Can feral cats go outside?

Question

Can feral cats go outside?

Answer 1

I thought that's what feral cats are. Cats that are wild and live outdoors.

Answer 2

You have a feral kitty indoors???  Is everything shredded yet?  

Answer 3

Yes, but it takes a few days for their instincts to kick back in to gear. Once you let them out and they change, they will only come back to eat, drink and sleep.

EDIT- I am asuming your asking about a cat that never has been outdoors before.

Answer 4

How did a feral cat get indoors?

Answer 5

Feral (wild) cats generally won't go inside.

Answer 6

I'm going to assume you mean a feral cat that's been caught and tamed. I tend to prefer not to let ANY cat outside, because of the dangers from cars, dogs, strays etc.

That said when I was 11 I caught myself a feral kitten, took it home, and we tamed it, and once it had accepted that we were not a threat, he went outside all of the time, and came back when he was hungry, or when it was early in the evening and we were all hanging out after dinner with spare time on our hands to lavish on the cat.

Meanwhile despite the fact that our house had quite a few visitors, the cat never got used to strangers. If any came, he would leave. Which led me to the conclusion that he never actually tamed down, he just decided to be friends with my family.

So yes they can be let outside, but are you sure it's necessary in the first place?

Answer 7

I thought feral cats were from outside?

Answer 8

A feral cat is a semi-wild cat that lives outside....barn cats are a good example.  They are typically not good pets because they have grown up outside and are not socialized.  Unless they are taken in when they are very young, they will not adjust well to indoor life.