Need advice on taming a feral cat

This morning when I went in to change Luna's litter, etc. she came out again! Almost all the way. She was meowing. I saw all of her except for her tail. She only stayed a moment and then went back behind her mirror.

I was so happy I didn't get a hiss.

She had covered up her food bowl again that had tuna in it with my shirt. This time, however, she had ate it all.

As I was reaching to uncover the bowl and take my shirt off, she came out again. Just her head. She looked around, gave a quiet hiss, and then back behind the mirror. I was talking softly to her the whole time. I then picked up the bowl and left some treats. Again, no hissing!

So, I hope she continues to do this. More and more everyday.

Thanks again for the support and advice and I hope you all have a great day!

You are lucky that it is only shirts over food bowl, mattresses over food and water bowl here if it is not bolted they will use it

One hiss is bit kind of smooth, just hsssss sound, when getting more serious there is kind of distortion, as if cat would try to hiss too loud.

Then there is growling, mother of my two boys often used to growl at me, also hiss, but more growling, when I did come to feed she might sit stare and growl, then walk away, come back and growl more then go away and come back after I'm not around.

She does not growl at me anymore, she got used to me so that she is tolerating me, can't say she would be huge fan of me, but she does tolerate a bit.

It is really great that Luna is getting over of incident so well, I'm sure she will someday come close to you and start to be more curious than afraid

Well I have seen Luna 4 times today. Each time lasted only a moment.

The last time, I was on the phone, sitting in my chair (not even on the floor). I was talking about her with a friend, I look down and there she was! She had her head out from behind the mirror looking at me. Of course when I saw she was looking at me I freak out!! She then backed up and went back into hiding.

I know its really not much, but I think its progress.

Hope everyone is well tonight.

Try practicing looking above where you expect her to be - that way you won't accidentally look her in the eyes - and if you see her, close your eyes slowly and hold them closed a few seconds before opening them. If she retreats, so be it... but if your eyes are closed and you've moved slowly, she may keep an eye on you.

Hey, give yourself some credit . That is HUGE progress. She is really starting to trust you and WANTS to trust you. I love hearing about the small steps that are really HUGE steps.

This morning Luna did not come out to greet me. Just lots of meows and maybe a hiss or two.

Last night she was a busy girl, though. She had knocked down some papers that were on my desk and in a basket under my desk there were some Halloween cat ears that she had a ball with. I thought it was funny I decided to leave them on the floor this morning since she seemed to like them so much They were covered in white fur! She is definately shedding.

Can't wait to get back home this afternoon

If she ever comes out long enough for me to snap a photo I'll definately share!

I always loved rearranged toys (even if they're improvised ) - it means they're getting comfortable in the space!

Just an update.

Nothing new really to report. Luna is still hiding, eating, etc. Haven't seen her out since day before yesterday. Only a few little meows.

She is quite active at night though. Last night I put treats in various locations around my office. All were gone with white fur everywhere! Wish I could brush her.

Later on today I am going to attempt to snap a few photos to post.

Hope everyone is doing well!

I have really enjoyed reading your posts about Luna. I know it has been four weeks, but you really have made some great progress.

My first experience with a feral was very similar. I brought her in after having her spayed, my vet suggested that I just ear tip her and put her back to her original place. It was not a safe place and I just couldn't do it. I brought her home.

It took months before I could even see her. I had put her into a sunroom, much to the dismay of my resident cats, they love to hang out in there. If I didn't see her food bowls empty and the litter box used, I would have never known there was a cat in that room. One early morning, around 4 am, I decided to check on her. I found her sitting on a table, just looking out the window, very content and now safe. That was when I knew that no matter how long it took, I would let her come to me in her time. And it was a very long time.

Right now, she is the cat that greets me first in the morning, meows the loudest when she wants attention, and is the most affectionate of the group. She does not like to be picked up, but she is happy and very much loved.

Hang in there, it is so worth the time and effort. You are doing such a great job and I love hearing every little bit of progress!

Yes, please post some pictures of Luna if you can!! She is a happy girl and seems to be slowing relaxing in her new environment

Ok. So Luna is not ready for photos!

I have been sitting with her all afternoon, even saw her out for a brief moment. I finally decide that I'm going to sit down next to her and try.

I sit down next to the mirror she is hiding behind and start talking to her. She's looking at me, everything is fine. My hair falls down in my face, so I move my hand slowly to move it and Luna gives me the dreaded hiss. The "get up and away from me now" hiss. I even hear claws on the floor. I have moved my hand like that a thousand times before, always slowly. I have my head down, not looking directly at her, eyes blinking slowly. I don't know what happened.

So I get up slowly and tell her I'm sorry. Didn't even attempt the pics. I didn't want to make her madder.

So now I'm a little sad Really sad actually

Maybe I will try tomorrow. I'm just going to see how tonight goes.

Hope everyone has had a lovely day!

Oh sweetie!

