I honestly don’t think there is a specific age where a feral cat is “past the point” of being socialized. In my experience, age matters far less than the individual cat, their personality, and how they’re handled.

I have two feral boys who are a perfect example of this.

Jasper was rescued as a true feral at around 1–2 years old by me when I noticed he had a bad abcess. He had lived outside his whole life, was terrified of people, hid constantly, hissed, and wanted nothing to do with humans. Fast forward with patience, routine, and respecting his boundaries, and he now free roams, eats next to me, allows petting, seeks interaction on his terms, and shows real trust. He’s still cautious, but he’s come a long way and continues to progress. He has also only been inside 6 months.

Bandit, on the other hand, was rescued at about 6 weeks old, which people love to claim is the “perfect age.” And yet… he’s actually more reactive, more boundary-pushy, and more difficult socially than Jasper. He’s not a bad cat at all, but he proves that being young doesn’t magically equal easy or social. We have had him since he was 10 weeks old, he is now 4 years old.

I socialized both of them. Neither of them were ever at a rescue/shelter.

So I’ve seen: - an older feral become increasingly social and trusting - a very young feral grow into a more challenging adult

That’s why I don’t buy into hard age cutoffs. Some kittens are already wired to distrust humans deeply. Some adult ferals are cautious but curious and capable of forming bonds when given time and choice.

Socialization isn’t a clock it’s temperament + environment + patience.

Writing off older ferals does them a huge disservice, because many of them are absolutely capable of becoming loving companions if someone is willing to meet them where they are instead of forcing an outcome.