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- #61
Love the photos, sweet babies.
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How Long Before Your Feral Let You Pet Them?
- Thread starter ads3j
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Love the photos, sweet babies.
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- #62
Question to you all - if you are still reading this thread - recently, Lilly has been looking quite longingly out the window and meowing as if she wants to go out. I don't want to let her out, she'd immediately revert to her previous stray/semi-feral/feral (whichever she may technically be) and be back in danger. It really breaks my heart, I talk to her and then try to distract her with play, which works, but I still question whether or not I'm doing the right thing by trapping and trying to socialize her. Any others with stray/feral experience this? If so, does it subside after some time? I don't mean to make it sound like she's always doing it, but it does happen and I am curious of others' experiences.Thank you!
I have only cared for three semi-feral/feral cats and each one was different in how quickly they came round. I never brought them inside until they were ready and made the choice. The first one was abandoned and was quickly turning semi-feral. She was pregnant and eventually just walked into the crate, but, and I stress this part, she had been cared for in some manner before and was quick with trust and friendliness. 8 months for this one to join my household, but being the first, I was the hesitant one in all of this and she could have been inside a couple of months earlier. The second one was a big male with some street cred wounds. He took a while to be trust me but after six or seven months was rolling on his back. I could not pet him until I finally got him to go in a crate and to the vet for neutering and he realized I was caring for him. He is FIV+ so I didn't want to return him to the outside as a T-N-R. it took over a year for him to join my family. He and my first rescue now live comfortably in the house with my other cat I had first; however, like your cat, he looks out the window and has run out the door some. I think he misses the excitement of his former life but is slowly (over the past year-and-a-half of living inside) becoming very accustomed to the comforts of indoor life. The other cat adjusted quickly. All she wanted was a safe home for her and her kittens.
This brings me to my current rescue attempt - definitely was feral but has moved to the semi-feral stage. I've been working with him for over a year and he barely lets me touch him, although he has rolled in front of me for months. He recently started rubbing around my ankles, playing with toys and sometimes I can pet him briefly and he sticks his head in the door sometimes. He can't come in until he has his shots, neuter, and bath. He will not go into the crate so I can get him to the vet but my vet prescribed antibiotics recently for his wounds, based on seeing the photos and talking with me.
As others have said, it just depends on the cat and situation. I had three different situations, and while two became my indoor pets, this one will most likely remain an outdoor cat if and when I get him to the vet.
This brings me to my current rescue attempt - definitely was feral but has moved to the semi-feral stage. I've been working with him for over a year and he barely lets me touch him, although he has rolled in front of me for months. He recently started rubbing around my ankles, playing with toys and sometimes I can pet him briefly and he sticks his head in the door sometimes. He can't come in until he has his shots, neuter, and bath. He will not go into the crate so I can get him to the vet but my vet prescribed antibiotics recently for his wounds, based on seeing the photos and talking with me.
As others have said, it just depends on the cat and situation. I had three different situations, and while two became my indoor pets, this one will most likely remain an outdoor cat if and when I get him to the vet.
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I brought Demi in for good when I saw a coyote in the backyard. He cried and howled out the window for 2 weeks. Then he gave up. Maggie just accepted it, didn't really complain. I still call them Feral because people have to know that these aren't normal housecats. If you try to pet them, they might cut you. If your cats hurt somebody, you only get a couple chances before they take them away and euthanize them. They won't hurt anyone that's not touching them or picking them up, but if I called them semi-feral or 1/8 feral, then people might try to sneak a pet. I hope to train them not to bite and scratch someday...
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- #65
I will add, I don't want to not let her back out because I just want her here for selfish purposes, and while I question my decision I know she's safe, the reason is because she wouldn't survive for much longer due to different levels of danger (very dangerous roads, coyotes etc...) Cats go missing here all the time and just two days ago another of our neighborhood cats we feed in a colony was killed by a car. I really want to know if others have had experiences with these sort of meows and if they go away or how others have experienced this.
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Two weeks. He cried day and night for two weeks, but then gave up.
How long have you had her inside?
How long have you had her inside?- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #67
We've had her inside almost two months, she used to cry out like for her kittens,which we trapped as well and took from her (they were approx 12 weeks and we've given shots/spay/neuter/socialization and re-homed- just for anyone wondering) and I swear she was meowing for Millie to play at night when we had her in her safe room. Now she'll meow out the window while looking outside. This morning was spectacular weather, and she was sitting on the windowsill sniffing and sniffing and then began to do a few loud meows until i distracted her - as if she was begging to go outside. It seemed so sad to me, but maybe I'm projecting my own feelings onto this cat because Millie doesn't meow (well, she does a meek squeak and a silent meow) so I'm not used to a cat who is vocal (these are our first cats).
