Does Feral Mom = Antisocial Cat?

[daphney]

When I got my kitty, she was a rescued kitten born from a feral mom. She's my best friend in the world, and is loving and caring - but normally only toward me. She's super shy around other people, and hides from guests. It took her around 4 years to become a true family cat that everyone could spend quality time with without her running away. Does that have to do with her being born from a feral mom and rescued as a kitten or is it something entirely different???
~D.

 

[c1atsite]

Ta. Sounds like Penny (7 years old). She was born to a feral mom in a field. I call her my field kitty.

She's sweet only when she wants to be

And she's rarely sweet to her step-sister unfortunately.

Her first contact with humans was begging for food on porches with her mom and brother. I bet some of those humans weren't exactly nice. And then she was trapped (at around 5 weeks) and spayed and caged for a week while the trapping party figured out what to do with her. ....... I never met her brother, so my best nutshell guess is that Penny is simply not properly socialized, unfortunately.

I don't know the answer, but what you wrote is interesting. Daisy had lots of sisters and brothers and she's noticeably sweeter than Penny. From what I understand, Daisy's mom was not exactly feral, but more of an urban stray.

 

[StefanZ]

Good question. Probably, but it is not sure. Some home cats are also shy. For example, our older boy. He is quite like as you do describe it. Very nice homecat, but verry shy and watchful to guests. True, he is a russian blue, and many russians are known to be more or less shy. But all his children and grandchildren are more social than he...
I myself do like him this way. This way, I know I have his friendship because he wants to give it to me. Because he does like me. Not because I just happen to be here, and it it thursday...

So there surely are several factors, in practice making it very individual for each cat.

Even two siblings can differ. One semiferal kitten in a litter gets homecat in literally 5 minutes, for his sibling it takes perhaps several months... There are examples on this.

A rescued semiferal high preg (or with small kittens) semiferal / feral mom, being in a knowleable fostering home, makes it well.
These kittens usually get fostered into nice homecats. If handled much, they are allowed to meet different persons, perhaps also another cat, perhaps a freindly dog, etc...

For the mom it usually takes much longer time, but her children will be homecats... The moms usually do accept this!

Although other rescuers do describe it is almost impossible to socialize kittens properly being together with a shy, semiferal mom... These are usually amateurs, say a stable owner who tries to help a feral momma, or rather, her kittens.
I dont really know if they hadnt tried properly, or if this is one of those individual cases....

But most rescuers witness it goes just fine!


Good luck!

 

[jennyr]

There are several factors to take into account - the age the kitten was taken in, the temperament of the momcat, the personality of the kitten and also even whether there was many siblings as even in the wild kittens are socialised to react to other cats through their immediate families. All my cats bar Ellie are rescues, some were definitely feral and others were 'urban feral' - street cats/kittens that accepted the presence of humans and knew they meant food.

Biscotte was around 5 months old when I found her in my barn and although I was able to trap her after three weeks and bring her inside, it was over six months before I could touch her, and nearly two years before she would come to me of her own accord for a cuddle. She also fled from strangers into her safe place on top of a bookcase. Now, over three years later, she loves everyone, though will still watch for a while before she actually lets herself be seen or petted by someone she doesn't know. It is a wonderful thing to be loved and trusted by an ex-feral, there is nothing like it. Good luck, I am sure yours will come round eventually.

 

[gloriajh]

I vote NO.

Like others have said - different cats have different personalities.

I have a female calico - not born from a feral - and she's a stinker. She's close to 4 now, and finally beginning to be more social towards us.

I'm caring for a formal feral female, and I can tell she'd love to trust me, but just can't yet - one day she'll allow me to stroke her, and maybe even more - it's a long, slow process - and patience is the key operating factor.

 

[kscatlady]

Definitely not. Abbey's mom is definitely feral, and born feral too. Abbey is more social then Cammy. Abbey loves when people come to visit and Cammy doesn't care.

 

[cesg]

I've fostered kittens taken from a feral mom (actually I have three of those right now - the mom is going to the shelter manager's barn to be a mouser) and I've fostered kittens WITH the feral mom (not much fun I can tell you that and kind of dangerous)

The kittens that come from feral moms are just like kittens from socialized moms. The kittens from socialized moms have a slight head start as you don't have to show them that good things come from humans, but once you get past that, there is no difference. A cat's personality comes from more from the socialization they were given as kittens and how much they get as adults (adult cats who are not used to other people in the house don't get used to it). While there is a part of their personality that comes from genetics (which is why every cat has their own personality and quirks) a lot of what they are able to deal with comes from what they were exposed to as kittens.

I had one set of fostered kittens that did not leave my house and when they went to be neutered they completely freaked out. From that point on I make it a point to take the kittens out of my house regularly to visit different locations and to see different people. I'm fortunate my work allows me to take them in, and they also go back to the shelter from time to time and I ask the staff to love on them for a few minutes. It helps build their self confidence and makes them more well rounded kittens and more open to new experiences. If their new owners keep up these experiences, they are more adaptable to them as adults. If they don't then they become uncomfortable with them (such as kids, travel, visitors)