Half wild cat attacked me.

[rainbowvalley17]

There’s a cat that’s been sleeping in my outbuilding. He seemed hungry so I’ve been taking food out every day for him. I think he’s feral because he hisses every time he sees me, not really used to humans I don’t think.

However yesterday after I’d fed him he pounced on the back of my leg and scratched me quite hard. It was scary because it was so unexpected. Luckily I had joggers on but even so he still managed to make my leg bleed. Now I’m frightened to go in there. My dh says stop feeding him and he’ll go away, but I feel sorry for him. Would I be unreasonable to stop feeding him, or carry on and risk being attacked again? What would you all do?

I think you need to get your scratch checked at the GP. My own cat bit me and I was given a course of antibiotics, which GP said was routine for all cat bites. I know it didn’t bite you but it is a feral cat and it broke the skin.

You sound so nice for caring about the cat. I would try to get a charity to take it, you can’t live in fear of going into your own shed.

Please be sure to contact Cats Protection, even if it takes a number of tries before you can get through, as if you contact the RSPCA the chances are the poor cat will be euthanised.

I had a semi feral who used to do this every now and again. It was over protection and impatience at feeding time with him. A year later and he was sleeping in the lounge; two years later he is a lap cat. Takes patience, time, gaining their trust through food & play and going at the cats pace to allow them to get used to you.

Don't take the attack personally and you're right to wear thick clothes while feeding him. Thank you for taking care of him

I adopted a cat that I think had previously been a farm cat, but no-one told me. He would attack if he felt threatened, by being to close to him, even if I was walking away. I always made sure not to look him in the eyes. I wore Wellingtons a lot.

Poor cat may have been treated badly.

I don't think this cat would suit " a forever family" as such. I know of a cat like this, rehomed in a stable yard to catch the rats and eat one good meal a day on top. He's perfectly happy, and not needed to be tame.