Feral Cats
 

I was wondering if anyone on the list here has ever tamed a feral/
semi-feral cat? And if they had some recommendations or guidelines for
going about this?

Thanks.

Fuga

I've done it twice. Both cats were under a year old. Rules I gave the kids
is you can put out food. If she's still around in a week, I'll take her for
shots. It she is still around a week after that, I'll have her fixed. Then
and only then is she you cat. (Now I'd be more inclined to go for shots and
fixed at the same time if the cat were old enough. Both our ferals were
much older that they looked at first glance) First guideline in the cat has
to be willing. Any cat born in the great outdoors is by definition feral,
but there are huge differences in degree. I'd personally never try to tame
a tom that has been active for several years. I'd try to trap and have him
altered. I'd provide food, etc. But there are so many willing kittens that
may never get homes that I don't see the point with a fully adult feral

However. We had a plague of rabies here about 15 years ago. Unless someone
were willing to pay for quarantine, all the feral cats in one area were
destroyed. Many business had a semi resident, semi feral cat that they had
fed and taken for shots and fixed and encouraged to hang around to deal with
vermin. Old victorian building that had been remodeled next to a levee
river area. Virtually all those cats were put into paid quarantine, and
most of them taken home as household pets after it was over. The two I knew
adapted very well. You just let them come to you as much as they are
willing.

Neither of my ferals every became much of a lap cat, and one never learned
how to purr.

Jo
"Fuga :o)" wrote in message
. cable.rogers.com...
I was wondering if anyone on the list here has ever tamed a feral/
semi-feral cat? And if they had some recommendations or guidelines for
going about this?

Thanks.

Fuga

I've done it twice. Both cats were under a year old. Rules I gave the kids
is you can put out food. If she's still around in a week, I'll take her for
shots. It she is still around a week after that, I'll have her fixed. Then
and only then is she you cat. (Now I'd be more inclined to go for shots and
fixed at the same time if the cat were old enough. Both our ferals were
much older that they looked at first glance) First guideline in the cat has
to be willing. Any cat born in the great outdoors is by definition feral,
but there are huge differences in degree. I'd personally never try to tame
a tom that has been active for several years. I'd try to trap and have him
altered. I'd provide food, etc. But there are so many willing kittens that
may never get homes that I don't see the point with a fully adult feral

However. We had a plague of rabies here about 15 years ago. Unless someone
were willing to pay for quarantine, all the feral cats in one area were
destroyed. Many business had a semi resident, semi feral cat that they had
fed and taken for shots and fixed and encouraged to hang around to deal with
vermin. Old victorian building that had been remodeled next to a levee
river area. Virtually all those cats were put into paid quarantine, and
most of them taken home as household pets after it was over. The two I knew
adapted very well. You just let them come to you as much as they are
willing.

Neither of my ferals every became much of a lap cat, and one never learned
how to purr.

Jo
"Fuga :o)" wrote in message
. cable.rogers.com...
I was wondering if anyone on the list here has ever tamed a feral/
semi-feral cat? And if they had some recommendations or guidelines for
going about this?

Thanks.

Fuga

On Mon, 17 May 2004 19:05:04 GMT, "Fuga :o\)"
wrote:

I was wondering if anyone on the list here has ever tamed a feral/
semi-feral cat? And if they had some recommendations or guidelines for
going about this?

Thanks.

Fuga


My Brando was a feral/semi-feral. I trapped him with a Hav-a-Heart
trap, and then put him in a cage. I started out by feeding him caned
food from a spoon, and then went to feeding him canned food from my
fingers. It took him about a month to let me touch him, and another
month before he purred. Once he was neutered and healed, I let him
out of the cage, since he was essentially tamed by that point. Now,
he is the most loving, sweet, lap cat I've ever known. He was
probably about 2-3 years old when I first trapped him. So you *can*
tame an adult, although I've read it isn't easy.

HTH,

Ginger-lyn

On Mon, 17 May 2004 19:05:04 GMT, "Fuga :o\)"
wrote:

I was wondering if anyone on the list here has ever tamed a feral/
semi-feral cat? And if they had some recommendations or guidelines for
going about this?

Thanks.

Fuga


My Brando was a feral/semi-feral. I trapped him with a Hav-a-Heart
trap, and then put him in a cage. I started out by feeding him caned
food from a spoon, and then went to feeding him canned food from my
fingers. It took him about a month to let me touch him, and another
month before he purred. Once he was neutered and healed, I let him
out of the cage, since he was essentially tamed by that point. Now,
he is the most loving, sweet, lap cat I've ever known. He was
probably about 2-3 years old when I first trapped him. So you *can*
tame an adult, although I've read it isn't easy.

HTH,

Ginger-lyn

"Fuga :o)" wrote in message
. cable.rogers.com...
I was wondering if anyone on the list here has ever tamed a feral/
semi-feral cat? And if they had some recommendations or guidelines for
going about this?

