Are feral cats safe?

There are so many wild cats in this world that need a home. Many people are afraid of them because they are very suspicious by nature and can become aggressive if threatened or cornered. And who can blame them? Most of them have never had homes (which is the definition of a feral cat, one that has had no human contact) and have not been treated very well by the humans they have come in contact with. I have had many cats over the years. I currently have 26 cats, most of them feral. I am now at the point where I can pet most of them and they crave my attention and touch. I will not say that this has been easy. It takes a lot of patience to get a wild cat to trust and accept you. But it’s one of the most rewarding things when they do it. So yes, feral cats are safe to keep. It just takes some time and caution at first.

The first question about the cat’s safety is if it has diseases that you fear contracting. The good news is that many diseases that cats contract are not harmful to you. However, some, like rabies, are, so you have to be careful. This can sometimes be simple if you can get the cat into a Havahart type trap. It’s long and narrow and you put food at the end. There is a metal plate that the cat steps on near the food and the cat closes the door. He is very humane and from there your vet will have his own way of taking the cat out and sedating him for check ups.

However, there are many cats that will not fall for this. They are not stupid and they somehow know that this is a trap. If this is the case, you’ll need to be prepared to win the cat over until you can get it into a carrier or some other “trap.” This is where patience, patience, patience comes in. You feed the cat every day at a certain time (or twice a day) and leave. Don’t try to touch or interact with them for a few weeks. Then you can try to keep some distance while they eat and watch them out of the corner of your eye. Then try moving a little closer and squatting close to them (but not too close). This process must move slowly and can take months. Eventually, you hope to get to the point where you’re allowed to stand within just a foot or two of them. The main thing is to act natural around them, not like you’re just waiting to jump up and grab them! As you can see, it can be a long process, but if you have a love for animals like me, it’s worth the effort.

Let’s go back to the topic of security. During this whole process you have to be careful. You don’t want him to bite you before you’ve had a chance to get a good physical exam and some tests done by a vet. If the cat is behaving normally (not counting hissing and growling) and has no obvious signs of injury, that’s a great start. Just keep an eye out for anything unusual, such as excessive drooling or lethargic behavior. Once you get to the point where you’re allowed to pet them, be careful until you can take him to the vet. In general I have had very few of my wild ones that were sick and had to be put to sleep. So don’t think that a feral cat is automatically sick or ill, but use common sense and be careful. When the day comes when they rub against your leg and want to curl up in your lap, you’ll feel an enormous sense of accomplishment. You took a helpless, homeless cat that never had a human to care for it, and turned it into a friendly and loving feline.