How Can I Tell If My Cat Is Feral?

[wietop]

I watched a cat on my local SPCA site for months, wondering why she was never adopted. This shelter has a good adoption rate, but this poor cat was there day after day, week after week. I finally went in to take a look at her and ask why she wasn't being adopted. I was told that she had been in a home with children and after 6 months was surrendered because she refused to interact with the kids. They said she needed to be in a home with no children, no other animals, and she needed to be adopted by someone who would be very patient with her. I opted to rescue her and I've had her about a week. She's making some progress, but still very standoffish. I don't know why I didn't notice it before, but her ear is clipped. When I looked up to see what they meant, I found out that there's a chance she is feral. How would I be able to tell that, and if she is, is it possible to rehabilitate her?

 

[Kieka]

If she is allowing you to touch her and eating in front of you, she isn't feral. She may have been feral at some point or maybe she was abandoned and spayed by a colony caretaker who found her. I know that many colony caretakers will trap and spay/neuter any cat who waunders into their colony. If the cat ends up being friendly enough and they can; they will try to find homes. So an ear tip doesn't always mean feral.

It sounds like she's just a shy girl. She might have had limited human contact or just bad experiences that make her cautious. From the photo, I can tell you she is curious enough and comfortable enough that she isn't feral. Just give her time and love at this point. My girl is a very shy one and it also takes her a while to decide if things are okay. However, once she decides she is safe and comfortable she is a demanding little bugger.

 

[FelisCatus]

Keep at it, don’t give up and soon she will learn to fully trust you.

The shelter doesn’t have the whole story of what those kids did to her for 6 months before surrendering her. They could have been pulling her tail and smacking her for all we know. Would you play with someone who abuses you? They could have also only wanted her during her kitten months and gave her up now that she is older. Not playing with kids is just a convenient excuse.

If you don’t already know how, I would be more than happy to share tips and tricks on how to bond with her !

She’s a beauty, I love how she tilted her head in the pic haha.

 

[tabbytom]

I found out that there's a chance she is feral. How would I be able to tell that, and if she is, is it possible to rehabilitate her?

First, thank you for adopting this kitty

It's hard to tell of she is a feral or a formal stray. Some owners do have their cat ear clipped when they are spayed or neutered. For one, we do not know the history of this cat.

Some cats are more friendly and and some are more standoff-ish. Not all cats are alike. Since she's making progress with you is a good sign and most likely she's has been around people and she might not lie children as they are more rowdy and rough when they are handling cats.

She could belong to the category of being a one cat only, which is not surprising as many of us here do have only one cat in our household as due to the cat's behavior, there are no other cats.

Getting her to get use to you takes some time with lots of love and patience and routines and you must really win her heart as she has been returned time and again which has probably shatter her confidence in people. Chances of her getting use to you is very high as long as she's not threatened in any way. Looking at her, she is a willing party and whether feral or stray, it is possible to to get her to adapt to indoor life and getting use to people.

You must be the one that is feeding each day, play with her and talk to her. She must realize that food and companionship with love comes from you. Lime I mentioned earlier, it takes time and love and routine so that she can integrate faster with confidence.

Here's an article for you to read. She might not be an abused cat before or she may have been or she may not show the symptoms of an abused cat, but whatever it is, the basis of winning her heart is in the article :-
how-to-help-an-abused-cat-recover.33849

Other articles are :-
a-feral-cat-or-a-stray-cat-how-to-tell-the-difference.33554

16-top-cat-experts-share-tips-for-dealing-with-timid-cats.33503

10-must-know-tips-for-happy-living-with-a-shy-cat.32735

Please feel free to ask questions and I'm sure many members have lots of tips for you to make this kitty feel at home.

Do keep us posted of the progress and by the way, she's beautiful

 

[Kat0121]

A feral cat has had little to no experience with humans. Your cat may have been feral at one time but at this point would be considered semi feral at most. A home with children would likely be a bad choice fer her because, as they told you, former ferals need a lot of time, patience and love to assimilate to household living.

