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- Dec 15, 2016
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Hi. I'm from Estonia, and about two and a half months ago I took in a five month old cat whom I named Kafka. He's my first feral cat, as well as the only cat I own.
For the first two weeks he did little but hide, though he'd eat and use the litter box fine. Slowly more progress was made -- he began to play with me (after 2-3 weeks), and I discovered that he loves to play, as most young cats do (I tried to play with him from the beginning, but I suppose he was too scared then). I play with him a few times every day since. Then, while he'd be close to me as I played with him, I got to pet him a little. This was a while after, as petting him came slowest, and I still struggle doing it, since he'd cower in fear or run if I approach him, but I have more and more success when he's on my bed and he does enjoy it, even if he tries to avoid it. I've also tried to pet him while he'd eat. He has also eaten from my hand. Also: he sometimes comes on my bed and sleeps beside me. And when I wake up, he comes down from his usual place on the windowpane and stands by my bed and looks to me, waiting I assume for me to play with him, and feed him.
He seems to trust me, but he still has some feral tendencies which I wonder if they'll go away in time and if there's anything I could do to make him feel better. The first one is that, despite the trust (coming to my bed to sleep beside me etc), he still harbors plenty of fear. He quite often runs away if I stand up, or if I enter the room. And if not run, then he always seems afraid. More than that, he hisses at me, too, when I approach him (for example, to look out of the window when he's on the windowpane), though not always. He has never been aggressive, but the hissing sounds like a warming. I understand it's just fear, likely a remnant from his life as a feral cat.
He is overall a very curious and playful cat, and I hope to grow closer to him. But I don't have expectations. I don't expect him to become a lap cat, and I feel close to him already. But I wander -- as this is my first feral -- if this is good progress, and if his fears will be a question of time? I'm not impatient, but I'd like hear more from those with experience.
Thanks, and sorry for the lengthy post. Here's a picture of Kafka, from two weeks ago
For the first two weeks he did little but hide, though he'd eat and use the litter box fine. Slowly more progress was made -- he began to play with me (after 2-3 weeks), and I discovered that he loves to play, as most young cats do (I tried to play with him from the beginning, but I suppose he was too scared then). I play with him a few times every day since. Then, while he'd be close to me as I played with him, I got to pet him a little. This was a while after, as petting him came slowest, and I still struggle doing it, since he'd cower in fear or run if I approach him, but I have more and more success when he's on my bed and he does enjoy it, even if he tries to avoid it. I've also tried to pet him while he'd eat. He has also eaten from my hand. Also: he sometimes comes on my bed and sleeps beside me. And when I wake up, he comes down from his usual place on the windowpane and stands by my bed and looks to me, waiting I assume for me to play with him, and feed him.
He seems to trust me, but he still has some feral tendencies which I wonder if they'll go away in time and if there's anything I could do to make him feel better. The first one is that, despite the trust (coming to my bed to sleep beside me etc), he still harbors plenty of fear. He quite often runs away if I stand up, or if I enter the room. And if not run, then he always seems afraid. More than that, he hisses at me, too, when I approach him (for example, to look out of the window when he's on the windowpane), though not always. He has never been aggressive, but the hissing sounds like a warming. I understand it's just fear, likely a remnant from his life as a feral cat.
He is overall a very curious and playful cat, and I hope to grow closer to him. But I don't have expectations. I don't expect him to become a lap cat, and I feel close to him already. But I wander -- as this is my first feral -- if this is good progress, and if his fears will be a question of time? I'm not impatient, but I'd like hear more from those with experience.
Thanks, and sorry for the lengthy post. Here's a picture of Kafka, from two weeks ago