Strays - what to do? LONG

On Jun 20, 12:22 am, "MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER
wrote:
"John F. Eldredge" wrote in ...



On Thu, 19 Jun 2008 04:46:44 +0000, bastXXXette wrote:

Pat wrote:

I miss them.... It was nice having kittens around even for a short
time. I spent a good part of the afternoon with them, watching them
play and handling them from time to time, trying to get them used to
a human's touch. Three of them were especially shy of being handled.
I could sense their fear and felt so bad knowing they had probably
been hurt by people when they were smaller. I will never understand
how anyone can harm a kitten, or any other creature.

That's not necessarily so. They might just not have been used to humans.
They aren't born to be pets, they have to be socialized into it.
Otherwise, they are afraid of people. They're prey animals, so the fear
of an unknown species is probably built in.

From first-hand experience, the age at which feral kittens first
encounter friendly humans makes a big difference. I once hand-raised
some kittens that I had captured when their eyes had only been open a few
days. They domesticated readily. Once they have learned, from watching
Mama, that humans are something to run from, it is considerably more
difficult to tame them (but not impossible).

--
John F. Eldredge --
PGP key available fromhttp://pgp.mit.edu
"Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better
than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria

It's definitely not impossible (but much easier with younger ferals). I
have even seen messages where people claimed that feral cats more than six
weeks old *never* become friendly. Also not true! My first cat was feral,
approximately eight months old. It took about two years before I felt that
he was truly "bonded," but he became an absolutely wonderful companion. He
adapted to indoor living, even learned walk on a harness and leash when we
traveled, and lived to be about 20 years old. He was another of my cats
that was obviously a "one-person cat" (just as Holly is) because he always
preferred to stay at somewhat of a distance from other people, but he became
a big lapcat with me. I could even turn him upside down on my lap to brush
his stomach, and he would relax on my lap while I trimmed his claws. I
don't think anyone would have known he was formerly feral if they had not
been told.

MaryL

I've been able to befriend a feral who was at least 7yo when I first
encountered him. He let me pet him, would sit in my lap and purred a
lot. Never liked being picked up though. I'm in the process of
socialising a 5 yo feral and he will let me pet him but is still very
nervous, but it's still early days yet. It's a slow process though.

The temperament of the cats also make a difference. Some cats are
naturally more timid and will always be that way.

Dewi wrote:

I've been able to befriend a feral who was at least 7yo when I first
encountered him. He let me pet him, would sit in my lap and purred a
lot. Never liked being picked up though. I'm in the process of
socialising a 5 yo feral and he will let me pet him but is still very
nervous, but it's still early days yet. It's a slow process though.

The temperament of the cats also make a difference. Some cats are
naturally more timid and will always be that way.

I think that's a good point. I fostered Licky when he was 3 months old.
He might have had limited contact with humans prior to that, because he
was extremely skittish at that time.

He's now 5 years old, and he's still skittish as a default. I've made
some inroads, and over time he's discovered more and more places/situations
in which he feels comfortable being touched and petted. But he still runs
from strangers, and only comes out when my guest and I have been sitting
quietly for a while. (I don't mean silently, just not moving around a
lot or making lots of noise.) And he still runs from me most of the time,
although he usually comes back. Maybe, in addition to late socialization
to humans, he's also just a scaredy cat?

--
Joyce

To email me, remove the triple-X from my user name. ^..^

wrote

| [Licky is] now 5 years old, and he's still skittish as a default. I've
made
| some inroads, and over time he's discovered more and more
places/situations
| in which he feels comfortable being touched and petted. But he still runs
| from strangers, and only comes out when my guest and I have been sitting
| quietly for a while. (I don't mean silently, just not moving around a
| lot or making lots of noise.) And he still runs from me most of the time,
| although he usually comes back.

This sounds like my Billy, Lily and Beatrice, except they don't run from me.
I brought a stranger into the kitchen one day last week when Billy was
sprawled on top of the fridge. We woke him up and I swear if I could have
caught his facial expression on camera I'd be on my way to riches. He looked
like he was seeing a dragon or a weird extraterrestrial being.

wrote:
I think that's a good point. I fostered Licky when he was 3 months old.
He might have had limited contact with humans prior to that, because he
was extremely skittish at that time.

He's now 5 years old, and he's still skittish as a default. I've made
some inroads, and over time he's discovered more and more places/situations
in which he feels comfortable being touched and petted. But he still runs
from strangers, and only comes out when my guest and I have been sitting
quietly for a while. (I don't mean silently, just not moving around a
lot or making lots of noise.) And he still runs from me most of the time,
although he usually comes back. Maybe, in addition to late socialization
to humans, he's also just a scaredy cat?


Miranda was born into a loving home and then moved to mine, and she's
still skittish around other people. She even sometimes hides when I come
home. Maybe it's just in case I bring a stranger into *her* house. The
only ones she doesn't hide from, at least not for long, are my niece and
my sister (niece's mother). She does hide from my other sister and our mum.

--
Marina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki.

Pat wrote:
Great news -- a shelter I contacted near Columbia, five hours away, emailed
me back with contact info for a local rescue person who is only 10 miles
away. She said she will take them all, find homes for the babies, get mama
spayed and keep her. She asked about the boy with the crooked tail too, but
it may be impossible to capture him.
snip


Wonderful news!
Best wishes,
Polonca and Soncek