Kitten adopted from TNR organization

[Juniper_Junebug]

In October, I adopted a 4- or 5-month old kitten from a local cat rescue that got her from a TNR organization. The rescue told me that they sometimes exchange cats with the TNR organization (giving them feral/unadoptable cats and taking adoptable ones), but they didn't know any more about my kitty's background. They turned her over to me as a foster-to-adopt the same day they got her.

She was immediately confident and cuddly, exiting the carrier right away to explore her safe room and then crawling into my arms within 10 minutes, repeatedly climbing my chest to rub her cheek against mine (photo is from her first night home). Vets love her because she's sweet and easy. She displays no food insecurity, leaving food uneaten when she's not hungry. She is very good at bite/claw inhibition. She's only broken my skin once (and I brought it on myself). She came to me with a URI, tapeworms, and giardia.

Is it really possible that she was once a feral kitty? I emailed the TNR organization to try to find more about her background but haven't heard back. If anyone has any speculation, I would be really interested, because she seems so well socialized to humans and also like she spent a decent time with mom. Any educated guesses how a kitty like her might have come to a TNR organization? I assume if she had come from a litter under their care, she would not have been adopted out alone.

 

[Lari]

It's possible! I got my cat from a TNR organization that socializes feral kittens and friendly cats. I later found out my girl and her littermates were mostly on an enclosed porch, and I assume mom was around. She was spayed at about 13 weeks and put in a foster home. The TNR tries to keep especially bonded pairs together, but if it's a litter of six kittens or so, they won't get one person to adopt them all and will separate them. My girl was much more skittish, but they have a lot of very friendly kittens.

So yeah, that reads as entirely plausible to me!

 

[Juniper_Junebug]

It's possible! I got my cat from a TNR organization that socializes feral kittens and friendly cats. I later found out my girl and her littermates were mostly on an enclosed porch, and I assume mom was around. She was spayed at about 13 weeks and put in a foster home. The TNR tries to keep especially bonded pairs together, but if it's a litter of six kittens or so, they won't get one person to adopt them all and will separate them. My girl was much more skittish, but they have a lot of very friendly kittens.

So yeah, that reads as entirely plausible to me!

Wow, it's kind of amazing to me to think she might have been feral. If that's true, she must have had such a good foster!

 

[kittychick]

It's absolutely, positively possible! Yes - it's not incredibly often that a TNR kitty that began as completely feral becomes a well-socialized, completely comfortable indoor kitty, but I can give you a few reasons I feel as confident as I do.

1: you said that the organization your adopted her from specializes in socializing TNR kitties - particularly feral kittens and friendly cats. So the fact that she spent time with people who truly know what they're doing socialization-wise and are confident in how to do it makes it very possible (it's not usually easy -- - but she's a great ambassador for "it's possible!").

2: You said she started as a young kitten - which almost always makes it much easier to socialize. And often even if mom is feral - someone (or more then one "someones") might have been very aware of the mom and litter, and played with the kittens - teaching them quickly that humans may not quite be the scary things mom warned them about. Our neighborhood has several colonies that several of us work to TNR and socialize whenever remotely possible, and often, even if mom is very feral, mom will recognize the colony caretaker (because often we watch for pregnant moms, knowing we want to spay them soon as the litters are old enough, so we spend more time with those moms and kittens, and even though mom won't get super close, she'll trust the caretaker just enough to let that person handle her babies. That's how I/we've had multiple kittens come from completely feral moms that we've managed to socialize well and place in good homes!

3: And sometimes - even if something like 1 or 2 doesn't happen, it still works out amazingly! We actually have a dear kitty inside now that was born into one of the other caretaker's colony to a VERY feral mom. The one that we have - "Flick" - was completely shunned from her colony (we think due to her fairly mild cerebellar hypoplasia - she walks like she has scotch tape on her feet!). She eventually wandered several blocks over to our yard, right around the age of 2. We couldn't get near her (it was good that caretaker trapped and fixed her) - - but secretly, my hubby (who'd said time and time again - - "we just have as many inside as we can afford to care for - - so no more kitties inside, ok?") started tossing her ham and chicken when he was working in the garden. Cut to 6 months later, I came home one night and there was a small pink cat bed on our back steps. He said "we're not keeping her - but she shouldn't have to sleep on the concrete or dirt!" You guessed it - not much longer, Flick officially came in. And I can honestly say - - - after having (and fostering) more cats then I think I want to admit to - - -I'm SOOO happy she came in. She's the sweetest, most loving (even to 90% of stranger who come in - like repairmen!) kitty I've ever known! She's 100% a lap cat, and we even call her "Comfort Kitty," because she knows - often before one of us does - that we're having a hard time, are upset, sick, etc. - and she parks herself as closely a possible to that person who needs her, rarely leaving their side until she's comfortable they're ok. She's truly amazing. If that's not proof that a feral cat can change to a happy, indoor cat, I don't know what is! And to think she didn't even start down the road of socialization until almost 3 years old!

So ANYTHING is possible. I think be thrilled you've found a kitty you dearly love, who loves you right back. And thanks SO much for saving a kitty that most people wouldn't consider (the minute most people hear that a cat or a cat's mother was/is feral - they head for the door at top speed). So it's wonderful to be reminded there ARE caring people like you out there!

(I attached a piece of Flick - at her snuggliest - watching over hubby while he was recovering from the fly - - - just to see "comfort cat" in action!!!!

 

[Juniper_Junebug]

Happy update: I sent another email and finally heard back from the TNR organization! My Juno was one of six kittens found at about six weeks old. They were sick (URI) and in an unsafe location so were taken in then. Her foster said her kitties get lots of love and attention, so I guess that's why Juno is so cuddly. I'm sure it helped that she was young when found. It was amazing to hear from her foster, who just must be such a rock star in socializing kittens. I am so grateful, as well as amazed. And now that I know, Juno can be a great ambassador for rescued feral kittens (since I can't stop taking about her anyway!).

 

[NY cat man]

Miss Eleanor, our most recent adoptee, was a TNR feral. From the time she first showed up, she has been nothing but affectionate. It took us a while before we decided to bring her indoors, but once in, she readily adapted to her new life. She had the usual- fleas and worms- but the vet pronounced her otherwise healthy. She was about 4 years old when we brought her in, and 2 years later she is still a cuddle cat. I think a lot of it depends on the individual cat's nature, and that is unpredictable. Some adapt, and some never do.