How to know if a cat can be fully socialized for indoor life

[marji4x]

Hello!

My question is about whether a semi-friendly cat can be socialized. Would she be happier returning to her life as a community cat?

She lets us pet her and seems to enjoy it but won't get in my lap. She maintains a little bit of distance during petting. I have been able to gently lift her when necessary to get her in her pen but she doesn't much like this. She has never bitten or scratched us but she does hiss and hide when surprised or upset. She also hisses at meal times (and is more affectionate after she is done eating).

she's gotten more acclimated to the room I have her in and seems a bit more comfortable. I changed some things around in here (opening a window, moving the pen to another corner) and she is now acting less friendly. My guess is she is disturbed by the changes and unsure of things again.

Those are the main descriptions of the situation but here is a brief run down of why I have this cat in my house for anyone who is interested:

My parents have been feeding her and another stray for about a year now. We noticed she got pregnant but were unable to trap her. We never saw any kittens but soon she got pregnant again. This time she had her litter successfully and we found one little one freezing under my parents concrete kitchen stairs. Soon after taking the little one in my parents were successful in trapping mom and we found the rest of the litter. Mom was spayed at the local humane society and continues to help us care for her kittens, who are a strong, healthy bunch.

Everyone is growing up nicely and soon we'll be getting them neutered/spayed and begin trying to find homes for them (all except the first little one we rescued, we're hanging on to her!). All the kittens are socialized and very friendly. Mom continues to be more nervous so we wonder if she'd eventually settle down or if it's best we return her to my parents' yard where she'll be fed and can live a comfortable outdoor life.

 

[susanm9006]

If she lets you pet her and even briefly pick her up then I think she can be socialized. It needs to be at her pace and she may never be a lap cat but can still be very happy being indoors. It could take weeks or months for her to fully relax so continue to be patient and respect the cues she gives you when she needs more space or isn’t in the mood for human contact.

 

[fionasmom]

You are very kind to have helped this adorable cat family. Your description of the mother cat fits all the cats I have ever adopted with the exception of small kittens. To me, she is in the process of adapting to human companionship and just needs time to be allowed to do that. I am assuming that this cat might have been a true feral and if so, she is making huge progress. You might even be surprised at how much she will adapt to the life of a pet.

 

[marji4x]

You are very kind to have helped this adorable cat family. Your description of the mother cat fits all the cats I have ever adopted with the exception of small kittens. To me, she is in the process of adapting to human companionship and just needs time to be allowed to do that. I am assuming that this cat might have been a true feral and if so, she is making huge progress. You might even be surprised at how much she will adapt to the life of a pet.

Thank you! Part of the reason we are even considering keeping her is she actually was pretty friendly early on. She took a few days to calm down after we captured her but within the week I was able to pet her for the first time.

I only worry because she still seems extremely shy and we have to be very careful around her still. I wasn't sure if she would always be nervous in the house or if she might eventually calm down more. I suspect she wasn't always feral but maybe had been for a while before we got her.

We'll see how things progress! We also have a rambunctious 4 year old daughter so that doesn't make things any easier hahaha. We keep them carefully supervised when my daughter is in the cat room and momma cat usually hides in her den then.

Thanks for the encouragement! This cat was shy even when she lived outdoors and we always felt kind of sorry for her. The other strays would sometimes chase her and make her nervous so we thought an indoor life might be a calmer existence for her.

 

[fionasmom]

She may be shy by nature, but that does not mean that she will not warm up to your family over time, or select a family member to more or less favor. She is probably incredulous at finding herself in a warm and protected house.