Feral rescue

[Julest]

I love fluffpaws little tunnel idea but I'd imagine your going to want the enclosure set up where the crate set up is currently,is thst correct?

So your going to have to erect the enclosure first and then slide it to where you want it first.... I ask if you know where you want it so we know what that entails considering if Billy's crate will need to be moved first etc etc

Yes, I am planning on putting it exactly where Billy's crate currently is. I am aware that I need to move his set up and that means sliding the crates whilst he is in them as he no longer goes into the carrier with the door on it. If he did that it would be easy as I could just close the carrier, lift it out and then put it in the new enclosure. Another option I am considering is removing everything from his current set up except the carrier with the door and then he will have no option but to go in there. I don't want to upset him though and I think he might feel really stressed if I do that - I know the reason he doesn't go in there now is because it is what I used the three times he was seen by a vet. He doesn't even sit on top of it very often now - I think it holds unpleasant memories for him.
I will work something out I am sure - it has always been okay even when I have been really stressed. It's funny how long ago that actually seems now. We are so comfortable with each other. I am just sorry that his life is so small at the moment.
The difference is amazing though and it is because I have been able to follow all the guidance on here. I would have tried to move much faster and then given up as everyone (vets and rescue people included) said he was too old and too feral to be socialized.
Now he eats off of the spoon when I feed him and sits watching me blinking in the daytime in the crate at the area closest to where I am working on the computer. He will tap at little cat toys and allows me to pet his paws with them. I still can't pet him though - I haven't actually tried yet as he doesn't really like my hands getting too close. I can get to within about 6 inches of him though before he moves back. I am going at his pace.

 

[Julest]

Awww,I'm so glad to hear your update J Julest and to know both you and Billy are well( you're both in my prayers)

His progress is terrific and it's wonderful your enclosure has arrived- my cousin builds homes and it took him like 4 hours to erect Timmy's- they are not all so easy to do but boy are they worth the time,effort and $

I'm wondering if it's completely dark and then you turn on the light when you enter the office at night with the lunging and hissing- sounds like he's startled....

You know although cats can see very well in the dark there must be a source of light for there night vision to work and if there isn't any light to draw in( even a small night light,or the moon or a dim lamp)then they are just like us and can't see in the dark..... anyway,I'm thinking if the room is dark and suddenly the door opens it could be startling him,it would me ..... maybe you could talk a bit so to prepare him before opening the door or turning a light on..... if that's the case.He may be sound asleep in the dark & quiet and opposite of what you'd think about hunt mode.....mine are all sound asleep around nightfall,as a matter of fact it's when they come in from the patio and they get really active much later( or to me " earlier") Right now its around midnight ,everyone is fast asleep and in a couple of hours they'll start zooming around before breakfast(3am) They really start to change and acclimate to a different routine after transitioning in captivity- he'll even change more in his bigger space where he has the freedom to move around much more and gets more & more accustomed to your activity.Anyway,it's a thought to consider

So you like cat stories,

Last year I relocated 2ferals to a friend's stable on their property- 2 very antisocial but excellent ratters that have been doing a great job in eliminating the rodent problem they were having.....my friends wife cares for the horses and knew nothing about cats,always had dogs ,has chickens and sheep too and last weekend I had to stop by their place , I walked in the barn to a surprising sight

My friends wife was sitting on a bale of hay with one cat on her lap and the other sleeping on a bale of hay behind her head! I said" are these the 2 cats I brought here last year?" rofl

Now I thought I'd share that with you - here's a person who had never been around cats,had no idea what to do and look at that! It was really nice to see this pair of working cats so content and loved

A consistent routine, love and time yields positive results

I am not checking in quite so often these days so my replies may not be immediate but I will always reply. I really appreciate your feedback always.

10 days later and the enclosure is still not built. It is definitely on my to do list for this week though. Once I start and set the time aside I will just keep going until i have finished the job. It looks as if it might be more fiddly than difficult and the instructions are a bit poor so I need to sit down and sort out what goes where before I start.

