Runaway feral advice

Hi, I am desperately looking for advice so any suggestions very wecome!!!!

I came across a male and female ferel kitten in my garden some time ago, fed them, contacted the cat protection, had them both taken away separately and neutered but the cat protection lady put them back out in the fields, they became very friendly and would happily let me stroke them, I brought the male in and settled him in the home (couldn't catch the female) he settled really well but then escaped when my son left the door open, have not seen him since, the female started coming more often but was very underweight so I took the decision to try and catch her and seek the vets advice, she eventually let me pick her up and bring her inside where I settled her in, litter trained her and got her vets attention, she put on weight very well and responded really well to the family (even came to sit on my knee on occasions), my son left the door open and she went outside, when I went after her she ran away as though she were terrified of me and I thought I would never see her again......but everytime I look out of the window she is there looking back at me, she wont allow me to get close to her, do I assume she wants to be outside or does she really want to be home but is scared? I don't know what to think or do, she is called Lilly and so beautiful, much loved by us all so any help and advice i would  be most grateful for.

Many thanks for reading my story x

Hi Jams, first I'd have a serious talk with that son about leaving the door open!    This is how you lose pets, even completely tame ones.    You've got some good options with Lilly it'll just take a little time.    Start feeding her on a schedule at the same spot every day.    Eventually she should let you come closer and if she starts letting you pet her again you can just pick her up and put her into a nearby carrier.    If she remains skittish you can use a humane trap, just have her eat with the food partway in it (but with it set not to go off) a few times and then one day put the food all the way back and set it.      

I have an indoor feral cat and a former feral kitten now big, and even though the kitten is fully tame by any definition once he is scared of something he acts feral and like he doesn't know me.    And the indoor feral, well she's heading for the hills.   So the reaction of Lilly is not so unusual, she's remembering her roots and has lots of adrenaline going being outside.    Once you get her back inside she'll calm down.   Good luck!

jams2128 said:

or does she really want to be home but is scared? I don't know what to think or do,

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Good luck!