Socializing A Feral

Anniemae

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Title pretty much tells the story.
BUT....About 6 months ago a Feral/Stray female cat showed up at our house. Being a cat lover we decided to feed her something as she looked young and hungry. I'm sure everyone knows what's coming next. She started to show up several times a day looking in our front or rear door. We decided to just help her out and continue to feed her. Shortly after we also noticed she was getting "fatter". Turns out she was pregnant. Weeks later she gave birth to 4 beautiful Kittens under our shed. We left her alone but continued feeding her and eventually her kittens too.
Fast forward.....we trapped the 4 kittens after they were about 12 weeks old and they went off to a rescue place to be socialized and were adopted. But we still had "Mama".
About a month after we took care of her kittens I was able to trap her and took her immediately to the Vet. Everything came back good. All blood work was clear and had her spayed. Vet estimated her to be 12 months old.
We decided to keep her in our home instead of releasing her back outside as winter was here and didn't want to see her out in the cold.
We've had her inside for about 10 days now and we're trying to 'Socialize" her.
I've read about giving her a safe room, spending time with her, not looking her in the eyes, etc. She's eating, using the litter box but just doesn't seem to be happy here. I know 10 days is a short time to expect her to adjust but she looks so sad. Sits/lays in the same place ALL DAY LONG.
Any advice to try to get her comfortable?
 

tabbytom

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Hello Anniemae, welcome to TCS :wave3:

Thank you for rescuing the kittens and got them adopted and also taking mama cat in and having her checked by the vet and having her spayed.

As she has been wandering for some time outdoors, she’ll fell strange being indoors as it is a totally new environment to her. As long as she’s eating and using the litter box, not hiding and darting away when she sees you or try to escape, she’s pretty good at the moment.

Keep the routine like slow eye blinks, getting low to her level staying at a distance and try playing with her. Leave a piece or two of your unwashed clothings in the room with her where she lays down and let her get use to your scents. Keep calling her name in a soft tone. It takes time so don’t rush through. Love, patience and routine rules the day.

Keep us posted of the progress please :wink:
 

bigbadbass

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I'd give her free access to the next room...exhibit some trust...encourage her to explore a bit....meanwhile allowing her back to her safe room at her need.... As long as she's comfy and well behaved, a few days later access the next room.
Soon enough, free roam...always allowing free access to her original, main room.

I'm not an expert, I can't explain it but somehow, it stimulates them. This method worked really well for my Bug (ex-feral, 3 year old male, just neutered (at the time). He retreated for weeks during the hormone change phase....this technique brought him out of it.
 
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Anniemae

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bigbadbass bigbadbass we gave her access to the entire upstairs to our home about 4 days ago after she kept scratching and crying at the door to her "Safe room". That's where she picked a spot and sits all day long in our bedroom. I think she picked this because it's easy access to under the bed. This morning at 1AM we were woke up by the sounds of a pretty intense cat fight she was having with one of our other cats. It was surprising because the cat she had the fight with has approached her several times in the past and there was no reaction by either.
I know this is a long process but I'm starting to think it may be best to just let her return to her outside life where she seemed to be happier and just keep feeding her. That's the advice I was given by the Vet who spayed her.
 

bigbadbass

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Maybe too much free roam access too soon? Dunno, I'm no Jackson Galaxy, but some time must be allowed for some normalization. No doubt, coming inside is a huge, immediate lifestyle change.
 

orange&white

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I trapped a pregnant cat last April and took her to the shelter where she had her kittens. They kept the "family" while she nursed, then fostered and adopted the kittens, and deemed momma cat to wild, feral and aggressive to be socialized or worked with. So I picked her up and let her go back into my backyard. There are lots of ferals around here from the apartments behind me.

Anyway, I worked with her outside and slowly gained her trust. She permanently moved onto the patio first, then I started opening the back door on nice-weather days so she could walk in and out. She preferred outside.

She's inside right now as we had a cold front come through and she's decided that she likes the way I magically control the weather in the house. However, she sits on the corner of the sofa in the living room all by herself the entire time she's inside except for a few minutes at mealtime.

That was a lot of background story just to get to the point that I don't think it's unusual that your kitty is spending all her time in one spot. "Inside" is a whole new world for her, so I think she's just taking in the new sights and sounds and processing everything. Give her some more time. Ten days isn't very long.
 
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Anniemae

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UPDATE.....

IT seems we've suffered a set back. Mama appears to have withdrawn from what little progress that was made.
She no longer will even take food from my hand. Looks as if she's gone into a depression. Sits in the same spot all day long. Won't even stay in the same room as me. If I enter the room she'll go into another and find a place to "hide". I'm starting to think she may be better off being released back into "her world".
This is my first attempt to socialize a feral so maybe I'm expecting too much too fast?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
It's very cold outside and I really don't want to put her out after several weeks being inside. My concern is will she still have the "feral instincts" to survive?
 

tabbytom

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Place the thought of releasing her back out on hold.

Just leave her as it is for the moment BUT continue the routine. Keep her occupied by your presence, voice and your love, play with her, speak to her.

You have to help her adjust and readjust to indoor living. I know the mixed feelings you are going through. Just stay on course no matter how long it takes. It’s safer for her to be indoors than out.
 

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Hello Anniemae, welcome to TCS :wave3:

Thank you for rescuing the kittens and got them adopted and also taking mama cat in and having her checked by the vet and having her spayed.

As she has been wandering for some time outdoors, she’ll fell strange being indoors as it is a totally new environment to her. As long as she’s eating and using the litter box, not hiding and darting away when she sees you or try to escape, she’s pretty good at the moment.