The room is never completely dark when I come in. I leave a desk lamp on every evening until I actually say goodnight and go to bed then I turn it out when I leave the room and don't go back in until the morning and it is light again, The difference in his demeanor during the day and at night is huge. He is starting to become interactive and calm during the day but has much more pent up energy and seems more watchful and as if he is in full on hunter mode at night. I think it is probably just him demonstrating the behavior that has helped him survive for the last 3 years. Slowly he is settling down though.

I also love the story of your friend with her barn cats - I am more confident than ever that Billy and I will be like that within theee year.

Thank you for your continued support and feedback.

 

[Julest]

Another quick update on Billy. Not huge developments but continued small steps and in the right direction. He has been really healthy since his tapeworms were cleared up and he recovered from being neutered. He continues to interact more but still intersperses it with some hissing and lunging. The spitting has stopped totally now. He will eat off a spoon every day and I do that day and night now. I used to use a very long spoon but now he eats off a regular size spoon and will eat up to my fingers - no touching yet though. I do use a soft cat toy to interact with him every day now and he is learning how to play. He will also now allow me to pet him with the fluffy end and is fine having his paws and head stroked with the toy. Initially he would hiss and spit when I moved it towards him.
Feeling positive.

 

[Kwik]

Hi J Julest
Great update- I was just thinking about you the other day when someone asked me where I bought my enclosure- they wanted it for outdoors and we're asking me about the bottom of it, the flooring....

That's when I thought about your questions about getting Billy in there- outdoor enclosures have no bottom so they can be spiked into the grass or dirt or just sit on a cement patio etc.... my cousin used a nice smooth finish plywood for a base instead of over my carpeting ...... does yours have a bottom,if not just put it together then lift it over Billy's crate- shouldn't be a problem if it's 6 ft high going over with an 8ft ceiling...anyway,that's where my thoughts went,lol

Sounds like your steadily moving forward and Billy is coming along right on schedule----your at around 90 days I believe so he's established territory and is ready to really start advancing socially....:remember he doesn't know how yet,he has no experience,even if hes willing he doesn't know what to do yet but he will learn

Cats bump each other,bite ,swat,rub,position themselves in offering others to " smell" them- these things come naturally so watch his body language where he may be saying " ya wanna get to know me? You may!"

For example- when a cat feels safe around someone they'll often plop down and expose there underside- people misinterpret that to mean" rub my belly" which in fact means the total opposite. It does mean" Look how much I trust you" as they expose their delicate vulnerable body parts .....most csts tolerate belly rubs becsuse of the bond they have with their human- theyd sure like their head and neck scratched much better because then their human is saying back-" I know you do,I'll never violate your trust "

This is for the cat that flops over then holds the hand when his person is belly rubbing or gives the kick - people get confused & say' he asks for belly rubs then bites my hands But they don't realize there's a conversation taking place---- kitty doesn't understand why the person they love and trust suddenly disregards what they are told and violates that trust..... but oh,aren't they forgiving and tolerant!

(And yes- there are cats that like a tummy pet- they will fling their head back,ears perked up,not even look at you and legs are limp,completely relaxed)

Anyway,watch the language,the invitations too- if his whiskers are forward( good time to sneak in a fist graze from below and behind the whiskers towards the neck) look for a claws forward arm stretch towards you,they are glad to see you....stretched up head and neck and all those signals that say' I want to know you".....this is about the time Billy will start really talking to you becsuse he is very interested ,it's very encouraging & rewarding to see how willing and ready they are even though they don't know how.... it's hard for ferals,they can use a hand( literally,lol)

 

[Kwik]

Hi J Julest
Just thinking of you and Billy boy-,how's everything going?

 

[Julest]

Hi J Julest
Great update- I was just thinking about you the other day when someone asked me where I bought my enclosure- they wanted it for outdoors and we're asking me about the bottom of it, the flooring....

