What is the eventual fate of ferals, particularly your experience?

Sorry for a potentially grim topic, but I have to know.

I found an approx. 2yr old feral about 2 years ago, so he's about 4. It took months just to be able to pet him (which he does like) but I haven't ever tried picking him up and I'm sure he won't like it. I've come to the conclusion that he can never be adopted, and I'd like him to at least be comfortable. 

The reason why I believe he can't be adopted is that he never wants to stay inside. He comes in only for food, and walks in only by choice when he wants food. If he hangs around the outside, and I leave the door open, calling him, he won't come in. I've tried to get him to stay for the night, but the few times he does he usually he gets up at 1AM and jumps at the door and turns the handle, which is the signal for him to leave. There's been a few times that he's actually stayed inside and slept through the morning into the early evening, but eventually he'll always want to go outside. 

Fortunately he's been neutered and lives in a temperate climate with no extreme cold or heat (SF bay area)

So according to some websites, the average lifespan of feral cats is about 6-8 years, with indoor double that, so he's like a grizzled veteran in feral cat years. I do fear that his days are numbered. Do feral cats develop tooth and gum problems that will cause him to starve like I see on documentaries of wild animals? I've already lost one feral and I feel so bad because she was really nice and I got attached to her and the warning signs were there. She was even younger than the male, so she didn't even get to the average lifespan. I think the unknown is the worst when they just disappear. For the people who have taken care of ferals, do they just disappear one day? If so, how do you deal with it? 

I've read that the average life span of ferals is 3-5 years. However, I think this statistic applies to ferals who are on their own and don't have a human caregiver. If you are feeding your cat a healthy diet and are able to trap/catch him to take him to the vet if he becomes very ill, then there's no reason he can't live a long, happy life outside. Experienced ferals know how to avoid getting hit by a car, and since yours is neutered, there's no reason for him to get into fights or roam.

If you're concerned about tooth disease, feed him a handful of Greenies each day. These are dental treats for cats, and I give them to all of my cats, including my outdoor feral.

The fact that he comes into your house at all, and that you can grab him and take him to a vet if necessary, is very good news. Also, I know there are some people who are against allowing any cat, even a feral, to go outside and will tell you to keep him inside against his will--but I disagree with this. He has made his choice--at least for now--about how he wants to live his life, and you are respecting it and his freedom. There may come a day when he's older and chooses to spend more time inside, but since you're in a temperate climate, he may very well wish to remain outside, and at least you don't have to worry about severe weather as many of us do.

In short, I don't think the outlook is grim for your cat at all!

I agree with Ms Aimee.  He sounds like he has a good life for a feral cat.

But I also know what you mean - this is the very reason I built an enclosure for my outside cat.  Although he had been socialized as a kitten, he'd been let loose at around 12 weeks and had been on his own for around a year and a half when he came into my life.  He has let me touch him half a dozen times in the year since then.  I had him neutered and got his vaccinations and fed him every morning.  He came for dinner every so often and I found myself worried sick about where he was.  So I built an enclosure for him and he's been happy in it every since.

Is there a chance you can do this for your cat?  It doesn't have to be a large area - and it can have a cat door into your home, which will give him a choice of "in or out" and maybe give you some peace of mind.

Thank you for helping him!

I have 3 outdoor ferals that live on and/or around my deck year round.  We have harsh winters here so I constantly worry about them during the bitter cold.  Fortunately my wonderful DH and DS built a heated cat house for them and they did very well this winter.  It is still a worry during the heat of the summer and thunderstorm season.  Two of the ferals will come into the house for brief visits.  One of them has stayed in all night a few times, but only when it was terribly cold or a major storm.  After 8 hours or so, he has to get outside and begins thrashing at the windows.  I so would love them to live inside, but I know for now it will not happen.  They are happiest outside.  One of them rarely leaves my property.  The other wanders a bit, but always comes back for food.  All are neutered. 

Your guy sounds happy and content.  You are his caregiver and he will live out his life with you taking care of him.  Thank you for caring for him and giving him a good life.  He may surprise you one day and just decide he has had enough of the outside world and become an indoor cat. 

