Advice on Socializing a Cat

[MoonstoneWolf]

Yes I know that I have tamed the other ferals but Tourmaline is very close to taming (or taming again). He's a beautiful cat but I cant have him here. Treasure and Sopdet are to stay and so I will need to rehome Tourmaline without building a bond (if that is possible). Any advice? As I said he can't stay here unless I find a way for him to get along with Treasure. He is fixed btw. Help????

 

[Whenallhellbreakslose]

Hope this helps.

The Catnip Times

Post | The Catnip Times

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Is this cat a semi-feral or a true-feral? True ferals are best left outside as that is their home. A Semi-feral can be socialized, but it takes work and time. It would be advised that when he is ready for adoption-- that he is adopted to a experienced cat owner (possibly one who has adopted semi-ferals before)and not one with limited cat owner experience.

I have taken cats off the streets and had no problem socializing them, but I never adopted those cats out. They made wonderful pets. So I do believe it is possible to turn these kitties onto socialized house cats. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

Hope this helps.

The Catnip Times

Post | The Catnip Times

www.thecatniptimes.com

Is this cat a semi-feral or a true-feral? True ferals are best left outside as that is their home. A Semi-feral can be socialized, but it takes work and time. It would be advised that when he is ready for adoption-- that he is adopted to a experienced cat owner (possibly one who has adopted semi-ferals before)and not one with limited cat owner experience.

I have taken cats off the streets and had no problem socializing them, but I never adopted those cats out. They made wonderful pets. So I do believe it is possible to turn these kitties onto socialized house cats. I wish you the best of luck.

I'm not quite sure if leaving a full feral outside is totally accurate. I've known lots of people who have tamed ferals and brought inside. In fact Ambrose is one that was born feral, tamed at 7 years of age by me and found a home on his own up the street and has been inside for the past year. Our local feral society has also tamed 5 + year old ferals and found homes for them and the ferals have been very happy. Or would it be better to leave them to the dangers of getting run over by a car, prey to coyotes and wolves, people shooting them, injuries and loss of eyes fighting other cats, the list goes on. I think even a mod in this forum has tamed a feral cat and kept the cat inside.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

Hope this helps.

The Catnip Times

Post | The Catnip Times

www.thecatniptimes.com

Is this cat a semi-feral or a true-feral? True ferals are best left outside as that is their home. A Semi-feral can be socialized, but it takes work and time. It would be advised that when he is ready for adoption-- that he is adopted to a experienced cat owner (possibly one who has adopted semi-ferals before)and not one with limited cat owner experience.

I have taken cats off the streets and had no problem socializing them, but I never adopted those cats out. They made wonderful pets. So I do believe it is possible to turn these kitties onto socialized house cats. I wish you the best of luck.

I think Tourmaline would make a wonderful pet for someone. He may or may not be truly feral but I really don't like them being outside in all the elements, and facing all the dangers that I just mentioned. He may fuss at first but will soon come to love being inside. When the time comes Treasure and Sopdet (and maybe Shaman if she ever returns) will come inside too. I know Treasure wants to come in so bad but Mom is allergic. But I sit here nightly worrying because he comes back limping and injured from fighting either Tourmaline (who is almost the size of a horse), Cooper or Shadow. Shadow may be close to 12 years old but she holds her own and lights into Treasure. These cats are all TNRd too. But yea, last night Treasure was in pain from muscle soreness after fighting Tourmaline and was not in the mood for those raccoons (although it's like they took pity on him and left him alone).

For some reason it was easy with Treasure and Shaman. Shaman came to me and watched me for 8 months before even letting me within 3 feet of her. She brought Treasure who would run the length of the backyard if I even looked out the window. One day he wanted to eat, I turned my back to the food bowl and him, he came, ate and left. Literally the next morning he licked off a spoon I held out to him and from there he was tamed. Sopdet took time. She came to me after awhile and only if Treasure was with her. It was just the past month Sopdet finally completely tamed. She was one of the cats I mentioned who was in that horrible hoarding situation and abused causing damage to her vocal chords. Therefore she cannot meow.

 

[Whenallhellbreakslose]

I'm not quite sure if leaving a full feral outside is totally accurate. I've known lots of people who have tamed ferals and brought inside. In fact Ambrose is one that was born feral, tamed at 7 years of age by me and found a home on his own up the street and has been inside for the past year. Our local feral society has also tamed 5 + year old ferals and found homes for them and the ferals have been very happy. Or would it be better to leave them to the dangers of getting run over by a car, prey to coyotes and wolves, people shooting them, injuries and loss of eyes fighting other cats, the list goes on. I think even a mod in this forum has tamed a feral cat and kept the cat inside.