Keep the routine like slow eye blinks, getting low to her level staying at a distance and try playing with her. Leave a piece or two of your unwashed clothings in the room with her where she lays down and let her get use to your scents. Keep calling her name in a soft tone. It takes time so don’t rush through. Love, patience and routine rules the day.

Keep us posted of the progress please :wink:
I’m in the same boat as the Anniemae, I just started the process yesterday. How do I eventually socialize her with my three kitties?
 

maggiedemi

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A gate worked for me. We built ours, but you can stack 2 baby gates in the doorway of a bedroom. This way the cats can interact without killing each other.
 

rubysmama

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Thank you A Anniemae , as well as Kulekhatt Kulekhatt , for bringing in feral cats and trying to integrate them into your homes. With the cold temperatures much of North America has been experiencing, the cats may not know it, but they are definitely better off inside.

I have no experience with socializing ferals, but I've read many success story threads on this site, including bigbadbass bigbadbass 's meet Buggy thread. It can be done. And the cats can end up being lazy couch potatoes. ;)

For those integrating ferals into homes with other cats, this article may have some helpful advice: How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide

Good luck! :crossfingers:
 

tabbytom

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I’m in the same boat as the Anniemae, I just started the process yesterday. How do I eventually socialize her with my three kitties?
Take it slow, no rushing and do it with lots of love and patience and routine is the key. It’s not an overnight process.

rubysmama rubysmama has got some good links for you.
 

trudy1

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So Anniemae, you never did say what the cat situation is at home except to mention "the fight" with another cat. Do you have more than one besides the feral? Lots of good threads on socializing on this site.
I have brought many ferals inside in the last few years but all, except Henry, have taken several months before they accept their fate. Patience is your friend in this case. I try to imagine how a feral must feel being uprooted from the familiar to the inside. I believe the closest I have come is that feeling you get when you move to a whole new area of the country, nothing familiar, nobody you know, just trying to get to work and home can be traumatic. If you have experienced this, think of how long it took you to relax and feel secure? Surely these babies go through that only magnified many times.

Believe me when I say it will pay off in the long run with a longer, happier life for your new family member.
 
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Anniemae

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Sorry I should have made my situation lear.
I have 3 other Cats. All rescues, all indoor and fixed. Two females, one male. Two, the male and one female couldn’t care less about my new arrival. The one Female Just won’t accept my new arrival. The feral (Mama) I just took in is very passive and as expected just hides in fear most of the day. This is what I feel set her back. I kept them separated for about the first week hoping they’d get each other’s scent and easy the introduction slowly but that one female went right after Mama and that’s when she completely withdrew. Any progress made was lost.
I’m trying so hard to make this a successful mission but have to admit I feel I’m losing this battle.

Just don’t know what to do but I’ll keep trying.
 

Shane Kent

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I rescued two feral cats May 2016, a sister (Kitty) and her brother (Rusty). Rusty warmed up to me within a couple of weeks where his sister was closer to a month and a half. Was a bit of one step forward and two steps back with Kitty and she wanted back outside for a couple of months. They spent about a month in their safe room before I let them wander around the building.

I socialized them at work and kept them in the office building for a year before I took them home. They spent around a month in a room at home with slow introductions to my other two cats. A month and they were already familiar with each others scent as I had the two cats at work for a year. It took time for my existing cat Taz to accept them.

There were times I felt I was losing the battle with Kitty when I was socializing her. When I took her to the vet one time she jumped up off the table into my arms and I thought "I got you now". Then when back at the office it was hiss, hiss stay away from me human.

I spent about six weeks socializing and then another 4 weeks introducing. In the end it was well worth the time as they live at my house with my cats Taz and Zoe. They get along well and now Taz has a brother to play with he is no longer driving his sister Zoe crazy.

Top Left is Rusty. Top Right is his sister Kitty. Bottom Left is Zoe and Bottom Right is Taz.


You would never know that Kitty and Rusty used to be feral. Please stick with the cat, life is so much better inside than outside. God Bless you for caring for kitties:)
 
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rubysmama

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What a beautiful kitty family portrait, Shane Kent Shane Kent . You should keep it handy over the next 11 months so you can submit it in next December's photo contest.

A Anniemae try not to get too discouraged. It's only been 12 days. And she's definitely safer inside than out in the freezing temperatures.

I wonder if you should put her back in the room by herself, and eventually re-do the introductions, keeping in mind that the 2 females will never be besties.

Have you tried Feliway? It's not cheap, but I've read of people who've found it helpful.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_7/141-2181882-8670645?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=feliway+diffuser&sprefix=feliway,aps,361&crid=2KY307C4QGMYQ

I posted the link to the article on introducing cats, but maybe you need the Handling Feral Cats one first. :petcat:
 
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Anniemae

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UPDATE.....

It's now been close to 6 weeks and we seem to be going no where.
"Mama" has found a spot in one room and no matter how much we talk to her or spend time with her she spends almost 24 hours a day in that spot. It's kind of hidden. She's using a litter box and eats (but not much) in the room we first set up as her "Safe Room". We're no closer to her allowing us to go near her then when we first took her in.
We're try so hard to get her to feel comfortable here but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere.
I feel, and she acts as if we're keeping her prisoner.
Both the Vet and a rescue agency suggested we let her go but now we've become so attached to her I just can't do that. I know she safer inside but I don't think she does and is in depression.

Is this normal for her?
 

maggiedemi

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Did you try a gate, so she can get to know your other cats? Also, have you tried petting her with something on a long handle?
 
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Anniemae

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Did you try a gate, so she can get to know your other cats? Also, have you tried petting her with something on a long handle?
Tried the gate. It’s still up.
Anything I try to put near her she just won’t tolerate.
 
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