Need advice on taming a feral cat - please help

Ray,   My former feral cat (Bronco) also kept trying to get out of the windows.  He clawed the drywall all around the windows (it needed painted anyway - he's forgiven!).  That obsessive ritual has since faded.  

It's been about 6 months since Bronco would first let me pet him.  You should have seen the alarm in his eyes the first month of petting him!  He was 1.5 years old and had never been petted before!  

Then, I wanted him to get used to being picked up (for his own safety).  So I picked him up every day,  until he started to like it.  

He liked it so much that had to be on my shoulders.  Now he demands to be on my shoulders ALL THE TIME.

Crazy Cat Gentleman -

So that I don't hi-jack this thread, I will start a new one on my shoulder cat, and what I did to deal with his obsessiveness with being on my shoulders.  

For some reason, rescues and/or ferals (once tamed) seem to have an affinity for the shoulders......hmmmm.......interesting.

Deb

@ShoulderCats

For my cat Rusty it is not shoulders, he likes to lay his head on my arm and take a nap. He does it every chance he gets. Have a nice weekend Deb.

Thanks JM Jimmy - I'll buy a cat toy over the weekend to see if  I can distract her when she begins her ritual.

Thanks Catonshoulders. I'm glad Bronco broke his habit. Rainbow has her calm moment's now where she just sits on the windowsill and stares out, but it sure is strange when she goes into her ritual, doing the same thing over and over without success.

She's wailing at the moment, but she's been doing it less frequently today.

Where I live they have stores called Value Village, a used store like Salvation Army. They have lots of stuffed toys and sometimes other great finds that make good toys for cats. Avoid the stuffed toys that are filled with beans / plastic pellets or stuffed toys that have plastic eyes or mouths (or you can cut the plastic off). Avoid all toys with plastic parts. You can find things that are like new and seem to have never been used. I also go there for blankets. I got a stuffed sheep that is about 6 inches long, I cut the plastic eyes out and my cat Rusty plays with it a lot. I got a kids play tube at Value Village for my cats at home and they love it. It is much bigger than the pet tubes and more durable. I like going there because if the cats don't like what I get it is not like I spent a lot of money so it is no big deal. Cats can be picky when it comes toys or lose interest fast.

If you get a used cat / dog bed I would suggest dusting it with flea powder and leave it outside / in garage for a couple days to be on the safe side. Same with pet carriers, etc.

P.S.

Avoid using string / rope / etc. as a toy, OK to play with while you are there but if not around the cat may get hung up in it. Years ago I made the big mistake of hanging a piece of string from a cat tree and my cat almost hung himself with it, thank God my wife was at home when it happened.

Sounds like you have received a lot of good advice! 

Bless you for being so concerned about your kitty friend. Perhaps you could convince your sister to feel compassion for this kitty, that would really help with the patience she'll need to bond with the cat. 

We went through the process of taming our feral "Shadow" -- she had a litter of kittens in our garage. We trapped her & got her spayed, and she was so miserable we put her back outside, still wild. She came around for food, and when winter came on, we figured she'd die from the cold or disease or coyotes etc. . .we had put a cat door in our cellar door, and left it propped open so she could come in and feed, so one day I made the decision to close the pet door forever. 

It's been a couple of years now, and she's a very happy indoor cat. It took us months to touch her, but once she got used to being petted, she's a huge fan of it -- she will roll on her back and meow for a grooming. She's even enjoys her belly being groomed. She used to be terrified of a metal grooming comb, but now comes running if she sees me get it. 

She even shakes paw (video link below). 

All of this took a lot of time and patience, weeks, months -- she only recently figured out my lap is warm, now she takes every opportunity to try to get in my lap. 

I still can't pick her up, i need to work on that, and trying to get her into a carrier is traumatic -- but, a lot is possible.

Good luck with your sister, I hope you can recruit her for the process -- bonding with a kitty is a great reward! Maybe you can convince your sister of the reward part ;-)  

Good luck!

I

Thanks Shane,

I actually had some pieces of string (on a cat's toy) in my bedroom. I'm glad you told me of the danger it poses - I've removed it now.

Someone above (JM Jimmy I think) advised that when she goes into her obsessive ritual that I should use a toy to distract her. I was thinking that I would need something big, maybe one of those sticks with a feather attached to a piece of string or something. I'm not sure that a smaller toy would get her attention, as she's really caught up in her ritual. What do you think?

Thanks Jhouse,

It's always heartening to hear stories of other ferals that have been domesticated. I was told by the local society for the prevention of cruelty to animals today that there is a lady living locally who tames ferals. If Rainbow isn't tamed to the point that I can give her to my sister when I leave, then there's a possibility this lady will take her. I'll look into it during the week.

I spoke too soon in my last post when I said that the wailing is becoming less frequent. She's being doing it a lot over the last two days. She's still attached to her ritual as well, going through the same pattern at the window over and over again.

I made a little hideaway for her from a cardboard box, but she prefers to spend her time on top of the wardrobe. I could stop her climbing up onto the wardrobe, but is there any need? She seems to feel secure up there.

