Green Stray Cat, Varna, Bulgaria

A long-term study of a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program in Central Florida found that despite widespread concern about the welfare of free-roaming cats, 83% of the cats studied had been present for over six years, with almost half first observed as adults of unknown age. These time spans compared favourably to the average lifespan of 7.1 years for pet cats reported in a 1984 study, and to the finding that only 42% of the pet cat population in the U.S. is more than 5 years old.
Without human assistance, feral kittens are expected to have a high death rate.
Adult feral cats without human assistance have been found in surprisingly good condition. In Florida, a study of feral cats admitted to a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program concluded that "euthanasia for debilitated cats for humane reasons is rarely necessary". A further study of over 100,000 community cats (feral and stray) admitted to TNR programs in diverse locations of the U.S. resulted in the same 0.4% rate of euthanasia for debilitating conditions. Rates of Feline leukemia virus infection and Feline immunodeficiency virus antibodies in feral cats studied in North Carolina and Florida were similar to those of owned cats. The body condition of feral cats entering a TNR program in Florida was described as "generally lean but not emaciated". However, many community cats had suffered from parasites such as fleas and ear mites before entering TNR programs.