We had a very large orange cat around our farm. Never could get close to him. One night he fought another male. Screaming and rolling down driveway. The next am he was in the barn but really cut up. Long story short food and water and a bit of time passes. He is no longer running from us but he is missing an eye. Had him nurtured and he stayed with me till he passes from a tumor he had behind his eye. I was super sick for a couple of months and he slept on my head the whole time. Never left my bed. The most awesome cat in the world. He was always known as Orange Cat.
I have a orange cat surrounding our house and he's been there for along time. I feed him and he's getting nicer to me. He keeps running away though. I'm waiting for him to trust me. Whenever I talk to him he doesn't leave. He takes a seat, and listens for along while. He keeps his distance while listening and sitting. I think I'm getting closer with him. He looks relaxed when I talk. And closes his eyes while listening. He's really nice, and he doesn't have rabies. I kinda want to have him as a pet. But its his choice completely and I don't have a say in it.
Aww we had a stray cat we called white cat (she wasn't brown lol) She was deaf and always ok a bad mood.gradually we started getting closer to her until she let us touch her bur only in one spot.she started living on our patio.she was relaxed and had a place to stay out of the weather.we even made her a little house with blankets.she would never come inside the house but that was good enough for us! She felt safe.we think she was always on guard because she was deaf. Apparently about 75 to 80 percent of pure white cats with blue eyes are born deaf.
A neighbor boy pulled a feral Siamese kitten out from under my house. The kitten bite the crap out of him. I kept it in a hamster cage for about a week. I put on heavy gloves to pet it every few hours. One day as I was petting it it turned around and looked me in the eyes like he suddenly recognized me. He raised up to pet my chin and started purring. From then on he loved me till the day he died. His name was Sting.
I brought two feral cats in after taking to vet. T 2:44 he male never domesticated, he got out and ran away after being an indoor / outdoor cat. I was trying to catch him fo 4:01 r his neutering that day. The female did become domesticated at about 3 years and is 14 now.
I have domesticated 4 or 5 feral cats over the last 15 years. Several points: I found that about 70 percent of feral cats will domesticate, although it can take several years in some cases and as short as a few months in other cases. Male ferals may be easier to become domesticated. They domesticate themselves on their schedule. All you can do is be loving and patient. Your attitude should be that they're welcome in your house even if they never domesticate themselves. The feral that never becomes domesticated will still develop an affection for you. They will learn their names and respond to you with a meow when call them. It's not so much that their "wild"; they're just afraid. Some ferals just can't adjust to be touched. But they eventually they will welcome your presence. Ferals don't cause trouble with your other cats. They co-exist just like domesticated cats. Also, ferals use the cat box by instinct. I've never had a problem in this regard. It's helpful when domesticated cats have used the box. Perhaps the most important factor in domesticating a feral is having it live among several domesticated cats. Watching you interact with domesticated cats may indicate that you can be trusted. It also gives the feral a chance to trust other cats in peaceful, secure circumstances. You are a part of those circumstances, which may help them to trust you. Feeding time is a good opportunity to communicate with a feral. Fairly quickly, it will come out to eat with its domesticated brothers and sisters. Keep praising it when it's eating. Keep the eating experience as unchanging as possible: same time of day, same method for disbursing food, etc. In the beginning, your feral is going to spend a lot of time under the bed or hiding elsewhere; coming out at night to play with their domesticated cousins or to explore. Eventually they will poke their heads out during the day. Whenever you see them, talk to them. Talk to them even when you're petting another cat. Talk, talk, talk. By the way, we don't domesticate feral cats; they domesticate themselves by coming to trust you. There's a another factor to consider: Some ferals have led relatively peaceful lives. Other ferals have been traumatized or have come close to starving. The former are better prepared to develop trust. Young adult ferals have had fewer opportunities to be traumatized. The video mentions eventually picking up a feral. This may be too much to expect, but you can certainly get to the point where you can pet them and have them sleep at the foot of your bed while you're asleep. I recall one feral who became a lap cat. Don't expect this. Having a feral in your house is NOT a "nightmare situation." They hide at first and when they do come out they're extremely shy. Just don't push your luck. They're scared. They will always be wary and spook easily, but they make devoted pets.
@@NiceMuslimLady It is amazing. I have small, female feral cat in my house who's about 15 years old. She knows her name, she meows at me, etc. but I can't touch her, even though I've known her since she was a kitten. She was picked on by another cat throughout her kittenhood and spent most of her time hiding. Her tormentor is long gone, but the trauma remains.
@@NiceMuslimLady I certainly hope so. I just checked. She's in her usual spot: in a cabinet under the bathroom sink. She doesn't run, as long as I don't try to touch her.
I appreciate you telling your experience. It seems you've shared much empathy with the creatures you come into contact with. Both the OP and commenter. I also have a feral. 1 feral & 1 stray The feral was 7 weeks old when he joined the family though so it didn't take long for him to warm up once he got food and a bath and started feeling better from the meds after the vet visit. He warned up within a couple days. It was so quick we were kinda shocked. Now 2 months in he lets us pet his belly, pick him up, he plays with toys. I think we got really lucky with him though it was a weird combo of him being so weak and really really needed help when we found him. He was so weak he was seeking out help at that point so he let us pick him up and the trust just got bigger from there. It's really been a miracle of a recovery and a very sweet bond already. Though he did pass a contagious disease to our already in home long time kitty. That's been hard on us. We feel very guilty for bringing a sick kitty in the home and making our own kitty of 12 years sick. We didn't know. We did keep them separate but live in an efficiency so it wasn't working very well I guess. So I do warn others who are trying to help. Maybe bring the sick ones you find to someone's house that doesn't already have animals. Or bring them to a no kill shelter until you figure out what's up with them if your thinking about keeping them because now we have 2 sick kitties instead of our one healthy long time cat.
The love of my life is a feral who adopted me. He was so feral he had to learn to meow from my other rescues. He is the best companion I could ever have. 💘
I guess I am very fortunate. My feral cat who has a clipped ear ran into my house on November 19, 2018. We had talked a number of times. It was awful weather that day. I am so happy that she trusted me! She has been the best little kitty ever! A huge part of my life❤! Very smart little girl! From what I can gather, she's about 7. It is possible, and I'm so grateful for her blessing my life❤❤
I recently took in an old semi-feral Tom cat who was badly injured. I say semi-feral because I found out that someone had fed him but didn't have any physical contact. He was a mess! His whole tail was bloody and parts of it were falling off! I believe a car ran over his tail. I cried every time I fed him because he wouldn't let me touch him to get him help. Over time, he got friendlier and friendlier and let me pet him so I kept doing that for a while until he got used to that. Then one day I slowly picked him up while he was eating and got him in a cat cage. I took him to the Humane Society and they did everything to fix him up and I mean everything. He got neutered, dewormed, antibiotics, they killed the zillion lice and fleas he had, shaved him, Rabie shot, 2 baths, the works! He had been itching so bad that it looked like he was having a seizure. They had him for four days and they charged me NOTHING but I donated a couple hundred. He is now in a large cat cage on my back porch recovering. I am still working on training him to the litter box. If I succeed at that, I will attempt to bring him inside. I give him lots of loving during the day and he purrs and pushes his head into my hand now. Lots of comforting and gentle talk and massaging as he went through a lot of stress at the Humane Society but for his own good. His tail is healing up nicely and no more bleeding or itching. I sure do love this "Pretty Boy" and I am so grateful to the Humane Society for saving him. A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I don't have to cry over him anymore. All it takes is a lot of patience and time. It can be done!
The vet hospital has saved me thousands and saved my last cat when no one else was listening. Not all vets are out there looking for money. I will say, this was so hard on me, but my vet told me to lock my ex-feral in the bathroom for 3-5 days. It was awful for both of us but he will only use the box now. My stray, who had no human contact, I couldn’t bear to do it to. Thankfully she learned quite quickly.
I have 2 kittens born of a ferral cat, they were 4 weeks old when I got them. I fed them bathed them and litter trained them. They are my children. I had them fixed when it was appropriate, and they have been in my custody since May 2012. The story of their being raised by me is one I cherish, I am so glad I have them.
Woah same here, been feeding a feral momma in my backyard. I was SO excited when I realized she had babies. Two of them ran away one day so I was left with three. Sadly, just as I was making progress taming the third, she was killed by a dog:/ I was so heartbroken I decided to bring the other two in just so they'd be safe. Months later they're now safe, happy, and healthy. It makes me proud to know that I cared for them and tamed them myself:))
That's good but the most important things is did you fix the other cats in that community? those kittens did have parents who were still able to bred they would've been living in that area
Mooshie took 3 years to tame. He had my back bedroom. He his in corners. I filled the corners with furniture dressers etc. I would go in and sit and just talk to him. After a while he started coming out. The day he let me scratch his chin with 1 finger while I was offering a dish of canned food was a breakthrough. He is still a little skittish. Just recently he started begging for attention. He also likes to plop on me in the middle of the night. Love cures all. He also purrs which he didn't do in the beginning. He loves my other cats and plays like a little kid.
A feral cat showed up at our house. She was pregnant. We fed her daily on the porch. She had her litter of 4. They too shared her food when they were weaned. I would talk to them when I set food down, never touching or getting too close. One day the Orange cat of the litter showed up at the kitchen window & meowed at me. So I started feeding him outside the window always telling him "Its okay" repeatedly. Even petting him once before. I went inside wearing long gloves. Sure enough he came to the window every day & let me pet him once before I went inside. It started getting cold, so I put his food just inside the enclosed porch & told him "Its okay." When it was too cold on the porch, I moved the food just inside the front door all the while telling him it was okay. He was petrified of every little noise. I left the door ajar when I set down food & had put a litter box on the porch the first time he came in to eat. Always left the porch door ajar so he could roam outside. When the good weather came I sat outside & would call "Kitty, kitty" & eventually he'd show up. I told him over & over "Its okay" always in a soothing tone as I petted him once or twice. Every time I petted him from the very first time on he would purr. Purr, purr, purr.. He eventually stayed in the house permanently. (Our other cat considered him an intruder.) Still skittish, he finally settled in and after 2 yrs of giving him lots of loving always telling him in a soft tone "Its okay". he is a lap cat. It took a lot of patience, but it was worth it. (His mother & 3 siblings had been captured & adopted when he showed up at the kitchen window.) So yes, a feral kitten CAN be socialized. 👍👍
My one former feral cat wouldn't let me get within 3 feet of her for the first 10 months, but she loves and learned from my other cats. Still doesn't let me pick her up very much, but she sleeps on me now and wants touching and attention all the time.
Hi ...Could you please advise me , how do I get my domesticated cats & stray cats to get use to each other. I feed the stray , every morning , when my cats are inside...but my cats do go outside during the day . So the stray has been hiding in the back garden . thank you
have had a my 6th, current, semi feral for 2+months; wish this girl would tolerate any other company without attacking. Any progress Really is all in Their time - a good day is just glimpsing a hint of connection and even minimal reduction of their fight or flight response. Some took 8 years or more to fully trust - but so worth it!
I have something else to add. In my backyard for the past several months are two male cats. One is a stray and other is (was) definitely feral. Both are adults. When I put out their food, the stray is starving for affection, so I pause for a minute to pet and talk to him. (If I didn't have so many cats already, I would take him in.) Until very recently, the other cat kept his distance and backed away whenever I got too close. The more I fed them the closer the feral would come, until about month ago when he got close enough to smell my hand. I offered my hand for a couple weeks, and then I touched the top of his head. He instantly pulled back and took a swipe at me. I went back offering my hand. Then he got close once again and I touched his head. He was shocked but quickly realized that what I was doing was pleasurable. Long story short, he's now spoiled, wanting me to drop everything and pet him. (Now the the cats are jealous of each other, and I have to be careful about giving them equal amounts of attention.) My point is that all cats, including ferals, are different. Some ferals can be domesticated. Some after a year or two, and some after a month or two. As I said before, male ferals seem to be less of a challenge. One other point, I believe that I was able to domesticate my backyard feral so quickly is because the stray cat modeled domesticated behavior and wasn't harmed in doing so.
Where I live feeding feral cats is a crime because of how destructive they are to native wildlife. Even on a full stomach they'll still hunt & kill because it's their universal instinct. If you never see your cat doing it, it usually because it does it in the middle of the night or at dawn 'n dusk (depending on the cat) when you are commuting, or only doesn't do it because you keep it locked up. BTW one bell on it's collar is not enough, cats know how to be stealthy enough when hunting to not set it off, so at a minimum 2 bells are required.
There's a huge spectrum of feral cat personalities, from meek and terrified to rabid cougar on meth... I've had them ALL. Currently I'm feeding a feral who's watched me pet and pick up the other cats, including a male she seems very bonded with, but after 2 yrs, she still won't let me touch her. She's ear tipped, so I know she's spayed. When we move, I'll have to trap her, because she's become dependent on us and I patently refuse to leave her.
@@trevorpsy so you know better & stop feeding feral cats. Feeding ferals is bad for wildlife & besides cats are exclusive carnivores so feeding ferals means more abuse of pastural animals too.
@@plaidpanda better to feed her at .22. Feral cats still instinctively kill wildlife even when fed & besides cats are exclusive carnivores so by feeding feral cats you’re adding to the suffering & abuse of pastural animals too. Also feral cats have such awful stressful short lives that if they could speak, post Mortem, they would thankyou for putting them down.
I rescued a feral at my work place. She was about 6 months old. And she WAS VIOLENT. Made all of us at work leave her, bloody and bruised. Yes bruised. We were bloody n bruised, not her. We named her Rhonda after Rhonda Rousse, the boxer. I spent the next 2 mths spending time with her. I finally trapped her. Had her spayed and then kept her at work in the heated garage to recover from the spay. It was winter time in New England. She stayed in the garage from the week of Thanksgiving til Memorial Day the following year. She hide the entire time. We fed her and gave her water. She used the litter box but preferred the speedy dry. She wouldn’t even leave, with the garage doors open nor the loud tractor trailers running being worked on. She left Memorial Day weekend came back the next week during a down pour. She finally let me pat her. I took her home and she never even tries to leave to go outside. Sits along side of my other 2 kitties. Did I mention she is a Tortoise/Calico, known to be obnoxious at times.
That's awesome! Mooshie and 2 of my other babies were also rescued from my work. I always find it funny how almost all of my rescues never try to go outside. Mooshie also has just discovered his pet me now persona:)
@lorismith5245 - it seems that once a feral experiences the domestic life and has a break from the violence/cold/hunger of living rough, they make the choice to throw in with the humans! 😻
I've attempted taming about 10 feral cats over the last 20 years. The success rate wasn't high, but three were tamable. One stayed at a shelter and eventually became a friendly shelter cat that loves people. I brought two home with me after having been scratched and charged at (they were ferocious). But after a few months, I gained their trust, and within a year became extremely loving pets. I still have one of them, and she snuggles and sleeps with me. She loves head bumps, and greets me by licking my face if I lie down on the floor with her. Again, I couldn't make headway with most of them, but a few efforts were very successful.
Interesting ,the one time we semi domesticated a feral cat ,said cat was about 8 yrs old .Having no idea about the process, we started by providing food and a box for shelter in our garden ,progressed to being able to approach him (Again with food ) and eventually he moved in of his own accord .We think he came from a nearby farm colony and simply decided to retire to an easier life .Coming indoors took 3 months and he lived with us for another 3 years ,until sadly illness took him .We were never able to treat him like a pet ,he wasn't having all that soppy petting or picking up stuff ,but he also never attacked us ,just made his boundaries clear .In the light of this i'd say it's very possible to live with a feral cat in your house ,as long as you accept that they are probably never going to be a snuggly lap cat .
My son has raised nine cats. The first four were found on the street as kittens, and they grew into very loving pets. The next three lived in our apartment complex. Their mama had been producing kittens there for years. My son started feeding them, and eventually he was able to pick them up and bring them home. They are a bit more skittish than the others but they get along well. Number eight came to us as an adult when her parents split up. Number nine lived on the street after his family moved away. He seemed to want to move in with us so we took him in. He's a great cat. Raising a feral kitten or a stray adult is possible. You can save a life. Some will be more loving than others, but they're cats! Be patient and be prepared for vet bills. We think it's worth it.