I live in semi-rural SW Louisiana.  Feral cats are pretty much a part of life.  I have four house cats and only one of them was deliberate -- I brought Orly (my photo cat, above) with me when I moved here, and he came from a PetSmart shelter.  All three of the others (Mali, Graylie and Zorro) are  domesticated strays "from the yard" that are now housecats.  But -- they were all young cats or kittens when I met them.  That's probably a factor in their tameability.  Graylie was still really tiny when I took him in.  He still has outside privileges but the other three are completely indoors.  He simply pines for it, so I allow it even though he doesn't get more than 120 feet from the door and checks back in a lot.  Mali was about five months old, but I'd been faithfully feeding her outside, waiting for the time to lure her inside and get her spayed.  She spent one night under the metal shelves in the kitchen, and the next afternoon in my lap giving me kisses.  She caught on quickly!!  We fell in love and the rest is history!  Zorro is the son of Mali's sister, Misty, who started bringing her four newborns to the porch for weaning at just about eight weeks old.  Here comes the sad part:  Less than a week later, she died crossing the road coming back to the property.  I'll never know why she felt she had to do that.  I put Orly's carrier on the back porch to encourage the babies to relocate, and miraculously, they all came!  Zorro is the only one I kept, and he is still here.  I consider him my Godson since she relied on me to provide for them, and I did. 

Also, "MommaCat" is currently in my house with her current newborns (six -- SIX! -- born May 12 birthday) and she has been tame to me for over a year.  That's how these babies got born in the house.  This is her third litter but the first born "tame" -- in fact, two of her previous babies -- both ginger blondes --  still are outside and they get fed daily on my back porch.  At  four months old or so, they're not yet petable but they are wary-but-trusting of me and the other neighbors who care for them.  My guess is that they could become tame if they were somehow persuaded to come inside.  They are destined for spay/neuter but probably will remain in the yard.  MommaCat's first litter went to the no-kill shelter at approx their age and two of them are still there -- considered too feral despite my effort to "tame" them for a month before I took them there.

But we have a regular trio of adult feral males who help themselves to the food put out on the back porch for those kittens.  Two of them are incorrigible and the third one may eventually be touchable, but none will become housecats.  I wonder if it may be gender-related, since MommaCat has been sweet all along but the boys are extremely guarded.

Because I live in a mild climate I'm not too concerned with keeping feral cats safe from the cold.  At the end of our property is an old abandoned tin barn and a dilapidated machine shop, both made of corrugated metal and likely to stand for another thirty years at least.  The ferals who hang around have shelter in there, as does Graylie when he's out.  The worst danger is from the road and from each other -- which is why I feed everybody who shows up on the back porch.  It's safe as long as they stay away from the road.  Mating rivalries are the worst problem.  MommaCat is destined to be spayed after the current six are weaned, and the babies will be taken to the no-kill shelter at their most adorable, so they should have excellent prospects.  Momma and the gingers will stay here as "yard mascots," as it has worked thus far.

Long story (indeed!) short, the younger the easier to tame, but there are exceptions like MommaCat.  We have treated her with 100% kindness and she has 100% confidence in us.  That's all you can do.

Here in Hawaii, we have seen quite a few community cats in safe, stable colony live to be 17 years old. Some have sadly disappeared over time, but many live happy lives and when they slow down enough, we take them in to vet for evaluation. For the most part, as long as they are eating and seem content we let them remain in their colony home environment. Some caregivers who have bonded closely with a cat over the years choose to take the old cat home for their last days where the cat can be monitored.

We are lucky that Hawaii does not have predators such as coyotes, raccoons or bobcats. Our biggest worries are the outspoken human opponents to community cats, especially from the American Bird Conservancy and wildlife groups who promote misinformation and bogus science regarding feral cat predation on birds and wildlife. Those people want the cats rounded up and killed!

As for handling it emotionally when a cat disappears, that never gets easier. It does help that we use microchips on all of our cats. The humane society animal control agency here calls us if one of our cats gets turned in. That has saved many lives!

God bless!