Hang in there. You can do this. My, she's a pretty little thing. The most important thing to know is that SHE is in charge of the relationship and everything will go on her timetable. I understand the whole, "Well it's been X amount of time so this SHOULD be happening". I went through that too. The thing is, they don't know that. She's in a new home with a new human, new sights, sounds and scents. She just came from a scenario that was the same thing but add children in - children who may not have respected her boundaries.

Don't stand (loom) over her. Sit or lay on the floor to make yourself sppear smaller. Talk to her softly to help her get used to your voice. I found that reading to them helps. I used children's books with pictures. When you talk to her, tell her that everything is going to be OK, that you love her and you're happy that she's with you. Remind her that she's home now and you want her to be happy. Cats are very intelligent creatures and I honestly think that they understand more of what we say than some people think.

Play with her. Hands free play is best. Try using a wand toy like Da Bird or a laser pointer. She will start to associate you with having fun.

When she acts the way you want her to, reward her with a yummy treat and lots of praise. That will help her associating you with good things.

The most important things she needs right now are time, patience, love and YOU. Thank you for taking her in. She's very lucky to have you.

 

[duncanmac]

You're in the same boat I was two years ago with my Barry. I didn't know what the clipped ear meant or why Barry was so withdrawn, but he stole my heart so we adopted him (long story, but he was in the pet store adoption booth for 6 months)

A feral cat would have had little or no interaction with people during the first few months of his life and would be very distrusting of people. A stray is a lost or abandoned domesticated cat who is used to people but might not like them too much. You guy could be a stray who found a home in a feral cat colony.

How to tell what you have: Does he meow? Ferals are quiet - Barry has meowed maybe a dozen times in two years.

Ferals tend to go into defensive/hiding mode quickly and stay there for quite some time. If you ring the doorbell in my house, you won't see Barry for a couple of hours.

Does he approach you or let you come near him? If he does, how long did that take? The less he lets you near him, the more likely he was feral. Ferals take quite some time to warm up to people, and then it is often just one person. After two years, Barry is just letting my wife pet him (but he likes her - he will follow her around the house and be with her.)

It took hours of me and Barry in a tiny bathroom to become buddies. I'd often get a flash of love and friendship that I wouldn't see again for months. Don't be discouraged - its going to take time if he is really feral.

This is Barry's beauty shot from the shelter - poor guy all wadded up.

Barry's First Picture

• duncanmac
• Jun 8, 2018

This is his first night with us

first night.jpg

• duncanmac
• Mar 19, 2017
• 1

I didn't see this belly again for a year:

Barry Belly Rub.jpg

• duncanmac
• Mar 17, 2017

And after 2 years he finally hopped up on the couch with me (and his BFF, Duncan)

All Together Now

• duncanmac
• Feb 4, 2019

 

[FeralRussian]

Everyone above gave excellent advice!

Patience, especially when they are as adorable as yours, can be hard. I watched and feed mine for ages till I finally decided enough was enough with a snowstorm predicted and zero degree weather.

Luring them in was one thing, winning their affection a long road and one I thought futile with each set back.

Aside from food, toys, and play area, the other thing I invested in was one of those cat brushes. Each day I would cautiously extend it to them to smell after I doused it in catnip spray. Eventually I was able to stroke them with it. Gustav was the first to open up to the delights of being brushed, particularly his chin and head. The belly, Forget it!

Slowly I switched the brush for my hand. And then Anais came around. Now they love their brushing time and constantly demand pets. Even warming to brief belly forays. It takes time and patience. Never force.

I nabbed them November 11th and it wasn’t until December 29th that I was allowed a full pet from Gustav. Anais was sometime in mid January. By February the mornings were replete with purrs and them waking me up for petting.

Don’t give up! It’ll happen. But it’ll be on her time schedule.