I have a formerly feral cat who is almost exclusively indoors. She will go outside for 10 minutes to go visit the other cats (we have a feral colony of about nine cats), but then she is inside. Right now she is rubbing against my feet very happy and Purdy. I am working with two of the other cats to make them adoptable and we have already adopted one cat out. It is definitely doable, but I work on it every day with them and it is indeed very demanding to do.
I have a feral cat that comes over. He befriended my own cat. We used to see him for years around the area buy he is so fearful. With food over time he came closer to our door. Then when no one was in the living room He came in and jumped on the couch one day. He only feels safe on the couch in our house. At first he was extremely fearful of being touched. But he was never aggressive... just paralysed by fear. But over time eventually we heard him purr a tiny bit. Now as he got comfortable with us, he is happy to give us his belly for rubs (loves belly rubs). Before he only came in the house very rarely.... but as his trust grows it's becoming more frequent. The past week or so He's been staying in the house for the whole night to sleep on the couch. He still feels most safe on the couch. He won't be approached anywhere else. But if I sit on the couch and call his name, he'll come over to snuggle up to me and for affection. It's a long process and lots of patience. Not sure if we'll ever FULLY domesticate him. Currently he won't drink water from a bowl ... he goes outside to drink from a puddle. And has zero interest in the litterbox. One night he peed on my mum's bed because he didn't know where to go and we were all asleep. I tried putting him in the litterbox once ... but again paralysed by fear and run out and straight on the couch because he feels safe there. I put the litter box in the living room where he spends the most time, hoping he might sniff around and detect that my other cat uses it. That would be ideal. It's cold where we live and we don't like the idea of him being in the cold and wet all night... but also not ideal if he needs to pee and doesn't know where to go. We definitely have made a lot of progress with him. The fact that he's staying the night and coming over for affection is really good. I'm literally tip toeing around him so I don't spook him somehow.
I adopted an 8-year-old feral cat from foster care, realizing feral cats might not suit families with children due to their need for a quiet environment. As someone who enjoys solitude, a cat seemed a better fit than a dog, especially living in a one-bedroom apartment. This cat, having survived in the wild and losing an eye in a fight, prefers simple comforts like sleeping in a shoebox over luxurious cat accessories I bought it and returned. Initially, she only ate while being petted, showing a unique bond forming between us. Five weeks in, we've grown closer; she seeks affection on her terms, often at night, and unusually enjoys being petted with wet hands. Despite her challenging past, I'm committed to providing her with comfort and love.
I live in a state where cats are considered wild animals and free roaming. We have a colony at work and I was recruited for some feeding. The back colony is pretty feral and we try to keep everyone fixed. We have one that primarily lives in front about 7 years old. She is confident and social not afraid to flirt for some treats. She is an anomaly but very happy. We consider her our work mascot.
Very interesting topic. Since last year, I have been feeding a 'feral' cat at the local park. In warmer weather, she'd be in the reeds along the bay. I'd leave a handful of dry cat food and she would sniff it and eat it. The fact that she's alone, doesn't hide when she see me (although at first she'd freeze and duck) suggest she's a stray according to the video. But she's also clean and fairly well groomed, and will not let me get within about 10 feet of her no matter what. Over the winter, I have been going there at night to leave food. I shake the baggie of food and she usually materializes. She learned that the noise means food is there. I leave the food and back slowly away and she heads for the food as I clear out. I often will stay and watch from a distance and talk to her in the squeaky kitty voice so she associates people with food. I think she'd have a good shot at becoming a house cat if I were retired and able to spend days and nights with her.
Hello CB.. Your committment to the kitty is lovely. All my cats have been strays, and then lived long happy lives with me...Last year a new gorgeous cat came into our street and when I put a bowl of wet food out under a nearby car she readily ate it...so I'd put bowls of food out nearer & nearer to my porch and she eventually would come and eat her food in the porch. I had high hopes of this lovely cat eventually coming in the house for her food, but she just ate quickly checking for danger then go..if I tried to get too close she'd hiss and run away. Infact our feeding routine was brilliant early morning 4/am then late evening...I called her Baby and talked to her softly and she'd always appear from her waiting area..Then on 22nd December 2020 I fed her little knowing it was for the last time as she hasn't been back since...I feel very sad and miss her very much.. keeping hoping she is unharmed and will return. I have two cats and had visions of Baby integrating into our little family.. I'm still unsure if Baby was a feral cat or a very frightened stray.. Just wanted to share... my best to everyone..
@@glendaharris1099 You may have had success as Baby associated you and your voice with positive experiences of food and kindness. Until we know any better, I will assume Baby was a stray cat and found by her owners. Your kindness allow Baby to survive until her owners found her.
I believe you will be successful at building a friendship with this cat, as she has only associated positive events with your voice and other sounds (food and kindness.
I am 6 out of 7 on this and I still take care of the 7th (just can’t pick him up even after 4+ years) but he comes to me, knows the schedule and is very sweet. Of the 6 I have been successful with the ages range from a few month old kitten to a estimated 6 year old. Once the cat trusts you and KNOWS you are not going to hurt them it’s easier.
I have taken in many, many strays and one feral. There is definitely a difference between stray and feral. I was able to catch a feral, we named Tom Tom. I noticed he had a wounded leg so I caught him in a rug when he wondered into an enclosure that we have a cat hotel in. I put him in a 6x5 foot enclosure in our garage. Had him neutered, leg fixed, vacs and general check up. He has been hanging around for a while now but has not gotten any more health care since we aren't allowed to touch him. Since he is mobile now the only way to catch him would be to trap him and I believe that any trust we built with him would disappear but I am considering it since I am sure he has dental issues now. We feed him and he stays very close to his two friends, Murphy and Esme. Murphy our tuxedo showed up when he was about a year old. He was a stray and was very friendly, had him neutered and vacs and general check-up since he is friendly he and his friend Esme still get regular vet visits. Tom started coming in the garage to be friends with Murphy our Tuxedo. Tom does not want human interaction. We try everyday and have for a year and 1/2 to interact, gently and kindly with him to no avail. Another stray showed up when she was about 6 months old her name is Esme. Had her spayed when the time came and vacs. She now lives outside in the garage too. They lay around during the day outside, killing our birds and salamanders, bunnies, chipmunks and anything else they can get their paws on and at night they come when I call them and then they go up at night to sleep in peace and comfort. Upsetting, but something we have to live with, I tried to find homes for them to no avail. Another kitty Gus showed up when he was about 4 months old pretty sure he was a brother to Esme. We got his check up and vacs but he wasn't old enough to neuter, I did find him a home with a family in our area. She has since had him neutered and he is living a good life. The only one I found a home for out of all of my stray kitties. I have George the tripod a snowshoe kitty who showed up many years ago with a friend a linx point kitty, Smokey. Then came Wiley, an asthmatic kitten of a 8 weeks old, another linx point. Wiley passed away at 3 years old due to his lung disease. We were always at the vet with him, oxygen tent, breathing treatments, and lots of medications. George, Smokey, Wiley, Trixie, all lived in our home. The 4 amigos. Trixie the tabby, she was older when she arrived and the most loving kitty. Then Brenna showed up she was around 8 months old, then Rose, she was about 5 years old at that time. I try to not care so much but it is heart wrenching to see them barely surviving outside. George the snowshoe got ran over, he came back to our home after being missing for several days with a front leg mangled and needed it amputated. He was already neutered so he had obviously been someone's pet. We got him fixed up and now he lives in the house with Brenna, our tabby and Rose, White and Toffee colored with baby blue eyes. Smokey passed, Trixie passed, Wiley passed, so now we have 3 inside and 3 outside kitties. We have had so many discarded and lost babies. I would love to have them all in our home but that's just not feasible. I just don't understand ppl, they believe cats are meant to be outside and tragic things happen to them. We also had Muffin, she hung around for a while but died from a dog attack. Then there was Siobhan, she died also after being ran over on the highway. I believe in total we have taken in and cared for 23 kitties. Then there are the pups we have taken in but that's another story in itself. Moral of this story: Spay/Neuter and care for your pets. They are family, not disposable. Yes, it's expensive but if you get a pet, you have to care for it just like you would a human.
In 1991 I moved into a downstairs apartment In the FL Keys, about a one minute drive from my new job. The street was one block long, Florida Bay on my end of the street, a canal at the other end, and and empty wooded lot across the street, where a feral black cat had been living since he was born 7 years before, according to the neighbors. My first day at work, I came home for lunch and saw him checking me out from the corner of the house as I went in. My second day home for lunch, he rubbed up against me as I put the key in the door. My third day home for lunch, he ran in as soon as I opened the door, jumped up on the sofa and informed me I was now his human. My neighbors were amazed. They all said he never let anyone near him before. Now, my upstairs neighbor said whenever I was a minute from home, he would go out to the street and wait for me. He was my best friend for the next 12 years when he passed. Go figure.
That sounds like a stray to me, a feral would run from you as if you were a predator and of you did corner it and make contact it would fight for his life
@@shotto_z4790 No, according to all the neighbors he was feral. They were there when the kittens were born, caught, and adopted out, but he would not let anyone get close enough to catch him. There were only ten houses on my street and everyone got together after work to hang out. They all left food out for the cats and dogs (mostly dogs), so no animals went hungry including this cat, but everyone said he would never let anyone get within ten feet of him until he moved in with me.
@mutantplants1 good information thank you! I have a very pregnant feral runt and I’m scared for her. She is 6 months old and teeny and keeps trying too come in but has fleas… I’ll just keep checking on her. Thxs again ✌🏼
Video should really mention that feral kittens under 3 months can be socialized relatively easily, especially under 8 weeks. Socialization window closes rapidly after 3 months so it’s a lot harder after that.
I found a feral kitten of about 4 months old that on a very cold snowy morning where I used to work in the ambulance garage. We all fed her, she lived with us for 2 weeks. When I used to work she slept on the top bunk bed with me. After 2weeks the supervisor came back from vacation and she order us to throw to the streets. I couldn’t throw her out so I took the kitten home. By the time I got home the box as shredded. Finally I got her inside my home and I thought my adult cats will attack her so I kept her in the bathroom, 24 hours later she escaped and encountered my other cats, she attacked all my adult cats (1 female and 3 males), after that the adults didn’t bother her because of her temper. I took her to the vet and had her spayed and vaccinated. She always kept that wildness but she accepted me and two of the male cats. What’s weird was that she was a mixed Siamese and those 2 adult males where also mixed Siamese. She lived for 18.5 years with me. She was friendly with me and loved to be petted but she used to seat on my lap when she wanted otherwise she would growled. She died from acute renal failure she had to be euthanized, I held her until she died in my arms 4 years ago. When she was a year old I found a stray adult car with an ear and half of his face burned, I rescued him from the street also on a cold snowy winter. I took him to the vet got him cured and vaccinated, he was already neutered. It took me three years for him to show me love and to stop growling at me, after that he decided to love me. He died 6 months later from a brain tumor after she died. All my cats have been adopted from shelters, strays and feral and I have had many cats in my life and I still have a cat. I only bought a cat from a pet store when I was 18 years old ( young, naive and stupid) and didn’t know anything about cat mills. I’m new of those people that always need to have at least a cat since I was a child, and when I move they also move with me, I don’t abandon my fur babies or my fishes. Where I go they also move with me and I had move to different states from north to south on the eastern coast.
My last cat, my beloved Bugzie, was feral and turned out to be a big love bug. But, it took time and patience. Sadly, he died of cancer after I had him 9 years. He was so perfect in every way, and I tried so hard to save him, but I just couldn't. And now, through circumstances beyond my control, I've got another feral. It's been two months and is a struggle. But, for Bugzie's sake, I am trying.
Just remember every cat has it’s own personality and even though this new one is not Bugsie he can love and be loved in their own way. No expectations and accept them for who they are. I wish you the very best with your new friend. Do they have a name?
Disagreement #1. Both stray and feral cats will form colonies with an alpha female in charge. Kittens are raised by all cats in the colony. Adult female cats will guard their territory for a hunting ground against other cats. Male cats are normally not wanted in these colonies when they become adults. Hence male cats have overlapping territory with female colonies and will defend their territory against other male cats for affection from the ladies. Disagreement #2: Cats may survive outside as ferals, but they cannot thrive without assistance from humans. The average feral and homeless cats live on the average of 5 years. Where as house cats live past 22 years. Disagreement #3. Cats instinctively know how to use a litter box, providing it is kept clean. Mistakes occur due to health reasons, stress, or a form of protest. Disagreement #4: All cats know how to groom. A feral cat maybe stressed and thus losing fur. A scruffy feral kitty maybe sick or have parasites such as fleas, ticks, etc. Grooming maybe a secondary activity if the feral cat is busy hunting for food to survive. .Unless kitty has long hair, she or he needs no grooming assistance. Disagreement #5: Any hungry kitty will recognize cat food as a relief to hunger; especially feral cats who do not have regular meals provided.. Disagreement #6: 'Both house, stray and feral cats are instinctively active and prefer night. Apparently you have not experienced cats running around the house, singing, and knocking things over at night due to excess energy.
Yes this video repeats the standard flaws in understanding feral cats. They willingly will be socialized in the right conditions and in their own time. Often rescue organizations do not have the funding to sponsor feral cats that take a few years to become comfortable when people want to adopt lap cats. In the end no cat should be homeless.
I have 2 families of cats of which a majority of them are feral. Patches, mum of Tiger, Booties and Blacky. Patches, Booties and Blacky are feral. Patches somewhat leass than Booties or Blacky. Tiger is the most assertive as in he won't just run away on sight of anyone else. None run from me, Blacky even often comes to bed and lays on me or, on cold nights, gets under the covers and snuggles. The other family is a feral tabby named Tabby the Feral. He is one of the most feral of all of my cats, but, he knows me and lets me touch him. He absolutely runs from anyone else! There is also his sister Midnight the Feral Queen of the Office who lives in the office with two of her kids. Midnight is just as feral as Tabby, but, she has just fallen in love with me. But, ONLY me! Miss Pepper and Mr Vader, her two younger kids have NO idea of just HOW good they have it. When they were two or three days old, they needed help, so I took them (she let me). Later that day, she was looking for them, so I lured her in with cat food (there is a feral colony in my yard...and EVERYONE there knows what cat food is). She never wanted to be in a house, but, I didn't want to let her kittens out and have to either rescue them again, or worse, having to deal with them dying after I did so much to help them. So, I lured mum in and brought her to them in the office. You could just see the attitude she had immediately change when she realized that I was reuniting them. It took about 6 months before Midnight would let me touch her. She also adjusted to using a litter box REALLY quickly, like a couple of days. She would go into a corner, but, I put the litter box so she would have to walk thru it to find a place to go, and she thought "oh" and she used it right then and she has been using it exclusively ever since. She has been neutered and she can leave anytime she wants now, but, one time she went outside to the rest of the house...for all of 5 seconds before she wanted back in to the office. Even with the door wide open, she stays in the office. I'm the only person she actually trusts. A few months ago, her older daughter, miss Spots started staying overnights...I finally just said "why don't you just LIVE here?" She did and she does. Miss Spots has never left the house since, although she, like every OTHER cat I have enjoys laying on a window sill and watching the outside. She doesn't try to go out. None of my ferals want to go outside.
There is a lot of misinformation in this video, while bringing the plight to homeless cats whether socialized and abandoned or feral and not socialized. One is feral cat absolutely do know cat food and do know how to use the litter box. Mistakes to the litter box are very rare and due as are made do to illness, worms and diarrhea. The upset stomach from “not knowing cat food” is the result of eating garbage to survive, one feral vomited plastic and even the bristle from a BBQ brush. Parasite load also causes upset. Toys do take time as they spend all energy in survival and yet will play once they feel secure. Set up your feral room and line the floor with plastic sheeting and sheets for easy clean up.
I've only had 2 cats so far in my life... and both of them were feral... they sleep in bed with my wife and I and cannot spend a single minute outside of my view. They will literally follow me everywhere... It took what was definitely as mentioned a metaphorical mount everest of patience. I am more assertive in my attempts to know my cats, so it did not take as long as my timid wife to hold them (2 years!!) it was all worth it because they are now the most mild tempered cats I've seen... they never get aggressive it blows my mind how much they've changed in 3 years.
