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What's the difference between stray and feral? Animal control's cat policies are scrutinized.

I know a four-legged guy with one bright green eye and a sleek black coat. I call him Ziggy after David Bowie, who also had one bright green eye and occasionally wore long sleek black coats.

For the last month, I've been leaving food and water out for Ziggy every morning and afternoon, bought him a mat and still, he hisses at me.

I even started putting mint plants near his designated spot so the neighborhood possum doesn't steal his stash. (Because I actually researched how to keep possums away - just for this guy.)

Lately, I've incorporated canned food into his diet, the good kind.

But he just backs away and looks at me with that one green, suspicious eye.

I suspect he may be a feral cat. Not just stray, but feral. What's the difference?

Again, bear with me while I indulge my love for animal stories, but an interesting debate over how to treat feral and stray cats has come up in League City.

Some former volunteers of the city's shelter facility believe the city's TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) is releasing stray, but not feral, cats into the wild.

They say the difference matters — a wild feral cat is different from stray cat that can be rescued.

The city is now reviewing its policy. Come back Wednesday to read my story on the debate.

Is the guy with the one green eye and shiny black coat a stray or a feral feline? I don't know yet, but I'd like to believe there's hope for any homeless cat, even if they hiss.

Yvette Orozco, Suburban reporter producer

yvette.orozco@houstonchronicle.com

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Shout out

Shout out to the League City Hometown Heroes Park Zumba Group, which recently raised more than $4,400 for the Blue Santa Program with a Zumbathon fundraiser.

This was the largest single donation ever made to the program.

The Blue Santa program provides toys and Christmas dinners for low-income children and their families in the local area.