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Original poster

cats still feral after 2 weeks

35 replies

DualCycloneCod · 24/02/2008 09:25

after an honest chat wiht dh we are wondering if the kittens are right for us - they still ownt be handled and are very scared of us - despite our best efforts

are wondering that as we intend keeping a cta for dontkeys years, if we shoudl try a different cat - maybe older. The4se ones are so so cute but are lodgers not pets.

waht do you think

OP posts:
Original poster
DualCycloneCod · 24/02/2008 09:27

iota
vetty types

ehlp

OP posts:
bethoo · 24/02/2008 09:29

cats do tend to be more independant and are lodgers really. they are ungrateful but hey ho i adore mine. keep with it and over time they will be easy to handle. some cats are just not cuddly while others are. where did you get your kittens from? if from a breeder or home they should be ok. it is usually just farm kittens that are feral.

NomDePlume · 24/02/2008 09:34

My kitten (now 9mo) was friendly from day 1.

I do think that having 2 means that they don't necessarily feel the need to 'join in' and settle as strongly as singletons. I think they can become insular and rely on each other for company and play, whereas a singleton kitten will not have a readymade playmate and will perhaps be more likely to come to the new owners/family for attention.

Mine came from a CPL rehoming centre and was 10wks old when we got him.

Hassled · 24/02/2008 09:37

The problem with getting 2 at once is that they have each other - they have no real need to look to humans for affection. We got a brother and sister after wondercat died and had the same problem - took a long time (way more than 2 weeks) before they would voluntarily sit on our laps or anything.

Then the girl packed her bags and left and the boy became much more interested in us and we have well and truly bonded - and the kitten we got in September was found in a hedge and seemed very feral but has always been affectionate.

So I don't think 2 weeks is long enough to make a decision - the combination of there being 2 of them and coming into a busy house with kids etc will slow the bonding process down. Just handle them as much as you can while the house is quiet.

BabiesEverywhere · 24/02/2008 09:38

How long have you had them ? What is the biggest issue with their behaviour ?

I doubt they are true ferals, unless they are constantly hissing, biting and unable to be picked up at all.

Timid or unaffectionate cats can be trained down to be more loving over time. But this takes a lot of time and depending on the age of your children is this a good idea ? But if you are intending on keeping these cats for life, I bet they will settle down and become more family friendly, the most loving cats we have are the tamed down ferals.

We have tamed bucket loads of feral kittens (older cats will never tame down) and taken on several problem domestic cats...all pre-kids.

If they are just jumpy and run away,look scared etc, they should come around in a few months. I would definately advice using either a small room or a kitten cage so they have a safe secure area in which they are never bothered.

You could hand feed a deirable treat, we use to give strips of chicken breast to the very shy cats, that always worked very well.

colditz · 24/02/2008 09:40

Keep trying. My kitty was utterly feral for a good month, but now she is better, and I can stroke her and everything.

You need to capture them daily and make them submit to stroking and cuddles whether they like it or not!

NomDePlume · 24/02/2008 09:42

My older cat was 2ish when I got him (also from a rehoming place) and was horribly shy and frightened. He literally hid under my bed for the first 6 months and would shake and cower when anyone went near him. He must've been very badly treated.

After a lot of patience and small steps he trusted me and that was it, he was my best friend for life and VERY protective. It took about 12 months all in. When I met DH Alfie would growl whenever he (DH) came near me. He still sleeps inbetween us at the top of the bed now, 7 years on .

beautifulgirls · 24/02/2008 09:44

Have you tried a feliway diffuser - calming hormones that can help them chill out a bit. Worth a go before you make the decision to rehome them. Someone somewhere will have to love these kittens so you should think hard about whether or not rehoming them is the right thing to do - bear in mind if they are timid that they are going to be reset to 100% totally scared again from the time they go elsewhere.
It can take a lot of patience and time spent coaxing them. I agree that if they are not hissing and fighting you then it is worth persisting. It is probably their particular personality right now. Things often improve with time. Kitten cage may also be useful - just make sure you have a covered area within it (towels pegged onto it perhaps) that they can go to to feel more secure.

DrNortherner · 24/02/2008 09:57

I'd stick with it cod. My cat was slightly feral when we got her (born outside and lievd outside on a farm) She hissed at us for a few weeks.

Even now she is not a lap cat like my old 2 were, which saddens me - I love snuggling on the sifa with a purring cat. But she does jump on out bed for cuddles every night and if sprawled accros teh landing asleep we can step right over her witout her even flinching so I know she totally trusts us now. She is just different to what we expected - but still lovely!

redadmiral · 24/02/2008 10:08

Preparing to get my head bitten off for this, but having had 2 cats for years, one very afectionate and one not, when it was time to get cats again I knew I wanted ones with friendly temperaments for the children.
We chose two from a breed which is known for it's friendliness and playfulness (they are said to be more like dogs) and they have been SO fantastic.