 

[wietop]

If she is allowing you to touch her and eating in front of you, she isn't feral. She may have been feral at some point or maybe she was abandoned and spayed by a colony caretaker who found her. I know that many colony caretakers will trap and spay/neuter any cat who waunders into their colony. If the cat ends up being friendly enough and they can; they will try to find homes. So an ear tip doesn't always mean feral.

It sounds like she's just a shy girl. She might have had limited human contact or just bad experiences that make her cautious. From the photo, I can tell you she is curious enough and comfortable enough that she isn't feral. Just give her time and love at this point. My girl is a very shy one and it also takes her a while to decide if things are okay. However, once she decides she is safe and comfortable she is a demanding little bugger.

Thank you so much for the good advice. I figured she probably wasn't feral, but just wasn't sure.

 

[wietop]

If she is allowing you to touch her and eating in front of you, she isn't feral. She may have been feral at some point or maybe she was abandoned and spayed by a colony caretaker who found her. I know that many colony caretakers will trap and spay/neuter any cat who waunders into their colony. If the cat ends up being friendly enough and they can; they will try to find homes. So an ear tip doesn't always mean feral.

It sounds like she's just a shy girl. She might have had limited human contact or just bad experiences that make her cautious. From the photo, I can tell you she is curious enough and comfortable enough that she isn't feral. Just give her time and love at this point. My girl is a very shy one and it also takes her a while to decide if things are okay. However, once she decides she is safe and comfortable she is a demanding little bugger.

To answer your questions, she does eat in front me. She stays pretty much on one of the chairs at my kitchen table. I have chair pads, so she's pretty comfortable. I sit in a chair close to her and put my hand out and most of the time she rubs her head on my hand. That's my signal that it's okay to carefully pet her body. I'm just taking it slow and letting her set the "getting to know you" pace.

 

[wietop]

First, thank you for adopting this kitty

It's hard to tell of she is a feral or a formal stray. Some owners do have their cat ear clipped when they are spayed or neutered. For one, we do not know the history of this cat.

Some cats are more friendly and and some are more standoff-ish. Not all cats are alike. Since she's making progress with you is a good sign and most likely she's has been around people and she might not lie children as they are more rowdy and rough when they are handling cats.

She could belong to the category of being a one cat only, which is not surprising as many of us here do have only one cat in our household as due to the cat's behavior, there are no other cats.

Getting her to get use to you takes some time with lots of love and patience and routines and you must really win her heart as she has been returned time and again which has probably shatter her confidence in people. Chances of her getting use to you is very high as long as she's not threatened in any way. Looking at her, she is a willing party and whether feral or stray, it is possible to to get her to adapt to indoor life and getting use to people.

You must be the one that is feeding each day, play with her and talk to her. She must realize that food and companionship with love comes from you. Lime I mentioned earlier, it takes time and love and routine so that she can integrate faster with confidence.

Here's an article for you to read. She might not be an abused cat before or she may have been or she may not show the symptoms of an abused cat, but whatever it is, the basis of winning her heart is in the article :-
how-to-help-an-abused-cat-recover.33849

Other articles are :-
a-feral-cat-or-a-stray-cat-how-to-tell-the-difference.33554

16-top-cat-experts-share-tips-for-dealing-with-timid-cats.33503

10-must-know-tips-for-happy-living-with-a-shy-cat.32735

Please feel free to ask questions and I'm sure many members have lots of tips for you to make this kitty feel at home.

Do keep us posted of the progress and by the way, she's beautiful

Thank you so much for the articles. I'm going to read them all, because the more information I have, the better I will be able to make my little cat more comfortable.

 

[wietop]

You're in the same boat I was two years ago with my Barry. I didn't know what the clipped ear meant or why Barry was so withdrawn, but he stole my heart so we adopted him (long story, but he was in the pet store adoption booth for 6 months)

A feral cat would have had little or no interaction with people during the first few months of his life and would be very distrusting of people. A stray is a lost or abandoned domesticated cat who is used to people but might not like them too much. You guy could be a stray who found a home in a feral cat colony.