It is possible to transform a feral into a house cat but it's mostly on there terms. We have a small T N R colony at my shop in the yard. 1 particular black cat with a heavily tipped ear that has been observing me for about a 1 1/2 years now as I feed the colony everyday. None are friendly but in Oct 2022 this black cat decided to walk in my shop and smelled around. I acted like nothing was going on and kept working and he walked back out. He started coming in everyday and did the same thing for awhile. I brought an old cat bed from home and a litterbox to see what would happen. Next day he came in and to my amazement he went in the letterbox peed in it and went for the bed and smelled and decided take a nap in it. The rest is pretty much what you would not expect from him. He let me pat him and he decided it was o.k. and stayed permanently. He goes out during the day comes for a snack goes back out but always comes back before I go home for the night. He doesn't want to get stuck outside at night I guess.. He is still learning play but slowly he's getting the hang of it. Time to vet him and take him home at this point. He is a friendly little guy who now rolls around and lets me rub his belly of all things. I tell my customers he's a Feral fail. His name is now Axl
I feed feral cats everyday. There was a mother who had four kittens. She was hit by a car and one kitten died by wildlife. It took me seven months to get them use to me. I have one that will rub by my feet. But I know what I can do, but this cat will let me rub it but if I try to pick it up it try to bite. It just take time. Feral old cats can be tame it just takes a lot of time
I am feeding a Feral Tuxedo Cat. He shows up at 0800 every morning and about 5 P.M. in the evening. I put his food out and go back in the house. My two Tuxedo brothers's mother came to daughter's house and had 4 babies. Daughter found homes for two, and we took the Tuxedo boys. They are very very smart, and consider our old Calico female, as mother. She considers them or at least one of them her baby. She never had babies. The boys are as big as our dog, and everyone gets along. They run and play tag in the house. These are house cats, never go outside. Lots of company for us.
I got a very UNSOCIALISED cat, already over a year old. She’s skittish, docile not aggressive and litter box trained. She has no interest playing nor eating treats in front of me. I hope I can do this.
@@griffinartandairbrushing3174 Ha yes! After about 6 whole weeks of her hiding, and non reactionary when I made contact, she finally came out of her shell. She’s a great little cat, gets along with our dog, sweet, playful and loving. Macavity is a great addition to our family.
Last July 3rd/20 I was talking on the phone outside near the pond area in our yard. I looked up and saw this very young feral cat (maybe 5 months old) on a deck looking down at me. She chose me and I chose her....we have had her since then. She is devoted to me and I am to her. It took some time before I could touch her....my husband can’t as yet. She is spayed and has all the shots, etc. What I want to say is that this cat has the best of both worlds....loves to go outside...stays close to home in the yard and I let her in for the evening...sleeps in the deck room. Daytime naps in the greenhouse outside, or in a Costco house we purchased for her to rest in outside. I like it that she is independent and can do fine outside and/or inside. Her name is Izzy and will come running when I call. I do love her....💕🙏
A friend of mine found my Sassy cat a year ago late one stormy night 🌙 out in the middle of the highway about six miles between towns and no houses for at least a mile or so so she picked it up and gave it to me I took her to the vet and got all of her shots and the vet thought that she was 4 or 5 weeks old I take her with me where ever I go ! I'm a ranch hand so she gets to ride on tractors, skidsters , trucks and anything else I run. I put her on my shoulder when I take her to the stores she likes some people and not others Sassy has her own fan club she is my every thing she has to check out every thing that I do if I don't take her with me I can hear her meows it sounds like she is crying we do all most every thing together I wouldn't have it any other way
We have an outside cat. It took us about six months in order to have her begin to like us, though she was still cold towards us. It took many more years, until finally as of this year at around the age of 15 years old, she is very sweet and starves for affection. It has been an amazing experience caring for her.
I rescued two cats 8 and 9yrs; the male tamed pretty quickly but the female was just mean and nasty until the male passed (at 24 yrs)...she then became the most loving cat I've ever had -it was well worth the wait. She passed recently ..and a semi feral was just left with me -that was supposed to be picked up a month ago - so here we go again... At least I Know there Is a light at the end of what can seem a never ending tunnel...and that we are, at the least, keeping them safe.
I live in a neighborhood with lots of feral cats, we've tamed around 6. the first one we tamed was caught up in insulation under our house, a string had gotten caught around her neck. after saving her, we immediately brought her inside and comforted her, buying food and cat milk. eventually we released her back into the neighborhood and she still comes around for food at times. her name was Lucky. one found a nice home at around 2 months after we found her as a kitten, with her birth mother being Lucky. Lucky had brought the kitten to us a few months to a year after we had released her. Her name was Luna, she went to my siblings friends parents. next we have one of our current cats, willow. willow was around a month or two old when she started coming around, immediately she started taking a liking to us. eventually, she became a lap cat who is the queen cat of the neighborhood, always having to be the first for everything. her sister came pretty quickly after her, we named her blossom. she was even lovier than willow, loving being loved, loved people, etc. she went missing one day after we had brought cat food out for the cats. the lady that comes around our neighborhood to give the cats their shots had caught her, someone took a liking to her and she found a new home. before every other cat, there was a siamese-colored cat with a ton of stripes along her body. we named her whitey, shes been here since we first moved here. tried bringing her in one time and she was absolutely flea ridden, we released her soon after and now she just sticks around for food. she doesnt allow pets which is perfectly normal for feral cats who are used to humans. finally, we have forest. like blossom, he loves every bit of attention he can get. with the first 3 cats being plain black cats and whitey being white/siamese, hes a grey cat with a coat like his father's. his mother is whitey and he has her raccoon-looking tail and striped legs. hes not a lap cat, but he definitely loves sitting next to me. he started showing up about a year after blossom was taken away, and her being willows only living sibling, she has basically adopted him as her little brother. you just have to give them love.
Please get the cats neutered. Intact cats live miserable lives and procreate extremely quickly. Neutering saves lives as well as alleviating suffering. Please!
We have a feral cat who is about 5 years old. We used clicker training to teach him to play and to come when we call him. Now he plays hard and loves it, and runs to me when I call him. He’s a real sweetheart and loves to be petted and brushed.
You can make one ----> a cat bed in a large bin (w/out the lid ) turned on its side, placed in a large box wrapped in large heavy weight-trash bags like a pkg, and use packing tape sealing any seams to keep dry ………..then take packing paper scrunched up and stuff all around the bin for insulation, only tape on side of the box lid so cat can get in and out…..they will stay cozy and warm thru the rainy season and you can still reach in and pull the cat bed out for washing if needed……every year I remake the box because the sun eats the garbage bag…..but our feral only uses it in winter in calif.
I have "domesticated " two feral cats. The one is just as sweet and playful as my adopted strays, but she doesn't allow anyone except for me to get too close to her. My other feral, "affectionately" called monster cat by my mother, is even more antisocial. It took more than four years to get to the point where I could hold her. She often growled and hissed while eating or when I pet her. I stayed on the ground with her and put my head to hers - this seemed to calm her. I let her make many first moves towards snuggling. She occasionally has screaming fits when she gets frightened, but she has not drawn blood...yet. Someone else must have tried to domesticate her at some point, because she was declawed when I found her in my church's parking lot. I trapped her there and took her to the pound, but they said they would have to put her down if they couldn't handle her (she made the most ungodly sounds in the carrier). I told the staff I would be back the next day to see how things went. When I walked in the door, they said nothing and simply handed me the carrier - cat still screeching inside. I took her home and never looked back. That was nearly 10 years ago. She now makes the sweetest cooing sound...and the occasional guttural growl, but she's lived a pretty contented life with me.
I’ve been working with a feral cat in my yard for about a year and it took over 6 months before she would let me stand next to her while she eats. Months later I was allowed to pet her and then she would hang out with me on the porch on sunny days. Almost a year later I was dozing on the porch and she jumped into my lap! I was shocked and never would have believed that would happen. So now she spends an hour or two on my lap in the evenings with the porch door open. Last night it was much too cold to leave her out (21F) and I shut the porch door with her inside. I checked on her every two hours last night and she didn’t want to go outside. Feels like a major win but she might not want to do that again for awhile - the choice is totally hers. Everything is done on her timeline. I just have to learn to accept whatever her lifestyle decision might be.
I had saved feral’s when I was young. I feed them and caught them and had them fixed and had them vaccinated. I left out food for them. I also left my garage open just enough so that they could have someplace to run to because we also had coyotes. So it would take sometimes forever but I eventually coerced them into my home. They never let me hold them and never made a mess in my house. But I was very happy just to have them. They returned their love by crouching next to my ankles. It was a beautiful time in my life.
I have a system, part of it I got from my Dad. Put your mattress on the floor so there is no place to hide. After vet stuff, put the cat box, water and food dish in the room. No windows is better. The patient cannot escape. After work and dinner, put the cat on your stomach and train yourself to not let go when the hiss and lunge occurs. It stops when they see it doesn't work or they just get tired of doing it. Awhile after you come in, get up and feed them. It is important they watch you feed them. One kitty treat after calm periods. Hiss and lunge becomes more infrequent until they just fall asleep and wake up not eaten, and they figure out you are not so bad. Younger ones and males are easier. Older females can be really upset in the beginning. I just brought Missy home and 3 feet in the front door she figured out what was going on and looked me right in the eyes as she bit clear through my 40 year old right thumb with great determination, force and hatred in her eyes and held on. I've had cats for 60 years and every time I've been scratched or bitten, the cat was holding back. Until then. She lightened up and became besties with Bugs the Burger Baby. For me, it worked every time. Eight ferals total. We went around with a raccoon cage in December before they froze.
Yes, a feral cat can adjust to home life. Both of ours were born outside with feral parents and introduced to our house gradually. Both chose to live indoors with us and are very sweet lovey cats. Our younger cat took several months to adjust fully, we just let her be her, and she now follows me around everywhere.
I have been socializing feral adult cats and kittens and they can be befriended you just need to give it time, don't force touch on them, don't hold them roughly by the neck. I see many vets recommend it, especially holding kittens like that, I strongly disagree. It make's scared cats even more scared. Just give cat more time, earn his trust, he will come to you if you are nice person. Animals can tell, even by the voice what is your mood and intention is. Each day it will be more progress, just be patient and enjoy the journey. Many ferals I caught are adopted thought a shelter, one lives in the house next door with a pool, definite upgrade to the old life! She was trying to get into neighbor's houses when it got colder and one of them let her in. So she found her own home by being proactive, very smart cat. Almost everyone but 1, I believe, is spayed and neutered by now. Lot's of progress in 6 month. When I started there were about 25 cats in the neighborhood, just born kittens laying on the hot pavement under my car, now I'm down to 8 regulars and few new. Work goes on.
I have done this. A cat who I had tried many times to approach finally had kittens and I started feeding them. She wouldn't let me get close but I would sit closer and closer to the food every day. I finally was able to sit next to the food with her and slowly every day would start to try and pet her. She began trusting me and a year later she was pregnant again and I feed her the whole time and she would let me pet her none of the other cats would. Finally she had her kittens and I happened to see her carrying one kitten into my garage and found that she had put 5 kittens in the corner of my garage and would let me pet them while she feed them. Now she and the kittens live in my garage as she won't come into the house no matter how hard I try. At one point she took all the kittens and went outside with them and I thought I wouldn't see them again but she came back with 3 and I found the other 2 that didn't follow her in a wood pile she lead me to and I got those two and brought them in. Now I have 5 kittens and momma all living in the garage 😊
I'm taming a feral. It took me more than a year, before she scratched me badly a couple of times but now she seeks attention, she sticks to my legs and wanted to sleep on my bed! Lol maybe one day she'll stay..
Did TNR one Tom Jefe was a hissing 16 lb boy . Well 2 and a half years later he gets in my car lays on my lap and drools when I pet him . Many of my wild cats have become friendly to me and only me .
Oh my word you made my day... Mobi the tortoise tabby semi-feral adopted us two years ago. It just happened in the wink of an eye! We knew Mobi from sight for about 2 years. She was very scared and shy and slept in our carport. Christmas of 2019 she suddenly came to us for scritches and belly-rubs. We started feeding her, and the rest is history! Mobi is 6 years old and drools when she feels content and happy....😻😻😻
I found her half dead in the snow. Nursed her back with turkey and catnip and she lived in my garden. It took about 4 years to slowly get her comfortable coming indoors. She would sometimes come at night and sleep on a towel by the door and then want let out in the morning. She never liked litter so I used wood chips but she would rather go outside. She didnt want cuddles or picked up, but she wanted to be around you and watch. I've never had a wild animal CHOOSE to live with me before, an absolute fascinating experience.
Feral adults can absolutely be tamed! I currently have a 2 year old feral cat that we caught in a trap on Sept 15. She was pregnant. She had her 4 kittens in my house on Oct 12th. I stayed with her and helped her and yesterday I was able to pick her up and cuddle her on my lap. I also have her two 6 month old kittens and 10 month old brother in my house. The 10 month old was caught in our trap on Oct 10th and this morning I found my son with the cat on his lap, purring up a storm. I've seen all these cats/kittens around since they were born but they were true feral and would run if any human approached. It took less than a month to tame the 2 year old, 2 days to tame the 6 month old kittens and 6 days to tame the 10 month old. They just need to be given a chance.
I used to feed a feral orange male , he was sick and very feral . It took a couple of months but one day he just walked up to be and snuggled up to me , sadly he passed away due to his health conditions and died in my basement . Now I am feeding a stripped cat trying to earn its trust like the last cat :/
I’m not sure what I have. We have been feeding some woodland cats. At first they would have nothing to do with us. After a while we would leave small amounts of moist cat food and leaving it. After a while they began to warm up with stipulations. Small amounts of petting. Our inside cat we let out to do all business. And that seems to be working well.
Absolutely they can! All my cats have been born feral, but they stand a better chance to adjust if they’re kittens! I have taken adults also but they may have been abandoned. It is as you say, true feral cats simply are too wild! It takes a long time to have trust between a feral and you.
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉I just took in a feral cat that i've been feeding outside for about a year. I brought around in the carrier and kept her in the laundry room. Then, immediately took her to the vet the next day. Because I already have 2 other cats. And I didn't want her to give them fleas or any kind of disease. The vet said she was in perfect health, no disease, worms, but especially NO FLEAS!!! It took me a long time to wind her trust. But it's so cold outside, and she's kind of becoming an outcast with other cats. So I took her in, and god blessed me to be so lucky that she's adapting really well.😃😃😃😃 I can't decide whether she is stray or farrel but I know sometimes I wouldn't see you for days and she was always alone. Whenever i've handled her commission ever scratches or tries to bite me. She's actually more well behaved than the cast I already have ungrateful ba$tards!!!!🤣🤣🤣
I have a feral female cat that has lived outside in my yard for about 5 years .Two years ago she had 4 kittens.I captured her and had her fixed after she weened her kittens.I brought 2 of them indoors at 2 months old.She was unfriendly until about two years ago .She started letting me pet her.Now she sits at my back door begging to be petted.She follows me around the yard.She sits on my lap when I sit on the swing.
Interesting news! Several months ago, a feral, Siamese cat took up residence in my yard, which made no sense. How could a purebred cat be feral? Some questions have no answers. Anyway, she's a tiny cat able to squeeze by the gate in my fence, explore my house, and get to know my resident kitties. This has resulted in amusing situations in which she and I meet in the hallway, or some other constricted space, and she freaks out and runs away. (Her freaking out suggests that she's a feral, not a stray.) She's not dumb, however, and has figured out whose feeding her. She's also figured out how to charm me into feeding her with a pathetic meow that sounds more like a desperate cry. A couple months ago it was becoming obvious that she was pregnant. So, I blocked off her getting back through the gate while she was in the house, because I wanted her to have her litter indoors. Her litter was born about 8 weeks ago, resulting in my becoming more involved with her . This, in turn, has resulted in her becoming more comfortable with my approaching her (but not touching). This morning, for the first time, I was able to pet her several times without her running away. Never let be said that ferals can't be tamed, or that ferals can't tame themselves.
I have 3 feral cats who live indoors and who are very tame (well, 2 of 3 are very tame, the other one is secure with me only). They were trapped around ages: 4, 5 and 6 months. The 6 month- old was the most difficult to tame, and she's the one who only responds to me, but she's very sweet. She appears several times a day for her brushing and pats. The other two are very friendly with all and Xing Xing, the one who was 5 months old when trapped is the friendliest cat I've ever seen. Dog-level friendly, although I wouldn't say that to her 🤣 Both follow me from room to room and allow me to hold them. They love to cuddle at night and play games, just like a domestic-born cat. Give feral cats a chance. I love their smarts, resourcefulness, and gratefulness. They had a tough time as little kittens and they love their home!
