Why was my cat so skittish around humans but others aren't?

BBirdcat

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I had a semi-feral cat I looked after for 11 months. More in this thread:
feel guilt about semi feral cat being eaten, need feedback.


I 've been watching videos lately of people rescuing feral cats, and what I notice is that at first they hiss at them or run away. But once they give them food, they are able to pet them and even pick them up, or give them baths. Sometimes even scratch their stomachs. And these are usually street cats or cats who never interacted w humans before.

For first 2 months of her life, my cat would sprint away after I gave her food fi I moved my arm an inch. Perhaps it was bc in my area, there are lots of people and gardeners w tools that are very loud so maybe that's why she associated humans with fear?

She also was abandoned by her mother and I don't think was ever socialized properly as a feral cat, but I assume other cats in these videos aren't either.

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After a few months, I was able to pet her, scratch her neck, although she never liked being picked up. Even after 11 months w the other members of my family she was afraid of them (maybe bc they were the ones who trapped her to get neutered) and she never let anyone else pt her besides me.

She did grow to really love me, but I just wonder why even initially she was so terrified of people and was so skittish constantly.

I'm just curious why this might be? I watch the videos of these people rescuing cats and even after the first day, bathing them, putting them in cat boxes and them not freaking out etc... I just wonder what else I could have done. :( I miss her so much
 

di and bob

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You did everything right, she grew to love you and trust you. If a 'feral' cat lets humans touch and interact with them in less tehn a few months, that is because they are not true ferals at all but strays that were abandoned but had some kind of interactions with humans, maybe when very young. a true feral, born in the wild, will be a truly wild animal, with no trust or good feelings towards humans at all. It is possible to tame them, and many have turned into loving companions, but they will always have that "wild" part in them. My own cats were born outside and spent the first year of their lives as unsocialized, but they were fed by humans and did have interactions with them, mainly me. Cats are instinctively afraid of humans from being killed and hurt for thousands of years, and it takes a lot to overcome this. My youngest male came so close to death that it weakened him so much we were finally able to catch him and heal him. All three of my cats are EXTREMELY scared of humans. If we get company they are not seen for days sometimes. I feed them under the bed. I really would rather have them this way than trusting people that could then capture and hurt them. It could be because of their personalities, or their unsocialized beginnings. If you were able to touch and pet your girl at all, this demonstrates an extreme measure of trust on her part, and you had to work to earn it. She could feel your good intentions and love and still does......
 
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BBirdcat

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You did everything right, she grew to love you and trust you. If a 'feral' cat lets humans touch and interact with them in less tehn a few months, that is because they are not true ferals at all but strays that were abandoned but had some kind of interactions with humans, maybe when very young. a true feral, born in the wild, will be a truly wild animal, with no trust or good feelings towards humans at all. It is possible to tame them, and many have turned into loving companions, but they will always have that "wild" part in them. My own cats were born outside and spent the first year of their lives as unsocialized, but they were fed by humans and did have interactions with them, mainly me. Cats are instinctively afraid of humans from being killed and hurt for thousands of years, and it takes a lot to overcome this. My youngest male came so close to death that it weakened him so much we were finally able to catch him and heal him. All three of my cats are EXTREMELY scared of humans. If we get company they are not seen for days sometimes. I feed them under the bed. I really would rather have them this way than trusting people that could then capture and hurt them. It could be because of their personalities, or their unsocialized beginnings. If you were able to touch and pet your girl at all, this demonstrates an extreme measure of trust on her part, and you had to work to earn it. She could feel your good intentions and love and still does......
It took about 4-5 months for me to scratch her (at first shed be jumpy), the next month after I would scratch her and she'd be confused ("what is going on?"), and the month after that she started to enjoy it, and by the month after I would close the door inside and then move to an area, then she'd walk towards me and place herself right in front of my legs as I stood up and meow once as if asking me to scratch her lol.

The first few times she loved it so much after I scratched her she'd walk in front of me and then roll on her back. It was so cute.

Then the last month or two she started to really like scratches under her neck and especially forehead.

When I first met her she was a little baby and probably a week or two if not less old. She definitely had a major "wild" streak to her. And yes, other than me, my cat was EXTREMELY scared of humans. I wish she learned to be more scared of coyotes/other animals and then maybe I could have kept her inside permanently. Although she was always wild and loved the outdoors, especially at night when it was super quiet or at 6-7am in the morning when it was super quiet.

And thank you, yes she really trusted and loved me I think. I love her so much. I would give anything on these lonely nights to just scratch her again and maybe she'd give a little meow or more likely a purr of approval. Fleas and all.

Still hoping my family lets me foster a kitten or two soon.. it's almost August so I guess I'll try again and aim for mid august. Other than that, still working on sorting through all my photos and videos of her for the 3rd time..
 
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