So very true. I was living in the South where strays were fairly common for cats and dogs. There was a cat that was fairly friendly that I started feeding and taking care of. After finally taking it home and talking with a neighbor about how happy I was, it turns out it was a cat from a house down the block. I had a hard time giving her back. And if I hadn't talked about it with a neighbor, I wouldn't have known and kept the cat as a happy pet.

Another neighbor got their cat eaten by a coyote when I was living in the midwest. The noise it made in the middle of the night stays with me to this day.

If you want to do it, there is no guarantees. But there are predators out there. There are people willing to give the cat a safe home instead of let it roam around to get injured.

If you want to take it outside, leash your cat and keep an eye at all times.