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Question about Ferals
- Thread starter finola
- Start Date
I don't think a feral cares about that. The feral might not even want the other cats around. What I find works best is food. Put the food down and walk way and watch. Each time just don't walk as far. After awhile, hopefully, the feral will walk up to the food when you are putting it down. Even then I wouldn't reach for the cat. It takes a very long time for them to trust you.
I have had a couple of ferals who warmed up only after seeing that the other cats were comfortable around me. I guess they figured that since I wasn't hurting the other cats, I must be okay.
I think it all depends on the particular cat and his/her own personality.
I think it all depends on the particular cat and his/her own personality.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
My feral doesn't seem to mind the other cats.
Actually he is VERY respectful towards them ALL.
Never hisses or growls at them.
In fact I HAVE YET to hear him make a sound other than the sound of eating or drinking.
And I don't have to walk away from the food. He'll eat with me sitting right there.
He just watches me real closely.
And lately here he even sleeps right next to me. And has stayed on the front porch
for a whole night, which he has never done before.
When the other cats sit on my lap and purr he watches curiously.
So for my kitty I KINDA think it
just might be helping a little.
Actually he is VERY respectful towards them ALL.
Never hisses or growls at them.
In fact I HAVE YET to hear him make a sound other than the sound of eating or drinking.
And I don't have to walk away from the food. He'll eat with me sitting right there.
He just watches me real closely.
And lately here he even sleeps right next to me. And has stayed on the front porch
for a whole night, which he has never done before.
When the other cats sit on my lap and purr he watches curiously.
So for my kitty I KINDA think it
just might be helping a little.
For outside ferals, it never helped us to have other cats see us with other cats... we used the food method Princess Purr described. But once we introduced new kitties (ferals) to our home, they became more comfortable after seeing us interact with the other cats.
Are you sure your cat is a feral? Maybe it's a stray that's "gone feral" - meaning it used to live with people, but now lives on its own?
Are you sure your cat is a feral? Maybe it's a stray that's "gone feral" - meaning it used to live with people, but now lives on its own?
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #6
That was one of the otherOriginally posted by LDG
For outside ferals, it never helped us to have other cats see us with other cats... we used the food method Princess Purr described. But once we introduced new kitties (ferals) to our home, they became more comfortable after seeing us interact with the other cats.
Are you sure your cat is a feral? Maybe it's a stray that's "gone feral" - meaning it used to live with people, but now lives on its own?
questions I had asked before.
Cause to me he seems like
a cat that was abandoned and became feral.
And I think his abandonment
is what is making him so cautious.
It could be. My cat, Ivo, was a stray (when I took her to get spayed, it ended up she had already been spayed so she had lived with humans at some point) and it has taken her some time to become fully comfortable with me. For the first few days after I took her in, she laid in my lap and slept with me (I think she missed being safe). That stopped, but now she's becoming more relaxed. She'll let me pick her up (only when I'm petting her and only for a short time), she'll stand on my lap when I pet her, and she's started sleeping with me again. Give it some time, take it slow and I'm sure this cat will learn to trust you (Ivo now lets me pet her stomach-that's the biggest sign of trust I could ever ask from her).Originally posted by Finola
That was one of the other
questions I had asked before.
Cause to me he seems like
a cat that was abandoned and became feral.
And I think his abandonment
is what is making him so cautious.
Finola, it sounds to me like you're doing really well with him!!!! It takes some time to develop a relationship with most cats, stray, feral or handraised. Each cat has its own schedule, and all we have to do is take our cues from them and not rush it. It doesn't sound like you are - in fact, it sounds like whatever you're doing is working!
Have you taken him to see a vet yet? We do recommend that any strays or ferals people are working with be trapped or crated and taken to see a vet before they interact with any pet cats... there's so many things they could pass along, it's just safer and healthier for everyone. And, of course, he really should be neutered if he hasn't been already. Because he's so respectful, as you put it, of the other cats, it sounds like he might already be neutered, but again, it's best to make sure.
Have you taken him to see a vet yet? We do recommend that any strays or ferals people are working with be trapped or crated and taken to see a vet before they interact with any pet cats... there's so many things they could pass along, it's just safer and healthier for everyone. And, of course, he really should be neutered if he hasn't been already. Because he's so respectful, as you put it, of the other cats, it sounds like he might already be neutered, but again, it's best to make sure.
