Help - I have three adult ferals I am trying to socialize - I'm failing -

[jane rivelli]

Hello,

I hope someone can help me out there - I just took in three ferals a mother and two kids - they are all adults - I fed them outside for almost seven years and the building I was living in was sold - so I trapped them and took them to the vet - they were already tnr'ed years ago.

I took them home with me and set them up in crates - I've been trying to socialize for the two weeks going on third - I'm failing - they are retreating and the mother and daughter are howling constantly and trying to get out of the crate.

Help...please.

 

[jane rivelli]

Should I let them out of their crates?
 

 

[jane rivelli]

Should I let them out of their crates?
 

 

[simka]

It's likely this thread will be moved from Health but I leave that to the administrators.

I believe you are expecting too much too soon from your feral cats. Did you touch them when they were outside? Did they approach you? Did they make eye contact with you?

Socializing most ferals takes a long time and each cat varies. I had one who took 17 years to trust me whereas her sister simply walked into the house and let me examine her (they were about 5 months old at the time).  It took 3 years for Challenge to stop slashing and climbing the walls at my approach.  Now he drops to the floor for attention from me although he gets into a total panic at the vet.

Can you set them up in small rooms, such as a bathroom, rather than in crates. A crate is a small space for a feral adult. Do you try touching them? Most people start out by spending a lot of time sitting fairly near the cat, not making eye contact, and simply talking in a low tone.  I don't know how much experience you have and what you have tried so far. Separating them from each other is usually advised so they have to turn to you for companionship.
 

 

[lovecatsnj]

I have done this and right now I have 4 ferel kittens. I also have a ferel adult living in my house who was in a crate the size made for a German Shepperd. It was a large crate. That helps. They will calm down, but the crate can not be tiny. The adult ferel was in the crate for months.  Give them a chance. Its wonderful you are helping. I didn't understand your abbreviation about the vet.

Baby food usually works to get them to eat out of a spoon from you eventually. I go through jars and jars with the ferel kittens. I feed them the baby food and pet them while feeding...

I also cook chicken breasts and grind it up in a food chopper. this gets them too...

The adult will take time.. months..be patient.  Feed them wet food not dry food, as with all. good luck

 

[jane rivelli]

That's what I thought too - however, the mom is crying so much - it's like she's calling someone - the daughter then gets upset and they both start trying to open the cage - the brother who is so quiet is just laying around and retreating from me - I used to be able to pet him outside...

this is the first time I've tried this - I just feel guilty locking them up - the cages are the right size -they are not small - I have their water, kitty box and a "hiding box" inside.  They do seem to quiet down when I lay on the couch and read my book out loud...I just don't want to destroy their souls...
 

 

[jane rivelli]

I took them into the vet to get de-fleaed and such and then picked them up to take them home - I don't think the bathroom would work for all three - the crates are big....the first week I could touch the mother and son with a "tickle stick" behind the ears ..but now they are retreating - I think they may feel my stress and are not trusting me - I will have to start all over I think.

 

[lovecatsnj]

keep wet food in there all the time and that will calm them too. you don't want them to stress over food.

 

[simka]

Have you contacted any TNR or feral cat groups? Here is a link to socializing kittens on Alley Cats Allies:

http://www.alleycat.org/page.aspx?pid=292

You say all of them are adult. What age are they as far as you can guess?  You have made some headway with them to be able to touch them when they are outside and take them to the vet. You have taken them from their well known environment so they are going to be very defensive. They are prey and you are looking like a danger to them at present.

Can you separate mom and kids?  Put mom in a bathroom so she doesn't set the daughter off and leave the kids, in separate cages, in the garage. You need to be cruel to be kind and break the bond between them so they turn to humans. Have you used treats? Have you tried a backbrush (the kind you use in the tub) for stroking them?

 

[jane rivelli]

Yes, Tree House here in Chicago - however - I feel pretty much on my own - there's so many other things to tend to for them - I can't put a cat in only bathroom - it's not big enough and I can see her freaking out in there - the whole point of having them in my living room was to have them get used to me and my surroundings...like I said - I feel like I'm failing them...

 

[jane rivelli]

okay - I have to be honest though - they keep tearing everything up and getting kitty litter in the food and dumping the water - not complaining - just want to get a read on how they are behaving.  Is it natural?  Should they be climbing the cages trying to get out - moaning....calling...loudly...

 

[ldg]

Hello,

I hope someone can help me out there - I just took in three ferals a mother and two kids - they are all adults - I fed them outside for almost seven years and the building I was living in was sold - so I trapped them and took them to the vet - they were already tnr'ed years ago.

