Strays are so much easier to place than ferals. Feral cats once used to be someone's pet. But because they were dumped to fend for themselves by their irresponsible pet owners and revert back to being feral, they do not trust humans. That's why you will not be able to pet them.

The only humane thing for a feral cat is to trap, neuter and release it and provide it with a shelter made out of a Rubbermaid 20 gal tub with lid, food and water. Unfortunately, those are the hard facts.