When I showed her the box WITH her own dirt from her midden (from my garden) she gave me a look like OH, why didn't you SAY so? She then went and gave a nice long pee and a good poop. er
One of my cats was born wild and captured when about 4 months with her sister. She wasn't released in the wild, since it was late fall when she was captured, but came into a shelter. There, she stayed invisible for almost 2 years. She did not like humans to even look at her, and she hid from the other cats in the room with her. We basically applied the procedure as you explained to introduce her in our home, but since she had been in a cat shelter, she already new the litter and cat food. It's almost 9 years now that we have her. It took 4 months, before she allowed us to touch her, and she will always be scared easily. Whenever she does, we back off - now, just as we did 9 years ago. She does not allow to be carried on the arm at all, but she does come and ask for cuddles regularly. And yes, she decides what she allows us to do and what not. We would love her to lose that shyness, but if she doesn't we will go on loving her just as well. She is an absolutely lovely soul and we are glad we have her. Thanks for this extensive video! I just had to push the subscibe button. Greetings from Germany!
I have an update. I still have 2 families, but, Miss Midnight the Feral Queen of the Office is no longer the oldest member of her family in my house as there is now someone in the house from her family is older. Her MUM, Miss Black Mama (she's about 5 years old), and is living in the house with her kittens. 3 that are about 6 months old and 1 that is about 4 months old. Mr Greyson, the 4 month old one is the friendliest. Hiss older brother, Mr Grey is sometimes a bit hissy, but, he usually doesn't try to run away when I try to touch him. Sometimes, he will shake like he's afraid, but, I think he's kind of beginning to realise that I won't hurt him. Miss Raven always runs away. Miss Mittens is the worst case. She hides and every morning I put down a can of food for her while she hisses and now even starts taking swings at me! She had started to get a bit better, but now it's worse. However, once she starts eating, she doesn't complain about me touching her, even though she used to.
Update: Mr Greyson is doing really well. He normally rubs on my hand if I hold it in front of him. Mr Grey has improved. He doesn't shake anymore and he also doesn't try to run away 95% of the time. He's slowly realising that he can enjoy attention. Miss Raven also doesn't run much. I'll put my hand in front of her to sniff it so she knows it's just me, then she just looks at me while I talk to her quietly and stroke her. She's learning about head strokes. Sometimes, she even looks away. Miss Mittens is still really spicy...but, she is doing a little better. She doesn't take swings at me anymore. A few months ago, I took in a stray kitten, Miss Stripes. She loves cat beds!
I had a 4 mth old feral cat who had a broken leg. I fed her (she couldn't get close to the food bowl the other cats were using) and then picked her up, put her in a carrier and took her to a vet to get her leg taken care of. Kept her in the house until the cast was ready to come off. At that point, she refused to even put one paw outside. For 2 years, she'd head to the far corner of the house every time the front door was opened. I still put dry food out for any cats who do not have a family to take care of them.
I have a stray cat that, after months of feeding, I built up enough trust to have him come inside a couple times, I managed to close him in my house, but was wondering if this is cruel and if I should release him to build trust that I think I lost by trapping him inside..? I’ve only had him inside for a day now, he’s been hiding. I’ve never brought a stray inside, so I’m not sure the right way to proceed, if letting him back out is better, or giving him time inside.. I genuinely care about him and want what’s best, but don’t know what that is.
It takes time but yes ❤ they make amazing house cat !! Layla was feral It took two years of building trust 2019 she came in to Sept 4 2019 she came in for good ❤
I am taming a black pair of now five month old kittens. The girl, Molly, escaped by busting through the screen door within 60 seconds of being brought in the house. The boy, Tom, I released into a bedroom. Every couple hours I would sit with him. Touch him. Pick him up. Hold him close while scruffing the back of his neck and half meowed and cooed at him. Within two days he was out in the living room hanging out on the huge cat tree that I threw a blanket over. I had food, water and litter box set up a few feet away from it. He spent another three or four days hanging out, watching every movement, listening to every sound. I went on as usual. Not trying to be quiet. Just life. Meanwhile, I had set up a feeding station outside the shed I was suspecting she was hiding in. Inside the shed I took the door off one of the carriers with a plush throw blanket. I set up a camera to see if she was the one eating the food. Yup! It was her! My three legged, seven year old, male ginger was spending a lot of time in the shed and I came in and startled the kitten. They were snuggling in the carrier. 😂 I had been calling and cooing for her constantly. Finally one night she called to me from the roof of the shed. This was two weeks after busting through the screen door. I talked to her. She sounded so scared and lonely. At this point Molly knew Tom was in the house. Once he ventured from the living room to the entire house, he spent a lot of time in the laundry room window that faced the shed. So he knew Molly was out there. After three nights of chatting with her on the shed roof, I finally got a ladder and some Kitty pate. She ate right in front of my face. I reached out and gently ran my finger down her neck. She backed up, looked me right in the eyes, then head butted my finger and continued eating. I started stroking down her back. When she finished eating, I slowly grabbed her by the nape of the neck and held her close to me. I got her inside and in the bedroom. Luckily ginger cat was in there sleeping. I set her down and she ran right up to him! Then her brother came in. All hell broke loose! She apparently was pissed at him! 😂 I had no idea cats could jump straight up walls! She hit the ceiling! Of course, it never occurred to me that she could bust through a screen door! It has been a month now. Tom is adjusting way better than Molly but they both are sweet and gentle kitties! They have never bitten or scratched me. Even in play. Tom has already caught two mice! I don’t know if Molly has yet. The reason I rescued them is because I had to put my torty down a couple weeks before and the rodent population boomed!!!! OMG! I suppose I could have just released them but I wanted them to be tamed enough for vet care, fun little companions and so that when I leave this property they could come too. I wasn’t emotionally prepared for two more cats but I had to humanely get the rodent population back to reasonable and there’s always room in my heart for ALL the critters! I do love them! I love watching them play and do their rounds! They’re a team! It’s so beautiful! If you need any extermination services, The Pantera Twins Pest Control is open for business! Lol! Tom Cat and Molly at your service, 555-555-5555!!!!
I had a shop in the ghetto part of the city where pets weren't well cared for and cats churned out kittens every fertile cycle. Had a few spayed and ear tipped for release. Other strays and ferals I took in, or they adopted me more like. That's how I ended up with 19 cats when I retired to the desert. Anyway, one particularly tough aloof male I named Patches-kitty. He came for food but didn't want to be caught or petted. I managed to catch him for neutering and released him for a while, but eventually one winter brought him inside to live with my indoor shop cats. He'd avoid being touched and would grudgingly tolerate getting caught but ran off as soon as possible. He took 2 years to become friendly, now he recognizes being called by name, and he will come over and cheek-bump me and hang around for pets and scratches.
The feral cat that I have taken in after 22 years (no typo) of taking care of her outside. I finally caught her last year. She's going to stay feral. She comes out about 30 minutes before its time to eat. I will keep her inside until she dies. I have much respect for her. She's has managed to stay alive by fighting off dogs, coyotes, humans. It took me 2 years to trap her in order to get her vaccinated and spayed.
Good god, why would you even do something that cruel to her after 22 years of her living free? An adult feral cat is a true wild animal and she has proved she can make it in the wild She is now miserable being a prisoner in your house and would be much happier being free and interacting with the exciting outside world she loves, not bored to death and hiding under the bed in your home. There are plenty of stray cats to adopt in the shelters so turn this poor cat loose and let her finish out her life the way she prefers. You are so wrong for what you are doing to her, what a thoughtless selfish person you are.
@@CaneFu she was near death, could not walk. I was able to get her and take her to the vet. When she got well, I left the door open for her to leave many times she has chosen to stay in the house. Recently, she did go outside, but came to the door and asked to come in. I left the door open and left and when I came back she was in the house. She has known me for almost 23 years. I don't think I have been cruel to her at all. You don't know me to be calling me selfish. A big tertiary digitalis to you!!!
@@feliciaecheverria Do NOT keep her as a prisoner, install a cat door and give her a choice to come and go as she pleases If she is hiding all the time something is wrong.
I have a feral cat and 5 kittens about 6 months old. We were feeding the mama first she never came close when it was just her than she started bringing kittens it took a lot of patience to get to even pet her but right now that is all she will let me do. She did start playing when the kittens finally started playing never would when by herself. As for the kittens I can pick up 3 of them sometimes pet 1 and the other won't come up to you at all. I have had them since June and I will still continue to be patient with them and give them a life they deserve. The crazy part is I have never been partial to cats have always only had dogs but for some reason these cats have touched my heart and enjoy every minute I can to be with them.They are outside cats but they still have a good life now. My deck looks like a cat play house. 😻😻
I disagree with their statement. I believe that all cats can be a in loving home cat,as long as they train well. I believe all cats should be loved as long as they want the love from their owner.
Best chance is a kitten just after weaning. I have had 2, 1 was a 3rd or 4th generation feral kitten I picked up at a truck stop. Eventually, he ran off on me. The other was a barn cat kitten I got at a farm store. He died after getting into something he shouldn't have and puking his guts out.
I was never a cat lover. I had a bad experience once when I was about 5 and never wanted a cat. I would just admire from afar. But recently there's been 4 feral kittens roaming near my house. I've started feeding them. It broke my heart when one was killed by a car on halloween. One of the kittens has started waiting for me to come home from work and would run up to me. But she's very jumpy when I try to pet her. I want to bring her in and call someone to take care of the other 2. They are beautiful kittens. I just wanted to know if it's safe to bring one in.
i feed about 8 feral cats outside and one of them lets me pet him, he’s grown already but likes to come inside to look around but since he has fleas and ticks i try to keep him outside but i’m hoping to get him medicine and get him indoor one day.
They make the best pets. It can take time - a hungry mother with hungry kittens can be tamed outdoors in a few months using food and play. Mama may take longer than the kittens, but it can be done. ❤Formerly feral Mama Psilligus just passed away and I can tell you she was something special. And she and her kittens and another feral mama *did* eat cat food in addition to whatever they hunted. While my videos aren't a "how to", they do follow their story through the summer of 2012-2013. They were using sand I put in a litterbox in the garage for that purpose - right from the start. They didn't need training. They don't like their living quarters soiled.
I've got 1 of my 2 bonded feral cats on my lap right now. I came across them first when they they were 5 or 6 months and they could not even be touched. They went crazy when I used a trap on them. When winter came I decided to keep them in the house until I could find a farm for them. Well that never happened cause after a few weeks one started coming on my lap and I just fell so in love. The other took a few months. It's now year later and I swear these 2 are the most affectionate cats I've ever known. They are total lap cats. Often times when one jumps off my lap the other jumps on. They also want nothing to do with the outdoors anymore, they never try to run outside. So yes a feral cat can be a house cat, they might even end up being better at it then a hand-raised kitten!
So many 'so called feral' cats aren't really. They have been handled and loved, and then somehow got away from their family - whether lost or abandoned - and just need the time to regain their trust. It can take a year or more sometimes, but they are ever so thankful if you earn their trust. Best kitties ever!
My cats were feral and they were adults when I brought them home in a humane trap after a vet visit. They hissed and spit at me when I got too close. It was scary. I now have 5 loving lap cats. I feed them, of course. Then after a few weeks I offer them treats ... Churus are good treats because cats love them and I hold them in my hand or put on a long handled spoon while they eat. And I play with wand toys all by myself. At first they just watch but eventually they can't resist and will play. Patience and love always win out.
I had a one year old feral from a colony that had occasional food and human interaction, but not much other contact. My kitty decide she wanted to live in a house instead, and she chose mine. It took several years of essentially living with a ghost cat, I would see her at meal times if then, but eventually she warmed up and began approaching me for attention. She's an indoor/outdoor who never goes outside. Now, 12 years later, she sleeps cuddled up to my neck every night.
I just fed a feral cat I first met 2 summers ago. It’s survived 2 winters at my lake. -30 temps in the winter. It ate almost all the food I gave it. Won’t let me get within 3 feet. Never heard it meow once. I was surprised to see it today. I probably will never be able to pet it but I try it just runs away
I've never tried to domesticate a feral cat but we've had a few fosters that were either abandoned and had been on their own for a year or two and had lost trust in humans, or were kittens that were at the very tail end of, or just beyond, the socialization window. It's usually gone well, though we've had a very few that ended up as barn cats because they just weren't having it. We had one kitten that was well beyond the socialization window and it was a year long challenge to socialize him. And he never did like being picked up. But he'd accept petting on occasion, and sometimes at night he'd hop up on the foot of the bed and snuggle in, so long as we didn't try to pet him. I'll disagree with you on the cat food though, back when I lived on the farm we had truly feral cats, usually toms, that would pass through. They figured out what cat food was about pretty quick. Of course this was in the northern plains and it's a rough life for any outside cat here no matter how good they are at hunting. So they had more incentive than cats in milder climates perhaps.
We found a black and white feral cat who had a funny way of going down the stairs; he sadly had to be put down in December 2019. We only had him for a while, but it was still hard to go through with it. Then only last August, another cat of ours had to be put down; this one was one of two we've had since 2012, I believe. Her anniversary's in two weeks time as of me writing this.
It’s not just feral verses stray. Feral cats can learn and fall into the semi feral category. I have 6 feral cats of varying degrees of feral. I video the interactions so people can watch their progress. I have one who I have gained his trust and he’s letting me pet him. He was wary of a flea treatment but after several attempts let me. Feral cats love cat food. They have noses and enjoy it. I have one who will not come off my 8 foot fence until I go in and the lights are out and then he comes to eat. Feral cats can also learn kindness and who to trust. I have been working with a group since March. I can only pet one and that was as of recent. The rest come close but run if I look at them. They also learned what time I bring food too them and are waiting for it.
We had a very large orange cat around our farm. Never could get close to him. One night he fought another male. Screaming and rolling down driveway. The next am he was in the barn but really cut up. Long story short food and water and a bit of time passes. He is no longer running from us but he is missing an eye. Had him nurtured and he stayed with me till he passes from a tumor he had behind his eye. I was super sick for a couple of months and he slept on my head the whole time. Never left my bed. The most awesome cat in the world. He was always known as Orange Cat.
I also had a feral kitten I trapped. Beautiful orange male. Had him 18 and 1/2 years best pet ever.
I have a orange cat surrounding our house and he's been there for along time. I feed him and he's getting nicer to me. He keeps running away though. I'm waiting for him to trust me. Whenever I talk to him he doesn't leave. He takes a seat, and listens for along while. He keeps his distance while listening and sitting. I think I'm getting closer with him. He looks relaxed when I talk. And closes his eyes while listening. He's really nice, and he doesn't have rabies. I kinda want to have him as a pet. But its his choice completely and I don't have a say in it.
I saw A cat he was gray his eye was cut I heard loud meowing
Aww we had a stray cat we called white cat (she wasn't brown lol)
She was deaf and always ok a bad mood.gradually we started getting closer to her until she let us touch her bur only in one spot.she started living on our patio.she was relaxed and had a place to stay out of the weather.we even made her a little house with blankets.she would never come inside the house but that was good enough for us! She felt safe.we think she was always on guard because she was deaf.
Apparently about 75 to 80 percent of pure white cats with blue eyes are born deaf.
❤️
A neighbor boy pulled a feral Siamese kitten out from under my house. The kitten bite the crap out of him. I kept it in a hamster cage for about a week. I put on heavy gloves to pet it every few hours. One day as I was petting it it turned around and looked me in the eyes like he suddenly recognized me. He raised up to pet my chin and started purring. From then on he loved me till the day he died. His name was Sting.
cats are orsome black cats are lucky thier eyes are green they are the best boys cats are best have all kittens fixed at 3 moths old
@Jerilyn Holland....What a marvellous story!
I brought two feral cats in after taking to vet. T 2:44 he male never domesticated, he got out and ran away after being an indoor / outdoor cat. I was trying to catch him fo 4:01 r his neutering that day. The female did become domesticated at about 3 years and is 14 now.
I have domesticated 4 or 5 feral cats over the last 15 years.
Several points: I found that about 70 percent of feral cats will domesticate, although it can take several years in some cases and as short as a few months in other cases. Male ferals may be easier to become domesticated.