They are more expensive at first, and some things like insurance are higher, but over even 10 years the initial cost is negligable.

www.lentin.co.uk/cats/

(Thanks for the Spanx advice - I'm a convert )

Original poster
DualCycloneCod · 24/02/2008 13:56

ohgod i wore my spanx last nght - ok till baout 11pm b which time iw anted them OFF

ta or ll teh comments

w e are doing enforeced cuddels today

OP posts:
NomDePlume · 24/02/2008 14:14

they are beautiful redadmiral.

Mine are both black mogs. I love black cats

redadmiral · 24/02/2008 17:51

Thanks NomDePlume. We got our kittens from that breeder - they are from the 6th litter if you looked at the pics. I know they're not to everyone's taste, but I'm potty about them. (They are a bit high maintenance though - def not low key animals.)

I shared a very sweet black cat once, but lost custody when we split up. Think in a way my fave type of cat would be a black moggie/siamese cross - think you can get all the best traits of both types then.

wannaBe · 24/02/2008 18:03

cod, when I got my two cats they'd been at the rspca since they'd been found as tiny kittens abandoned in a cardboard box. they were considered feril (sp?). They weren't hissing and spitting but were very timid and crawled in behind our kitchen unit within an hour of bringing them home and dh had to dismantle it to get them out .

We used to pick them up evry night and cuddle them on our laps and stroke them. They purred but were always keen to leave but we kept this up for several weeks. after about two weeks one of them started to come to me of her own accord and from there they got friendlier. One is much more of a lap cat than the other now, but they're both friendly now, and I've had them for about 10 years.

Keep going - you will get there.

Another thing I also found helped was having a jar of treats, and when sitting with the cats, rattling the jar then giving a treat, and within a couple of days the cats learned that the rattle of the jar meant treats were available.

good luck.

wannaBe · 24/02/2008 18:03

colditz did you ever find your other kitten?

Iota · 24/02/2008 18:04

I had a female cat that hated to be picked up and was really unfriendly.

All my other cats all been male and have all been very loving to me, but not always other people. My current cat loves everyone and likes to be where the action is (gate-crashes kids parties and the like)

I think it's a personality thing.

I hope you manage to win them over, Cod.

redadmiral · 24/02/2008 18:22

Do they play chase with string and toys - that's another way to win them over and get them more familiar with you. And treats - ours go mad for these
www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_treats_catnip/cat_snacks/64294

colditz · 24/02/2008 18:44

Wannabe

My other kitten turned up gravely injured with it's own collar a couple of weeks ago. the RSPCA had trapped it (armpit injury)

She was in fairly good nick apart from that festering sore, but my only option, financially, was to have her adopted by the RSPCA, because the treatment could have run into the hundreds, and as they said, she could go straight out and do it again as she is a farm cat and unmalleable!

They promised me they won't put her down, and I'm hoping she gets rehomed on a massive farm or something.

She was so beautiful, I cried my eyes out when I handed her over.

redadmiral · 24/02/2008 18:46

So sorry to hear that Colditz.

colditz · 24/02/2008 18:54

I must say, the fact that the kitten I did manage to hold onto would have kicked the crap out of Smokey was a major deciding factor.

Original poster
DualCycloneCod · 25/02/2008 09:13

we are really torntbh
i wonder if we shoudl hevae got a ocuple of old moggies

OP posts:
batters · 25/02/2008 09:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

systemsaddict · 25/02/2008 09:56

2 weeks really isn't long with new cats. If they weren't from a feral background they could just take a while to chill out and get to know you. I second everything people have said about associating you with good things, treats and play, especially if you can find a particular treat that they love. Not sure about enforced cuddles, that would have made ours worse rather than better - all ours have always preferred to be in charge, and choose when they come for cuddles.

Clicker training for cats can work really well too, they love learning to do things for treats and it can really help them to bond with you - here - sounds a bit bonkers and there's obviously not the same need to train them to come, sit and stay as with dogs! but my current high-maintenance rescue cat adores clicker training and it definitely made her much friendlier. It also impresses guests when you have a cat that shakes hands, waves hello and sits on the Liverpool FC mouse mat when you say 'this is Anfield' .... not to mention opens the cat basket herself and goes in on command

ShinyDysonHereICome · 25/02/2008 13:55

I find cats more cuddly as they get older.

I got my cat from my local RSPCA shelter when she was just over a year old....it took har another month I'd say to turn into the soppy, cuddly sweetheart that she is today

sophierosie · 25/02/2008 14:02

I got two rescue cats 4 years ago and both were quite 'damaged'. As we left the rescue place the woman said she didn't think she'd ever get rid of them as they were terrified of humans.

It took about 4 months for one of them to be happy being stroked. He spent the first months with his head hidden under the bookcase. The second one took slightly longer - I'd say about a year til he could be stroked. Even now he can't quite bring himself to sit on your knee even though he really wants to

We did try feliway and can't remember whether it made a difference but worth a try.

We just did lots of play and took things v slowly. Now they are the happiest cats in the world sitting in front of an open fire!

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