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- #68
Good to know he finally stopped, I hope/assume it's because he had such a good life with you inside. The first time I read this, I thought the coyote was crying and howling for the cat, haha. I hear them cackling and howling and crying out all the time here so that's why I misunderstood. I am sure Demi is loved and happy and that is why he "gave up"
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I think he gave up because he knew that I wouldn't change my mind.
Kitty missed being outside for the first few months.
Kitty in the window at work.
Last winter I opened the door to see what Kitty and Rusty would do. They had been inside for over half a year. First winter they spent outside second they spent inside the office building I work at. Kitty made it as far as the cold air at the door and Rusty just outside the door, he certainly wasn't going far. They seem to appreciate the warmth and dryness of living inside. I won't try that in the summer any time soon.
Rusty outside the door in the winter. Didn't leave my feet.
Rusty and Kitty outside their first winter.
I allow my other two cats outside on supervised visits on our property. They are indoor-only with the occasional visit to the outdoors.
Zoe on the front lawn.
Kitty never cries to get outside but her older step sister Zoe certainly does.
It will be another year before I start working on Kitty and Rusty venturing out on supervised visits. I just moved them to my place at the start of May. It typically involves chasing them on to the neighbors property the first few times. Takes a bit of chasing them around to teach them their boundaries.
All four of my cats are disease free and I prefer to keep it that way. Allowing them to roam the neighborhood risks them catching a disease from other cats. Not to mention hit by a car, some cruel person getting at them, or an expensive vet visit because of a cat fight. I feel a little guilty forcing them to stay inside but the need to keep them safe outweighs that guilt.
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- #71
These pics made me laugh, I can image after seeing the cold and snow they were suddenly really not interested in going out anymore. Also, that first pic of kitty looks just like what Lilly is doing, sitting and staring longingly outside and the subsequent meows, but Millie won't let her not play for long, so it seems and she's coming around. I just feel sad about it really. But, you're right, the need to keep them safe surely outweighs the guilt/sadness I feel.
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When you can finally pet your feral, keep the palm side of your hand away from their claws. Trust me, that side of your hand is really delicate and takes forever to heal and you will probably have to tape it up for two weeks.
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- #73
UPDATE - Today was the day!!! Lilly let both of us pet her today 
As I was prepping for their breakfast, so so tired (as cats don't get Saturdays) and moving really slowly, they both began to get antsy and rubbing all over everything anxiously waiting for their food. Lilly began to brush up against my leg and even head bumped me as to say "hurry, hurry" I reached and she actually let me scratch her face, she seemed to really love it, but it didn't last too long. Then, I encouraged W to try it when feeding them lunch, and, sure enough, she let him pet her too! Dinner time I really wanted to get them going so I took as long as I could take and sat down on the floor and as I opened the can she came close and i began to scratch her cheeks, she loved it so much that she began to push her face into my hand, really quite a lot of pressure too. I would have continued to pet her, because she seemed to be really enjoying it, but Millie became so impatient, and not the least bit interested in Lilly getting a cheek scratch, began to eat directly out of the can I was holding with my other hand, ha ha. This seems huge and I hope Lilly realizes now that our hands are for loving and someday soon seeks out to be petted and scratched. But, until then, we're super-duper happy!
As I was prepping for their breakfast, so so tired (as cats don't get Saturdays) and moving really slowly, they both began to get antsy and rubbing all over everything anxiously waiting for their food. Lilly began to brush up against my leg and even head bumped me as to say "hurry, hurry" I reached and she actually let me scratch her face, she seemed to really love it, but it didn't last too long. Then, I encouraged W to try it when feeding them lunch, and, sure enough, she let him pet her too! Dinner time I really wanted to get them going so I took as long as I could take and sat down on the floor and as I opened the can she came close and i began to scratch her cheeks, she loved it so much that she began to push her face into my hand, really quite a lot of pressure too. I would have continued to pet her, because she seemed to be really enjoying it, but Millie became so impatient, and not the least bit interested in Lilly getting a cheek scratch, began to eat directly out of the can I was holding with my other hand, ha ha. This seems huge and I hope Lilly realizes now that our hands are for loving and someday soon seeks out to be petted and scratched. But, until then, we're super-duper happy!
Wow, that's great.
And really fast. Some of my cats don't let me touch their face even though they've been with me for several years. Shoulders and back OK, but they won't let me touch any further forward than that.
Good job Lilly!
And really fast. Some of my cats don't let me touch their face even though they've been with me for several years. Shoulders and back OK, but they won't let me touch any further forward than that.
Good job Lilly!
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Great job! I'm so happy for you.
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- #76
Thank you so much!