They domesticate themselves on their schedule. All you can do is be loving and patient. Your attitude should be that they're welcome in your house even if they never domesticate themselves.
The feral that never becomes domesticated will still develop an affection for you. They will learn their names and respond to you with a meow when call them. It's not so much that their "wild"; they're just afraid. Some ferals just can't adjust to be touched. But they eventually they will welcome your presence.
Ferals don't cause trouble with your other cats. They co-exist just like domesticated cats.
Also, ferals use the cat box by instinct. I've never had a problem in this regard. It's helpful when domesticated cats have used the box.
Perhaps the most important factor in domesticating a feral is having it live among several domesticated cats. Watching you interact with domesticated cats may indicate that you can be trusted. It also gives the feral a chance to trust other cats in peaceful, secure circumstances. You are a part of those circumstances, which may help them to trust you.
Feeding time is a good opportunity to communicate with a feral. Fairly quickly, it will come out to eat with its domesticated brothers and sisters. Keep praising it when it's eating. Keep the eating experience as unchanging as possible: same time of day, same method for disbursing food, etc.
In the beginning, your feral is going to spend a lot of time under the bed or hiding elsewhere; coming out at night to play with their domesticated cousins or to explore. Eventually they will poke their heads out during the day. Whenever you see them, talk to them. Talk to them even when you're petting another cat. Talk, talk, talk.
By the way, we don't domesticate feral cats; they domesticate themselves by coming to trust you.
There's a another factor to consider: Some ferals have led relatively peaceful lives. Other ferals have been traumatized or have come close to starving. The former are better prepared to develop trust. Young adult ferals have had fewer opportunities to be traumatized.
The video mentions eventually picking up a feral. This may be too much to expect, but you can certainly get to the point where you can pet them and have them sleep at the foot of your bed while you're asleep. I recall one feral who became a lap cat. Don't expect this.
Having a feral in your house is NOT a "nightmare situation." They hide at first and when they do come out they're extremely shy. Just don't push your luck. They're scared.
They will always be wary and spook easily, but they make devoted pets.
My experience has been the same. It seems that the boys are easier.
@@NiceMuslimLady It is amazing. I have small, female feral cat in my house who's about 15 years old. She knows her name, she meows at me, etc. but I can't touch her, even though I've known her since she was a kitten. She was picked on by another cat throughout her kittenhood and spent most of her time hiding. Her tormentor is long gone, but the trauma remains.
@@trevorpsy Yes. I can imagine it is difficult to trust after that. Maybe, some day, right?
@@NiceMuslimLady I certainly hope so. I just checked. She's in her usual spot: in a cabinet under the bathroom sink. She doesn't run, as long as I don't try to touch her.
I appreciate you telling your experience. It seems you've shared much empathy with the creatures you come into contact with. Both the OP and commenter.
I also have a feral.
1 feral & 1 stray
The feral was 7 weeks old when he joined the family though so it didn't take long for him to warm up once he got food and a bath and started feeling better from the meds after the vet visit. He warned up within a couple days. It was so quick we were kinda shocked. Now 2 months in he lets us pet his belly, pick him up, he plays with toys. I think we got really lucky with him though it was a weird combo of him being so weak and really really needed help when we found him. He was so weak he was seeking out help at that point so he let us pick him up and the trust just got bigger from there. It's really been a miracle of a recovery and a very sweet bond already.
Though he did pass a contagious disease to our already in home long time kitty. That's been hard on us. We feel very guilty for bringing a sick kitty in the home and making our own kitty of 12 years sick. We didn't know. We did keep them separate but live in an efficiency so it wasn't working very well I guess. So I do warn others who are trying to help. Maybe bring the sick ones you find to someone's house that doesn't already have animals. Or bring them to a no kill shelter until you figure out what's up with them if your thinking about keeping them because now we have 2 sick kitties instead of our one healthy long time cat.
The love of my life is a feral who adopted me. He was so feral he had to learn to meow from my other rescues. He is the best companion I could ever have. 💘
I understand that very well. God bless.
I guess I am very fortunate. My feral cat who has a clipped ear ran into my house on November 19, 2018. We had talked a number of times. It was awful weather that day. I am so happy that she trusted me! She has been the best little kitty ever! A huge part of my life❤! Very smart little girl! From what I can gather, she's about 7. It is possible, and I'm so grateful for her blessing my life❤❤
I recently took in an old semi-feral Tom cat who was badly injured. I say semi-feral because I found out that someone had fed him but didn't have any physical contact. He was a mess! His whole tail was bloody and parts of it were falling off! I believe a car ran over his tail. I cried every time I fed him because he wouldn't let me touch him to get him help. Over time, he got friendlier and friendlier and let me pet him so I kept doing that for a while until he got used to that. Then one day I slowly picked him up while he was eating and got him in a cat cage. I took him to the Humane Society and they did everything to fix him up and I mean everything. He got neutered, dewormed, antibiotics, they killed the zillion lice and fleas he had, shaved him, Rabie shot, 2 baths, the works! He had been itching so bad that it looked like he was having a seizure. They had him for four days and they charged me NOTHING but I donated a couple hundred. He is now in a large cat cage on my back porch recovering. I am still working on training him to the litter box. If I succeed at that, I will attempt to bring him inside. I give him lots of loving during the day and he purrs and pushes his head into my hand now. Lots of comforting and gentle talk and massaging as he went through a lot of stress at the Humane Society but for his own good. His tail is healing up nicely and no more bleeding or itching. I sure do love this "Pretty Boy" and I am so grateful to the Humane Society for saving him. A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I don't have to cry over him anymore. All it takes is a lot of patience and time. It can be done!
God bless you!!!! thank you 💖
You are a wonderful wonderful person 🥲
The vet hospital has saved me thousands and saved my last cat when no one else was listening. Not all vets are out there looking for money.
I will say, this was so hard on me, but my vet told me to lock my ex-feral in the bathroom for 3-5 days. It was awful for both of us but he will only use the box now. My stray, who had no human contact, I couldn’t bear to do it to. Thankfully she learned quite quickly.
I have 2 kittens born of a ferral cat, they were 4 weeks old when I got them. I fed them bathed them and litter trained them. They are my children. I had them fixed when it was appropriate, and they have been in my custody since May 2012. The story of their being raised by me is one I cherish, I am so glad I have them.
Omg you are gross you broke them
@@emilyplaysgamesstuwe5801 what?
Woah same here, been feeding a feral momma in my backyard. I was SO excited when I realized she had babies. Two of them ran away one day so I was left with three. Sadly, just as I was making progress taming the third, she was killed by a dog:/ I was so heartbroken I decided to bring the other two in just so they'd be safe. Months later they're now safe, happy, and healthy. It makes me proud to know that I cared for them and tamed them myself:))
@@emilyplaysgamesstuwe5801 I think Dianne Fulton is a pretty great person =].
That's good but the most important things is did you fix the other cats in that community? those kittens did have parents who were still able to bred they would've been living in that area
I adopted my feral cat at age 14. And I was patient. Now is 16. And after 8 months every day sleeping with me, huging me.
Mooshie took 3 years to tame. He had my back bedroom. He his in corners. I filled the corners with furniture dressers etc. I would go in and sit and just talk to him. After a while he started coming out. The day he let me scratch his chin with 1 finger while I was offering a dish of canned food was a breakthrough. He is still a little skittish. Just recently he started begging for attention. He also likes to plop on me in the middle of the night. Love cures all. He also purrs which he didn't do in the beginning. He loves my other cats and plays like a little kid.
A feral cat showed up at our house. She was pregnant. We fed her daily on the porch. She had her litter of 4.
They too shared her food when they were weaned. I would talk to them when I set food down, never touching or getting too close. One day the Orange cat of the litter showed up at the kitchen window & meowed at me. So I started feeding him outside the window always telling him "Its okay" repeatedly. Even petting him once before. I went inside wearing long gloves. Sure enough he came to the window every day & let me pet him once before I went inside. It started getting cold, so I put his food just inside the enclosed porch & told him "Its okay." When it was too cold on the porch, I moved the food just inside the front door all the while telling him it was okay. He was petrified of every little noise. I left the door ajar when I set down food & had put a litter box on the porch the first time he came in to eat. Always left the porch door ajar so he could roam outside. When the good weather came I sat outside & would call "Kitty, kitty" & eventually he'd show up. I told him over & over "Its okay" always in a soothing tone as I petted him once or twice. Every time I petted him from the very first time on he would purr. Purr, purr, purr.. He eventually stayed in the house permanently. (Our other cat considered him an intruder.) Still skittish, he finally settled in and after 2 yrs of giving him lots of loving always telling him in a soft tone "Its okay". he is a lap cat. It took a lot of patience, but it was worth it. (His mother & 3 siblings had been captured & adopted when he showed up at the kitchen window.)
So yes, a feral kitten CAN be socialized. 👍👍
We have 3kitties,8 mo.old ,tame but still alittle bit feral.
My one former feral cat wouldn't let me get within 3 feet of her for the first 10 months, but she loves and learned from my other cats. Still doesn't let me pick her up very much, but she sleeps on me now and wants touching and attention all the time.
That’s awesome!👍🏽🥰
I ❤️my tamed feral’s (I have epilepsy)
Hi ...Could you please advise me , how do I get my domesticated cats & stray cats to get use to each other.
I feed the stray , every morning , when my cats are inside...but my cats do go outside during the day . So the stray has been hiding in the back garden . thank you
have had a my 6th, current, semi feral for 2+months; wish this girl would tolerate any other company without attacking. Any progress Really is all in Their time - a good day is just glimpsing a hint of connection and even minimal reduction of their fight or flight response. Some took 8 years or more to fully trust - but so worth it!
I have something else to add. In my backyard for the past several months are two male cats. One is a stray and other is (was) definitely feral. Both are adults. When I put out their food, the stray is starving for affection, so I pause for a minute to pet and talk to him. (If I didn't have so many cats already, I would take him in.) Until very recently, the other cat kept his distance and backed away whenever I got too close. The more I fed them the closer the feral would come, until about month ago when he got close enough to smell my hand. I offered my hand for a couple weeks, and then I touched the top of his head. He instantly pulled back and took a swipe at me. I went back offering my hand. Then he got close once again and I touched his head. He was shocked but quickly realized that what I was doing was pleasurable. Long story short, he's now spoiled, wanting me to drop everything and pet him. (Now the the cats are jealous of each other, and I have to be careful about giving them equal amounts of attention.)
My point is that all cats, including ferals, are different. Some ferals can be domesticated. Some after a year or two, and some after a month or two. As I said before, male ferals seem to be less of a challenge.
One other point, I believe that I was able to domesticate my backyard feral so quickly is because the stray cat modeled domesticated behavior and wasn't harmed in doing so.
Where I live feeding feral cats is a crime because of how destructive they are to native wildlife. Even on a full stomach they'll still hunt & kill because it's their universal instinct. If you never see your cat doing it, it usually because it does it in the middle of the night or at dawn 'n dusk (depending on the cat) when you are commuting, or only doesn't do it because you keep it locked up. BTW one bell on it's collar is not enough, cats know how to be stealthy enough when hunting to not set it off, so at a minimum 2 bells are required.
@@mickvonbornemann3824 Why is it important for me to know this information?
There's a huge spectrum of feral cat personalities, from meek and terrified to rabid cougar on meth... I've had them ALL. Currently I'm feeding a feral who's watched me pet and pick up the other cats, including a male she seems very bonded with, but after 2 yrs, she still won't let me touch her. She's ear tipped, so I know she's spayed. When we move, I'll have to trap her, because she's become dependent on us and I patently refuse to leave her.
@@trevorpsy so you know better & stop feeding feral cats. Feeding ferals is bad for wildlife & besides cats are exclusive carnivores so feeding ferals means more abuse of pastural animals too.
@@plaidpanda better to feed her at .22. Feral cats still instinctively kill wildlife even when fed & besides cats are exclusive carnivores so by feeding feral cats you’re adding to the suffering & abuse of pastural animals too. Also feral cats have such awful stressful short lives that if they could speak, post Mortem, they would thankyou for putting them down.
I rescued a feral at my work place. She was about 6 months old. And she WAS VIOLENT. Made all of us at work leave her, bloody and bruised. Yes bruised. We were bloody n bruised, not her. We named her Rhonda after Rhonda Rousse, the boxer. I spent the next 2 mths spending time with her. I finally trapped her. Had her spayed and then kept her at work in the heated garage to recover from the spay. It was winter time in New England. She stayed in the garage from the week of Thanksgiving til Memorial Day the following year. She hide the entire time. We fed her and gave her water. She used the litter box but preferred the speedy dry. She wouldn’t even leave, with the garage doors open nor the loud tractor trailers running being worked on. She left Memorial Day weekend came back the next week during a down pour. She finally let me pat her. I took her home and she never even tries to leave to go outside. Sits along side of my other 2 kitties. Did I mention she is a Tortoise/Calico, known to be obnoxious at times.
That's awesome! Mooshie and 2 of my other babies were also rescued from my work. I always find it funny how almost all of my rescues never try to go outside. Mooshie also has just discovered his pet me now persona:)
your story gives me great hope! thanks! Love your name decision-
What a sweet story thank you for sharing it with us. God Bless you for taking her in and taking such good care of her.
Bravo!!!!🎉🎉🎉
@lorismith5245 - it seems that once a feral experiences the domestic life and has a break from the violence/cold/hunger of living rough, they make the choice to throw in with the humans! 😻
I've attempted taming about 10 feral cats over the last 20 years. The success rate wasn't high, but three were tamable. One stayed at a shelter and eventually became a friendly shelter cat that loves people. I brought two home with me after having been scratched and charged at (they were ferocious). But after a few months, I gained their trust, and within a year became extremely loving pets. I still have one of them, and she snuggles and sleeps with me. She loves head bumps, and greets me by licking my face if I lie down on the floor with her. Again, I couldn't make headway with most of them, but a few efforts were very successful.
I have 2 Xferal cats. They are great and I do spoil them.
Interesting ,the one time we semi domesticated a feral cat ,said cat was about 8 yrs old .Having no idea about the process, we started by providing food and a box for shelter in our garden ,progressed to being able to approach him (Again with food ) and eventually he moved in of his own accord .We think he came from a nearby farm colony and simply decided to retire to an easier life .Coming indoors took 3 months and he lived with us for another 3 years ,until sadly illness took him .We were never able to treat him like a pet ,he wasn't having all that soppy petting or picking up stuff ,but he also never attacked us ,just made his boundaries clear .In the light of this i'd say it's very possible to live with a feral cat in your house ,as long as you accept that they are probably never going to be a snuggly lap cat .
Sounds a lot like Joey. Tired of putting up with the two Blue Heeler HOOLIANS so he moved in with us and is Best Buddies with our Geriatric Lab.
My son has raised nine cats. The first four were found on the street as kittens, and they grew into very loving pets. The next three lived in our apartment complex. Their mama had been producing kittens there for years. My son started feeding them, and eventually he was able to pick them up and bring them home. They are a bit more skittish than the others but they get along well. Number eight came to us as an adult when her parents split up. Number nine lived on the street after his family moved away. He seemed to want to move in with us so we took him in. He's a great cat. Raising a feral kitten or a stray adult is possible. You can save a life. Some will be more loving than others, but they're cats! Be patient and be prepared for vet bills. We think it's worth it.
That's great !......and God bless.
I have a formerly feral cat who is almost exclusively indoors. She will go outside for 10 minutes to go visit the other cats (we have a feral colony of about nine cats), but then she is inside. Right now she is rubbing against my feet very happy and Purdy. I am working with two of the other cats to make them adoptable and we have already adopted one cat out. It is definitely doable, but I work on it every day with them and it is indeed very demanding to do.
what do you do about fleas if your cat goes outdoors.
I have a feral cat that comes over. He befriended my own cat. We used to see him for years around the area buy he is so fearful. With food over time he came closer to our door. Then when no one was in the living room He came in and jumped on the couch one day. He only feels safe on the couch in our house. At first he was extremely fearful of being touched. But he was never aggressive... just paralysed by fear. But over time eventually we heard him purr a tiny bit. Now as he got comfortable with us, he is happy to give us his belly for rubs (loves belly rubs). Before he only came in the house very rarely.... but as his trust grows it's becoming more frequent. The past week or so He's been staying in the house for the whole night to sleep on the couch. He still feels most safe on the couch. He won't be approached anywhere else. But if I sit on the couch and call his name, he'll come over to snuggle up to me and for affection. It's a long process and lots of patience.
