Need advice on taming a feral cat

[alexandrajames]

So Luna and I played for a while this afternoon!

She was totally focused on the mouse and attacking it, not too worried about me. She has also been talkative.

Right now I just served her wet dinner and am still in the room. She was meowing so maybe she might eat while I'm in here.

I'll only stay about 30 minutes, then will let her be.

Hope everyone is well and has a nice evening!!

 

[feralvr]

HI

. Another good sign is when they are playing and not focusing on you so much anymore. See

everyday is another step towards her becoming a socialized cat citizen

.

Also wanted to mention regarding worming. Profender claims that you only need one treatment to cover every worm and all the stages, eggs included. I and my vet do not think this is so and that another treatment is needed as a follow-up. I think if you have the vet give her the Profender during her spay, then you will at least have her covered and might be able to give her another dose in a month which should be just fine. Your vet will be able to give you exact information though.

Have a great evening

 

[luckybabycat]

Soo happy Luna is beginning to trust you. And your "conversations" are really a great step. She's starting to find out you are not the big bad wolf, isn't she. Reading about her coming forward to sniff your fingers, playing without regard to your presence, talking with you...I love it!

 

[alexandrajames]

Oh my!! Oh my!!

Ok so I have been in Luna's room all morning. I leave for a minute to go and get another cup of coffee and when I return I see a white streak.

It's Luna!! So I sit down on the floor real quickly and start talking to her and she sticks her head out from behind the mirror and does a hiss/meow thing.

I grab the closest mouse to me and start playing with it and she is watching every move I make. As I'm talking to her, she keeps sticking her head out a little further, then sits up, yawns at me and I yawn back.

This lasts for at least 20 minutes. She sees me playing with a mouse, so she then starts playing with the mouse that is at the entrance of her mirror.

Then we kind of play peek-a-boo as she is still unsure of what to do. She wants to come out, but really is just checking me out.

So my coffee gets cold because I'm afraid to move.

I was doing some shopping online so I ask Luna if she would mind if I return to my desk, as I have been on the flooor for at least 20 minutes.

She is lying right at the entrance to her mirror, still watching me. I thought she would move as soon as I stood up, but didn't. I decide to climb over my desk to get into my chair so that way I'm not walking directly in front of her. Once I get into my chair I look to see if she was still there. To my surprise she was!! Hadn't moved!!

I finish up my order and look down again and she was gone, so I lean over a little to see if I can see her behind mirror and she wasn't there.

I do a quick scan of room and she is under my desk walking around!!

I couldn't believe it and told her how brave she was being.

Then all the sudden two little girls wake up in the next room over (my daughter is having sleepover) and of couse come running out of the bedroom making all kinds of noise. So Luna decided to go back behind mirror. Can't say I blame her. Its amazing how much noise little girls can make!!

Anyway sorry so long!! This was the first time Luna has come all the way out with me still in the room. I hope she continues to come out a little more as the day goes on!!!!!

 

[jtbo]

That is great progress, her curiosity seems to e now really getting over hew fears, it surely takes long time to get her fears away, but I think she has got over the worst part now and perhaps she will now move more around when you are at the room, then progress might get quicker, at least I hope

 

[alexandrajames]

Oh my gosh!!!!

Oh my gosh!!!!

I was sitting at my desk talking to my grandmother about Luna and I look down at entrance of mirror and again there she is staring up at me!!!

I tell my grandmother this and continue to talk, trying to ignore Luna (Kind of hard to do).

I look down again and she is not behind the mirror!! I tell my grandmother "Oh my she's out again" I start to freak a little. I look down at my feet and there she is.

So I continue going on with my converstation trying my best not to scare Luna or move too much. I look over to where her cat tree is and sure enough she is there sitting up tall and pretty just looking around!!!

I have the window opened a little and our neighbors are out and are being a little loud. Our houses are supper close together.

Either the neighbors or the two little girls next door spooked her a little. Not sure really what happened. Maybe she was only testing me to see if I really wouldn't eat her or something. She only stayed out maybe 2-3 minutes before leaving to go back behind her mirror.

I am sooooooooo excited!!!!!!!!!

I hope this continues!!!!

 

[ldg]

THREE STEPS FORWARD.... no steps back?????????????????????

As JTbo says, she's testing... and you're not eating her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[feralvr]

Super Super!!!!! Luna is really making huge strides forward today. She really trusts you now, but is still being cautiously trusting

. Don't you just hate loud neighbors

. Ya just want to shout out that window, BE QUIET, I am conducting a therapy session with my newly trapped feral kitty project and you are disrupting my progress

. Keep up the great work with Luna

 

[alexandrajames]

Luna had another busy night last night!!

I never did see her again yesterday, but thats ok. She was a brave little kitty and it was a little noisy around my house.

All of her mice were out in the hallway this morning.

Somehow she managed to knock a flower, (kind of heavy, something you would hang on a wall, about the size of your hand), that I had on the shelf were her cat tree is off! It fell and hit her food plate at the bottom of the cat tree, which broke the plate into about 3 pieces. She would have had to be watching from top of cat tree.

I'm not sure if this scared her or if she was just amused by it.

Luckily she had already eaten the food, as there was none on the floor.

The top of the shelf is free of stuff so that she can climb on. The bottom is only about 2-3 inches in width and not enough room for a cat to be on. She never has bothered anything up there before, so I never moved anything.

I don't think it scared her too much because hubby got up around 7a and put mice that were in the hallway back under her door, and when I got up at 9a the mice were back out in hallway. So if it spooked her, it wasn't for long because she was back out playing.

This morning I haven't seen or heard from her. I will be gone this afternoon, so we will see what happens when I get home.

Hope everyone has a lovely day!!!!

