can feral kittens hand reared go outside

maddie'skittens

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We just recently adopted 2 kittens. My daughter and I found one in the middle of the road and the other in a bush by the side of the road. We took them to the vet to see how old they were- they were only 2-3 weeks old. An assistant at the vet kept them for us and bottle fed them- they are pretty social- love to run around inside and play. My question is this- can we transition them to inside/outdoor cats? My concern is that we have some strays living in the woods behind our house and racoons that like to get in the trash. Would they have a clue how to protect themselves after having been raised by a human? We never planned on having indoor cats- but will do that if it is necessary. Just wondering what experiences others have hed.
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momofmany

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I hand raised 3 of mine from a young age and all 3 were born feral. I would never dream of letting them outside. They don't have the savy of other cats and are too overly trusting to let them loose in the world. All 3 of mine will go up to complete strangers and throw themselves on the ground for loving. And all 3 of mine grew up with dogs and don't have a clue that anything would ever try to hurt them. They are overly innocent.

If you can't keep them inside, I would highly recommend that you find a good indoor home for them.
 

cc12

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They are indoor cats now and no longer feral. Their instincts are for indoor only. They are defenseless in such an environment.
My cat Mary was found on the street and had street smarts but when I moved out to the country she would not have made it. She had no clue what the dangers were.
I don't think in your situation that they would be okay outside. I would advise indoor only.
 
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