friendly feral ??

I just saw the cat i mentioned in another thread - only comes out in the middle of the night I just realized.

very friendly - follows me - meows - even smelled my hand (touched it with his nose)

DO i leave him out there? I dont know if hes alone? I know the shelters are packed and i feel keeping him in a cage may not be good for him.

How do you guys feel about this? (im sure its been mentioned - i just dont have time to do the research)

thanks!!

There is a such thing as semi feral or it could be a stray that was once owned. Not all cats in a colony are purely feral.
I am one that believes the friendly adoptable ones deserve a shot at a furever home. I am not saying that ferals don't deserve care and love but a social cat is able to be a pet.

Especially in apartment complex colonies, there are a lot of strays - initially they act like ferals because they revert to that behavior when left on their own. But they "social" up pretty quickly with a little love.

I agree - they deserve a shot at a loving home.

If you can get a pic or two of the guy not looking too scared, I'd put a quick flyer together (if the shelters are full) and paste it around anywhere that will let you, leave it with vets offices, etc. Do what you can to see if you can find a home for him.

Do you have a spare room that can act as a room for a foster? I don't know if you do or if you can make that much of a commitment. But it's something to think about.



Laurie

Originally Posted by CC12

I am one that believes the friendly adoptable ones deserve a shot at a furever home. I am not saying that ferals don't deserve care and love but a social cat is able to be a pet.

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Yes. I agree to say the least.
It is astonishing how many semiferals, and even ferals, can be fostered, and also become beloved home pets.

We in Sweden have very little TNR. Thus, if the rescuers and cat shelters want to do something with the ferales and semiferales, the practically only option is to take in them and foster, for later adoption.

Of course, the really aggressive arent taken in... Defensive aggressiveness just when catched is something differently and something the rescuers can copy with.

They can usually become stricktly indoors cats, as the fosters must kept them inside... Thus, during the fostering time they are inside.


The result?? almost all do get tame and usually good pets too.
Kittens and the sociale are of course easiest.

And the ex-homeless are often quite happy to be purely indoor cats.
For a outgoing homecat is the outside a lot of fun and joy. If it gets scary or unpleasant - the cat can always run home. For the homeless it is survival of the fittest. The choice between the terrible world outside to the cosy world inside is usually quite easy. Much more easy compared with a outsidegoing homecat who must become strictly indoors cat.

Our cat forums are full of members who witness about their ex homeless, or even ex-ferals, beloved pets.


Older very shy ferales are of course more difficult, and take much more time and effort.
I have read an example: the female cat did get somewhat tame, and could live in the house the live of a shy semiferal. Not aggresive to the other cats or humans, but avoiding most contact. But the live WAS saved, the cat was acceptable happy, and the owner had a couple of other cats to pet. So the woman did gladely accepted her extra protegé.
SIX years did it take. Six years. But in the autumn of her live, also she did become a pet-cat sleeping in the bed with her Mother.


So. As I understand. It isnt that difficult to get the ferales tame. The difficulty is they dont always become loving pets. And it usually takes time.

If you dont have the time and willing to make the effort, it may be wise to put the limited resources on easier cats, instead of a ferale. The sorrowly thruth is there are always cats easier to foster and adopt...

thanks once again.

I actually read these responses and then thought of my neighbor who said she would take one of the cats i caught - i told her that was a bad idea and to visit the local shelter.
But now that i know this - I will tell her about this cat. She did just take in a very large and sick dog that had been abandoned in the woods... but hopefully shell at least consider this cat. If not - Ill catch/neuter him and then talk to the organization about fostering/adopting him/her.

I would do it - but i have a small apartment with a cat and dog already. I know my cat would freak out for sure....