This is the key. :heart3: They youngest is seven years old or more? Having lived outside all of their lives that long, they will likely never be happy inside. There are instances where feral cats older than 3 or 4 years old will adjust, but that's usually due to illness or injury.

When moving a feral colony location (and this is effectively that, just a "colony" of three), it is VERY important to confine them to crates or cages for the first 3-4 weeks, and feed them on a schedule. If you let them free feed, that's fine, but a schedule with two wet food feedings a day should be added. If you release ferals right away, they'll just run away and try to find "home." Cats are all about territory. Feeding wet food on a schedule helps establish that this new territory is "home."

Do you have a garage where the crates/cages can be transferred? To help them become accustomed to the new smells of the new area? If so, I'd relocate the crates/cages to a porch, garage, or in some way protected area, and if you haven't been feeding them some wet food on a schedule, I would begin. I'd give it a week, since they've already been caged for 2-3 weeks, and then I would release them.

If you want to see how they'll do before considering releasing them, I would let them out of those crates. That's a method for working with kittens. But socializing even 6 or 8 month old ferals can take months - many months - and be a year or more before they're really comfortable. There is no way you want these kitties confined to crates for the months (at a minimum) this process will take. If you have an office room, a guest bedroom, that would be appropriate, and I would NOT separate them.

Personally, I think they're too old, and they'll do better outside. :heart3: :rub:

Here's an article I wrote on socializing ferals: http://www.catnipchronicles.com/may2012/laurie.htm

 

[ldg]

And I'm so sorry! I forgot to say what a WONDERFUL thing you've done - and are doing - for these babies! :rub:

 

[Willowy]

Are you going to keep them, or are you trying to socialize them for adoption? If you're going to keep them, would you be too disappointed if they never get friendly? I have several indoor ferals. Primarily a mama cat and her 4 kittens. Her three daughters have all tamed to some extent but the mama cat and her son have never tamed one bit. They're still fully wild, and run out of a room when I enter, but seem happy enough being indoors. And I don't mind if they never tame.

 

[ldg]

Oh, and when you release them, make sure there's food and water out, and that you continue to provide those two wet meals a day for at least a few weeks.

In fact, even better if you make a "call" of some kind that you associate with giving them the wet food. For my indoor kitties, when I feed them, I call "DINNER!" (Every meal is dinner :lol3: ). For the outside kitties I make a very loud "MEOW" kind of sound several times. They know when they hear that, it means food. I suggest you try to get some kind of "call" set with the feeding of food so that if they have left the immediate area, they may hear that and return for the food.

 

[ldg]

okay - I have to be honest though - they keep tearing everything up and getting kitty litter in the food and dumping the water - not complaining - just want to get a read on how they are behaving.  Is it natural?  Should they be climbing the cages trying to get out - moaning....calling...loudly...

Absolutely, yes. That is normal. The process of socialization can take QUITE some time in cats that are older than 8-12 weeks. The rule of thumb is the older, the longer. And for a 1-2 year old cat unless you're at the point where you can already pet them outside, I'd say if you're not prepared to devote the better part of 6 months to a year to it, best not to try. :heart3:

On the other hand, even if you're going to release these kitties, you accidentally did the right thing by confining them for several weeks, because that's the process when moving territories.

 

[jane rivelli]

I discussed that with someone from Tree House - we discussed relocation - however - I rent and it's in the City of Chicago - it would be difficult they said and most likely they would try and return to the spot they had been for so long -

The reason bringing them in was a good alternative was the fact that they really do know me - they spent almost 80% of their time on my porch or in my courtyard - they know their names - they would even walk into my apartment when I was getting their food ready -so that's how they became to come inside -
 

 

[jane rivelli]

I want to keep them - I've been taking care of them for seven years - just want them to be happy is all...I don't care if they don't cuddle....

 

[ldg]

Then I would release them into a room with a door (after cat-proofing the room and ensuring there are no escape routes) and follow normal socialization recommendations. I've requested a mod move this to the ferals forum, but the links provided here already are a good start.

Let them make that room their territory and be comfortable there first. I'd forget the crates. Since they were that friendly, this is just an adjustment to a new territory problem, really. Yes, it's learning to live inside. But EVERYTHING has changed for them. So just set up as many routines as you can (for changing water, food, litter, spending time in there NOT trying to interact, etc.), and let them take their time making that room their own. :heart2: :rub: The rest will come naturally. :nod:

 

[ldg]

Sorry, but I really recommend my article. :lol3: It sums up the advice I give over and over again, only this isn't in bits and pieces, it's all in one place. :anon: http://www.catnipchronicles.com/may2012/laurie.htm