What to Do With Feral Cats

While it’s tempting to call any cat you see roaming the streets, not every wandering feline is a potential pet. Some cats, known as ferals, are fully wild and have no interest in your cat toys or treats — and may lash out at you if you try to approach them. 

So, no, the cat distribution system hasn’t finally chosen you. Instead, you may be face to face with a feral cat, but that doesn’t stop the animal lover from wanting to help.

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“Caring for feral cats helps both the cats and the community when done correctly,” Susan Stillman of Loving Care Cat Rescue in Lemoyne, Pennsylvania, says. “You can support feral cats in several meaningful ways,” including setting up feeding schedules, providing insulated shelters, and volunteering with or donating to local rescues.

Differences between feral, stray, and domestic cats

When you spot a cat wandering your neighborhood, the first thing to look for is a collar and/or tag, although even healthy pet cats don’t always wear collars. You can also observe their body language: Domestic cats tend to be more comfortable around and responsive toward people, while strays are drawn in by food. 

Feral cats, on the other hand, want nothing to do with humans and even offering food or treats won’t bring them close. They’re also far more likely to injure any person who tries to pet or handle them.

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Common misconceptions about feral cats

Unlike your average stray cat, feral cats have been born in the wild and raised without any kind of human interaction or socialization. They’re closer to raccoons and other wildlife than domestic cats. Feral cats tend to hide out during the day and avoid people. These animals are completely self-sufficient, finding food and shelter on their own in the outdoors and won’t make good pets, unless they’re very young.

“Feral kittens under about 12 weeks can usually be socialized with consistent handling,” Stillman says. “Older kittens can sometimes come around but may require experienced foster homes. Truly feral adults generally do not adapt well to indoor life and experience high stress in confinement.” 

Should you take care of feral cats?

While you can’t bring a feral cat into your home, you can provide food, water, and shelter for these animals. Just be sure to avoid interacting directly with them as they are not socialized like domestic or even stray cats.

What to do with feral cats

Feral cats are wild animals that can be extremely territorial and aggressive toward humans and other animals. Even if you manage to trap a feral cat, adoption organizations and rescues will not accept these animals. They thrive in the wild and should stay there, but there are things you can do to help care for feral cats in your area and work toward their health and safety.

Practice trap, neuter, release (TNR).

Spaying and neutering is the most effective way to reduce the feral cat population and improve overall cat health. Look for established trap, neuter, release (TNR) programs in your area that need volunteers.

Set up a food station and feeding schedule.

You can still help out feral cats while giving them the privacy they need. Before setting up a feeding station in your yard, talk to your neighbors about the best location that keeps feral cats away from pets. Make sure to set food out at certain times of day to avoid enticing other animals, like rats and raccoons.

How to care for feral cats

When it comes to feral cats, the best thing to do is treat them as wild animals—and keep your distance. Don’t attempt to handle or pet these cats, or you may end up with worse than a few scratches or bites, as many feral cats carry disease. 

Fortunately, there are things you can do to help feral cats survive, without putting your life in danger.

Provide food and water.

Set out fresh, canned food and water once or twice daily (to avoid freezing). While feral cats can hunt and find their own food, you can ease the search for them.

Build warm shelters.

A DIY outdoor cat shelter is the perfect way to support feral cats from a safe distance. You can construct a simple shelter from a plastic container or cardboard box by cutting a doorway into it and lining the inside with newspaper or Styrofoam. 

Monitor health care

Keep an eye out for any feral cats that are injured or severely ill. These cats may limp or walk strangely or have visible wounds that need treatment, like frostbite. Before trying to trap the cat, reach out to a community cat-friendly veterinarian and describe the situation. The vet can help you determine the best steps to humanely trap the cat, which may involve contacting a local rescue or TNR organization.

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Can you socialize feral cats to adopt?

Just like possums, raccoons, and squirrels, feral cats are wild animals — and in many cases more dangerous than your average neighborhood wildlife. With a lot of patience and care, young feral kittens can be socialized to become house pets, but adult feral cats are best left alone.

Bottom line

While you may be charmed by any cat you see roaming the streets, feral cats are not pets. Unlike stray cats, they usually have no need for humans and are wild animals who have no interest in cuddling up next to you on the couch.

Approach feral cats with caution, but don’t be afraid to leave out food and water for them or to work with a local TNR program to reduce the local feral cat population.

FAQs

How can you get rid of feral cats?

TNR is the best strategy for reducing the feral cat population and eliminating unwanted behaviors like yowling, spraying, and fighting. The more feral cats are spayed and neutered in your area, the fewer cats will be around as time goes on.

Should you let feral cats live in your garden, garage, shed, barn, or porch?

You can certainly let feral cats live on your property, but you may want to make sure they’re spayed and neutered to avoid the disruption of mating cats. You should also try to vaccinate feral cats to keep your pets safe.

Should you try to catch feral kittens and find them homes?

While feral cats are often distrustful and even aggressive toward humans, feral kittens have a better chance of being socialized into pets. However, these animals must be fully tamed and trained as domestic cats before they can be put up for adoption. 

Can feral cats make your house cats sick?

Many feral cats carry diseases that they can pass on to domestic pets, which is why some TNR programs also include vaccinations before releasing feral cats back into the wild.