 

[jtbo]

Might be another test, to see what you do when some 'accidents' do happen.

Cats are clever creatures, some say they are cruel and manipulative, but I think that is bit wrong to say from them as they are just little scientists doing their test on us

 

[alexandrajames]

Since this weekends progress with Luna coming out of hiding with me still in her room, she has decided once again to remain behind her mirror. It's ok though.

I'll give her all the time she needs. I'm in no hurry.

Today we played with the mouse and string. She really was getting into it!

We played for about 15 minutes. She is really getting the hang of it now!!!

I've been sitting with her most of the afternoon. She has poked her head out a few times, but is still really unsure of what to do.

Today I ordered a cat condo/scratch post. It's not big, but I'm still hoping she will enjoy it.

Maybe instead of hiding behind the mirror she will like being in the condo part better. On top there is also a platform to lay on. I hope she will enjoy it.

I aslo ordered a cat carrier as I don't have one. It has two doors. One in the front and one that opens from the top.

I'm hoping that she will begin to come out more over the next month or so, so that when we need to go to the vet it won't be such a big deal.

I should probably start looking into traps as well, but I'm just going to see what happens this month. I do need to take Luna to have her spayed, but I'm just hoping that by the time this month is up she will be a little more trusting. I keep thinking if I could just pet her one time that would be it. I really think (or would like to think) she is just going to love to be petted. She wants so bad to come on out, but at the last moment she seems to think "What am I doing? I can't go out there."

So anyway that's about it. I hope everyone is doing well!!! Thank you all soooo much too! All the support everyone here have given me has been wonderful!!

 

[feralvr]

I am sure Luna will just love and appreciate her new condo/scratching tree! Cats love those perches. I, too, hope you won't have to use the trap to get her to the vet for her spay. Good idea to have one on hand anyway. I have a large trap and a small trap. Good to have on hand. Hope you have a nice evening with Luna

 

[ldg]

You definitey made a good decision with the crate.

It's great to have one that opens on both the top & bottom.

And even if she doesn't love the cat tree to begin with, she WILL love it. Cats are just drawn to them and love being able to lounge "up"!!!!!!!

 

[alexandrajames]

This morning Luna came out all the way again with me in the room!!!

I had been at my desk for a while and needed a refill of coffee. I get up and go around my desk and look down and there she was in the middle of the floor!!

We both just froze!!

I don't think either one of us was expecting what happened to happen!!!

She moved on towards where her litter box was as I was now blocking the entrance to her mirror. She was a little scared as she was walking really close to the ground. I was talking to her the whole time and she relaxed a little and theb sat up all nice and tall and pretty just looking around.

It only lasted a minute. I stood on up and eased myself towards the door and she made her way back to her mirror. I didn't want her to think I was going to eat her!

Right before I left for the morning I went to get some things out of her room and she pokes her head out from behind the mirror looking at me and watching me. She supervised while I cleaned her litter box once more. I guess she making sure I was doing it right.

This afternoon we played a little with the mouse and string.

She plays just like a normal cat, all except that she is hiding behind a mirror! She hasn't ventured out anymore this afternoon. I think her kitty condo will be here tomorrow. I also found a large box, so I've put that into her room. One of my previous cats loved playing in boxes, maybe Luna will too. At least it will be something new to explore.

Hope ya'll are well!!

 

[ldg]

I've known only one cat that didn't love boxes (and who knows what happened to the poor guy in a box, he's terrified of them!

).

But the added bonus of the box is that it gives her another hidey place, so if she's out and you get up, she doesn't have to worry about getting behind the mirror.

 

[alexandrajames]

Oh my gosh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Once again while talking with my grandmother about Luna I look down and there she is.

I had just sat out her wet food. She came out and started eating in front of me!!! Then she goes to in front of the door and just sits and watches and listens as I'm talking!!!

She is still out right now and has been for at least 10 minutes!!! I'm scared to move!!!!!!!

I'm so excited!!!!

 

[ldg]

So does your grandmother think you're nuts?

 

[alexandrajames]

Not at all!!!

It's actually my mother who thinks I'm nuts!

And when I say that I really mean it. She thinks I'm crazy for having Luna here. It's a subject we can't discuss anymore.

My grandmother has always had a way with cats.

Cats have always been drawn to her.

Every cat I can ever remember my grandmother having was a rescue. Several were found at the dump, etc. Once my grandfather brought one home from a store he owned because someone had dropped her off there. None completely feral though.

I don't know what it is about my grandmother but every cat she ever meets just loves her. It makes no difference if they aren't the most loving of cats, there is something about her that they can't resist.

She has never had a kitty like Luna, but loves hearing all about her, our steps forward and backward. I swear sometimes I think Luna knows who I'm talking to on the phone. This makes either the third or fourth time she has come out while I have been on the phone with my grandmother!

 

[ldg]

Aw, I'm sorry about your mom and Luna. I think if I told my parents about our rescuing our 8th, we might not be talking, let alone talking about cats... but I was pretty sure they were at their limit with our rescuing 7, so they don't know about Chum (yet).

But how very special about your Grandma!

I really wouldn't be surprised if being on the phone with her has something to do with Luna coming out! NOTHING about cats would surprise me at this point!

 

[feralvr]

Yes, I agree.

You have a wonderful grandma. And Luna knows how special she is when you talk on the phone about her. The kitties know when we are beaming with joy over them

. Glad you have your Grandma to talk too. Most of my family (except my sister, who is a cat lover) doesn't know about all of the cats I have rescued over the years and had in and out of my house. My parents can't even come over to spend the night because that guest bedroom is a foster cat room

. And my DH's family really thinks I am nuts. None of them have cats and the most they have is one dog, so I always tell my hubby to keep quiet about all of our "cat"capades