There are so many feral cats in this world that need a home. Many people are afraid of them because they are naturally very leery 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 who has had no human contact) and 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 at the point now where I can pet most of them and they crave my attention and touch. I won't say this has been easy. It takes a huge amount of patience to get a feral cat to trust you and accept you. But it is one of the most rewarding things when they do. So, yes, feral cats are safe to keep. It just takes some time and caution at first.
The first question about the cat being safe is does it have diseases you are afraid of contracting? The good news is that many diseases that cats get are not harmful to you. Some, like rabies, are however, so you do have to be cautious.The obvious best solution to this question is if you can trap the feral cat and take it to the vet for a full checkup. This can sometimes be simple if you can get the cat to go into a Havahart type of trap. It's long and narrow and you put food at the very end of it. There is a metal plate that the cat steps on near the food and this closes the door. It's very humane and from there your vet will have his own way of getting the cat out and sedating them to check them out.
However, there are many cats that won't fall for this. They aren't stupid and know somehow this is a trap. If this is the case, you are going to have to be prepared to win the cat over until you can get them to go 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 go away. Don't try to touch them or have any interaction with them for a few weeks. Then you can try standing off at a distance while they eat and watch them out of the corner of your eye. Then try moving a little closer and squat down near them (but not too close). This process needs to move slowly and might take months. Eventually you hope to get to the point where they will let you stand just a foot or two from them. The main thing is to act naturally around them, not like you're waiting to pounce and grab them! As you can see, it can be a long process, but if you have a love for animals like I do, it is well worth the effort.
Back to the safety issue. During this whole process you do have to be careful. You don't want to be bitten before you've had the chance for a vet to give them a good physical and some tests. If the cat is acting in a normal manor (don't count the hissing and growling) and has no obvious signs of injuries, that's a great start. Just watch for anything unusual like drooling excessively or lethargic behavior. Once you get to the point where they let you pet them, still be careful until you can get them to the vet. As a whole, I have had very few of my ferals that were sick and had to be put to sleep. So don't feel that a feral cat is automatically sick or diseased, but use common sense and be careful. When that day comes that they rub up against your leg and want to curl up in your lap, you will feel an enormous sense of accomplishment. You took a helpless, homeless cat that never had a human to care for them, and turned them into a friendly, loving feline.