That's when I thought about your questions about getting Billy in there- outdoor enclosures have no bottom so they can be spiked into the grass or dirt or just sit on a cement patio etc.... my cousin used a nice smooth finish plywood for a base instead of over my carpeting ...... does yours have a bottom,if not just put it together then lift it over Billy's crate- shouldn't be a problem if it's 6 ft high going over with an 8ft ceiling...anyway,that's where my thoughts went,lol

Sounds like your steadily moving forward and Billy is coming along right on schedule----your at around 90 days I believe so he's established territory and is ready to really start advancing socially....:remember he doesn't know how yet,he has no experience,even if hes willing he doesn't know what to do yet but he will learn

Cats bump each other,bite ,swat,rub,position themselves in offering others to " smell" them- these things come naturally so watch his body language where he may be saying " ya wanna get to know me? You may!"

For example- when a cat feels safe around someone they'll often plop down and expose there underside- people misinterpret that to mean" rub my belly" which in fact means the total opposite. It does mean" Look how much I trust you" as they expose their delicate vulnerable body parts .....most csts tolerate belly rubs becsuse of the bond they have with their human- theyd sure like their head and neck scratched much better because then their human is saying back-" I know you do,I'll never violate your trust "

This is for the cat that flops over then holds the hand when his person is belly rubbing or gives the kick - people get confused & say' he asks for belly rubs then bites my hands But they don't realize there's a conversation taking place---- kitty doesn't understand why the person they love and trust suddenly disregards what they are told and violates that trust..... but oh,aren't they forgiving and tolerant!

(And yes- there are cats that like a tummy pet- they will fling their head back,ears perked up,not even look at you and legs are limp,completely relaxed)

Anyway,watch the language,the invitations too- if his whiskers are forward( good time to sneak in a fist graze from below and behind the whiskers towards the neck) look for a claws forward arm stretch towards you,they are glad to see you....stretched up head and neck and all those signals that say' I want to know you"....this is about the time Billy will start really talking to you becsuse he is very interested ,it's very encouraging & rewarding to see how willing and ready they are even though they don't know how.... it's hard for ferals,they can use a hand( literally,lol)

Oh I loved reading this because Billy has just recently started doing everything that you mentioned but he still hisses at me if I get too close so I have been really confused. When I go in to the room now he gets straight out of his basket to come towards me and almost tries to take the food out of my hands but then seems to get really afraid so hisses at me and swipes at my hands. He is also really playful now and will jump around playing with a little ball and will roll on his back but every so often will look at me, get afraid, hiss and run back into his basket. If I am putting food in and even when I am sitting he will reach his paws towards me but if I move my hand he looks as if he is scared of it. He blinks at me all the time and will lie totally in the open comfortably sleeping with his little paws dangling over the edge of a cat scratch bed he likes but still looks as if he may attack me if I startle him or come too close.

Too close is much better than it used to be though. He is very comfortable with about 8-10 inches but any closer means hisses and claws coming out. He scratched me once and that is when i tried to sneak in a little touch when he was eating off the spoon but it was more like a warning - a tiny swat and then a retreat. No blood just nicked the skin. If i were to truly try to do anything he was uncomfortable with at this stage I have no doubt he would attack me - he definitely lets me know I need to follow his pace. I try to move that forward a little week by week though and I am noticing steady progress. This is now 3 1/2 months so it has been a very long slow process but progress is happening.

I know he wants to know me but he is still so unsure. I think someone may have hurt him in the past as he is really focused on my hands. He doesn't seem worried about anything else so much now. I can pet him with a soft cat toy and sit very close to him but he watches my hands a lot as if hands are dangerous things.

He has tried a few more meows but they are a bit ridiculous - I don't think he really know how to communicate. I think that is another reason he hisses - it seems as if that is the only form of communication he has learned so far.

Anyway - we are both still doing well. I enjoy his company and I think he likes me being around now even though it is still a dance at the moment. I took my cat into the room one day just to allow them to smell each other and neither seemed perturbed by the other. It was only a few minutes though - a very brief introduction.

For some reason I think that by Christmas he will be ready to be released into the room and will be able to interact properly. That is the timeline I am setting myself. I know it is extremely slow but at the moment he is definitely not ready to be pushed any faster. Maybe over the next month or two there will be faster progress and I can adjust the timeline. I will see how he does.

