feral cat question

[sbell111]

She looks evil. I'm sorry but it looks like she is daring you to touch her. I've gotten that look before. Right before my hand got slashed!

At the time of that pic, she was about twenty years old and super tame.

Call me crazy, won't be the first time, but for you cat lovers with ferals that don't let them pick them up, this is what I did.

My Lucy is a feral, clipped ear (to show to the feral groups that she is spayed) and everything. After about 4 months of feeding her from afar, I got close to her. And one day I just picked her up. She did freak, and I would immediately let her down. Repeat as needed until the furry love-muffin purrs. It took about 3 or so weeks of pick-up-put-down. But not showing fear helps, doing it seated and a knee or something to make them feel secure. Now she loves to be picked up and really is the most affectionate cat I have ever owned.

That's our method, also.

Don't like to be touched? I am certainly going to give you a quick pet as I go by.

Don't like to be picked up? Guess who is going to get picked up, ever so briefly?

Eventually, they come to understand that you're one of the good guys and actually crave your attention.

 

[hereyago]

I have a question: for the people who's rescues trap the feral ones. what if they turn up to be positive for FIV. What happens to them then? are they put down automatically? if they aren't do they vaccinate to prevent fiv?

My cat's mom was a feral, fiv positive, her 3 kittens all fiv positive that were caught by the rescue. the mom had other issues and had to be put down. I have one of her babies, well he's a year now. fiv positive-yes I adopted him knowing that. However, by state law, I cannot have him be an outside cat-nor would I even if he wasn't fiv.

 

[minniecarousel]

Call me crazy, won't be the first time, but for you cat lovers with ferals that don't let them pick them up, this is what I did.

My Lucy is a feral, clipped ear (to show to the feral groups that she is spayed) and everything. After about 4 months of feeding her from afar, I got close to her. And one day I just picked her up. She did freak, and I would immediately let her down. Repeat as needed until the furry love-muffin purrs. It took about 3 or so weeks of pick-up-put-down. But not showing fear helps, doing it seated and a knee or something to make them feel secure. Now she loves to be picked up and really is the most affectionate cat I have ever owned.

I'm going to try this with my scaredy-cat. We adopted brothers from the county no-kill shelter 3 years ago. One is so frightened and would hide from us. He now lets me pet him, but will bolt if I reach to pick him up. I'm willing to try this (only when wearing long sleeves!)

 

[DMRick]

The ferals that get s/n at our local vet do not get tested for FIV. The cats that get done at our s/n clinic do, and pos or neg, they get put back (unless it is found to be a friendly cat, then we try to rehome it, or barn it), since it is a TNR program. They are not put down down, and no we do not vacc them against the FIV. Cost is one factor, the other being, if that cat is ever picked up again, it will then test positive for FIV, and in most instances be put down because of it. The FIV won't be passed from cat to cat, unless they are doing some pretty fierce fighting. The vaccine also is only useful against a couple of the types of FIV, and can have some unwanted side affects. It's not a choice that was made lightly.

I have a question: for the people who's rescues trap the feral ones. what if they turn up to be positive for FIV. What happens to them then? are they put down automatically? if they aren't do they vaccinate to prevent fiv?

My cat's mom was a feral, fiv positive, her 3 kittens all fiv positive that were caught by the rescue. the mom had other issues and had to be put down. I have one of her babies, well he's a year now. fiv positive-yes I adopted him knowing that. However, by state law, I cannot have him be an outside cat-nor would I even if he wasn't fiv.

 

[Muushka]

At the time of that pic, she was about twenty years old and super tame.
That's our method, also.

Don't like to be touched? I am certainly going to give you a quick pet as I go by.

Don't like to be picked up? Guess who is going to get picked up, ever so briefly?

Eventually, they come to understand that you're one of the good guys and actually crave your attention.

That is right. And when you put them back down quickly, they come to trust that nothing bad will happen. Each time I would hold her a second or 2 longer. Now she loves it.

I'm going to try this with my scaredy-cat. We adopted brothers from the county no-kill shelter 3 years ago. One is so frightened and would hide from us. He now lets me pet him, but will bolt if I reach to pick him up. I'm willing to try this (only when wearing long sleeves!)

My Lucy still is apprehensive when I first approach her. I always approach her head for a quick rub and then grab her.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

PS For those of you who have domesticated ferals, does you cat do this:

She will be hungry and take me over to her bowl of food. She will stare at the food and not eat until I pat her.

Strange. I wonder why?