Finally won over Feral Cat

For the last two years or so, I have seen a feral calico cat around. I named him/her Callie, obviously because of her/his coloring. Callie was very fearful and would bolt as soon as anyone even looked towards her. I can leave food out and she would eat it after I left the area, but she was always very skittish.

  This past winter, Callie disappeared and we didn't see her from December onward...finally in March she showed up again, although she was thin and looked like she was either in a big fight or possiby hit by a car as she was banged up pretty well. Over time, Callie would run less further away and became a little less skittish. Last week, while I was putting out food for her, she didn't run away and I actually got to touch her, although she ran off after I touched her. This continued and I finally got to pet her without her running off...yesterday she actually rubbed up against me for a second or two!

    I know that this is just another feral cat story, but it took two years of trying to finally win over Callie's trust. I don't know that she will ever come indoors or be a "regular" cat, but it is nice to have her around!

Jim

Hi 

Thank you for helping Callie. How is she/he doing? You said that she was injured. There's no such thing as "just another feral cat story" here. They all have equal importance. We all believe that every cat counts.

I'm sure Callie appreciates your friendship more than you realize. Feral cats have very difficult lives and any bit of kindness means something to them even if they have a hard time showing it. The fact that Callie is warming up to you is proof of this. I like that you said that it's nice to have her around. I'd bet that she'd (or he'd  ) say the same about you. 

You say that she is a feral. (we'll call her a she. I don't think they mind what we call them as long as we call them  ). Have you noticed an ear tip to indicate that she has been spayed? Since you are helping her and attempting to socialize her, do you plan on caring for her on a regular basis? Since she's warming up to you, what I would do is try to trap her and bring her to a vet to at least address the injuries you mentioned. Many rescue organizations rent or lend traps to people for things like this. A vet can check her for injuries and see if she's been spayed. If she has not been, many branches of the Humane Society offer vouchers for low or no cost spaying and neutering. 

It is possible to tame a feral. It takes a lot of time, patience and love but it can be done and there are many members here who have done so very successfully. If it is your plan to make yourself hers (we like to say that they are ours but deep down we know the truth  ), getting her spayed (or neutered if she happens to turn out to be a boy) is very important to her overall health and well being. You also don't want her to show up with a litter of kittens on the way

Anyway, thank you again for helping her. She's lucky to have a friend who cares. There are so many ferals out there who don't. 

Thank you for the compliments. I have collected 2 or 3 feral cats over the last 8 years...they weren't totally wild and socialized pretty well after a while but they were still living on their own in SW Pa...they handle the winters without a problem it seems. Callie disappeared for almost 5 months and I thought she had moved on. I hate to admit it but I might have gotten a bit soggy when I saw her back again.

   Regarding being spayed or fixed...I'll have to check his/her ear for the notch as I haven't seen any indications of going into heat or having kittens, nor any behavior typical of a lot of unfixed toms. My last feral, Binks, was already fixed when we got him/he got us. He was living outside with Callie but was much friendlier and ended up being our latest in/out cat...a large shorthair black handsome guy about 2 years old. Lets see...Moose was from a shelter 17 years ago and she is still going strong. Binks, you have already met as a black semi feral addition. Archie is from a shelter and about 3...he is on my avatar photo. Last is Salome...2 years old and found at 5-6 weeks in a drainage ditch. She is the favorite as she was socialized intensely with people when she was still very young and is like a member of the family...although all four are members of the family when you really come down to it!

   I'd be afraid that Callie would take off for good if I trapped her, unless she settles down considerably more than she is. AFAIK, I was the first person to touch her and spent nearly two years in getting this far. I agree that she should be seen by a vet and will continue to work on getting her a bit more trustful. Thank you once again for the earlier reply!

Jim

So happy for you.

The feral cats once domesticated they are very affectionate.

A calico is usually female, so I'm betting that's what Callie is.  Believe it or not, although they usually get annoyed at being trapped and fixed, most ferals return to their territory after they are released.  I would take the change and trap her, get her fixed if needed and vet checked.  If she is injured, she needs help.

Disappearing as she did makes me think she has another home, so you may be pleasantly surprised that she's been fixed already.  In any case, she needs to see the vet to make sure her injuries are too serious.

Thank you for helping her.  They need all the help we can give them.