Put the camera away. We can wait.

Just get back to focusing on being in the room with her, totally ignoring her. That will help the most.

Thank you!!

Just was a little bummed. I have just now set out Luna's wet food and turned her nightlight on and lamp off. So I won't visit again until the morning.

Hopefully she will forgive me.

Tonight, however, my daughter has a friend sleeping over who is a tat bit LOUD. I hope it won't interfere with Luna.

We have a small house so sounds do go through walls pretty easily, and Luna is used to all of us making noise, or at least she should be by now. Just a new voice in the house.

Wishing everyone a good night!

Thanks to everyone again for the support, advice, and encouragement!

Ok, so I had to go back into Luna's room to get a sleeping bag out of the closet just a few minutes ago (my daughter is having sleepover), and I knock on the door and slowly enter. I hear something coming from under my desk, and I think oh my Luna is out. I just stand there talking to her, not moving because I don't want to freak out. She comes out from under my desk and walks up within a foot or so of me (my desk chair was between us)

She meows at me and then walks to her food bowl, sniffs it, and then of course back behind the mirror.

She wasn't scared, not low to the ground, tail not all the way up but definately relaxed.

I was sooooo happy!!! She also ate all of her food.

Also, when I opened the closet door, I found her two little mice toys. All this time I thought she had carried them behind the mirror when really she had knocked them under the closet door.

I was fortunate with my feral, Lucky, cause he was what the vet called feral scared instead of feral agressive. But he was 6 mos old when we got him & I've had him just about a year now. I think back how slowly everything went the first two-three months in particular.

In this year, he really has made such progress, he now trusts us enough to sit beside us on the couch to be petted and brushed, and loves interaction (most everything except laps & sleeping with us...tolerates being picked up...though sometimes I think he kind of enjoys it now). He won't even go to his bed at night, in our bedroom, until I do, like the whole pack needs to be accounted for? I was gone for 4 nights this week & he slept in the guest room every night instead of in his bed in the master bedroom with my husband.

My husband loves him but always points out that Lucky really adores me, so he is a bit jealous of me, not the cat. When we first got him on a fluke from a tnr gal, I would never have imagined he would socialize as far as he has this year nor that it was so different from having a stray! Hang in there. It probably seems like an eternity, but has only been 4 weeks. There will be a breakthrough. Then lots of breakthroughs.

He still goes to his water bowl only when he thinks I can't see him. I have actually seen him drink a couple of times, tho the water disappears regularly, It doesn't seem to matter if I see him eat. Some hang up with water rights I suppose. I agree Luna is burying his food, and may have thought you were trying sneak in & steal it, when you moved the shirt & all, off schedule! His getting curious about you is such a good thing I think.

One of Lucky's first breakthroughs was coming out of his bathroom & laying a respectful safe distance from me sometimes in the evening. We had some bumps alright. I finally decided I had to run the vacuum about two weeks after he moved in & accidentally whacked the bathroom door where he was kept. I found him in the bathtub behind the shower curtain, and I had to move his bed into the livingroom for him to finally get back in it. Then, I had to run him down to get him to the vet for his neuter/shots about 4-5 weeks after he moved in, and he escaped before I could close the kennel door, so I had to do the whole thing again, feeling like a real monster. I thought he'd never never trust me again, but he did. I think once they begin to trust they can accept a lot.

Well, sigh, the Sleep Warden is staring at me from the top of the couch, and it is past 11:00, so it must be time for us to go to bed.

Sounds like you had a breakthrough! Yea!

Luna, once again, was a busy girl last night. I went to bed around 11. When my husband came to bed around 1a, he woke me up and we listened to all the bumps and noises coming from Luna's room. She was definately enjoying herself. She must have really been having fun with the toy mice!!

Papers again were knocked off my desk. Cat ears on opposite side of room.

She didn't find all the treats I left out for her though. I think she really likes my desk, there is white fur everywhere!

She had burried her food bowl again, but this time she had somehow pulled it back behind the mirror Not sure how she managed that. I was a little worried about sticking my hand back there to remove it. But thankfully no hisses or anything

Thanks again for all the encouragment!! Hope everyone has a beautiful day!

"Luna makes sure this time no single bit of food is stolen, Luna sleeps next to food"

That is really cute from her

Originally Posted by JTbo

"Luna makes sure this time no single bit of food is stolen, Luna sleeps next to food"

That is really cute from her

Click to expand...

Oh that is just darling!

And I can just imagine your smiles listening to her running around!

Everything DOES happen for a reason! If you didn't need that sleeping bag, you wouldn't have found her mice. Sounds like she was quite happy to have them back! What a little love!

Aw, SUCH nice updates!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great progress, you must be so happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! . I have to laugh because everytime we open the hall closet there are all of the little mice, fuzzy balls and foil balls. I am constantly on a scavenger hunt for all of the tiny kitty toys. Glad Luna is coming out a bit more now...