Dataw's Feral Cats are Fine

jmcquown wrote in rec.pets.cats.anecdotes:

It is good news! 43 feral cats. They've all had their ears notched
so they can be identified as having been trapped, neutered/released.

Buffy has a notched ear. She was one of the ferals until her former
owner scooped her up as a kitten. Who says you can't turn a feral
into a completely spoiled love bug? Introduce them to a life of
luxury when they're young, of course you can.

Grin, you can even do it with older ones but it is much harder. I've
had Daisy-chan since Feb 2008 and she was estimated to have lived wild
7 years before we got her. Accounting for her time in a no kill where
she went through 5 foster-moms until no more would take her, she's
between 17 and maybe 18 now (likely). Vet concurs, she has that
distinctive 'aged kitty face' similar to what horses and dogs get in
advanced age.

It's rare for a feral to live that long wild and rarer yet for them to
find the right home to tame in. I suspect, she wanted to be tame and
safe. Well, she's safe at least (grin) and generally tame now. We
still have, and always will have issues that speak back to her wild
times. Her issues are a little different. She wasn't a colony cat and
will not tolerate another cat (considers them as dangerous and taking
her resources).

We love her and she's perfect for us.

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