Not sure if we'll ever FULLY domesticate him. Currently he won't drink water from a bowl ... he goes outside to drink from a puddle. And has zero interest in the litterbox. One night he peed on my mum's bed because he didn't know where to go and we were all asleep.
I tried putting him in the litterbox once ... but again paralysed by fear and run out and straight on the couch because he feels safe there.
I put the litter box in the living room where he spends the most time, hoping he might sniff around and detect that my other cat uses it.
That would be ideal. It's cold where we live and we don't like the idea of him being in the cold and wet all night... but also not ideal if he needs to pee and doesn't know where to go.
We definitely have made a lot of progress with him. The fact that he's staying the night and coming over for affection is really good. I'm literally tip toeing around him so I don't spook him somehow.
Great job being patient with him.
I adopted an 8-year-old feral cat from foster care, realizing feral cats might not suit families with children due to their need for a quiet environment. As someone who enjoys solitude, a cat seemed a better fit than a dog, especially living in a one-bedroom apartment. This cat, having survived in the wild and losing an eye in a fight, prefers simple comforts like sleeping in a shoebox over luxurious cat accessories I bought it and returned. Initially, she only ate while being petted, showing a unique bond forming between us. Five weeks in, we've grown closer; she seeks affection on her terms, often at night, and unusually enjoys being petted with wet hands. Despite her challenging past, I'm committed to providing her with comfort and love.
I live in a state where cats are considered wild animals and free roaming. We have a colony at work and I was recruited for some feeding. The back colony is pretty feral and we try to keep everyone fixed. We have one that primarily lives in front about 7 years old. She is confident and social not afraid to flirt for some treats. She is an anomaly but very happy. We consider her our work mascot.
Very interesting topic. Since last year, I have been feeding a 'feral' cat at the local park. In warmer weather, she'd be in the reeds along the bay. I'd leave a handful of dry cat food and she would sniff it and eat it. The fact that she's alone, doesn't hide when she see me (although at first she'd freeze and duck) suggest she's a stray according to the video. But she's also clean and fairly well groomed, and will not let me get within about 10 feet of her no matter what. Over the winter, I have been going there at night to leave food. I shake the baggie of food and she usually materializes. She learned that the noise means food is there. I leave the food and back slowly away and she heads for the food as I clear out. I often will stay and watch from a distance and talk to her in the squeaky kitty voice so she associates people with food. I think she'd have a good shot at becoming a house cat if I were retired and able to spend days and nights with her.
Hello CB..
Your committment to the kitty is lovely. All my cats have been strays, and then lived long happy lives with me...Last year a new gorgeous cat came into our street and when I put a bowl of wet food out under a nearby car she readily ate it...so I'd put bowls of food out nearer & nearer to my porch and she eventually would come and eat her food in the porch. I had high hopes of this lovely cat eventually coming in the house for her food, but she just ate quickly checking for danger then go..if I tried to get too close she'd hiss and run away.
Infact our feeding routine was brilliant early morning 4/am then late evening...I called her Baby and talked to her softly and she'd always appear from her waiting area..Then on 22nd
December 2020 I fed her little knowing it was for the last time as she hasn't been back since...I feel very sad and miss her very much.. keeping hoping she is unharmed and will return.
I have two cats and had visions of Baby integrating into our little family..
I'm still unsure if Baby was a feral cat or a very frightened stray..
Just wanted to share... my best to everyone..
@@glendaharris1099 You may have had success as Baby associated you and your voice with positive experiences of food and kindness. Until we know any better, I will assume Baby was a stray cat and found by her owners. Your kindness allow Baby to survive until her owners found her.
I believe you will be successful at building a friendship with this cat, as she has only associated positive events with your voice and other sounds (food and kindness.
@@edwinswift2646 Aww thank you so much for your reply Edwin..I find comfort in your assessment of my situation
with Baby...All my best to you.
CB, there is a feral colony that lives in my back yard. ALL of my house cats came from there.
I am 6 out of 7 on this and I still take care of the 7th (just can’t pick him up even after 4+ years) but he comes to me, knows the schedule and is very sweet. Of the 6 I have been successful with the ages range from a few month old kitten to a estimated 6 year old. Once the cat trusts you and KNOWS you are not going to hurt them it’s easier.
are you by any chance interested in taking in 2 more? - Im in dire need to rehouse these guys, they are potty trained but not huge into touching
@@XpricklycactusX I am afraid not. Currently have a full house. Sorry
I have taken in many, many strays and one feral. There is definitely a difference between stray and feral. I was able to catch a feral, we named Tom Tom. I noticed he had a wounded leg so I caught him in a rug when he wondered into an enclosure that we have a cat hotel in. I put him in a 6x5 foot enclosure in our garage. Had him neutered, leg fixed, vacs and general check up. He has been hanging around for a while now but has not gotten any more health care since we aren't allowed to touch him. Since he is mobile now the only way to catch him would be to trap him and I believe that any trust we built with him would disappear but I am considering it since I am sure he has dental issues now. We feed him and he stays very close to his two friends, Murphy and Esme. Murphy our tuxedo showed up when he was about a year old. He was a stray and was very friendly, had him neutered and vacs and general check-up since he is friendly he and his friend Esme still get regular vet visits. Tom started coming in the garage to be friends with Murphy our Tuxedo. Tom does not want human interaction. We try everyday and have for a year and 1/2 to interact, gently and kindly with him to no avail. Another stray showed up when she was about 6 months old her name is Esme. Had her spayed when the time came and vacs. She now lives outside in the garage too. They lay around during the day outside, killing our birds and salamanders, bunnies, chipmunks and anything else they can get their paws on and at night they come when I call them and then they go up at night to sleep in peace and comfort. Upsetting, but something we have to live with, I tried to find homes for them to no avail. Another kitty Gus showed up when he was about 4 months old pretty sure he was a brother to Esme. We got his check up and vacs but he wasn't old enough to neuter, I did find him a home with a family in our area. She has since had him neutered and he is living a good life. The only one I found a home for out of all of my stray kitties.
I have George the tripod a snowshoe kitty who showed up many years ago with a friend a linx point kitty, Smokey. Then came Wiley, an asthmatic kitten of a 8 weeks old, another linx point.
Wiley passed away at 3 years old due to his lung disease. We were always at the vet with him, oxygen tent, breathing treatments, and lots of medications. George, Smokey, Wiley, Trixie, all lived in our home. The 4 amigos. Trixie the tabby, she was older when she arrived and the most loving kitty.
Then Brenna showed up she was around 8 months old, then Rose, she was about 5 years old at that time. I try to not care so much but it is heart wrenching to see them barely surviving outside.
George the snowshoe got ran over, he came back to our home after being missing for several days with a front leg mangled and needed it amputated. He was already neutered so he had obviously been someone's pet. We got him fixed up and now he lives in the house with Brenna, our tabby and Rose, White and Toffee colored with baby blue eyes.
Smokey passed, Trixie passed, Wiley passed, so now we have 3 inside and 3 outside kitties. We have had so many discarded and lost babies. I would love to have them all in our home but that's just not feasible. I just don't understand ppl, they believe cats are meant to be outside and tragic things happen to them. We also had Muffin, she hung around for a while but died from a dog attack. Then there was Siobhan, she died also after being ran over on the highway. I believe in total we have taken in and cared for 23 kitties. Then there are the pups we have taken in but that's another story in itself. Moral of this story: Spay/Neuter and care for your pets. They are family, not disposable. Yes, it's expensive but if you get a pet, you have to care for it just like you would a human.
You are wonderful to care and love so many kitties!
You’re a beautiful person ❤
In 1991 I moved into a downstairs apartment In the FL Keys, about a one minute drive from my new job. The street was one block long, Florida Bay on my end of the street, a canal at the other end, and and empty wooded lot across the street, where a feral black cat had been living since he was born 7 years before, according to the neighbors. My first day at work, I came home for lunch and saw him checking me out from the corner of the house as I went in. My second day home for lunch, he rubbed up against me as I put the key in the door. My third day home for lunch, he ran in as soon as I opened the door, jumped up on the sofa and informed me I was now his human. My neighbors were amazed. They all said he never let anyone near him before. Now, my upstairs neighbor said whenever I was a minute from home, he would go out to the street and wait for me. He was my best friend for the next 12 years when he passed. Go figure.
That sounds like a stray to me, a feral would run from you as if you were a predator and of you did corner it and make contact it would fight for his life
@@shotto_z4790
No, according to all the neighbors he was feral. They were there when the kittens were born, caught, and adopted out, but he would not let anyone get close enough to catch him. There were only ten houses on my street and everyone got together after work to hang out. They all left food out for the cats and dogs (mostly dogs), so no animals went hungry including this cat, but everyone said he would never let anyone get within ten feet of him until he moved in with me.
@mutantplants1 good information thank you!
I have a very pregnant feral runt and I’m scared for her. She is 6 months old and teeny and keeps trying too come in but has fleas… I’ll just keep checking on her.
Thxs again ✌🏼
Video should really mention that feral kittens under 3 months can be socialized relatively easily, especially under 8 weeks. Socialization window closes rapidly after 3 months so it’s a lot harder after that.
DEFINITELY! I have a pair of former ferals currently sprawled out in my room. The secret is patience and tasty ample food treats!
I found a feral kitten of about 4 months old that on a very cold snowy morning where I used to work in the ambulance garage. We all fed her, she lived with us for 2 weeks. When I used to work she slept on the top bunk bed with me. After 2weeks the supervisor came back from vacation and she order us to throw to the streets. I couldn’t throw her out so I took the kitten home. By the time I got home the box as shredded. Finally I got her inside my home and I thought my adult cats will attack her so I kept her in the bathroom, 24 hours later she escaped and encountered my other cats, she attacked all my adult cats (1 female and 3 males), after that the adults didn’t bother her because of her temper. I took her to the vet and had her spayed and vaccinated. She always kept that wildness but she accepted me and two of the male cats. What’s weird was that she was a mixed Siamese and those 2 adult males where also mixed Siamese. She lived for 18.5 years with me. She was friendly with me and loved to be petted but she used to seat on my lap when she wanted otherwise she would growled. She died from acute renal failure she had to be euthanized, I held her until she died in my arms 4 years ago. When she was a year old I found a stray adult car with an ear and half of his face burned, I rescued him from the street also on a cold snowy winter. I took him to the vet got him cured and vaccinated, he was already neutered. It took me three years for him to show me love and to stop growling at me, after that he decided to love me. He died 6 months later from a brain tumor after she died. All my cats have been adopted from shelters, strays and feral and I have had many cats in my life and I still have a cat. I only bought a cat from a pet store when I was 18 years old ( young, naive and stupid) and didn’t know anything about cat mills. I’m new of those people that always need to have at least a cat since I was a child, and when I move they also move with me, I don’t abandon my fur babies or my fishes. Where I go they also move with me and I had move to different states from north to south on the eastern coast.
My last cat, my beloved Bugzie, was feral and turned out to be a big love bug. But, it took time and patience. Sadly, he died of cancer after I had him 9 years. He was so perfect in every way, and I tried so hard to save him, but I just couldn't.
And now, through circumstances beyond my control, I've got another feral. It's been two months and is a struggle. But, for Bugzie's sake, I am trying.
Just remember every cat has it’s own personality and even though this new one is not Bugsie he can love and be loved in their own way. No expectations and accept them for who they are. I wish you the very best with your new friend. Do they have a name?
So sorry to hear about Buzie's passing. It's never easy when you love them so much.....and they love you right back.
Disagreement #1. Both stray and feral cats will form colonies with an alpha female in charge. Kittens are raised by all cats in the colony. Adult female cats will guard their territory for a hunting ground against other cats. Male cats are normally not wanted in these colonies when they become adults. Hence male cats have overlapping territory with female colonies and will defend their territory against other male cats for affection from the ladies. Disagreement #2: Cats may survive outside as ferals, but they cannot thrive without assistance from humans. The average feral and homeless cats live on the average of 5 years. Where as house cats live past 22 years. Disagreement #3. Cats instinctively know how to use a litter box, providing it is kept clean. Mistakes occur due to health reasons, stress, or a form of protest. Disagreement #4: All cats know how to groom. A feral cat maybe stressed and thus losing fur. A scruffy feral kitty maybe sick or have parasites such as fleas, ticks, etc. Grooming maybe a secondary activity if the feral cat is busy hunting for food to survive. .Unless kitty has long hair, she or he needs no grooming assistance. Disagreement #5: Any hungry kitty will recognize cat food as a relief to hunger; especially feral cats who do not have regular meals provided.. Disagreement #6: 'Both house, stray and feral cats are instinctively active and prefer night. Apparently you have not experienced cats running around the house, singing, and knocking things over at night due to excess energy.
Edwin Swift... Well said.
Yes this video repeats the standard flaws in understanding feral cats. They willingly will be socialized in the right conditions and in their own time. Often rescue organizations do not have the funding to sponsor feral cats that take a few years to become comfortable when people want to adopt lap cats. In the end no cat should be homeless.
Feral cats in my country can live upto 8 years.they most of the time kill each other for territorial fight.
I have 2 families of cats of which a majority of them are feral. Patches, mum of Tiger, Booties and Blacky. Patches, Booties and Blacky are feral. Patches somewhat leass than Booties or Blacky. Tiger is the most assertive as in he won't just run away on sight of anyone else. None run from me, Blacky even often comes to bed and lays on me or, on cold nights, gets under the covers and snuggles. The other family is a feral tabby named Tabby the Feral. He is one of the most feral of all of my cats, but, he knows me and lets me touch him. He absolutely runs from anyone else! There is also his sister Midnight the Feral Queen of the Office who lives in the office with two of her kids. Midnight is just as feral as Tabby, but, she has just fallen in love with me. But, ONLY me! Miss Pepper and Mr Vader, her two younger kids have NO idea of just HOW good they have it. When they were two or three days old, they needed help, so I took them (she let me). Later that day, she was looking for them, so I lured her in with cat food (there is a feral colony in my yard...and EVERYONE there knows what cat food is). She never wanted to be in a house, but, I didn't want to let her kittens out and have to either rescue them again, or worse, having to deal with them dying after I did so much to help them. So, I lured mum in and brought her to them in the office. You could just see the attitude she had immediately change when she realized that I was reuniting them. It took about 6 months before Midnight would let me touch her. She also adjusted to using a litter box REALLY quickly, like a couple of days. She would go into a corner, but, I put the litter box so she would have to walk thru it to find a place to go, and she thought "oh" and she used it right then and she has been using it exclusively ever since. She has been neutered and she can leave anytime she wants now, but, one time she went outside to the rest of the house...for all of 5 seconds before she wanted back in to the office. Even with the door wide open, she stays in the office. I'm the only person she actually trusts. A few months ago, her older daughter, miss Spots started staying overnights...I finally just said "why don't you just LIVE here?" She did and she does. Miss Spots has never left the house since, although she, like every OTHER cat I have enjoys laying on a window sill and watching the outside. She doesn't try to go out. None of my ferals want to go outside.
There is a lot of misinformation in this video, while bringing the plight to homeless cats whether socialized and abandoned or feral and not socialized.
One is feral cat absolutely do know cat food and do know how to use the litter box. Mistakes to the litter box are very rare and due as are made do to illness, worms and diarrhea. The upset stomach from “not knowing cat food” is the result of eating garbage to survive, one feral vomited plastic and even the bristle from a BBQ brush. Parasite load also causes upset.
Toys do take time as they spend all energy in survival and yet will play once they feel secure. Set up your feral room and line the floor with plastic sheeting and sheets for easy clean up.
So *TRUE* Thank You So Much for the education !👍🏾😀
Love this channel, it has cat coverage and that's what I need!
I've only had 2 cats so far in my life... and both of them were feral... they sleep in bed with my wife and I and cannot spend a single minute outside of my view. They will literally follow me everywhere...
It took what was definitely as mentioned a metaphorical mount everest of patience. I am more assertive in my attempts to know my cats, so it did not take as long as my timid wife to hold them (2 years!!) it was all worth it because they are now the most mild tempered cats I've seen... they never get aggressive it blows my mind how much they've changed in 3 years.