As I am typing this Bill is sitting watching me and giving me eye blinks

 

[fluffpaws]

Hi Julest and Billy,
I have been anxiously awaiting an update on you two
My feral girl after two and 1/2 years still keeps an eye on my hands, I always have to approach her with closed fists.They see our fingers as claws and are afraid of being scratched or attacked. Always try to pet him from behind. She still will swat at me if I approach her, face on and reach to pet her head .If you sit on the floor with your back to him cats see that as non confrontational.
In cat language sitting with back to them means you are not going to attack.

So glad to hear things are going well for the both of you.
If you bring your other cat in again hold him in your arms and love on him in front of Billy,it may help him to understand.

 

[Kwik]

Oh I loved reading this because Billy has just recently started doing everything that you mentioned but he still hisses at me if I get too close so I have been really confused. When I go in to the room now he gets straight out of his basket to come towards me and almost tries to take the food out of my hands but then seems to get really afraid so hisses at me and swipes at my hands. He is also really playful now and will jump around playing with a little ball and will roll on his back but every so often will look at me, get afraid, hiss and run back into his basket. If I am putting food in and even when I am sitting he will reach his paws towards me but if I move my hand he looks as if he is scared of it. He blinks at me all the time and will lie totally in the open comfortably sleeping with his little paws dangling over the edge of a cat scratch bed he likes but still looks as if he may attack me if I startle him or come too close.

Too close is much better than it used to be though. He is very comfortable with about 8-10 inches but any closer means hisses and claws coming out. He scratched me once and that is when i tried to sneak in a little touch when he was eating off the spoon but it was more like a warning - a tiny swat and then a retreat. No blood just nicked the skin. If i were to truly try to do anything he was uncomfortable with at this stage I have no doubt he would attack me - he definitely lets me know I need to follow his pace. I try to move that forward a little week by week though and I am noticing steady progress. This is now 3 1/2 months so it has been a very long slow process but progress is happening.

I know he wants to know me but he is still so unsure. I think someone may have hurt him in the past as he is really focused on my hands. He doesn't seem worried about anything else so much now. I can pet him with a soft cat toy and sit very close to him but he watches my hands a lot as if hands are dangerous things.

He has tried a few more meows but they are a bit ridiculous - I don't think he really know how to communicate. I think that is another reason he hisses - it seems as if that is the only form of communication he has learned so far.

Anyway - we are both still doing well. I enjoy his company and I think he likes me being around now even though it is still a dance at the moment. I took my cat into the room one day just to allow them to smell each other and neither seemed perturbed by the other. It was only a few minutes though - a very brief introduction.

For some reason I think that by Christmas he will be ready to be released into the room and will be able to interact properly. That is the timeline I am setting myself. I know it is extremely slow but at the moment he is definitely not ready to be pushed any faster. Maybe over the next month or two there will be faster progress and I can adjust the timeline. I will see how he does.

As I am typing this Bill is sitting watching me and giving me eye blinks

Fantasic!!!So happy to hear that Billy is do so well and you are starting a " great relationship"- lots of " conversation " going on right now and that is the beginning of any close relationship,isn't it?

If I never mentioned it before its probably because I don't even thibk about a hiss , a growl or even a raised paw because it's just part of our conversation- so let me tell you that my Timmy was just the same and still will give my hand a double take at times - he also went through a stage ( like a kitten would) where he wanted to bite but to feel me out- like my toe with bright polish,lol .... So with an adult feral "eh eh" in a sharp tone has to be quickly followed by something reassuring( pets& " good boy") or my favorite " it's okay"..... this boy can be terrified of something but when I say" it's okay" his world changes and he feels his protector will take care of him
Time and being consistent--- most cats can associate to up to 30 words( it's actually more tone)isn't that something?!!!

Lol,I remember thinking " oh noool" with the toe biting and thought " here we go,a 7yr old kitten- yikes" but he quickly caught on that is did not please me...... the adults ferals didn't have a chance to really be playful little kittens,so they often do things and explore just like a kitten would - nothing so endearing as watching them relaxed in a home so much that they begin to play with objects without a care about the environment.....giant step for Billy to start to play,he has established his territory (& now you are much more than just part of it) woweeee,the fun starts!