How to tell what you have: Does he meow? Ferals are quiet - Barry has meowed maybe a dozen times in two years.

Ferals tend to go into defensive/hiding mode quickly and stay there for quite some time. If you ring the doorbell in my house, you won't see Barry for a couple of hours.

Does he approach you or let you come near him? If he does, how long did that take? The less he lets you near him, the more likely he was feral. Ferals take quite some time to warm up to people, and then it is often just one person. After two years, Barry is just letting my wife pet him (but he likes her - he will follow her around the house and be with her.)

It took hours of me and Barry in a tiny bathroom to become buddies. I'd often get a flash of love and friendship that I wouldn't see again for months. Don't be discouraged - its going to take time if he is really feral.

This is Barry's beauty shot from the shelter - poor guy all wadded up.

Barry's First Picture

• duncanmac
• Jun 8, 2018

This is his first night with us

first night.jpg

• duncanmac
• Mar 19, 2017
• 1

I didn't see this belly again for a year:

Barry Belly Rub.jpg

• duncanmac
• Mar 17, 2017

And after 2 years he finally hopped up on the couch with me (and his BFF, Duncan)

All Together Now

• duncanmac
• Feb 4, 2019

Your cat is beautiful. My cat is making slow progress, but I think it's good progress. Just today she began coming up to me in the kitchen, not quite rubbing against my leg, but very close. She meows in a good way, which lets me know she's probably telling me she wants to interact more. At least I'm hoping that's what she's doing.

 

[wietop]

Everyone above gave excellent advice!

Patience, especially when they are as adorable as yours, can be hard. I watched and feed mine for ages till I finally decided enough was enough with a snowstorm predicted and zero degree weather.

Luring them in was one thing, winning their affection a long road and one I thought futile with each set back.

Aside from food, toys, and play area, the other thing I invested in was one of those cat brushes. Each day I would cautiously extend it to them to smell after I doused it in catnip spray. Eventually I was able to stroke them with it. Gustav was the first to open up to the delights of being brushed, particularly his chin and head. The belly, Forget it!

Slowly I switched the brush for my hand. And then Anais came around. Now they love their brushing time and constantly demand pets. Even warming to brief belly forays. It takes time and patience. Never force.

I nabbed them November 11th and it wasn’t until December 29th that I was allowed a full pet from Gustav. Anais was sometime in mid January. By February the mornings were replete with purrs and them waking me up for petting.

Don’t give up! It’ll happen. But it’ll be on her time schedule.

Thank you for the suggestion about the cat brush. I hadn't really thought of that. I'm sure brushing her will be a little-at-a-time thing, which is fine. I'm fully prepared to give her as much time as she needs. I don't know why, but when it comes to cats, I have the patience of a saint. LOL

 

[wietop]

A feral cat has had little to no experience with humans. Your cat may have been feral at one time but at this point would be considered semi feral at most. A home with children would likely be a bad choice fer her because, as they told you, former ferals need a lot of time, patience and love to assimilate to household living.

Hang in there. You can do this. My, she's a pretty little thing. The most important thing to know is that SHE is in charge of the relationship and everything will go on her timetable. I understand the whole, "Well it's been X amount of time so this SHOULD be happening". I went through that too. The thing is, they don't know that. She's in a new home with a new human, new sights, sounds and scents. She just came from a scenario that was the same thing but add children in - children who may not have respected her boundaries.

Don't stand (loom) over her. Sit or lay on the floor to make yourself sppear smaller. Talk to her softly to help her get used to your voice. I found that reading to them helps. I used children's books with pictures. When you talk to her, tell her that everything is going to be OK, that you love her and you're happy that she's with you. Remind her that she's home now and you want her to be happy. Cats are very intelligent creatures and I honestly think that they understand more of what we say than some people think.

Play with her. Hands free play is best. Try using a wand toy like Da Bird or a laser pointer. She will start to associate you with having fun.

When she acts the way you want her to, reward her with a yummy treat and lots of praise. That will help her associating you with good things.