Bribe a new friend with cat food today. 🤣🤣
It is possible to transform a feral into a house cat but it's mostly on there terms. We have a small T N R colony at my shop in the yard. 1 particular black cat with a heavily tipped ear that has been observing me for about a 1 1/2 years now as I feed the colony everyday. None are friendly but in Oct 2022 this black cat decided to walk in my shop and smelled around. I acted like nothing was going on and kept working and he walked back out. He started coming in everyday and did the same thing for awhile. I brought an old cat bed from home and a litterbox to see what would happen. Next day he came in and to my amazement he went in the letterbox peed in it and went for the bed and smelled and decided take a nap in it. The rest is pretty much what you would not expect from him. He let me pat him and he decided it was o.k. and stayed permanently. He goes out during the day comes for a snack goes back out but always comes back before I go home for the night. He doesn't want to get stuck outside at night I guess.. He is still learning play but slowly he's getting the hang of it. Time to vet him and take him home at this point. He is a friendly little guy who now rolls around and lets me rub his belly of all things. I tell my customers he's a Feral fail. His name is now Axl
I feed feral cats everyday. There was a mother who had four kittens. She was hit by a car and one kitten died by wildlife. It took me seven months to get them use to me. I have one that will rub by my feet. But I know what I can do, but this cat will let me rub it but if I try to pick it up it try to bite. It just take time. Feral old cats can be tame it just takes a lot of time
I am feeding a Feral Tuxedo Cat. He shows up at 0800 every morning and about 5 P.M. in the evening. I put his food out and go back in the house. My two Tuxedo brothers's mother came to daughter's house and had 4 babies. Daughter found homes for two, and we took the Tuxedo boys. They are very very smart, and consider our old Calico female, as mother. She considers them or at least one of them her baby. She never had babies. The boys are as big as our dog, and everyone gets along. They run and play tag in the house. These are house cats, never go outside. Lots of company for us.
All I know is if you have a cat , don't leave them , don't abandon them.
I got a very UNSOCIALISED cat, already over a year old. She’s skittish, docile not aggressive and litter box trained. She has no interest playing nor eating treats in front of me. I hope I can do this.
Any updates? How did it go?
@@griffinartandairbrushing3174 Ha yes! After about 6 whole weeks of her hiding, and non reactionary when I made contact, she finally came out of her shell. She’s a great little cat, gets along with our dog, sweet, playful and loving. Macavity is a great addition to our family.
@@azborderlands That's awesome! Thank you!
Last July 3rd/20 I was talking on the phone outside near the pond area in our yard. I looked up and saw this very young feral cat (maybe 5 months old) on a deck looking down at me. She chose me and I chose her....we have had her since then. She is devoted to me and I am to her. It took some time before I could touch her....my husband can’t as yet. She is spayed and has all the shots, etc. What I want to say is that this cat has the best of both worlds....loves to go outside...stays close to home in the yard and I let her in for the evening...sleeps in the deck room. Daytime naps in the greenhouse outside, or in a Costco house we purchased for her to rest in outside. I like it that she is independent and can do fine outside and/or inside. Her name is Izzy and will come running when I call. I do love her....💕🙏
A friend of mine found my Sassy cat a year ago late one stormy night 🌙 out in the middle of the highway about six miles between towns and no houses for at least a mile or so so she picked it up and gave it to me I took her to the vet and got all of her shots and the vet thought that she was 4 or 5 weeks old I take her with me where ever I go ! I'm a ranch hand so she gets to ride on tractors, skidsters , trucks and anything else I run. I put her on my shoulder when I take her to the stores she likes some people and not others Sassy has her own fan club she is my every thing she has to check out every thing that I do if I don't take her with me I can hear her meows it sounds like she is crying we do all most every thing together I wouldn't have it any other way
I have 3 older feral cats and both are now domesticated.
We have an outside cat. It took us about six months in order to have her begin to like us, though she was still cold towards us. It took many more years, until finally as of this year at around the age of 15 years old, she is very sweet and starves for affection. It has been an amazing experience caring for her.
I rescued two cats 8 and 9yrs; the male tamed pretty quickly but the female was just mean and nasty until the male passed (at 24 yrs)...she then became the most loving cat I've ever had -it was well worth the wait. She passed recently ..and a semi feral was just left with me -that was supposed to be picked up a month ago - so here we go again... At least I Know there Is a light at the end of what can seem a never ending tunnel...and that we are, at the least, keeping them safe.
I live in a neighborhood with lots of feral cats, we've tamed around 6.
the first one we tamed was caught up in insulation under our house, a string had gotten caught around her neck. after saving her, we immediately brought her inside and comforted her, buying food and cat milk. eventually we released her back into the neighborhood and she still comes around for food at times. her name was Lucky.
one found a nice home at around 2 months after we found her as a kitten, with her birth mother being Lucky. Lucky had brought the kitten to us a few months to a year after we had released her. Her name was Luna, she went to my siblings friends parents.
next we have one of our current cats, willow. willow was around a month or two old when she started coming around, immediately she started taking a liking to us. eventually, she became a lap cat who is the queen cat of the neighborhood, always having to be the first for everything.
her sister came pretty quickly after her, we named her blossom. she was even lovier than willow, loving being loved, loved people, etc. she went missing one day after we had brought cat food out for the cats. the lady that comes around our neighborhood to give the cats their shots had caught her, someone took a liking to her and she found a new home.
before every other cat, there was a siamese-colored cat with a ton of stripes along her body. we named her whitey, shes been here since we first moved here. tried bringing her in one time and she was absolutely flea ridden, we released her soon after and now she just sticks around for food. she doesnt allow pets which is perfectly normal for feral cats who are used to humans.
finally, we have forest. like blossom, he loves every bit of attention he can get. with the first 3 cats being plain black cats and whitey being white/siamese, hes a grey cat with a coat like his father's. his mother is whitey and he has her raccoon-looking tail and striped legs. hes not a lap cat, but he definitely loves sitting next to me. he started showing up about a year after blossom was taken away, and her being willows only living sibling, she has basically adopted him as her little brother.
you just have to give them love.
Please get the cats neutered. Intact cats live miserable lives and procreate extremely quickly. Neutering saves lives as well as alleviating suffering. Please!
We have a feral cat who is about 5 years old. We used clicker training to teach him to play and to come when we call him. Now he plays hard and loves it, and runs to me when I call him. He’s a real sweetheart and loves to be petted and brushed.
I have a feral or stray living in my backyard
I purchased a indoor enclosure shelter for it
hopefully the cat will use it they're not cheap
You can make one ----> a cat bed in a large bin (w/out the lid ) turned on its side, placed in a large box wrapped in large heavy weight-trash bags like a pkg, and use packing tape sealing any seams to keep dry ………..then take packing paper scrunched up and stuff all around the bin for insulation, only tape on side of the box lid so cat can get in and out…..they will stay cozy and warm thru the rainy season and you can still reach in and pull the cat bed out for washing if needed……every year I remake the box because the sun eats the garbage bag…..but our feral only uses it in winter in calif.
I have "domesticated " two feral cats. The one is just as sweet and playful as my adopted strays, but she doesn't allow anyone except for me to get too close to her. My other feral, "affectionately" called monster cat by my mother, is even more antisocial. It took more than four years to get to the point where I could hold her. She often growled and hissed while eating or when I pet her. I stayed on the ground with her and put my head to hers - this seemed to calm her. I let her make many first moves towards snuggling. She occasionally has screaming fits when she gets frightened, but she has not drawn blood...yet.
Someone else must have tried to domesticate her at some point, because she was declawed when I found her in my church's parking lot. I trapped her there and took her to the pound, but they said they would have to put her down if they couldn't handle her (she made the most ungodly sounds in the carrier). I told the staff I would be back the next day to see how things went. When I walked in the door, they said nothing and simply handed me the carrier - cat still screeching inside. I took her home and never looked back. That was nearly 10 years ago. She now makes the sweetest cooing sound...and the occasional guttural growl, but she's lived a pretty contented life with me.
what a great account of what good can result when individuals like you are willing to take on such challenge - for their sake! Kudos!
I’ve been working with a feral cat in my yard for about a year and it took over 6 months before she would let me stand next to her while she eats. Months later I was allowed to pet her and then she would hang out with me on the porch on sunny days. Almost a year later I was dozing on the porch and she jumped into my lap! I was shocked and never would have believed that would happen. So now she spends an hour or two on my lap in the evenings with the porch door open. Last night it was much too cold to leave her out (21F) and I shut the porch door with her inside. I checked on her every two hours last night and she didn’t want to go outside. Feels like a major win but she might not want to do that again for awhile - the choice is totally hers. Everything is done on her timeline. I just have to learn to accept whatever her lifestyle decision might be.
So beautiful 😻
I had saved feral’s when I was young. I feed them and caught them and had them fixed and had them vaccinated. I left out food for them. I also left my garage open just enough so that they could have someplace to run to because we also had coyotes. So it would take sometimes forever but I eventually coerced them into my home. They never let me hold them and never made a mess in my house. But I was very happy just to have them. They returned their love by crouching next to my ankles. It was a beautiful time in my life.
Feral turned tame with you doesn't mean tame with everyone. Each person may have to gain kitty's trust.
I have a system, part of it I got from my Dad. Put your mattress on the floor so there is no place to hide. After vet stuff, put the cat box, water and food dish in the room. No windows is better. The patient cannot escape. After work and dinner, put the cat on your stomach and train yourself to not let go when the hiss and lunge occurs. It stops when they see it doesn't work or they just get tired of doing it. Awhile after you come in, get up and feed them. It is important they watch you feed them. One kitty treat after calm periods. Hiss and lunge becomes more infrequent until they just fall asleep and wake up not eaten, and they figure out you are not so bad. Younger ones and males are easier. Older females can be really upset in the beginning. I just brought Missy home and 3 feet in the front door she figured out what was going on and looked me right in the eyes as she bit clear through my 40 year old right thumb with great determination, force and hatred in her eyes and held on. I've had cats for 60 years and every time I've been scratched or bitten, the cat was holding back. Until then. She lightened up and became besties with Bugs the Burger Baby. For me, it worked every time. Eight ferals total.
We went around with a raccoon cage in December before they froze.
Yes, a feral cat can adjust to home life. Both of ours were born outside with feral parents and introduced to our house gradually. Both chose to live indoors with us and are very sweet lovey cats. Our younger cat took several months to adjust fully, we just let her be her, and she now follows me around everywhere.
I love the fact that you go into the definitions. Rustoleum is not neutered. He walks along with my GSD. Sleeps on top of my head when I'm asleep.
Trying to tame two feral kittens now and it’s so difficult. Very tempting to let them go but I can’t abandon them here
I have been socializing feral adult cats and kittens and they can be befriended you just need to give it time, don't force touch on them, don't hold them roughly by the neck. I see many vets recommend it, especially holding kittens like that, I strongly disagree. It make's scared cats even more scared. Just give cat more time, earn his trust, he will come to you if you are nice person. Animals can tell, even by the voice what is your mood and intention is. Each day it will be more progress, just be patient and enjoy the journey. Many ferals I caught are adopted thought a shelter, one lives in the house next door with a pool, definite upgrade to the old life! She was trying to get into neighbor's houses when it got colder and one of them let her in. So she found her own home by being proactive, very smart cat. Almost everyone but 1, I believe, is spayed and neutered by now. Lot's of progress in 6 month. When I started there were about 25 cats in the neighborhood, just born kittens laying on the hot pavement under my car, now I'm down to 8 regulars and few new. Work goes on.
I have done this. A cat who I had tried many times to approach finally had kittens and I started feeding them. She wouldn't let me get close but I would sit closer and closer to the food every day. I finally was able to sit next to the food with her and slowly every day would start to try and pet her. She began trusting me and a year later she was pregnant again and I feed her the whole time and she would let me pet her none of the other cats would. Finally she had her kittens and I happened to see her carrying one kitten into my garage and found that she had put 5 kittens in the corner of my garage and would let me pet them while she feed them. Now she and the kittens live in my garage as she won't come into the house no matter how hard I try. At one point she took all the kittens and went outside with them and I thought I wouldn't see them again but she came back with 3 and I found the other 2 that didn't follow her in a wood pile she lead me to and I got those two and brought them in. Now I have 5 kittens and momma all living in the garage 😊
I'm taming a feral. It took me more than a year, before she scratched me badly a couple of times but now she seeks attention, she sticks to my legs and wanted to sleep on my bed! Lol maybe one day she'll stay..
Did TNR one Tom Jefe was a hissing 16 lb boy . Well 2 and a half years later he gets in my car lays on my lap and drools when I pet him . Many of my wild cats have become friendly to me and only me .
Oh my word you made my day... Mobi the tortoise tabby semi-feral adopted us two years ago. It just happened in the wink of an eye! We knew Mobi from sight for about 2 years. She was very scared and shy and slept in our carport. Christmas of 2019 she suddenly came to us for scritches and belly-rubs. We started feeding her, and the rest is history! Mobi is 6 years old and drools when she feels content and happy....😻😻😻
I found her half dead in the snow. Nursed her back with turkey and catnip and she lived in my garden. It took about 4 years to slowly get her comfortable coming indoors. She would sometimes come at night and sleep on a towel by the door and then want let out in the morning. She never liked litter so I used wood chips but she would rather go outside. She didnt want cuddles or picked up, but she wanted to be around you and watch. I've never had a wild animal CHOOSE to live with me before, an absolute fascinating experience.
Feral adults can absolutely be tamed! I currently have a 2 year old feral cat that we caught in a trap on Sept 15. She was pregnant. She had her 4 kittens in my house on Oct 12th. I stayed with her and helped her and yesterday I was able to pick her up and cuddle her on my lap. I also have her two 6 month old kittens and 10 month old brother in my house. The 10 month old was caught in our trap on Oct 10th and this morning I found my son with the cat on his lap, purring up a storm. I've seen all these cats/kittens around since they were born but they were true feral and would run if any human approached. It took less than a month to tame the 2 year old, 2 days to tame the 6 month old kittens and 6 days to tame the 10 month old. They just need to be given a chance.
I've always whistled when trying to get his attention. - Rustoleum is brilliant. Maybe feral cats are closer to being a dog...
I used to feed a feral orange male , he was sick and very feral . It took a couple of months but one day he just walked up to be and snuggled up to me , sadly he passed away due to his health conditions and died in my basement . Now I am feeding a stripped cat trying to earn its trust like the last cat :/
We have had several ferals over the years and have enjoyed them all. Once you establish trust its all done and we have NEVER had a problem with that.
I’m not sure what I have. We have been feeding some woodland cats. At first they would have nothing to do with us.
After a while we would leave small amounts of moist cat food and leaving it. After a while they began to warm up with stipulations.
Small amounts of petting. Our inside cat we let out to do all business. And that seems to be working well.
Absolutely they can! All my cats have been born feral, but they stand a better chance to adjust if they’re kittens! I have taken adults also but they may have been abandoned. It is as you say, true feral cats simply are too wild! It takes a long time to have trust between a feral and you.
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉I just took in a feral cat that i've been feeding outside for about a year. I brought around in the carrier and kept her in the laundry room. Then, immediately took her to the vet the next day. Because I already have 2 other cats. And I didn't want her to give them fleas or any kind of disease. The vet said she was in perfect health, no disease, worms, but especially NO FLEAS!!! It took me a long time to wind her trust. But it's so cold outside, and she's kind of becoming an outcast with other cats. So I took her in, and god blessed me to be so lucky that she's adapting really well.😃😃😃😃 I can't decide whether she is stray or farrel but I know sometimes I wouldn't see you for days and she was always alone. Whenever i've handled her commission ever scratches or tries to bite me. She's actually more well behaved than the cast I already have ungrateful ba$tards!!!!🤣🤣🤣
I have a feral that has now lived in my house with little problems
Yes, i've befriended many feral kitties
Me too!
I have a feral female cat that has lived outside in my yard for about 5 years .Two years ago she had 4 kittens.I captured her and had her fixed after she weened her kittens.I brought 2 of them indoors at 2 months old.She was unfriendly until about two years ago .She started letting me pet her.Now she sits at my back door begging to be petted.She follows me around the yard.She sits on my lap when I sit on the swing.
Interesting news! Several months ago, a feral, Siamese cat took up residence in my yard, which made no sense. How could a purebred cat be feral? Some questions have no answers.
