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Feral Cats:
Caring for, Handling, and Socializing
This page is designed for shelters and clinics that take in feral cats and wish to improve the quality of care they provide for them.
What is a feral cat?
Feral cats are outdoor cats that have had little to no interactions with people and often avoid human contact. Many cannot be approached or picked up and typically require a humane trap to be caught. There are plenty of outdoor cats that are seemingly friendly and even enjoy interacting with humans; however, most of them have never been properly handled, so caution should always be taken. Like any cat, they will defend themselves if they feel threatened. This behavior does not make them “mean.” Rather, they are simply scared and unaccustomed to human handling. ​​
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The reality is, feral cats are still domestic cats, not wild animals. They're just extremely fearful and not used to being handled by humans. Being feral does not mean they're untouchable or that they can't become friendly or tolerant of human handling. We should treat and assess feral cats with the same respect as any other house cat.
Why Socialize a Feral Cat?
Feral cats aren’t “untouchable” like many people assume. Their aggression is out of fear, not because they're mean. In this video, I explain why socializing feral cats matters.
Disclaimer and Special Considerations
If a feral cat is healthy, ear‑tipped, and thriving outdoors, it’s best to let them live their life. Outdoor cats often have caretakers and prefer the freedom of their natural environment, even with the risks involved. If your shelter does intake community cats, it is important that they are promptly assessed, sterilized, vaccinated, and returned to where they came from, as this is almost always the best pathway for them. However, if needed for medical treatments or hospitalizations, many feral or community cats can be managed if assessed and handled properly. Feral cats can even be returned to their outdoor home after enucleations and amputations in most cases, as opposed to euthanasia.
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If you must hospitalize, medicate, or handle a feral cat, safety is critical. Restraining them is dangerous and should only be done by experienced handlers. Feral cats can injure themselves or you if precautions aren’t taken. Those handling feral or outdoor cats should be aware of potential zoonotic diseases that these cats can carry, such as Ringworm and Rabies. For short‑term housing and/or hospitalization, socialization isn’t always necessary; however, it can dramatically improve their welfare while in our care. When housed or hospitalized, a feral cat is already in a state of fight or flight, so attempting gentle socialization techniques can improve their welfare.
Every cat responds differently. Some can adapt to life as barn cats or even pets, while others resist socialization altogether, and that’s okay. Manage them as best you can until release, and always discuss their quality of life with a veterinarian. Long‑term confinement of cats without enrichment or socialization opportunities is inhumane.
Handling and Medicating
Most places that take in stray or feral cats provide medical treatments only while the cat is sedated. This is completely fine if that's all you're capable of doing, only do what is feasible for you and the cat. The techniques presented here are for those who would like to learn how to handle and medicate these cats without having to sedate them for every treatment or exam. This comes in handy for cats that are high-risk patients, ones that need daily treatments, and for assessing a cat while they're awake. For oral medications, it is better to mix it in wet food, canned tuna, or Churu to avoid additional stressful handling, when possible. For injections, ointments, or oral meds that they aren't eating on their own, I find the Superman towel wrap to work best for restraining them. Below are examples of how I handle hospitalized feral cats. Most of these cats will exhibit their most severe stress/ flight behaviors in the first 30 seconds of being handled for the first time, but once you're able to secure them in a towel, they almost always calm down. That being said, do not let your guard down or they will try to escape. The most common time for a cat to try and break free is when you are putting them back into their kennel or housing unit, so be extra cautious. Some cats are stronger than others so be sure you have a good grip on them before removing them from their kennel, box, or trap, however I promise that you are stronger than a 10-pound cat. Only work with a feral cat in a secure room in case they get loose.
Socializing
When I say "socialize" with a feral cat, what I mean is interacting with them one-on-one as a way to assess their behavior and get them used to being handled by people. This is primarily done to decrease their stress while in your care, making them much more manageable for handling, medicating, and monitoring. The best techniques for restraining and socializing feral cats are my Superman Towel Wrap, paired with the Bundle & Bond method.
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To properly assess and socialize feral cats, you need the skills and confidence to handle them without cat gloves. While gloves can be useful for briefly restraining a fractious cat, they should not be used for routine handling or socialization. Their bulk prevents the gentle and precise movements that fearful or feral cats require. To be clear, this isn’t about simply avoiding cat gloves—it’s about already being skilled and comfortable enough to work safely without relying on them.
Assessing a Feral Cat
It is virtually impossible to tell the difference between a feral cat and an extremely fearful pet cat, especially if they were brought in in a cat trap. Being trapped and transferred to a facility is often the most stressful experience a cat can face. In that situation, their behavior does not reflect how they normally act, even for feral cats, because fear overwhelms them. For this reason, it’s important never to judge a cat’s temperament or personality based solely on how they behave inside a trap.
Assessing any cat’s true behavior can only be done in a calm, quiet environment over the course of many days, and even then, it is never entirely accurate. For feral cats, the purpose of an “assessment” is to determine how best to manage them while in our care.
Some cats that initially seem feral may respond very well to patience and quiet compassion, while others simply prefer not to be socialized at all, and that is perfectly acceptable. Ultimately, the goal of assessment is to guide the most appropriate course of action for each cat, ensuring their well-being during the time they are with us. I assess feral cats the same way I assess any other cat. Using the FAS chart is helpful to gauge how stressed they are and how to approach them. If they are in a cat trap, move them to a quiet and secure room, cover the trap with a blanket, and let them calm down for 5-10 minutes. Next, uncover half the trap slowly, talk gently to them
If they are already in a kennel, they should have a feral box provided to them for hiding. Some cats will hide as far back in the kennel or box as they can and some will be wide-eyed and out of their box. Both can still be experiencing the same level of fear; but some are actively looking for a way out, so be extra cautious if you see a feral cat not hiding, but they still seem very scared.
Case Study- Marmalade
In this video, I demonstrate my techniques for picking up, restraining, and medicating a feral cat after an eye removal.
