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- Mar 30, 2021
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I recently took in a feral TNR'd female that was in my backyard at odd hours during the day, even during the coldest of mornings. She would always clean out my food and even when I fed her from my window she didn't run away. She didn't look like she had a successful food spot and was skinny. My neighbor mostly feeds, and every now and then I leave food out. I also had my yard TNR'd, but that's as much as I can do. I know it's not recommended to retrap any feral unless dire, but I just had a hunch she was friendly, and trapped her.
She was put in a crate in my bathroom for the first week, then left crate door open. Day 1 she growled/swatted my hand if I got too near. On day 2 she was purring, I could pet her, she'd come down from the crate to get pets, head bumps, biscuits in the crate, etc. I used a stick to pet her from a distance. Seemed like she was missing affection a lot. Sometimes If I gave her food she hesitated to eat, until I pet her with a stick, she purrs then starts to eat. She is scared of things but finds some comfort in me.
But then she changed. When I pet her, she was very enthusiastic, but used too much teeth at times but not in aggressive way but overexcited, I usually wear a glove for safety, but when she did use too much teeth I only said "eehhh" in a neutral tone. It wasn't a "NO!" or angry. It happened a few times the first week. Then she froze, and the last time she went to back of the sink. When I approached she hiss/growl/swatted. It was a few days later she accepted pets from my hand again. Until I got too close with the stick/gloved hand in the crate today when she was laying down and purring, and she attacked and hiss, and defecated. In the crate, it is only if she comes towards my glove to sniff and headbutt, she had no problem. Outside she hasn't attacked me at all. She has problem if I approach in crate with my glove, but not the stick.
She will always eat baby food and she eats from my gloved hand and all, temptations, etc. If I pet her with stick she immediately purrs, biscuits, and rolls on her back. Just hates if something is in her face unexpectantly. But she doesn't come out from the crate to greet me anymore like in the picture attached but will purr and maybe come forward a bit. She seems more apprehensive but she will eat in front of me. She doesn't hiss or growl when I enter. I know she is scared and unsocialized. She doesn't like when I change her liter box, or when spouse uses bathroom, etc but doesn't attack or hiss when it happens. She will attack something like a petting wand, like a stick with a long fuzzy ball at the end. But somehow a regular stick is ok.
If I give her more time, and not push petting with hands for now, do you think she'll stop attacking? Atm I'm not going to force glove petting or get too close or leave her alone if she hides in the tub. I worry she may attack my spouse or dog when she is let into the living room. It just seem weird she was fine with me before but after all that she thinks I'm a threat. We had an incident in the past where we fostered a friendly feral, had no issue with me, but would swat/growl at my dog, who is very much a wimp and doesn't fight back at all, if he was too close, walked too close, and esp. at dinner time. It never got better even when he avoids him. I just think he wanted more space with my apt doesn't have much of. He did get placed w/ another foster and adopted.
If somehow I don't get Jenny to calm, I feel I'll have to place her with a rescue I volunteer for. Which kinda sucks because I was hoping to adopt her, but I think she has enough potential to not be put outside. Any encouragement/advice appreciated.
She was put in a crate in my bathroom for the first week, then left crate door open. Day 1 she growled/swatted my hand if I got too near. On day 2 she was purring, I could pet her, she'd come down from the crate to get pets, head bumps, biscuits in the crate, etc. I used a stick to pet her from a distance. Seemed like she was missing affection a lot. Sometimes If I gave her food she hesitated to eat, until I pet her with a stick, she purrs then starts to eat. She is scared of things but finds some comfort in me.
But then she changed. When I pet her, she was very enthusiastic, but used too much teeth at times but not in aggressive way but overexcited, I usually wear a glove for safety, but when she did use too much teeth I only said "eehhh" in a neutral tone. It wasn't a "NO!" or angry. It happened a few times the first week. Then she froze, and the last time she went to back of the sink. When I approached she hiss/growl/swatted. It was a few days later she accepted pets from my hand again. Until I got too close with the stick/gloved hand in the crate today when she was laying down and purring, and she attacked and hiss, and defecated. In the crate, it is only if she comes towards my glove to sniff and headbutt, she had no problem. Outside she hasn't attacked me at all. She has problem if I approach in crate with my glove, but not the stick.
She will always eat baby food and she eats from my gloved hand and all, temptations, etc. If I pet her with stick she immediately purrs, biscuits, and rolls on her back. Just hates if something is in her face unexpectantly. But she doesn't come out from the crate to greet me anymore like in the picture attached but will purr and maybe come forward a bit. She seems more apprehensive but she will eat in front of me. She doesn't hiss or growl when I enter. I know she is scared and unsocialized. She doesn't like when I change her liter box, or when spouse uses bathroom, etc but doesn't attack or hiss when it happens. She will attack something like a petting wand, like a stick with a long fuzzy ball at the end. But somehow a regular stick is ok.
If I give her more time, and not push petting with hands for now, do you think she'll stop attacking? Atm I'm not going to force glove petting or get too close or leave her alone if she hides in the tub. I worry she may attack my spouse or dog when she is let into the living room. It just seem weird she was fine with me before but after all that she thinks I'm a threat. We had an incident in the past where we fostered a friendly feral, had no issue with me, but would swat/growl at my dog, who is very much a wimp and doesn't fight back at all, if he was too close, walked too close, and esp. at dinner time. It never got better even when he avoids him. I just think he wanted more space with my apt doesn't have much of. He did get placed w/ another foster and adopted.
If somehow I don't get Jenny to calm, I feel I'll have to place her with a rescue I volunteer for. Which kinda sucks because I was hoping to adopt her, but I think she has enough potential to not be put outside. Any encouragement/advice appreciated.
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