Anyway, she's a tiny cat able to squeeze by the gate in my fence, explore my house, and get to know my resident kitties. This has resulted in amusing situations in which she and I meet in the hallway, or some other constricted space, and she freaks out and runs away. (Her freaking out suggests that she's a feral, not a stray.)
She's not dumb, however, and has figured out whose feeding her. She's also figured out how to charm me into feeding her with a pathetic meow that sounds more like a desperate cry.
A couple months ago it was becoming obvious that she was pregnant. So, I blocked off her getting back through the gate while she was in the house, because I wanted her to have her litter indoors.
Her litter was born about 8 weeks ago, resulting in my becoming more involved with her . This, in turn, has resulted in her becoming more comfortable with my approaching her (but not touching).
This morning, for the first time, I was able to pet her several times without her running away.
Never let be said that ferals can't be tamed, or that ferals can't tame themselves.
I have 3 feral cats who live indoors and who are very tame (well, 2 of 3 are very tame, the other one is secure with me only). They were trapped around ages: 4, 5 and 6 months. The 6 month- old was the most difficult to tame, and she's the one who only responds to me, but she's very sweet. She appears several times a day for her brushing and pats. The other two are very friendly with all and Xing Xing, the one who was 5 months old when trapped is the friendliest cat I've ever seen. Dog-level friendly, although I wouldn't say that to her 🤣
Both follow me from room to room and allow me to hold them. They love to cuddle at night and play games, just like a domestic-born cat. Give feral cats a chance. I love their smarts, resourcefulness, and gratefulness. They had a tough time as little kittens and they love their home!
When I showed her the box WITH her own dirt from her midden (from my garden) she gave me a look like OH, why didn't you SAY so? She then went and gave a nice long pee and a good poop.
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One of my cats was born wild and captured when about 4 months with her sister. She wasn't released in the wild, since it was late fall when she was captured, but came into a shelter. There, she stayed invisible for almost 2 years. She did not like humans to even look at her, and she hid from the other cats in the room with her. We basically applied the procedure as you explained to introduce her in our home, but since she had been in a cat shelter, she already new the litter and cat food.
It's almost 9 years now that we have her. It took 4 months, before she allowed us to touch her, and she will always be scared easily. Whenever she does, we back off - now, just as we did 9 years ago. She does not allow to be carried on the arm at all, but she does come and ask for cuddles regularly. And yes, she decides what she allows us to do and what not. We would love her to lose that shyness, but if she doesn't we will go on loving her just as well. She is an absolutely lovely soul and we are glad we have her.
Thanks for this extensive video! I just had to push the subscibe button. Greetings from Germany!
I have an update. I still have 2 families, but, Miss Midnight the Feral Queen of the Office is no longer the oldest member of her family in my house as there is now someone in the house from her family is older. Her MUM, Miss Black Mama (she's about 5 years old), and is living in the house with her kittens. 3 that are about 6 months old and 1 that is about 4 months old. Mr Greyson, the 4 month old one is the friendliest. Hiss older brother, Mr Grey is sometimes a bit hissy, but, he usually doesn't try to run away when I try to touch him. Sometimes, he will shake like he's afraid, but, I think he's kind of beginning to realise that I won't hurt him. Miss Raven always runs away. Miss Mittens is the worst case. She hides and every morning I put down a can of food for her while she hisses and now even starts taking swings at me! She had started to get a bit better, but now it's worse. However, once she starts eating, she doesn't complain about me touching her, even though she used to.
Update: Mr Greyson is doing really well. He normally rubs on my hand if I hold it in front of him. Mr Grey has improved. He doesn't shake anymore and he also doesn't try to run away 95% of the time. He's slowly realising that he can enjoy attention. Miss Raven also doesn't run much. I'll put my hand in front of her to sniff it so she knows it's just me, then she just looks at me while I talk to her quietly and stroke her. She's learning about head strokes. Sometimes, she even looks away. Miss Mittens is still really spicy...but, she is doing a little better. She doesn't take swings at me anymore. A few months ago, I took in a stray kitten, Miss Stripes. She loves cat beds!
@@NiceMuslimLady you are so kind ❤
@@LittleBambi777 Thank you.
I had a 4 mth old feral cat who had a broken leg. I fed her (she couldn't get close to the food bowl the other cats were using) and then picked her up, put her in a carrier and took her to a vet to get her leg taken care of. Kept her in the house until the cast was ready to come off. At that point, she refused to even put one paw outside. For 2 years, she'd head to the far corner of the house every time the front door was opened. I still put dry food out for any cats who do not have a family to take care of them.
Absolutely - my Mum has done it 3 times (two kittens, other - adult) during the last few years! Maybe the cats character matters too.
Just took in a Ferrell cat that’s a adolescent. This is the coolest cat I’ve ever had. Super bold and follows me everywhere.
And super appreciative
Sounds more like a stray. If he was feral he'd be afraid of yoi
I have a stray cat that, after months of feeding, I built up enough trust to have him come inside a couple times, I managed to close him in my house, but was wondering if this is cruel and if I should release him to build trust that I think I lost by trapping him inside..? I’ve only had him inside for a day now, he’s been hiding. I’ve never brought a stray inside, so I’m not sure the right way to proceed, if letting him back out is better, or giving him time inside.. I genuinely care about him and want what’s best, but don’t know what that is.
It takes time but yes ❤ they make amazing house cat !! Layla was feral It took two years of building trust 2019 she came in to Sept 4 2019 she came in for good ❤
Excellent video. Straight forward and to the point. Thank you so much for making this video.
I am taming a black pair of now five month old kittens. The girl, Molly, escaped by busting through the screen door within 60 seconds of being brought in the house. The boy, Tom, I released into a bedroom. Every couple hours I would sit with him. Touch him. Pick him up. Hold him close while scruffing the back of his neck and half meowed and cooed at him. Within two days he was out in the living room hanging out on the huge cat tree that I threw a blanket over. I had food, water and litter box set up a few feet away from it. He spent another three or four days hanging out, watching every movement, listening to every sound. I went on as usual. Not trying to be quiet. Just life. Meanwhile, I had set up a feeding station outside the shed I was suspecting she was hiding in. Inside the shed I took the door off one of the carriers with a plush throw blanket. I set up a camera to see if she was the one eating the food. Yup! It was her! My three legged, seven year old, male ginger was spending a lot of time in the shed and I came in and startled the kitten. They were snuggling in the carrier. 😂 I had been calling and cooing for her constantly. Finally one night she called to me from the roof of the shed. This was two weeks after busting through the screen door. I talked to her. She sounded so scared and lonely. At this point Molly knew Tom was in the house. Once he ventured from the living room to the entire house, he spent a lot of time in the laundry room window that faced the shed. So he knew Molly was out there. After three nights of chatting with her on the shed roof, I finally got a ladder and some Kitty pate. She ate right in front of my face. I reached out and gently ran my finger down her neck. She backed up, looked me right in the eyes, then head butted my finger and continued eating. I started stroking down her back. When she finished eating, I slowly grabbed her by the nape of the neck and held her close to me. I got her inside and in the bedroom. Luckily ginger cat was in there sleeping. I set her down and she ran right up to him! Then her brother came in. All hell broke loose! She apparently was pissed at him! 😂 I had no idea cats could jump straight up walls! She hit the ceiling! Of course, it never occurred to me that she could bust through a screen door! It has been a month now. Tom is adjusting way better than Molly but they both are sweet and gentle kitties! They have never bitten or scratched me. Even in play. Tom has already caught two mice! I don’t know if Molly has yet. The reason I rescued them is because I had to put my torty down a couple weeks before and the rodent population boomed!!!! OMG! I suppose I could have just released them but I wanted them to be tamed enough for vet care, fun little companions and so that when I leave this property they could come too. I wasn’t emotionally prepared for two more cats but I had to humanely get the rodent population back to reasonable and there’s always room in my heart for ALL the critters! I do love them! I love watching them play and do their rounds! They’re a team! It’s so beautiful! If you need any extermination services, The Pantera Twins Pest Control is open for business! Lol! Tom Cat and Molly at your service, 555-555-5555!!!!
I had a shop in the ghetto part of the city where pets weren't well cared for and cats churned out kittens every fertile cycle. Had a few spayed and ear tipped for release. Other strays and ferals I took in, or they adopted me more like. That's how I ended up with 19 cats when I retired to the desert.
Anyway, one particularly tough aloof male I named Patches-kitty. He came for food but didn't want to be caught or petted. I managed to catch him for neutering and released him for a while, but eventually one winter brought him inside to live with my indoor shop cats. He'd avoid being touched and would grudgingly tolerate getting caught but ran off as soon as possible. He took 2 years to become friendly, now he recognizes being called by name, and he will come over and cheek-bump me and hang around for pets and scratches.
The feral cat that I have taken in after 22 years (no typo) of taking care of her outside. I finally caught her last year. She's going to stay feral. She comes out about 30 minutes before its time to eat. I will keep her inside until she dies. I have much respect for her. She's has managed to stay alive by fighting off dogs, coyotes, humans. It took me 2 years to trap her in order to get her vaccinated and spayed.
Good god, why would you even do something that cruel to her after 22 years of her living free? An adult feral cat is a true wild animal and she has proved she can make it in the wild She is now miserable being a prisoner in your house and would be much happier being free and interacting with the exciting outside world she loves, not bored to death and hiding under the bed in your home. There are plenty of stray cats to adopt in the shelters so turn this poor cat loose and let her finish out her life the way she prefers. You are so wrong for what you are doing to her, what a thoughtless selfish person you are.
@@CaneFu she was near death, could not walk. I was able to get her and take her to the vet. When she got well, I left the door open for her to leave many times she has chosen to stay in the house. Recently, she did go outside, but came to the door and asked to come in. I left the door open and left and when I came back she was in the house. She has known me for almost 23 years. I don't think I have been cruel to her at all. You don't know me to be calling me selfish. A big tertiary digitalis to you!!!
@@feliciaecheverria Do NOT keep her as a prisoner, install a cat door and give her a choice to come and go as she pleases If she is hiding all the time something is wrong.
@@CaneFu I would take what you have to say seriously had you not been so judgmental. I am having a catio built for her.
@@feliciaecheverria sweet cat. I got mine at the shelter when he was 3. He's 8 now. Tigger is sitting sweetly on me right now.
I have a feral cat and 5 kittens about 6 months old. We were feeding the mama first she never came close when it was just her than she started bringing kittens it took a lot of patience to get to even pet her but right now that is all she will let me do. She did start playing when the kittens finally started playing never would when by herself. As for the kittens I can pick up 3 of them sometimes pet 1 and the other won't come up to you at all. I have had them since June and I will still continue to be patient with them and give them a life they deserve. The crazy part is I have never been partial to cats have always only had dogs but for some reason these cats have touched my heart and enjoy every minute I can to be with them.They are outside cats but they still have a good life now. My deck looks like a cat play house. 😻😻
I got a feral cat when he was about 2 1/2 months and he's been doing fine. He does like to get into stuff and pester my older cat though.
I disagree with their statement.
I believe that all cats can be a in loving home cat,as long as they train well. I believe all cats should be loved as long as they want the love from their owner.
Best chance is a kitten just after weaning. I have had 2, 1 was a 3rd or 4th generation feral kitten I picked up at a truck stop. Eventually, he ran off on me. The other was a barn cat kitten I got at a farm store. He died after getting into something he shouldn't have and puking his guts out.
Of course. I had a kitty buffet on my porch. Maurice was a regular attendee. He had no problem becoming my little buddy.
I was never a cat lover. I had a bad experience once when I was about 5 and never wanted a cat. I would just admire from afar. But recently there's been 4 feral kittens roaming near my house. I've started feeding them. It broke my heart when one was killed by a car on halloween. One of the kittens has started waiting for me to come home from work and would run up to me. But she's very jumpy when I try to pet her. I want to bring her in and call someone to take care of the other 2. They are beautiful kittens. I just wanted to know if it's safe to bring one in.
i feed about 8 feral cats outside and one of them lets me pet him, he’s grown already but likes to come inside to look around but since he has fleas and ticks i try to keep him outside but i’m hoping to get him medicine and get him indoor one day.
They make the best pets. It can take time - a hungry mother with hungry kittens can be tamed outdoors in a few months using food and play. Mama may take longer than the kittens, but it can be done. ❤Formerly feral Mama Psilligus just passed away and I can tell you she was something special. And she and her kittens and another feral mama *did* eat cat food in addition to whatever they hunted. While my videos aren't a "how to", they do follow their story through the summer of 2012-2013. They were using sand I put in a litterbox in the garage for that purpose - right from the start. They didn't need training. They don't like their living quarters soiled.
I've got 1 of my 2 bonded feral cats on my lap right now. I came across them first when they they were 5 or 6 months and they could not even be touched. They went crazy when I used a trap on them. When winter came I decided to keep them in the house until I could find a farm for them. Well that never happened cause after a few weeks one started coming on my lap and I just fell so in love. The other took a few months. It's now year later and I swear these 2 are the most affectionate cats I've ever known. They are total lap cats. Often times when one jumps off my lap the other jumps on. They also want nothing to do with the outdoors anymore, they never try to run outside. So yes a feral cat can be a house cat, they might even end up being better at it then a hand-raised kitten!
So many 'so called feral' cats aren't really. They have been handled and loved, and then somehow got away from their family - whether lost or abandoned - and just need the time to regain their trust. It can take a year or more sometimes, but they are ever so thankful if you earn their trust. Best kitties ever!
My cats were feral and they were adults when I brought them home in a humane trap after a vet visit. They hissed and spit at me when I got too close. It was scary. I now have 5 loving lap cats. I feed them, of course. Then after a few weeks I offer them treats ... Churus are good treats because cats love them and I hold them in my hand or put on a long handled spoon while they eat. And I play with wand toys all by myself. At first they just watch but eventually they can't resist and will play. Patience and love always win out.
I had a one year old feral from a colony that had occasional food and human interaction, but not much other contact. My kitty decide she wanted to live in a house instead, and she chose mine. It took several years of essentially living with a ghost cat, I would see her at meal times if then, but eventually she warmed up and began approaching me for attention. She's an indoor/outdoor who never goes outside. Now, 12 years later, she sleeps cuddled up to my neck every night.
I just fed a feral cat I first met 2 summers ago. It’s survived 2 winters at my lake. -30 temps in the winter. It ate almost all the food I gave it. Won’t let me get within 3 feet. Never heard it meow once. I was surprised to see it today. I probably will never be able to pet it but I try it just runs away
I've never tried to domesticate a feral cat but we've had a few fosters that were either abandoned and had been on their own for a year or two and had lost trust in humans, or were kittens that were at the very tail end of, or just beyond, the socialization window. It's usually gone well, though we've had a very few that ended up as barn cats because they just weren't having it. We had one kitten that was well beyond the socialization window and it was a year long challenge to socialize him. And he never did like being picked up. But he'd accept petting on occasion, and sometimes at night he'd hop up on the foot of the bed and snuggle in, so long as we didn't try to pet him.
I'll disagree with you on the cat food though, back when I lived on the farm we had truly feral cats, usually toms, that would pass through. They figured out what cat food was about pretty quick. Of course this was in the northern plains and it's a rough life for any outside cat here no matter how good they are at hunting. So they had more incentive than cats in milder climates perhaps.
Yes, as an indoor / outdoor cat, but to keep a once feral cat as a strictly indoor cat is tough on both the kitty and the owner.
We found a black and white feral cat who had a funny way of going down the stairs; he sadly had to be put down in December 2019. We only had him for a while, but it was still hard to go through with it. Then only last August, another cat of ours had to be put down; this one was one of two we've had since 2012, I believe. Her anniversary's in two weeks time as of me writing this.
It’s not just feral verses stray. Feral cats can learn and fall into the semi feral category. I have 6 feral cats of varying degrees of feral.
I video the interactions so people can watch their progress. I have one who I have gained his trust and he’s letting me pet him. He was wary of a flea treatment but after several attempts let me.
Feral cats love cat food. They have noses and enjoy it. I have one who will not come off my 8 foot fence until I go in and the lights are out and then he comes to eat.
Feral cats can also learn kindness and who to trust. I have been working with a group since March. I can only pet one and that was as of recent. The rest come close but run if I look at them. They also learned what time I bring food too them and are waiting for it.
I have been adopted dy a feral cat! She was clearly not ever an indoor ktity (had no idea about a kitty kitty box)