My parents have three cats at this time. They fix them thank God.Free ranging cats don't last long around my places either.
All were dropped off. They live in the country, and it happens a lot.
My father in his old age has become a cat lover.
All my life my father didn't like cats, or let on he didn't.
He's taken in 5 drop off kittens in the last 8 years. Found them in the woods crying/meowing loudly. Kittens don't last long making all that noise in the woods.
They all go do their nightly run around the woods, and come back and sleep on the porch.
The only one they have lost was one that was dumb enough to get to close to our Redbone coonhound. The cat was 5yo and should have known better by then.