what I am stuck on!

[K & L]

Feral is just another word for wild. It means that the cats have not been socialized to humans and that they are afraid of people. It does not mean that the cats are aggressive or dangerous. Feral cats run from people. They do not attack unless they are cornered and feel that they have no other alternative but to fight for their lives.

From Alley Cat Allies website:
A feral cat is born and raised outside with little or no human contact or is a stray that has lived outside long enough to revert to a wild state. Adult feral cats usually cannot be tamed and are most content living outside. Feral kittens up to eight or ten weeks of age, on the other hand, can often be tamed and placed in homes.