I have heard of a few cases where full ferals where taken in, but it took a long time for the ferals to make any progress and they were never 100% comfortable indoors. I say if anyone has the time and the will to do this and especially if the feral is living in a dangerous outdoor enviroment than do it, but adopting this cat out may not be a possibility. However with a socialized semi-ferals it is possible.

Ally Cat Allies and other feral cat advocacy groups doesn't recommend taking ferals off the streets, but rather place them into new colonies or barn programs if their current environment is seemed too dangerous.

 

[Whenallhellbreakslose]

There are 5 cats I feed that I think are adoptable. I can pet them and they come near me, one is a lap cat. I wish they could be taken off the streets, but another cat feeder on the block believes that no cat should be taken off the block because they are feral. I am not a fan of this rigid thinking. I do get annoyed with people who think that all cats should remain on the streets when there are obvious friendly ones out there. These cats deserve a chance at a home. Why deny them that.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

There are 5 cats I feed that I think are adoptable. I can pet them and they come near me, one is a lap cat. I wish they could be taken off the streets, but another cat feeder on the block believes that no cat should be taken off the block because they are feral. I am not a fan of this rigid thinking. I do get annoyed with people who think that all cats should remain on the streets when there are obvious friendly ones out there. These cats deserve a chance at a home. Why deny them that.

Check out this big boy. While ferals tend to look more groomed than an abandoned cat I think this one must have been dumped. You can't see the ear tip but it's there. He never gets too close to the cam in a position to see. He's the one that likes to fight Treasure or Treasure likes to fight him. Treasure is just a normal size tabby.

I still strongly disagree with leaving them on the streets. It is never a good thing to do. It's still better than all the dangers outside regardless of environment. That's the one thing about sites like Alley Cats that I 100% disagree with. If we are their caretakers then it is up to us to care for them not let them wander the streets where neighbors want to shoot them for being a nuisance (and you'll find those kind of people everywhere); coyotes that are everywhere, hawks, eagles, wolves, getting run over, getting mites and 999000 more dangers that exist. It isn't fair to the cat to keep them exposed to freezing weather, lack of food because raccoons and possums come to eat or food gets spoiled by the heat or food freezes. If you become a caretaker of a relative are you going to stick that relative on a bed and put outside? Cats can acclimate in 6 to 8 weeks. Jackson Galaxy has brought in many many feral cats and found them homes and he's the cat whisperer. Outside is not a life for any kind of cat, regardless of what Alley Cat says

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[Whenallhellbreakslose]

Check out this big boy. While ferals tend to look more groomed than an abandoned cat I think this one must have been dumped. You can't see the ear tip but it's there. He never gets too close to the cam in a position to see. He's the one that likes to fight Treasure or Treasure likes to fight him. Treasure is just a normal size tabby.

I still strongly disagree with leaving them on the streets. It is never a good thing to do. It's still better than all the dangers outside regardless of environment. That's the one thing about sites like Alley Cats that I 100% disagree with. If we are their caretakers then it is up to us to care for them not let them wander the streets where neighbors want to shoot them for being a nuisance (and you'll find those kind of people everywhere); coyotes that are everywhere, hawks, eagles, wolves, getting run over, getting mites and 999000 more dangers that exist. It isn't fair to the cat to keep them exposed to freezing weather, lack of food because raccoons and possums come to eat or food gets spoiled by the heat or food freezes. If you become a caretaker of a relative are you going to stick that relative on a bed and put outside? Cats can acclimate in 6 to 8 weeks. Jackson Galaxy has brought in many many feral cats and found them homes and he's the cat whisperer. Outside is not a life for any kind of cat, regardless of what Alley Cat says

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Yes, he is a big boy. I got one on my block that is 16 pounds lol. He knows where to go to get meals.

Like I said before, I don't like that rigid attitude that all cats should remain on the streets, I believe in getting as many as possible off the streets. But the magic word is "possible". I have done cat fostering after taking kittens off the streets and couldn't believe why was I having a problem finding the right people to adopt them. I have had foster fails who are now my pets. If I take these cats off the streets, it will not be easy finding homes. I had difficulty getting kittens adopted and full grown cats and reformed ferals is going to be much harder.

Just know that it is not going to be easy adopting them. We want what is best for them, but we need to be as realistic as possible. Know what challenges you will face in doing this

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

Tourmaline isn't running when I get near. He was under Mom's car growling at Treasure though. I'm experimenting with EFT though so hopefully these two will start getting along. I'll keep you updated. Either way something has to be done or I'll lose Treasure and Sopdet forever, just like I lost Shaman forever

 

[Whenallhellbreakslose]

Tourmaline isn't running when I get near. He was under Mom's car growling at Treasure though. I'm experimenting with EFT though so hopefully these two will start getting along. I'll keep you updated. Either way something has to be done or I'll lose Treasure and Sopdet forever, just like I lost Shaman forever

I wish you the best. Will keep a look out for updates.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

So far the EFT (Emotional Freedom Tapping) is working. I've been in zoom meetings with a Ferris Jay who works with pets and their people. It's the only thing right now that I can find that does work. I was trying to get Treasure to rest so he can heal from the injuries after his fight with Tourmaline and tonight I got Tourmaline to eat in peace while Treasure felt sleepy (by my direction with EFT) and went to the pet carrier. He's in there now, getting a good night sleep. Hopefully he'll be physically ok.