She isn't as receptive to my petting as she was. Over the last few days, she has hissed and growled when I've approached to stroke her.

She is eating quite a bit, but she seems to be spending an awful lot of time grooming. It was explained above that the excessive grooming is a result of anxiety. Hopefully this will end soon.

Thanks for your help everyone.

Ray

Raywalsh22 said:

I actually had some pieces of string (on a cat's toy) in my bedroom. I'm glad you told me of the danger it poses - I've removed it now.

Someone above (JM Jimmy I think) advised that when she goes into her obsessive ritual that I should use a toy to distract her. I was thinking that I would need something big, maybe one of those sticks with a feather attached to a piece of string or something. I'm not sure that a smaller toy would get her attention, as she's really caught up in her ritual. What do you think?

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The string issue really depends on the cat.  If you have a cat with pica or you're allowing monitored play there's the potential for danger but not more than a lot of things.  Use your best judgement with your cat. 

As to the toy - it'll depend on what gets her attention.  My most successful toy (beyond the laser pointer) is a pair of small fake mice on the end of two strings attached to a dowel... $1.25 at the dollar store and most of our cats love it.  The big feathers on strings, the "Jackson Galaxy"/National Geographic branded crap, things with bells... almost never played with or destroyed so quickly we'd be bankrupt if we tried to continually replace it.  One cat won't play with any of it - not the laser, not them mice, not the feathers... but he LOVES playing with Alpha Kitty's braided hair of all things.  Try different cheap things, see what she shows interest in and you'll find it.  The arms length toys are best since she's feral.

Thanks again, JM Jimmy. I went to the two pet shops in my town today and neither had such a toy. I'll try online, though. I was told in one shop that laser pointers are not longer legal  in Ireland, so I suppose that's not a possibility. It would be lovely to see her relax and just play, even if only for a few minutes.

JMJimmy is correct.  Sorry, I should have worded it as "avoid using strings as an unattended  toy".

My wife goes to a dollar store to get the ball with a feather attached to an elastic string that is attached to a plastic stick. The dollar store toys don't last long but they also don't cost much.  We use string toys but only when we are playing with them. My suggestion was for additional toys for when you are not playing with the cat. Things like small stuffed animals and a tube made of material for the cat to play in.

Thanks for clearing that up Shane. I actually saw a sort of tunnel thing in one of the pet shops I visited, so I might pick one of those up. It didn’t occur to me to try the local pound shops (dollar stores) – I’ll check those out during the week.

It’s possible I may not have the cat for much longer. She’s been wailing all through the night, and I’ve had some complaints. A local animal charity gave me the name of a local woman who takes care of ferals and she’s agreed to take Rainbow. She will try to socialise her completely, but, if she can’t, she will give her to a local farm or stables. She said that these keep the feral cat inside for about 3 weeks, and the cat usually stays around after that, even though it’s not properly socialised. At least she will get regular food. Also, it will be in the countryside, so hopefully there will be fewer wild cats around to bully her.

However, I’m going to see how she behaves tonight. If she doesn’t wail, I’ll hold onto her for longer to see if I can completely socialise her and then give her to my sister. I’ve taken almost everything out of my room. There are no more hiding places for her – except the little den I created. This seems to have quietened her down. Maybe she doesn’t want to call so much attention to herself now that she has fewer places to hide. Anyway, everything depends on whether she continues to wail tonight. I’ll keep everyone updated.

Thanks again everyone for your kind advice and support.

For the yowling :

You should start a new thread in the forum under "Our feline companions" - "Cat behavior" asking for help on getting a cat to stop yowling. Or see if @Ondine  has some advice or could recommend someone on here that would be good at dealing with it. Would be sad if you have to give her up as it will likely set her back moving to a different place. Regardless, you are a great person for at least trying which is far more than your typical person would do.

The complaints complicate things.  If she has the potential for  decent barn home, it might be in her best interest.  Some cats just never make the transition and if a good outside home can be found, its better than the usual alternative!

Tonight, try sitting with her and reading out loud to her.  Nothing exciting, just reading something dull may help her calm down some.  Have some treats ready to help reinforce any positive behaviors.

And Shane is correct - you are a great person.  Blessings on you for going the extra mile for her.

That's sad to hear but understandable (goes back to my first post).

One thing though, since it's winter, you can't just release the cat back into the wild once it's been inside for a long period.  They tend to lose volume in their fur which makes it difficult for them to survive the cold once re-introduced.  I don't know what temperatures are like in Ireland but if it dips below -10C for extended periods beyond the end of that 3 week period you mentioned, then it's advisable to keep the cat indoors until those temperatures are done with for the year. 