 

[Julest]

A brief update on my Billy.

This is 4 months in and he is doing great. I still haven’t moved him in to his big catio (I know!) but partly because he is coming along so well that I am loathe to upset him and stress him out. He has settled really well into his environment and plays with his toys and me every night. I still can’t pet him but he wants to get close. When I feed him now he jumps up to me until he is about 3 inches away then hisses and spits. I leave the crate door open while I am feeding him and cleaning him but he doesn’t come out. I am thinking I might just finish his socialisation in the double crate and then open the door and give him access to the room. I am thinking of building the catio as an outside space and putting it next to the window of my office/ his room so the he can have access to the inside and outside once he is ready. I can then open the window in the morning to let him out and close it over at night once he is home - if I always feed him inside he should come in for his dinner. I would like him to be able to go out and in.

I am planning on releasing him into the room in December - that will be the end of his rabies quarantine (not that I am even remotely concerned he has rabies) - and then putting the catio up for next spring.

I think he is on track.

Honestly, just 2 months ago I was so stressed every day - I still couldn’t access the crate without fear of him lunging and he was scary. Now I adore him and know that in his hissy spitty way he is growing to love me too.

He is also coming around to my hours and gets up in the morning when I feed him. He used to go straight back into his cat cave but he now sits out whenever I am in the room.

I hope this is reassuring for other people who unwittingly end up with a feral cat in their home with no experience of socialising ferals. I don’t think I could have done it without the help and support of the people on this website but I kept going. I wanted to give up so many times and was genuinely in tears on occasion as I couldn’t even get access at times to feed him or change his litter. With help I managed and now I am so happy I kept going. He knows this is his home now and looks forward to his food and playtime every day.

Thanks all! I am not quite there yet but the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter.

 

[Kwik]

A brief update on my Billy.

This is 4 months in and he is doing great. I still haven’t moved him in to his big catio (I know!) but partly because he is coming along so well that I am loathe to upset him and stress him out. He has settled really well into his environment and plays with his toys and me every night. I still can’t pet him but he wants to get close. When I feed him now he jumps up to me until he is about 3 inches away then hisses and spits. I leave the crate door open while I am feeding him and cleaning him but he doesn’t come out. I am thinking I might just finish his socialisation in the double crate and then open the door and give him access to the room. I am thinking of building the catio as an outside space and putting it next to the window of my office/ his room so the he can have access to the inside and outside once he is ready. I can then open the window in the morning to let him out and close it over at night once he is home - if I always feed him inside he should come in for his dinner. I would like him to be able to go out and in.

I am planning on releasing him into the room in December - that will be the end of his rabies quarantine (not that I am even remotely concerned he has rabies) - and then putting the catio up for next spring.

I think he is on track.

Honestly, just 2 months ago I was so stressed every day - I still couldn’t access the crate without fear of him lunging and he was scary. Now I adore him and know that in his hissy spitty way he is growing to love me too.

He is also coming around to my hours and gets up in the morning when I feed him. He used to go straight back into his cat cave but he now sits out whenever I am in the room.

I hope this is reassuring for other people who unwittingly end up with a feral cat in their home with no experience of socialising ferals. I don’t think I could have done it without the help and support of the people on this website but I kept going. I wanted to give up so many times and was genuinely in tears on occasion as I couldn’t even get access at times to feed him or change his litter. With help I managed and now I am so happy I kept going. He knows this is his home now and looks forward to his food and playtime every day.

Thanks all! I am not quite there yet but the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter.

I'm so proud of you - I had absolutely no doubts about your capabilities nor Billy's,I'm so happy you are in the place your at now without fear,stress n constant worrying- they were extremely trying times for you but you stayed the course!God Bless your heart!

