Domesticating a feral cat

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One of my daughter's used to foster cats for the SPCA, usually a stray mother and her kittens. Her job was to get them used to human contact so that when they went up for adoption they would respond well to humans. Of course she would get attached to them, and ultimately she had to keep some, now she can no longer foster cats. The 3 she has are sort of friendly, sleep on beds, have beds next to the computors...but they are not very cuddly cats, they are ex feral cats living with humans. They have their own lives that intersect with their human carers.

My cat on the other hand may have been in contact with humans, but he was very wild, and would attack if I just walked past. I didn't feed him, and even when I did decide he could stay, he wouldn't eat the food I put out. I thought it would be a hard task to turn him around, but he seemed determined that it was us he wanted to be with. I just let him do it at his own pace (after rewarding him getting close by locking him in a cage and having him knackered) and he has turned into a most human friendly animal. soon as I sit down he is on my lap, he calls me to come to bed at night so he can sleep next to me. Calls me to come outside, then I have to pick him up and carry him around the yard, as far as he's concerned, I need to carry him for 12 hours at a time, my arms are good for 10 minutes. He will still trot by my side then leap up and attack me...I look in his eyes and see the feral is still there. Bestest ever cat.
 
Yep, if you don't get them neutered you could easily have dozens of them in a year. This is a very common situation and is always the result when you feed strays out of a good heart.

I adopted a feral kitten whose mother had died at or shortly after birth. I'm not sure how he survived, but he had a big tom cat protecting him, which is a small miracle in itself. For some reason, he was very friendly and trusting and I had little trouble getting to pick him up and bringing him inside after the necessary vet trip. He is now about as domesticated as can be, although if he had the chance I think he would be happy to go on a few days of adventure.

Trying to balance domestication with leaving the cats roam is much more problematic and probably won't work out well for you or the cats. Outside cats live a short and hard life, feral ones generally live less than one or two years. Too many predators, diseases, parasites, automobiles, and people who just hate cats and will kill them at the first opportunity.
 
she just brought her "boyfriend" home... I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it. a white and orange tom cat, and from seeing her kittens I already knew that was what the father looked like.

As soon as I made eye contact with him through theback window, he took off right outo the yard, but she stayed. She was rubbing up against him like domesticated cats do around your leg if they're going to get fed.
 
Seems the neighborhood boss is always a big orange tom cat. You'll probably never be able to get near him.
 
I don't really want him near, 1 cat is enough for me. so is 1 project. I would love it if I can get herdocile enough that she enjoys our company besides being providers of food and shelter. But I don't want her to move in permanently.
 
Toxoplasmosis. A cat parasite that will infect the human brain. That crazy old cat lady most certainly has it. Feral cats are cute, but they represent a unseen risk to all humans, but in particular, pregnant women and child.

Best to avoid them. The risk-reward ratio is unfavorable
 
My mother sort of became a cat lady late in life. She lived in Tarbert Loch Fyne, a fishing village with a large population of feral cats due to the unusually large supply of fish. A change in fish handling practice brought mass-starvation and she started feeding, eventually supporting quite a large population of "visitors", with a few residents.

She was in hospital and a hospice for perhaps 6 months before she died. After the funeral I stayed in her flat overnight.

You know that scene in "Aliens" when they gradually wake up and start attacking the Marines? Fleas. Literally hundreds. One of the worst nights I ever spent.

Fighting retreat from the carpetted areas into the linoleum-floored kitchen with counerattacks using vacuum cleaner and insecticide, with a bar of soap to catch them on my bare legs.

Having temporarily cleared a perimeter, I got a couple of hours sleep on the kitchen table before they probed my position and I had to start again.

Bugged out by bus next morning, but my brother and I went back with heavy weapons a week later and got most of them.
 
I think the main issue with outdoor/ previously feral cats is feline leukemia. Even then, they can still live 15+ years though.
 
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Originally Posted By: Linctex
Originally Posted By: Cujet
Toxoplasmosis. A cat parasite that will infect the human brain.


Quote: "If you're generally healthy, your immune system keeps the parasites in check. They remain in your body in an inactive state, providing you with lifelong immunity so that you can't become infected with the parasite again."

source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/toxoplasmosis/basics/causes/con-20025859


That logic seems to require that you remain healthy for ever. How can I break this to you.......?

Sounds a bit like the pitch for "sealed for life" components.
 
Linda has a longhaired black feral cat who has been visiting her for nearly two years. The feral will come right up to the screen door and cry for dinner; but she will not let humans get close to her. So, some ferals can be converted to home life, and some can't.
 
The kittens will domesticate pretty quickly if captured soon enough.
The Mom will take a while, like maybe a year, if it can be done. I've done it, but it took regular feedings, and this particular cat was more interested in being friends with my other cat than me (my other cat was her friend from when he was a stray).
 
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
I think the main issue with outdoor/ previously feral cats is feline leukemia. Even then, they can still live 15+ years though.


We had a cat that stayed outdoors 12 hours a day when I was young. Caught rabbits and tried it on with some ravens (that backfired badly) but she lived to be 19 years old. I would go feed the chickens in the back of the yard as a child, beore going to school, and the cat would be come to me and I'd carry her inside. That was a nice experience, and the days she wasn't there for some reasons (rare) were worse for it.
 
Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
Linda has a longhaired black feral cat who has been visiting her for nearly two years. The feral will come right up to the screen door and cry for dinner; but she will not let humans get close to her. So, some ferals can be converted to home life, and some can't.


that's the stage we're at now. I can wiggle her bowl of food as she's eating from it so I can get within 2 inches, but touching is a no-go.
 
Originally Posted By: Linctex
Originally Posted By: Cujet
Toxoplasmosis. A cat parasite that will infect the human brain.


Quote: "If you're generally healthy, your immune system keeps the parasites in check. They remain in your body in an inactive state, providing you with lifelong immunity so that you can't become infected with the parasite again."

source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/toxoplasmosis/basics/causes/con-20025859


Ya spin the wheel, ya takes your chances......

http://www.medicaldaily.com/crazy-cat-la...behavior-390436

Several studies have found connections between Toxo and schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, OCD, and aggression. The parasite can also slow reactions and decrease concentration, which may explain why people who get in traffic accidents are three times more likely to have gotten toxoplasma.

toxoplasma gondii can influence the behavior and brain activity of cats, rats, and mammals, including humans. Toxoplasmosis is caused by T. gondii, a parasite that is excreted by cats in their feces, and the reason pregnant women are told to avoid cats' litter boxes. A woman who becomes infected during pregnancy is able to transmit the disease to the fetus, which could potentially result in severe brain damage or early death.

This stuff is no joke.
 
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