The most important things she needs right now are time, patience, love and YOU. Thank you for taking her in. She's very lucky to have you.

I just can't thank you enough for all the good advice and suggestions. I feel so much better and feel I'll be better able to do the right things for her. What's most important to me is that she feel safe and comfortable. I'm in no hurry, because this isn't about me, it's about her.

 

[Kieka]

To answer your questions, she does eat in front me. She stays pretty much on one of the chairs at my kitchen table. I have chair pads, so she's pretty comfortable. I sit in a chair close to her and put my hand out and most of the time she rubs her head on my hand. That's my signal that it's okay to carefully pet her body. I'm just taking it slow and letting her set the "getting to know you" pace.

Sounds perfect.

I didn't see my former feral eat for nearly a year. So you are already ahead of the game there.

 

[tabbytom]

Thank you so much for the articles. I'm going to read them all, because the more information I have, the better I will be able to make my little cat more comfortable.

You’re welcomed

Just keep asking questions even stupid ones as there are no stupid questions and don’t give up. We are here for you

 

[pearl99]

That really sounds like great progress! I started with my Waffles by just laying on the floor several times per day, and he got curious and would come closer. When it was time I got a wand toy and could scratch his cheek a little, he loved loved loved it and that was the beginning of wanting to be scratched by me. Then it was gradual step by step according to his comfort and his initiating a step forward. It took 2 (or 3?) months for him to hop into my lap, and then it was only for about 2 seconds. Once I could introduce the brushing he loved that too, and on we went!
I would guess she'll be taking steps forward to get the love and affection I'm sure she's learning you will give.

 

[duncanmac]

Your cat is beautiful. My cat is making slow progress, but I think it's good progress. Just today she began coming up to me in the kitchen, not quite rubbing against my leg, but very close. She meows in a good way, which lets me know she's probably telling me she wants to interact more. At least I'm hoping that's what she's doing.

Sounds like you two are getting along great. Keep building the bond with her and soon enough she won't be a former feral - she'll just be your cat.

Does she play with you? Playing will help build her confidence in herself and trust in you.

 

[Etarre]

Thank you for adopting her-- she's absolutely adorable! I adopted Juniper at 8 months, and while she was clearly well cared for and well socialized as a kitten, she was found as a stray, and it's unclear why she was lost/abandoned. She also spent considerable time in a shelter before I adopted her, so she was very fearful when she came home with me.

Some things that really helped encourage her to be more confident were playing with her a lot with toys like the Cat Dancer and the laser pointer, where she could interact without getting too close, and making sure that she had her own spots throughout the apartment. Her tall cat tree, which we placed in the living room, was particularly important because it allowed her to hang out in the same room as us, but gave her a vantage point where she could watch us and flee if she started to feel uncomfortable for any reason. We were eventually able to approach her on her tree (with lots of warning) and pet her, and to this day, when she expects pets (particularly when people get home at the end of the workday), she'll jump up on her tree to receive them.

It does take time, and it was about 7 months before Juniper first sat on my lap. But she worked up to it with lots of trial runs, where she'd jump up on the couch and walk across my lap several times, working up to it, and then decide "Nope! too scary!" and jump off and run away. Now she's glued to my lap every night during TV time and is a dedicated snuggle bug. So you'll get there! You are doing all the right things, and your cat is already warming up to you in really clear and measurable ways. Please share more pics and news!

 

[wietop]

About 10 days ago, I posted a request for information about how to tell if my cat is feral. I got the best advice and really appreciate it. I'm happy to report that my little kitty is adjusting just fine. Each day, she moves farther away from the distrust and is more and more accepting of me. Last night she actually let me pet her belly while we were sitting on the couch. My last cat took a year before she would let me do that. I'm also happy to report that she has moved from her hiding place on one of the kitchen chairs and has now claimed the recliner as her own. LOL Again, thanks for all the great advice.

 

[Furballsmom]

What a dollbaby!!!
Thank you for such a wonderful update