Billy is adorable- what a content kitty,he hit the grand prize the day you " reluctantly" took him home,despite him being the wrong cat!Such good fortune for you both

I like your new plan for the enclosure- do wait until he is very well established in the office and if you have plans for intros with the residents and the rest of the house then I'd suggest no access to the outdoor enclosure until he & the others are integrated - outside access will be his choice rather than exploring and expanding his inside territory- he'll choose to go outside without doubt

I myself didn't give Timmy access to the patio/catio until he was exploring the entire house..... I have a cat flap,they all go in and out at will unless I close it..... they all understand " Inside ",even Timmy when they are called in- I needed there help for him to watch n learn or it could've been much harder to get him to come inside on command-they learn alot easier with others to lead the way

 

[Eurocat]

Hi!
That‘s fantastic and shows your instincts are right on. What a stroke of luck to have you as his human. And what a handsome boy he is, toe tufts and all! His look says it all - (my subjective interpretation) a mixture of curiosity, love yet still slight distrust/resentment (but believe me he‘ll get over it )
Your plan going forward sounds great. The next breakthrough will be when he allows you to touch him - but all in due course.
Just as a side note Kala could be hissy for a couple of months, even after she had allowed me to touch her. It was either a fear response or a try at intimidation depending on the circumstance.
Even though I was so, so careful, any unexpected movement set off her fear response hiss. She’s a very sensitive cat and astutely observing body language was her key to survival.
And she was initially most hissy around food time - but here I assume it was learned behaviour from her mother on the street (I‘d seen the mother do it) to try and intimidate me to drop the food and go away.
I think stories like yours and Kwik‘s (and all those who have documented their (semi) feral cat‘s socialization) give so much support and hope that everything is possible.
Love, patience, sensitivity, consistency, reliability - and yes endurance and time - are the key.
Very sadly we can‘t save them all, but it‘s great if we can give all to those we save. You and the community on this site live by that motto.
Take care and look forward to more updates!

 

[Kwik]

Hi!
That‘s fantastic and shows your instincts are right on. What a stroke of luck to have you as his human. And what a handsome boy he is, toe tufts and all! His look says it all - (my subjective interpretation) a mixture of curiosity, love yet still slight distrust/resentment (but believe me he‘ll get over it )
Your plan going forward sounds great. The next breakthrough will be when he allows you to touch him - but all in due course.
Just as a side note Kala could be hissy for a couple of months, even after she had allowed me to touch her. It was either a fear response or a try at intimidation depending on the circumstance.
Even though I was so, so careful, any unexpected movement set off her fear response hiss. She’s a very sensitive cat and astutely observing body language was her key to survival.
And she was initially most hissy around food time - but here I assume it was learned behaviour from her mother on the street (I‘d seen the mother do it) to try and intimidate me to drop the food and go away.
I think stories like yours and Kwik‘s (and all those who have documented their (semi) feral cat‘s socialization) give so much support and hope that everything is possible.
Love, patience, sensitivity, consistency, reliability - and yes endurance and time - are the key.
Very sadly we can‘t save them all, but it‘s great if we can give all to those we save. You and the community on this site live by that motto.
Take care and look forward to more updates!

Just to let you know,Timmy was as feral as they come- he remained hidden 6 yrs & a lady observed him from her 3rd floor balcony at night hunting so that's how I know his story ....it's a long & sad story but it's all behind him now

I feel exactly like you do( probably all of us do) it's sad we cannot save everyone of them but we try and give our all to those we can......and support each other in our best efforts,just like you're doing- TCS really is a family!

 

[rubysmama]

J Julest : I've just come across your thread today, and quickly skimmed through the posts, smiling at all the updates, such him eating in front of you, slow blinking, learning to meow. I did speed through the tapeworm episode though.

Thank you for taking Billy in and caring for him all these months. I'm looking forward to more updates.

 

[Julest]

That's great. As long as you are happy to care for him even though he may never be a lap cat he'll be fine. One of my rescues, Marley, spent almost his whole life with me but I wasn't able to pet him at all. He died of kidney disease a few years ago,. A few days before he died he put his paw and chin on my knee for a moment, the closest he ever came to actually sitting on my lap. I think it was his way of letting me know he trusted me, even if he never felt comfortable with too much contact.

I've also cared for a feral tom cat who our vet thought was at least 10 years old when he came to live with us. He kept his distance at first, but one day showed up with his ear half torn off so I had to get him to a vet. He allowed me to trap him and after a while became comfortable with being petted and groomed.

