Bonnie a semi-feral? Do they resort back to Feral’ism (is that a word? Lol)

I have had Bonnie for about 6 months. It took 4 months to get her to even notice me. When we first got her she wasnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t even scared, even Capones grumpy hissing didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t sway her from walking all over the place like she owned it. After awhile she would cuddle my boys and would come to us occasionally. She seemed to like our attentions, but would much rather get it from the boys (my cats and dog). She didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t care if we left the house, didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t care when we came back, didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t care where we were, it seemed she didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t care about us at all.

About two months ago she realized that Mommy is actually good for something. No matter what I was doing she realized I would stop doing everything to give her attention if she wanted it. Of course, being a princess she took advantage of that. It was a huge change from a cat who couldnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t care less about me to a cat who wanted attention on her terms. The boys didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t much matter to her as much as me although she still loved Bruno like crazy.

I went away this past weekend and was gone for 5 days. When I came home she went right back to her first 4 months behavior. She really does not care about us at all. She is back to loving the boys and ignoring us.

My original thought was she was a semi-feral. Maybe a feral colony that was being fed by humans. Thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s why she wasnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t afraid of us but couldnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t care less about us. The SPCA did say she was on the streets before me. If this is true, can they resort back to being a semi-feral? Did me going away ruin the two months of her love for the time being?

She is a really hard cat to bond with. I love her, but can say in 6 months there isnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t the same bond I have with my other furbabies. Will she come around do you think?

Give her time and space, and she'll come around. In fact, if you ignore her and pretend it doesn't bother you at all that she isn't loving up on you, she may even come around sooner.

My Penny is a really smart girl who tends to hold grudges. Honestly, she's good at it.

She was quite sweet to me after I adopted her, taking to the household pretty much right away, but 6 months later when I adopted Max, OMG, she stopped "speaking" to me for three whole months - right up until the time I bought a cat wheel for her and Max to run in.

After her very first run on the wheel once it was assembled, she "forgave" me and went back to being her sweet little self.

Every cat is different, and the wonderful thing about them is that they each have their own, unique personalities. Hang in there!

Whether feral or not, it comes down to personality. I don't think cats hold grudges but they do much as they please. So if they feel you deserve the cold shoulder treatment, they will give it to you!

Originally Posted by GingersMom

right up until the time I bought a cat wheel for her and Max to run in.

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A cat wheel?!? I didn't even know they made such a thing! Where did you find it? Is this something that average cats will use, or is this more of a high-energy-Bengal toy?

Sorry for the hijack!

Originally Posted by NinaCaliente

A cat wheel?!? I didn't even know they made such a thing! Where did you find it? Is this something that average cats will use, or is this more of a high-energy-Bengal toy?

Sorry for the hijack!

Click to expand...

Generally, only the higher-energy cats like Bengals will use them. Here is a video posted by Kai Bengals of his cats on his cat wheel (the one Penny got spoiled on): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDwZf...e=channel_page

And here is a link to a photo of my little DMH stray kitten, Bonnie, who apparently thinks she is a "bengul:" http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...t=bonnie+wheel

I found mine on the internet, and while it's not anywhere close as awesome as Kai Bengals' is, it does the trick and keeps my two bengals and Baby Bonnie happy.

Silvionc:

They are funny, aren't they. We have a cat who will actually sit by me and stare until I ask her "what's wrong?" Then she "harumps and jumps down, as if I've offended her. She only does it after we've been away and never does it to my husband! But I know she loves me because she sleeps in my pillow when she doesn't think I'm watching!

We now have 10 in our feral family. Hercules is one of our boys who we have known since he was teeny tiny, he's now three years old. We were able to pet him, pick him up, play with him - whatever we wanted to. Two weeks ago, Hercules didn't come at dinner time (for 2 days). This is unusual for him, since Hercules never misses a meal and is always home waiting in his spot for dinner time. I called him day and night for 2 days. He's such a precious soul that the thought of him never coming home was unbearable.

Hercules came home two days later. He was starving, of course and his nose was scratched up and he had a sore on his paw. We don't know what happened to him while he was gone, but since he's returned, he has pretty much reverted back to being mostly feral. He's slowly trying to return to his old, loveable self. I really think it will take quite a bit of time.

So, yes, I do believe they can revert back to being feral.

Board member hissy could explain this from an expert viewpoint. I understand that cats become "feral" because they are forced by their circumstances to a survival instinct. I believe that they revert back to those feral ways when their environment gives them cause as an instinct to survive.

Your girl may be what some call a "hard stray" where they had a home and humans but became homeless and had to live on those survival instincts. They learned not to trust humans. Personality plays a major part in my experience, also.

You may have smelled different when you came home, she may have felt abandoned and focused on her fur family for attention. They are amazing in all their quirkie ways.

Hopefully she will get back to her old routine soon.

Oppps! I thought I already replied to this… I always do that!

Thanks for all of the advice guys. It seems her Feralism is slowly going away. Its been pretty slack at work lately so I have been taking longer lunches and half napping / half watching TV. Twice last week she crawled under my arms so I could hold her and she would fall asleep.

Yesterday as well, I had a migraine and was sleeping it off at lunch, she came on the bed and went directly to Bruno, kneaded him, purred up a storm, licked his face, tried everything in her womanly powers to get his attention but he was passed out. She then went to second best… Me lol… and crawled into my arms and fell asleep purring.

Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m also realizing sheâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s a little bit afraid of the outdoors. She will spend hours on the high cat tree at the back sliding door looking outside but once I open the door for Capone she will leave and go to the furthest spot away from the door where she can look out. She wants NOTHING to do with outdoors at all.

Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m guessing she was a feral, if anything her nasty teeth, or lack of teeth, smelly breath, and when we first got her, her fur was so dull and lifeless, she looked so malnourished she must have been a street cat.

Thanks again guys, I guess its something ill have to deal with for a bit when I go away. Hopefully, eventually, she will forget her street days.