 

[Whenallhellbreakslose]

So far the EFT (Emotional Freedom Tapping) is working. I've been in zoom meetings with a Ferris Jay who works with pets and their people. It's the only thing right now that I can find that does work. I was trying to get Treasure to rest so he can heal from the injuries after his fight with Tourmaline and tonight I got Tourmaline to eat in peace while Treasure felt sleepy (by my direction with EFT) and went to the pet carrier. He's in there now, getting a good night sleep. Hopefully he'll be physically ok.

Never heard of EMT. I heard of Therapedic Touch. Is that very similar to it?
Well, glad to here that Treasure is responding well to it. That is a more holistic solution to this problem. Good job thinking outside the box.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

I'm into alternate methods because I myself cannot take meds. EFT is where you tap on certain points of the body (a lot like Accupressure or Accupuncture), but you gently yet firmly tap on those spots. You can use EFT on your pet or you can do it on yourself as a proxy for your pet.

 

[Whenallhellbreakslose]

I'm into alternate methods because I myself cannot take meds. EFT is where you tap on certain points of the body (a lot like Accupressure or Accupuncture), but you gently yet firmly tap on those spots. You can use EFT on your pet or you can do it on yourself as a proxy for your pet.

Oh, okay. Yeah, I am the same way about meds. I like to go the natural route first and only go on meds if I absolutely have to. I am the same way with my pets.

 

[Kurisunium]

While ferals tend to look more groomed than an abandoned cat I think this one must have been dumped. We only want what is best for them.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

Oh, okay. Yeah, I am the same way about meds. I like to go the natural route first and only go on meds if I absolutely have to. I am the same way with my pets.

If I took meds I'd either be in ER or 6 feet under. I was sadly and unkowingly the guinea pig to some experimental migraines medications back in the 80s that started to tear at my stomach lining and developed into reflux, GERD and very close to Barrett's. I have no choice, I absolutely cannot take any kind of med. Before I got it under control with intermittent fasting it was at the point that every time I ate something I was doubled over in pain. It was to the point that meal times was looked upon with terror and fright (like a pet knowing he is going to the vet type thing)

This morning Tourmaline and Treasure got into a hissing growling match and woke me up. No fighting as I quickly opened the window and made a bit of noise. Tourmaline ran off and then I did the EFT rounds (2 of them). Now there is peace again.

I doubt that Tourmaline was ever a pet. Tourmaline was terrified of all humans and one of the caretakers said she fed Tourmaline when he was a kitten but then he disappeared (I suppose to one of the other 10 colonies here). She thought he was killed. Tourmaline has the street smarts of the ferals. You absolutely can tame a feral over a year old. As I have stated over and over again these cats here were born feral, yes they were in a hoarding situation but very little contact with humans except the human would dump food and water in bowls for them and go away, even the man that left his house open 24/7 for them to come in and out to eat. Sopdet was totally feral and I think the markings on her led her to the abuse when she was a kitten causing the damaged vocal chords. But she is now 7 years old. I started working with her when she was 5 years old (when 8 out of the 100 ferals showed up in my yard after being TNRd) but of course it was Shaman who approached me first, bringing the others including Treasure and Treasure brought Sopdet. Sopdet now rubs against me and I can tell she likes me as she sticks her butt in my face (lol).

CG, the other cat who is as big as Tourmaline, was indeed a pet which is evident by sporting a purple collar. Some ferals tame easily, some take time to tame but I've learned that all of them can indeed be tamed with proper attention and patience. But some of these cats are socialized as far as coming to me which is the reason for this entire post. Because if they come to me then I want them to be socialized to others. And I still will not ever believe that any feral cat should remain outside. As a caretaker it is MY RESPONSIBILITY to be sure they are well and taken care of. Sorry that's the way I believe. So again how do I not only get Tourmaline to socialize with me but to be able to trust someone else?

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

Update: I have a lot of work to do with these cats. Treasure isn't too upset with me but since Tourmaline rubbed up against me Sopdet hates me again. She hissed at me and I spent 2 years working with her. She doesn't run when I come out but she acts like I betrayed her. ugh I'm crying over this. Especially with Sopdet because as I keep saying she was really abused as a kitten.