A lot depends on the individual cat. It sounds as if you are doing all the right things so I'm holding on to a lot of hope for Billy.

Two of my feral boys, Marley and Ginkun.

View attachment 480103View attachment 480104

I don't know why I missed this post the first time around. I was just rereading some of the messages from people on here - mainly feedback on how long it took and how they managed to socialize their feral and saw this one with your lovely photos. Thank you for this. It's actually really reassuring as I am now 4 months in and there is no way Billy is even close to letting me touch him although he has come on so much in every other way. He is playful, meows quite often now, is out of his hiding bed every time I am in the room, runs for his food immediately it is put out and sits really close to me whenever I am in the room yet if my hand is anywhere near him he hisses, tries to scratch me and actually lunges towards me as if he wants to attack. As long as my hand is not near him he will happily sit and blink at me and even now will lie relaxed on his side (a couple of times on his back showing his belly). I am thinking he may just be a cat that will not accept touch. I can touch him with a soft toy and he is quite happy but as soon as I try to move my hand any closer he will attack the toy viciously as if he wants to attack my hand. That lets me know that he is not yet ready to be petted.
I am hoping Billy ends up being more like your second cat and will one day decide that he wants some love but if he is like Marley that is also okay. Just as long as the lunging and trying to attack me stops.
How did you get the collar on your cat? I can't begin to imagine being able to put a collar on Billy.

 

[Kris107]

I am late to the party, but have you tried some type of string toy so he can interact with you more? How about a sherpa fleece blanket to see if he'd come to your lap?

 

[Julest]

Hi there
Been following this thread from a distance. Wow - You‘re doing an absolutely amazing job and I can totally understand how stressful this must be BUT I can really see that Billy is coming round. You‘re making really good progress And you’re in great hands here at the cat site with Kwik and all the extremely knowledgable and experienced members. Reading on this site helped me so much when I was at the end of my tether dealing with my little semi-feral Kala about 2 years ago. And she was „only“ semi-feral.

My take on his hissing in the eve is that this is the time - as being a cat and crespuscular - all his systems are on go, his energy level is higher and that maybe at that times he‘s generally just more frustrated with everything and at being crated. A couple of years ago my little extremely skittish and barely touchable semi-feral (who was uncrated in her room) was much more confident at this time, which led her to risk interaction more and then get scared again - so we had a lot of hissing in the evenings too due to many mixed reactions - she wanted company, but she didn’t, she wanted to play, but it was scary etc etc. During the day she retreated where possible and was very subdued. I used to joke that in the evening she had the confidence to actually tell me she is scared, which is a good thing as we could then directly work on it. I actually used the late evenings most to continue socialisation and initiate play.

It took her 4-5 months for her to really start trusting me and she has blossomed into an extremely affectionate, gentle, yet smart and regal cat and I can do anything with her (of course I ask her permission first) She trusts and cuddles with my partner too, but she is still extremely wary of strangers.

My situation was different to yours as my kitty was semi-feral, only about 5-6 months old and I had started socializing her while she was still on the street. By this I mean I had only hand fed her and insisted that in return she allowed me to gently stroke her. Good deal, right?

It‘s a very long story - but when I brought her home, these were the routes we continued for the first couple of weeks. So in my case hand feeding only (many smaller meals a day) and as much interaction as feasible in the late evenings. We also had to get through quite some vet visits which set her socialization back somewhat.

In terms of interaction with Billy in the crate, of course hand feeding is complete no no - but how do you think he would react if you calmly and gently extended him a morsel of something delicious on a stick? Obviously you could try this in more of a mellow moment and he will probably hiss, but when he realizes the stick brings goodies maybe this would pave the way to contact as he realizes the stick connects to you. Maybe you could then enlarge on this when/if he relaxes by playing with him with a stick/wand and when he‘s become chilled with this, starting to stroke him with the wand/stick. Of course he will have to be acquainted with the stick/wand before and not see it as a threat. Some feral cats have a history of being hit with various objects, so obviously you‘ll have to be sensitive to his reactions (which you are anyway) It will all take time of course, but I think he will start feeling better once he finally understands you are the giver of all goodness and he manages to diffuse some of his energy.

