Could this be a good sign ?

As yall know, we've been feeding 10 feral cats *3 "kittens" and 7 adults*

Well today its nice out 55 degrees, I happen to run into a few neighbors & asked if they've noticed the cats hanging around & also informed them, that starting tom. I'll be trapping them to have get all of them fixed, dewormed & given a rabies.

My neighbor across the street, her grandson said that in the mornings when he takes his dog out to feed it, that the black cats (he couldnt be anymore specific) let him pick them up if their waiting for him to put food down ... he said otherwise they take off! Could that possibly be a good sign that perhaps they were once owned?!? His grandmother also told me she wants one of the blk/white kittens. I told her that we will be taking in the 3 kittens and will be attempting to socialize them & see if they can be "tamed" and able to be adopted. We will hopefully (if all goes well) be keeping the other blk/white kitten & someone who is associated w/ C.A.R.E. wants the blk kitten. So if we succeed at "taming" them ... they will all have loving homes.

As far as the adults that the boy across the street said he can pick up ~ how will I be able to tell if their totally feral or if they were once owned & loved by someone?!?

Sorry for the novel & more questions! Tom. evening is the Big Trap nite & Im just getting a bit nervous & anxious!!!

Preparations so far:

Ive cleaned out our utility room, bought the plastic sheets you put down when you paint ~ so I'll be placing that down then newspaper, then I have boards to put on top of that .. and then of course the traps.

Ive cleaned out my van, removed 1 bucket seat in the middle row & will put the plastic & newspapers in it as well. Will place what cats Im able to trap in there & then place a towel or blanket over top.

Ill also be spraying both my utility room & van w/ the feliway.

I would still plan to trap these cats..whether they were once owned or allow someone else to pick them up...you still should not take the risk of not catching one of these cats. Also...once owned doesn't mean they are fixed either...at the rescue I volunteer with..we get cats that have been declawed but are still intact.

Good Luck with trapping.

Katie

Oh no Im sorry, thats not what I meant by "could it be a good sign" I am planning on catching ALL of our ferals .. what Im wanting to know is it possible that b/c the kid is able to pick them up ... is possible that they were once owned & therefore after trapping & neutering, a possiblity to resocialize them & find them homes?

Sorry about that! And thanks for your quick response!!

Is there anyway to tell if they are totally feral or once owned? Either way they will all be trapped & fixed! But Im just curious!

Thanks a bunch!

There is sometimes a fine line between feral and a once owned stray. I have been able to pick up some of the ferals that live by me and I know for a fact that they were never previously owned cats. But this was after years of feeding them and they sort of know me by now.

If the boy could pick up the cat, it is a good sign that is was previously owned, particularly if the cat hasn't been around all that long. Many cats, when dumped, are so scared for so long that they appear feral, but can be quickly turned around when they regain trust in people.

One test that I give to new cats that appear is simply the talking test. I'll talk to them very directly and see their response. A hiss is a bad sign. Running away instantly doesn't tell me much in anyway. But if they stick around, watch you carefully, relax a little bit, and talk back, they are probably a dumped stray.

Good luck at trapping!

To my knowledge none of our ferals have been around long ... going on about 2 months now, atleast thats how long we've been feeding them. Thanks for your reply ... I do talk to our ferals thru our sliding glass door & if Im out in the evening & I see them in the neighbors yard or wherever ... none of them have ever hissed. Some just sit & look at me and others bolt!

As for the kittens, the one we call Moo ~ she sits & looks so curiously at me ... and she will just sit & watch me, like she wants to come over & "say" hi or atleast check things out .... but the second her momma takes off she quickly follows ... Im hoping once we separate them from their mom they'll warm up to us !!!! *Im guessing the "kittens" are approx. 6 months old, but SPCA said they'd be able to give me a better guess at the time of neutering*

I bought a can of salmon & sardines and 3 sm. cans of tunafish ... so Im ready to go w/ bait tom.!!! Will let yall know how it goes!