Hi there!
My name is Pascal and I'm a newly cat owner. My beloved dog passed away 2 years ago when he was 16, I basically grew up with him... After considering all the engagement it takes to own a dog and my current professional life being demanding, I opted for a Cat. I ended up adopting a 6 months old kitten (Well, a teenager I believe!) at our local SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). She's been in my house for 3 days now, and I saw some improvements (she hide and did not eat for 24 consecutive hours, then she got out a little, but she did not try to interact with me yet.) I was told to leave her alone for the first few days, but she has Rhino (cold?) so I have to force-feed her pills + syringe of water every morning.
My question is: when is it ''too late'' for a shy/feral cat to be ''domesticated''? I mean, speaking of age. I know a kitten's behavior is most likely to change with time, but what about a ''teenager''? I thought 6 months was OK, but now I'm wondering if she will ever be confortable here / wanting interactions with humans.
I don't really know her background, except that she was brought to the shelter at around 4 months old so perhaps she lived outside from since she was born, which would explain her current behaviour... I also know that, for the first few days, they will most likely hide until they feel confortable or ''safe'', so that's why I don't want to rush her or jump to conclusions too quickly.
Day 1 : Brought her from the shelter on Friday night - she hid under my TV unit for 24 hours
Day 2 : Saturday night, I saw her quickly - I was able to bring her food and see that she was eating. She used her litter box as well. She slept on the top of my kitchen cabinet, the highest place in the room
Day 3 : She went from the kitchen cabinets to the window (between the glass & the blinds
Day 4 : Found her in her litter box this morning... Got back from work a few minutes ago & she is still in there.
Thanks for your help / input. I am looking forward to hear from you guys!
My name is Pascal and I'm a newly cat owner. My beloved dog passed away 2 years ago when he was 16, I basically grew up with him... After considering all the engagement it takes to own a dog and my current professional life being demanding, I opted for a Cat. I ended up adopting a 6 months old kitten (Well, a teenager I believe!) at our local SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). She's been in my house for 3 days now, and I saw some improvements (she hide and did not eat for 24 consecutive hours, then she got out a little, but she did not try to interact with me yet.) I was told to leave her alone for the first few days, but she has Rhino (cold?) so I have to force-feed her pills + syringe of water every morning.
My question is: when is it ''too late'' for a shy/feral cat to be ''domesticated''? I mean, speaking of age. I know a kitten's behavior is most likely to change with time, but what about a ''teenager''? I thought 6 months was OK, but now I'm wondering if she will ever be confortable here / wanting interactions with humans.
I don't really know her background, except that she was brought to the shelter at around 4 months old so perhaps she lived outside from since she was born, which would explain her current behaviour... I also know that, for the first few days, they will most likely hide until they feel confortable or ''safe'', so that's why I don't want to rush her or jump to conclusions too quickly.
Day 1 : Brought her from the shelter on Friday night - she hid under my TV unit for 24 hours
Day 2 : Saturday night, I saw her quickly - I was able to bring her food and see that she was eating. She used her litter box as well. She slept on the top of my kitchen cabinet, the highest place in the room
Day 3 : She went from the kitchen cabinets to the window (between the glass & the blinds
Day 4 : Found her in her litter box this morning... Got back from work a few minutes ago & she is still in there.
Thanks for your help / input. I am looking forward to hear from you guys!