Out of 10 cats here only 2 remain and that's doubtful if Treasure and Sopdet will stay. Those two are so close that if one leaves the other will go as well. Ambrose last seen 13 months ago. Cooper disappeared in March. Came back mean and aggressive for a week in August and left again. Shaman last approached me April 7th. Last seen April 19th. Disappeared with CG. Shadow disappeared May 1st. Spirit and Gypsy disappeared in mid May. Briefly seen several blocks away but that's it. Tourmaline shows up and starts to beat up Treasure. And Sopdet is not happy. She hissed terribly at me. So yea, not all of them have returned. I have no idea if the missing ones are still alive or not since I have neighbors who don't answer. I'm not asking them to bring them back but they could let me know "Hey I saw your cat. She looks fine" But they can't even do that. As bad as the vets and animal experts in my area.

 

[Whenallhellbreakslose]

If I took meds I'd either be in ER or 6 feet under. I was sadly and unkowingly the guinea pig to some experimental migraines medications back in the 80s that started to tear at my stomach lining and developed into reflux, GERD and very close to Barrett's. I have no choice, I absolutely cannot take any kind of med. Before I got it under control with intermittent fasting it was at the point that every time I ate something I was doubled over in pain. It was to the point that meal times was looked upon with terror and fright (like a pet knowing he is going to the vet type thing)

This morning Tourmaline and Treasure got into a hissing growling match and woke me up. No fighting as I quickly opened the window and made a bit of noise. Tourmaline ran off and then I did the EFT rounds (2 of them). Now there is peace again.

I doubt that Tourmaline was ever a pet. Tourmaline was terrified of all humans and one of the caretakers said she fed Tourmaline when he was a kitten but then he disappeared (I suppose to one of the other 10 colonies here). She thought he was killed. Tourmaline has the street smarts of the ferals. You absolutely can tame a feral over a year old. As I have stated over and over again these cats here were born feral, yes they were in a hoarding situation but very little contact with humans except the human would dump food and water in bowls for them and go away, even the man that left his house open 24/7 for them to come in and out to eat. Sopdet was totally feral and I think the markings on her led her to the abuse when she was a kitten causing the damaged vocal chords. But she is now 7 years old. I started working with her when she was 5 years old (when 8 out of the 100 ferals showed up in my yard after being TNRd) but of course it was Shaman who approached me first, bringing the others including Treasure and Treasure brought Sopdet. Sopdet now rubs against me and I can tell she likes me as she sticks her butt in my face (lol).

CG, the other cat who is as big as Tourmaline, was indeed a pet which is evident by sporting a purple collar. Some ferals tame easily, some take time to tame but I've learned that all of them can indeed be tamed with proper attention and patience. But some of these cats are socialized as far as coming to me which is the reason for this entire post. Because if they come to me then I want them to be socialized to others. And I still will not ever believe that any feral cat should remain outside. As a caretaker it is MY RESPONSIBILITY to be sure they are well and taken care of. Sorry that's the way I believe. So again how do I not only get Tourmaline to socialize with me but to be able to trust someone else?

Sorry to hear you had such a horrific experience with the meds and treatment. It is a shame that it messed you up so bad you were too scared to eat. That is a tough situation to endure. TG you found something that works for you.

I wish you well trying to bring in Tourmaline in and socializing him and get him to stop fighting your other cats. Have you looked into any of Jackson Galaxy's blogs and videos, if I remember correctly, I think he covered this subject. I would get as much expert advise as possible to help with this matter.

I hope it works out. Keep us updated on your progress.

 

[35 year catdad]

" I've known lots of people who have tamed ferals and brought inside."

Im one and boy what a lot of work. total ferals we had to corner and throw a towel over...yikes that was tough to undo. The end result finding a perfect indoor home as bonded sister pair was a great feeling. New Mom same night sent a picture in plush apartment with view of Pacific. The look on ones face said "where is my DAD" that was a tough one. I almost had 5 cats in a house for sale.

At 4 weeks old I think any full outdoor born feral becomes a very tame indoor cat.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

I looked into Jackson Galaxy when Treasure and Shaman became enemies. Nothing worked with those two. I tried his drops and I do not care what others say, there is something in those drops that had an extreme adverse reaction with Treasure. He became dangerously aggressive. As soon as I got rid of the drops he calmed back down but the damage between he and Shaman was done and no chance to rectify. So while his techniques work for indoor cats they aren't so much for ferals and I would strongly dissuade anyone to buy his drops. Most of his work involves after bringing in the cat not working with outside cats. The problem with most of his ideas requires keeping the cats in separate rooms. That's difficult when the cats are outside. As I stated Mom Mom has severe allergies to cats. She is 97 years old and so I don't want to risk that with her. She too cannot take a lot of meds so there's that, sadly.