I would thoroughly investigate what this woman does as so called "barn yard" programs can be very successful if done correctly, or can be incredibly cruel if done improperly.  The Toronto Humane Society was caught doing it improperly - just dumping cats in the middle of winter onto ~20 locations and it was horrible.  The areas were overpopulated, lacked adequate shelters, lacked adequate food sources, and many of the cats had to be rescued.  A proper program should not allow more than 1 cat per 4 acres of hunting ground (grassland typically that is long enough to support rodent populations), only do releases in spring and summer when food sources are most plentiful so the cat can adapt to it's new surroundings, and the "barn yard" owner agrees to feed the cat for the first winter.

Thanks for your kind comments everyone.

I've posted in Feline companions as Shane suggested, but i don't expect to hear anything you guys haven't already suggested.

I'll look into what this lady has in mind. Her plan is to try to socialise her and if that doesn't work to give her away as a 'barn-yard' cat. I'm not quite sure what  that involves. I assumed it meant that the farm owners would continue feeding her.

The winters in Ireland are very mild. Certainly nothing like in the US or Canada. We rarely get snow. Still, I'd like her to be an domestic cat with all the comforts that brings. I'll try reading to her tonight to see if that works.

Thanks again Shane, Ondine and JM Jimmy

If the lady who is taking her plans to release her if socialization doesn't work, I would definitely keep an eye on things.  Socializing a former feral takes a LONG time.  Years.  And their level of socialization varies wildly.  Some become lap cats.  Some bond with one human and one human only - the rest of the household is ignored or avoided.

We have a former feral who allows a ten-second head scratch once or twice a month (if we're lucky).  Otherwise, he goes about his business.  Some of my grandchildren do not believe he exists and my one granddaughter was absolutely thrilled and honored she saw him.  He finally showed himself to her after she'd visited us once a week for a year!

And the barn home is important, too.  The owners must continue feeding - she may not have the hunting skills she needs to survive (especially after being inside for any length of time).  Plus, the mice will move out anyway (they have learned to avoid places that smell of cat), so what's she going to hunt?

Barn homes are a viable option for some cats but they still need support from their humans.

Just a few things, along with the other's suggestions, to keep in mind.

Thanks Ondine.

It's hard to know what to do. She was very noisy last night. I can see the sense of what you're saying about the barn-yard situation. The problem is that it's that or nothing unless I can socialise her myself. 

Part of the the problem is that she's nocturnal. She has been all the time I've been feeding her. Even in my room, she sleeps through the day and becomes active only at night. At the moment she's asleep on top of the wardrobe.  It wouldn't be so bad if the wailing was a day time thing.

I was very hopeful last night that she had put the wailing behind her. When she didn't start wailing at about 11:00 pm (when she normally starts) I thought she might be finished with it. However, she started wailing again at around 2:00 am and continued for hours.

About six months ago, she climbed on my bed and started grooming herself. She then started grooming me. I reached out to pet her and she bolted, and hasn't attempted to do it since. I wish I'd known better than to try to pet her, as she might have been socialised at this stage if I hadn't.

Ray

Just to keep everyone updated, she's a lot calmer now but the wailing hasn't abated.

I'm going to hold on to her for a short time longer in the hope that she'll stop soon. I feel sorry for the neighbours as she's kicking up quite a racket. However, the farm alternative doesn't sound ideal, so it's worth a try.

Thanks again everyone.

Hopefully your neighbors can hold out a little longer. Praise to you for not giving up easily.

Too bad I don't have your feral and you mine, I have mine in the building I work at and there is nobody here at night. Then again, maybe mine are making a racket and there is just nobody around to hear it.

I hope things work out for you and the cat, you deserve a happy ending.

Raywalsh22 said:

 
Thanks Ondine.

It's hard to know what to do. She was very noisy last night. I can see the sense of what you're saying about the barn-yard situation. The problem is that it's that or nothing unless I can socialise her myself. 

Part of the the problem is that she's nocturnal. She has been all the time I've been feeding her. Even in my room, she sleeps through the day and becomes active only at night. At the moment she's asleep on top of the wardrobe.  It wouldn't be so bad if the wailing was a day time thing.

I was very hopeful last night that she had put the wailing behind her. When she didn't start wailing at about 11:00 pm (when she normally starts) I thought she might be finished with it. However, she started wailing again at around 2:00 am and continued for hours.

About six months ago, she climbed on my bed and started grooming herself. She then started grooming me. I reached out to pet her and she bolted, and hasn't attempted to do it since. I wish I'd known better than to try to pet her, as she might have been socialised at this stage if I hadn't.

Ray

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What do you do in response to her cries and what type of "wailing"/where is she/what is she doing when it occurs?  This could be a solvable problem.

As to trying to pet her six months ago - you did right.  It's distracted/comfortable moments like those that offer opportunity to try to push a cat's boundaries.  It could have simply been your approach that spooked her (most people try to pet like a dog, going over the head, which cats don't really like).  Presenting a finger and allowing the cat to show you where to pet or just allowing the cat to rub against your hand is generally the best approach for ferals (best, not the only approach).  That said, I guarantee the cat has no memory of that event and probably forgot it a few hours later.  With a cats it's more about changing behavioural patterns over the long term not any one event.