Discouraged and a bit sad...

Whenallhellbreakslose

Living in Kitty Paradise.
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I went back on your thread and read that you took Bert to the vet and they found out that there were some health issues. Hopefully, he will start feeling a little better, l now that he is being treated for issues. The hissing may have to some degree or another to do with that he is not physically comfortable. I nursed a sick semi feral who was hissing and spitting on me. Two weeks later after giving him meds daily he stopped doing that and actually allowed me to pet him. A cat that is not well often does not interact well with others. They hide, lay low, interact as little as possible and can get very grumpy. I have had cats go from sweet and playful to really angry because they were sick.

I am sort of pressed for time, so I will share a response to another poster in regards to taming a feral cat. If Bert's attitude towards you is due to lack of proper socialization. Than hopefully the advise I gave to the other OP can be used on Bert as well. 🙂

Here was my advise to that OP (I modified it to post here.)

"That is a good start! The fact she is okay with you petting her at all is a good sign. I alway say when you bring a cat from the outside in, always meet them on their terms. The fact she only allows you to pet her while in the bed is her terms (at least for now). Hopefully as she grows more comfortable in the home, she will let you pet her more and more. Outdoor cats are use toeping there guard up because they have to deal with other cats and predators who may want to fight them or worse, on top of the threat of "stranger danger" with humans. Keep showing this cat, she can trust you. Speak to her in a gentle voice, praise her, give her treats, etc. You could brush her fur, but only if she allows it. I have used the brush mitt on semi ferals and some liked it, others not so much. So once again don't push anything she is not ready for or does not like at all.

Keep a routine with her with feeding, play and other activities. Cats deal a lot better with routines as they are creatures of habit. It makes them feel more comfortable dealing with something they are use to. They could get too over stimulated with too much being pushed on them. Perhaps you could look into calming sprays or treats to keep her at her calmest. The socialization process takes much longer than kittens of socialization age, so please keep that in mind. Be patient. You will just have to earn her trust and that may take time.

Thank you for taking this kitty in. There have been plenty of examples of socialized semi-ferals. Thank goodness there are people like you out there. You are a hero to this cat. Thank you once again for taking her in."🙂
 
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