The very best of luck to you and Billy!

Hi Eurocat
I have been rereading all the posts again as I am trying to move onto the next stage of socialization with Billy now that I have had him for 4 months. I am trying hard to get him ready to be released from his double crates in 2 months time and want to see if I can socialize him as much as possible before then so that he doesn't hide away once he is out meaning that I have to start the process all over again.
Over the last few weeks I have been working a lot on feeding Billy by hand. Churros was recommended on here as a delicious treat and he really loves them. I bought long lizard feeding spoons which are fantastic. He is getting more and more confident eating off of them and now gets really excited when he sees me putting the food on the spoon. I also play with him with a stick and a want and have been gently stroking him with them. He likes it until he sees my hand then he becomes aggressive again.
He is still much more hissy at night but he is also so much more playful at night and I do what you suggested and try to work with that. I have a feeling that it will be more difficult once his is out of his crate though as he is more likely to attack me at night so I might change my interactions to during the daytime then.
Anyway I just thought I would follow up again as I am aware of how helpful the advice has been and even if Billy wasn't ready for some of the recommendations at the time they have all been useful throughout the last 4 months.

 

[Julest]

I am late to the party, but have you tried some type of string toy so he can interact with you more? How about a sherpa fleece blanket to see if he'd come to your lap?

Yes, thank you. I play with him with string toys and with wand toys. He also has little balls he enjoys playing with. At the moment he is crated in 2 XL dog crates which are joined together to give him more space. I have bought a catio but haven't actually moved him into it yet. He is in quarantine for bites although I am totally confident that he is fine and not worried at all about rabies. He is very feral though and I feel if I let him out too soon I might lose all chance of socializing him - I think I also potentially run the risk of him biting or scratching me as he is still hissing and lunging at me if I get too close to him

 

[Norachan]

I can touch him with a soft toy and he is quite happy but as soon as I try to move my hand any closer he will attack the toy viciously as if he wants to attack my hand. That lets me know that he is not yet ready to be petted.

To a cat an outstretched hand looks a bit like a paw with claws out, coming in for the attack. A soft fist looks more like a head coming in for friendly head butts. Try keeping your hand balled up in a fist. I pull my sweater sleeves down over my fist as well, so it looks softer and more friendly.

How did you get the collar on your cat? I can't begin to imagine being able to put a collar on Billy.

Marley was trapped once at around 6 months old when he was neutered and vaccinated, then again at around 2 years of age when I moved my whole feral colony to my new address. Before they came to the new house they were taken to the vet for a vaccine booster and a physical check. Marley and a few of the others needed to be sedated before they could be handled, so I asked the vet to put collars on them while they were knocked out.

I had cat proofed the back yard to the best of my ability, but I was worried that one of them might get out. I thought that if they had a collar on and the worst came to the worst I might hear about it if one of them was found on the road or something.

Luckily it never came to that. Marley wasn`t interested in going out of his enclosure. However, the collars paid off because another one of the cats got out after heavy snow brought a tree down and smashed the enclosure fence. She was found by a woman who was taking care of a colony a couple of miles from here. We had to drive down there and trap her again, but she was so pleased to see us it only took about 30 minutes

 

[Kris107]

Have a small bathroom? I feel like you should get in the space with him so he can freely come to you.

 

[Julest]

Another update - I decided to move Billy into the catio despite worrying about it upsetting him when he had settled so well into his double crates and I am soooooo happy that I did. There was lots of hissing and spitting and growling when I had to get him back into a carrier in order to take the big double crates apart but as soon as he was in his new space he was so happy. He only took 1/2 hour to explore and then start rolling around and playing with his toys. It is in exactly the same spot that his old set up was so I didn't change too much for him and I was amazed at how quickly he settled in. I think this will be great for him for the next two months until he is ready to be released into the house. I am wondering if I View attachment 486272should have done it sooner but at least I had a chance to do a lot of socialization work with him over the last 4 months. He is coming along so well and is relaxing into a happy, playful cat. He still doesn't want to be touched but over time I really do feel confident that he will learn to accept more contact.

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