How to make friends with a feral cat..

Hi
I have take in two feral cat for a month now
I kept them in my studio area
One of them can be touched but sometime is scared and keep hiding in the small house..manage to feed good with my finger...
Another One keep hissing when I enter the room and spitting if I try to touch him...

Should I just leave them alone and pretent they do not exist or should I keep trying socializing them( with toys and pet them while they are alseep )?

I don't have any experience with cats like this...quite lost...

If they are very young, you can and should try actively to touch them, etc.

But take the slower route if they are older.  Do not force yourself on them, take it patiently and stepwise.   (which you seem to do).

Talk a lot in a friendly soft voice.  If possible, sit down lowly, or even lay down - if you can get some work done in these lowly positions.   Or take your naps there... 

Come often with food, so they do connect you with food and care taking...

Dont look into their eyes, if you look at them, look a little aside.  You can blink slowly sometimes.  Yawn.  Streching yourself - all these are friendly gestures among cats (so thers arent lazy cat, nor sleepy cat, but very often - friendly gestures!)

Try to get them to play if they arent afraid.    Yeah, that one who allows some petting, you CAN do it, but dont overdo it.  Be sure he accepts it voluntarily, and quit immediately when you notice he had enough for the moment.   So the pleasure is a pure joy for him, nothing negative.

Hopefully, the one will become friendly first, and be a positive example for the other, the more shy.  Cat do learn from each other!

 OK,  enough for now,  I will return later, if nobody else steps in and fills up.

Good luck½

eviehk said:

Hi
I have take in two feral cat for a month now
I kept them in my studio area
One of them can be touched but sometime is scared and keep hiding in the small house..manage to feed good with my finger...
Another One keep hissing when I enter the room and spitting if I try to touch him...

Should I just leave them alone and pretent they do not exist or should I keep trying socializing them( with toys and pet them while they are alseep )?

Click to expand...

Thanks StefanZ
They are 5 monthes old now
Their mother cat is return to where volunteer catch her ( vet said not suitable for adoption)

If I take in another cat, will thing go backward or worst? ( I orignally plan to foster 3 cat max )

Would the third be friendly with humans, or feral? If friendly, the kittens could learn by example. Our shelter put 3 feral kittens in with 2 slighter older friendly ones, and the difference a few weeks later is astounding.The little ones are initiating contact. They've decided humans aren't so scary after all.

I'd be very hesitant to add a third feral, especially since you already have one making progress.

eviehk said:

Thanks StefanZ
They are 5 monthes old now
Their mother cat is return to where volunteer catch her ( vet said not suitable for adoption)

If I take in another cat, will thing go backward or worst? ( I orignally plan to foster 3 cat max )

Click to expand...

I agree with Jcat.  If you take in a third, it should be a friendly one, friendly to humans, and to other cats...   Say, someone who really doesnt need fostering himself, but needs a temporary place some time, till they find a suitable adoption home.  

Its very difficult to foster 3 shy cats simultaneously, being in the same room at that!    Its difficult even for experienced fosters.   A experienced foster, having 3 shy cats to foster, would probably try and have one in each room...   And getting some quality time to each of them, one on one.

So, contend yourslf with these two.  I mean, the only real point to take 3 is if they  did naturally belonged together.   Unlike human foster parennts, I presume you dont get extra payment for any extra kids you take care for, so whatsa matter??  No point.   

And IF you take a third, make sure it will be someone who will be a positive example for them, an ambassadeur.    Otherwise the risk is big they will  learn to be scared from each other...

And renew the whole time these feelings - it will be the whole time one step forward, and one step back...

Or be scared for this third if he isnt cat friendly, adds stress on them, and stress does slowes down learning.  In humans and in cats.

Good luck!

Good luck!

I will post a link to a video which shows some trick for socializing feral kittens.  The tricks can be used though on older ferals as well.  Four years ago when my first feral found me, I had no idea what to do.  I found this series of videos and it really helped me out.  It is a 3 part series that starts with the rescue of the kittens, but keep watching.  I learned about the baby food trick and it was so helpful.  I worked and worked with my feral and I think it is still a work in progress.  I was able to pet him after 6 months of working with him.  Then I could lift him off the ground and after 2 years, he would sit for a brief time in my lap.  He still lives outside in a wonderful shelter that is heated with 2 other ferals.  My hope for him is to some day decide to come inside.

A few other tips, are to visit the cats as often as possible.  Keep your gaze either over the top of their heads or down low.  Don't make direct eye contact.  Talk softly to them, but keep talking even if you need to read aloud from a book/magazine.  Sit on the floor so that you are not looming over them.  Try to engage with some toys.  String is often a favorite as is a laser.  Do you have a cat tree or perch where they can look outside and watch the birds?  Another tip is a feliway diffuser or spray.  I also found Composure calming treats or liquid to work very well. 

http://www.urbancatleague.org/TamingVideo

thank you everyone for the advise. I've saw the video and it was very eye opening.

the one who will hiss at me / scratch if i try to touch her ( i call her "Haha" ) still do the same but some time...once in a while....rarely...wont hiss when i enter the room..and i manage to pet her when she is eating ( the only time i manage to touch her though..)

I m feeding them everynight - i put down the bowl and sit on the floor, Haha will come out quickly to eat.
and ther other one ( i call her tomato...) just wont comeout and scared of me....or i need to push the bowl realllllllly far away from me then she will come out and eat...obviously not trusting me...keep checking me out when i make any movement or sound and unlike the other one, if i try to pet her while she eat, she will slowly run away...when i give her treats she will eat even i m next to her....

entertaining them with toys for 20 mins every night...
do i need to teach the one who will hiss - that scratch is not ok?? i m realllyy scared that she will hurt me and i donno how to start =.=...seems like if i wear a leather glove and try to touch her it just make her scared more...

Everything you do should be slow and steady. Talk to them in a baby voice. I know this sounds silly but cats respond to a higher pitched voice. Tell them what you are doing - "I'm just going to empty the litter box now, sweeties." Believe it or not, then calms them down. I think it allows them to know where you are and that you are not a threat.

If you have time, sit in the room and read out loud to them. It will get them used to your voice and your presence.

I wouldn't add the third cat unless you know that cat will be friendly with them and you. Introducing cats is a task in itself and this might not be the best time to do that.

Thank you for taking in this challenge.