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
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.
--
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