Feral Cat Situation Deteriorating, New Hssing

[maggiedemi]

Try petting him with a backscratcher. My two feral cats don't really bite, I just have to watch out for their claws. He probably won't just throw himself at you and attack you. He might try to scratch you if you pick him up, but just don't pick him up. It will be okay, don't be so scared. It's just a cat, not a bobcat.

 

[wannahelp]

The vet referred me to this woman. I asked her today and I’m waiting for a response. I am a little leery of this too because my family had a bad experience once with giving an animal to a rescue. I don’t want to find out that the cats end up being released or euthanized.

 

[wannahelp]

I’ve been bitten by my own cat just brcause she’s a mean tortie. I can’t imagine what kind of damage a frightened cat, who doesn’t like me, would do. The fact that he recoils and wants no parts of me, bothers me too. He didn’t act that way with the vet techs or the feral expert. Granted, the vet techs scruff him initially but I have a real complex with him. Do your ferals run and hide from you?
That still leavesthe females. I’m even more uncomfortable with them.
I think I’ve seen too many happy ending episodes of “My Cat from Hell,” where hpeople, who adopted ferals, had them sleeping on their beds and interacting with them in a matter of weeks.

 

[orange&white]

The feral I adopted at 4 months old in February hid from me for the first 8-10 days that I had her in the bathroom. I spent so much time with her that she was not a hider after she got used to me being with her, playing with her and holding her. She is still a little skittish if I move too fast, but she quickly remembers that she is in a safe place. Since she started life as a fearful non-aggressive feral, she will probably always be a little jumpy.

My outdoor feral, who is becoming indoor/outdoor now, runs when she doesn't want to be petted but she started out more aggressive than fearful. She was more inclined to stand and fight than to run away in fear. She was the one I had to be careful with not to be bitten or swatted.

 

[wannahelp]

i’ve had him for two months now. He’s obviously slower than others. I cannot pet him at all and he won’t come out of hsi space while I’m in the room. I’m concerned that if I keep trying, his fear will eventually turn into aggression.

 

[maggiedemi]

Of course they ran from me at first, feral cats are terrified of all new people. But I've had them for 3 years now, so they don't run away from me anymore. Please, try to pet him with something with a long handle. And wear gloves, you will be fine.

 

[orange&white]

My concern is that during the last two months, someone with cat experience might have been able to socialize him already. Your fear of being bitten is slowing his progress. I don't intend to be rude, but socializing ferals isn't for the feint of heart. I've been around cats over fifty years, and yes, when I touch or pick up a feral cat the first few times to test its temperament, it is with some expectation that I may be bitten or scratched. That risk comes with the territory.

I know you have every good intention to help these kittens. You're 100% good hearted. You need to consider if you are the person to help them. Can the feral cat lady keep coming out on weekends to help you?

 

[wannahelp]

I don’t profess to be the right person. I knew that I may not be th right person going in but I also knew that these kittens had a chance to have a better life than thy would outside, so I trued. I have also tried VERY hard to find somebody to take them. I’m sure a lot of people on this site saw my pleas but nobody here responded either to take them or with auggestions of somebody who might take them. At least I’m trying.
ANyway, She may be able to come back and/or take them. However, in the meantime, things seem to be geting worse. The male just hissed at me when I brought his dinner. I wasn’t anywhere near him and he’s never done that before. Evidently, he did not appreciate me invading his space earlier, to tey to pet him.

 

[orange&white]

I know you're doing the best you can. Did the feral cat lady give you permission to call her on the phone for additional advice?

We can only offer so much advice online. It would be much easier for us to help you in person, so I would use that cat lady and the vet who assessed the kitten as your main lifelines. I would call them and keep calling them. We are here for support and to try and help as best as we are able.

 

[maggiedemi]

My ferals hissed at me all the time at first. Don't take it personally, it's just what ferals do, they are scared so they act all tough. They are probably more scared of you than you are of them. You can break through that fear if you pet him every day with something on a long handle. I just worry about time ticking away. Cats don't do well caged up.

 

[maggiedemi]

I understand the fear, when I petted Demi with the long handled duster, on day 3 he tried to jump in my lap and I screamed and ran the other way. I was scared because it was my first time working with a feral. I really think if you can try my method, it will work. It only took me 3 days.

 

[orange&white]

... when I petted Demi with the long handled duster, on day 3 he tried to jump in my lap and I screamed and ran the other way.... .

Sorry, but that was funny. Although I will say that the first time Misfit (my wildest, most feral cat) decided to affectionately smash her nose into my face, I was not at all certain if her intention was really to bite my nose off. Fortunately it ended well.

 

[wannahelp]

I hink the bissing couldnhave been the catnip. I used it on a scratcher and it was th first time he was ezposed to it. However, I played withbhim later on and rh catnip really mellowed him out.
He was more uninhibited than he ever was before. He came closer to me than he eve has, and he was playing almost like a normal cat. I would use Feliway with all of them but other members of the household won’t permit it for fear of, as yet, unknown deleterious side effects for humans.

 

[orange&white]

That sounds like good progress! Perhaps after the feral expert and you both petted him yesterday, he realized that "nothing bad" happened from being touched. Glad to hear he played with you for a bit.

 

[maggiedemi]

Great job! I'm glad you were able to play with him. See, he was more scared of you than you were of him. Just watch out for the claws and you will be fine. I swear that's the only big fault feral cats have, their sharp claws. But just wear gloves when petting and playing, or use toys on a pole, and don't pick them up if you don't have to.

 

[wannahelp]

I don’t know why this didn’t occur o me before but I trappd and spayed, what I believe is th mother of the cats I have here. I hadn’t thought until now, that she could have other kittens out there, who probably died while she’s been at the vet. I let the vet’s office board her for a few days because she is very feral and she injured herself in the trap. So, I thought she’d b bette off recuperating there for a while. It never dawned on me that she could have been tending to kittens! All I can think is that I killed a litter of kittens and even if by some miracle, they’re alive, if she’s fixed she can’t nurse, right?

 

[orange&white]

Did the vet say she has milk in her mammary glands? If not, then I don't think you need to worry about things like that.

 

[wannahelp]

I can never get answers from anybody there. They said there’s no way to tell if she had kittens.

 

[orange&white]

That's crazy. Her glands would be full of milk and her nipples would be swollen if she were nursing kittens.

The pregnant cat who I took for TNR last spring - they waited 6 weeks for her to nurse/wean the kittens and then waited two more weeks to spay her because they wanted her milk to dry up first.

 

[wannahelp]

I don’t know wheee you’re located but the vets here don’t care and I’m not even sure that they bother to check.