Thanks.

Fuga

Rosie was wild and homeless from birth until I trapped her when was seven
months old. Now she is the sweetest little purr machine you could ever
find.
You can see a picture of her, the way she looks now, at
http://www.hpphoto.com/servlet/com.h...bum_id=1740469
or at RPCA_Pictures in Yahoo. Look in the Annie folder.
Annie

"Fuga :o)" wrote in message
. cable.rogers.com...
I was wondering if anyone on the list here has ever tamed a feral/
semi-feral cat? And if they had some recommendations or guidelines for
going about this?

Thanks.

Fuga

Rosie was wild and homeless from birth until I trapped her when was seven
months old. Now she is the sweetest little purr machine you could ever
find.
You can see a picture of her, the way she looks now, at
http://www.hpphoto.com/servlet/com.h...bum_id=1740469
or at RPCA_Pictures in Yahoo. Look in the Annie folder.
Annie

"Fuga :o\)" dumped this in news:A18qc.48828
on 17 May 2004:

I was wondering if anyone on the list here has ever tamed a feral/
semi-feral cat? And if they had some recommendations or guidelines for
going about this?

Thanks.

Fuga



Bonnie is my little feral girl. She was trapped at around 4-5 months old
(I think!!) just about a year ago now. She spent about 2 months mostly in
a cage and then in a separate room where I spent time with her teaching
her that I wasn't going to hurt her. I also had to spoon feed her in the
beginning because she caught a URI in the clinic getting spayed. Either
that or it was herpes virus. It took many many months before I could pet
her without a welder glove on, and at first it was only with my foot. lol
Each step closer to affection was a milestone and I'll never forget the
first time she climbed on my lap to sit for the first time (it was at
least 6-8 months for that). She is now very affectionate but I can't pick
her up. She still runs if I walk across the room too fast. She still has
never purred.

--
Cheryl

"Fuga :o\)" dumped this in news:A18qc.48828
on 17 May 2004:

I was wondering if anyone on the list here has ever tamed a feral/
semi-feral cat? And if they had some recommendations or guidelines for
going about this?

Thanks.

Fuga



Bonnie is my little feral girl. She was trapped at around 4-5 months old
(I think!!) just about a year ago now. She spent about 2 months mostly in
a cage and then in a separate room where I spent time with her teaching
her that I wasn't going to hurt her. I also had to spoon feed her in the
beginning because she caught a URI in the clinic getting spayed. Either
that or it was herpes virus. It took many many months before I could pet
her without a welder glove on, and at first it was only with my foot. lol
Each step closer to affection was a milestone and I'll never forget the
first time she climbed on my lap to sit for the first time (it was at
least 6-8 months for that). She is now very affectionate but I can't pick
her up. She still runs if I walk across the room too fast. She still has
never purred.

--
Cheryl

Cheryl wrote in message
...
"Fuga :o\)" dumped this in news:A18qc.48828
on 17 May 2004:

I was wondering if anyone on the list here has ever tamed a feral/
semi-feral cat? And if they had some recommendations or guidelines for
going about this?

Thanks.

Fuga



Bonnie is my little feral girl. She was trapped at around 4-5 months old
(I think!!) just about a year ago now. She spent about 2 months mostly in
a cage and then in a separate room where I spent time with her teaching
her that I wasn't going to hurt her. I also had to spoon feed her in the
beginning because she caught a URI in the clinic getting spayed. Either
that or it was herpes virus. It took many many months before I could pet
her without a welder glove on, and at first it was only with my foot. lol
Each step closer to affection was a milestone and I'll never forget the
first time she climbed on my lap to sit for the first time (it was at
least 6-8 months for that). She is now very affectionate but I can't pick
her up. She still runs if I walk across the room too fast. She still has
never purred.

--
Cheryl

I never really knew Fenda's story, but when I got her she was a very timid
eighteen month old rescue cat who hid behind the toilet for several days
before coming out. She was either abused, or semi-feral. She was
semi-longhaired, but was terrified of being touched, let alone groomed.
Whenever I touched her, even a light touch, she would drool in fear.
Sometimes she actually ****ed herself, she was so scared of people. Picking
her up was certainly possible, she didn't fight back, but she did attach
herself firmly to the nearest solid surface, to avoid being dropped. When
the nearest solid surface is your chest, or face, then you soon learn not to
pick her up.

It actually took months of patience before she would sit next to us on the
sofa, and years before the first time she came and crawled onto my lap, with
a 'I'm not really doing this' expression on her face.

Once she'd done it the first time, she decided that she quite liked it, and
over the years she became a lap cat. By the time she was thirteen she was
one of the most trusting, lovable, affectionate little cats I've ever been
privileged to know. How did we do it? We let her come round at her own pace,
basically. It might not work for everyone though.

Jeanette (missing Fenda)