I have feral cats living under my house. The youngest one actually touched my hand last evening.?

Question

I know its hard to be friends with ferals, but I seem to be making progress. Comments?

Answer 1

Keep up the good work.

I think you could say there are two kinds of feral cats. Some were once pets and have somehow lost their homes. They and their kittens can sometimes be gentled, with patience, kindness, and food.

The second-generation ferals -- born to cats who were never pets and never had positive human contact, are much more difficult, though it can be done.

Answer 2

Feral cats are tame gong wild. Some disguarded them or their parents and they were left to fend the wild. The humaine society is working to catch these babies. They are good candidates for diseases such as rabies, feline aides, feline leukemia, feline herpes, etc. I would be very cautious with handeling them and then only with thick gloves for your own protection. Have you ever heard of 'have a heart cages?' You can buy them in most department stores and pet stores in various sizes. Get one in a medium to large size and put a bait into it that kitties will like... cats treats work best. Catch the kitties for their own sake and get them to a shelter that can neuter or spay them and place them in a good home. You will be doing yourself and them a big favor if you do. Any cat found in the wild is not healthy if they are not current on shots and neutering. Someone most likely ditched them instead of finding them a home and they were left to fend for themselves. If you live in a cold state that has snow and harsh winters, please get them into a shelter before the cold sets in and also before they can produce any more wild kitties that are left in the cold to fend for food themselves.

Answer 3

Adult feral cats can rarely be socialised, but kittens may be if taken from the colony before 6 weeks of age. Good luck.

Answer 4

I've fed ferals before, and unless you trap them as kittens and raise them indoors, they never became tame. I had the females spayed, and the vet said he'd refuse to treat then again, because they injured his staff and were completely unmanageable. He said if they were ever suffering, he would euthanize them, but most vets are not prepared to deal with feral cats and cannot give them normal care cats deserve.

I fed them for many years, and when we moved I felt obligated to bring them with me, but I never once held one or petted it except as it died. All the progress I ever made was about what you experienced with the hand touch.

This was so not worth it. I wouldn't do it again.

Answer 5

All of my cats are feral and given enough time and patience they have all become lap cats. Even with my dogs. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. Do get them fixed. It can be done free at your neighborhood animal shelter.

Answer 6

That is great. My mother and I have actually fostered some ferel kittens. And with a lot of work and socialization you would never know them from a non-ferel cat. So there is hope for all.

Answer 7

You're doing good if he touched you. Keep being patient, talk nice to him and don't grab. You'll get their trust faster with food, but they do like company. When they trust you they'll show it.

There's two kinds of feral. Those that were lost or kicked out of a home and have reverted to 'wild' to stay alive, and those who are born in the wild and don't know people. The second kind is harder to tame down, but it is possible.

We've had a feral orange one here for 5 years. He was born to a former domestic housepet mother who was now living wild, and didn't come close for 2 years, but we had a food bowl outside for them and he got used to us over time. Now he head butts us, rubs and rolls over for petting and likes to be brushed, but he's still VERY cautious about us picking him up. If he startles, he runs at least 10 feet but will stop if we say something. It keeps him alive in a big city here, at least he stays very close by (we got him neutered and vaccinated).

He can't come inside because he tries to jump out closed windows, he's not calm enough for indoors yet.

However we did take in two other outdoor cats, and they're doing fine indoors. One I think had had contact with people but had never been an indoor cat, he didn't know normal sounds like the toilet flushing or doors closing, for instance. He had been injured, and he was willing to let us help him.

The other oneI know was born wild, it took me almost three years before he'd let me touch him--he would spend afternoons here and was ill, always had his eyes half caked up with something. I'd make a point of bringing food out to him and leave it at a distance, but always talked to him when I put it down (this was before I kept a food bowl out back) and eventually he was ok with me getting the foodcloser to him -- eventually letting me do a head rub, then a shoulder pet. His eyes always gave him trouble. When he broke a tooth I was able to shove him into a carrier and get him to the vet--who pulled the tooth stub, neutered him and sent him home with us. He spent 2 days in the basement then yowled at the door loud enough to be heard a block away. I let him out then.

A day later something zipped past me indoors as I was coming in with an arm full of groceries--HIM! He went downstairs and under the stairwell where we coulnd't get him so I left him alone. After 5 hours sleeping, he came up and howled at the door like he was being murdered. I let him out. He got in again with Steve coming in the door---he had planned out a safe place to sleep and definately wanted it now!

Long story short, when I was having to let him in and out 6 times a day, I said 'enough!' and he was forced to stay inside, which he was ok with by then. The other cats took a while adjusting to him (he stunk for one thing), but he put on 4 pounds in two months, we cleared up his eye problem, and he's still obnoxious and crude, but he's our cat and likes it.

He does try to fake me out with pretend biting when he doesn't want to be picked up. He's all talk and no action on that though.

Ferals can be tamed down for inside living. It takes patience and you have to know that it's sometimes hard for them to adjust, but they will.

Answer 8

Just hang out with them more. Feed them and hang around while they eat. sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't just depends on how "wild" the cat is.

Answer 9

Trap 'em,fix 'em,let 'em go...they'll get used to being fed,and then you must continue,but that's as far as it will go,they'll never be house pets...

Answer 10

awwww:)