Semi-feral cats!

[Emmajane88]

Hello

I've had the opportunity to take care of a semi-feral cat - he's a few months old, neutered etc and was on a smallholding in the country - the owners were getting rid of a few they had accidently. I know the articles, views and negative stories about this and trying to turn them into a more house-based cat, so looking for helpful advice here. I have the time and patience to put in.

Anyone have any tips or done this previously? He's new this week and is very quiet at the moment, not hissy or scratchy but staying in his crate (in his own room) and not really eating or drinking.

Any advice on soothing as part of this very stressful transition much appreciated! Positive news stories also welcome!...

Noted on the vets. Thanks for the advice. I hope so. Towel over the body to get him in the carrier? Whatever to minimise stress but I don’t think he’ll go alone!

Do you have a top loading carrier?

If not, upend your carrier, hold him under his shoulders and pop him in back legs first.

Eating while I was in the room. Very, very nervous but I was so surprised. Not brave enough to come and investigate me yet…do you think he will at some point?

Thats actually very good progress, its only been a few days. He will eventually - treats may help, I'm a great believer in bribery

Today he ate in front of us again - very nervous - but sitting at a distance. Tried speaking in the “food’s here” voice I use when coming in. Seemed to accept that. Then snuck back into his hiding place. Once I left I could hear him playing with a toy under the sofa.

I wish I could say “it’s OK, you’re safe, no need to hide!!”

Yesterday he came out as a lay on the floor and sniffed me which I thought was good progress but you’d never have guessed that today!

We adopted two semi-feral cats 10 years ago and they to us as indoor only cats.

They are still classed as semi-feral as we cannot pick them up but they are incredibly loving with us and have amazing personalities. We've only ever taken boycat to the vets as he had blood in the litter and he was so traumatized by it they've never been back (thankfully now on medicated food and had no other issues).

They are 11 now and have a wonderfully spoilt like with us. They aren't proper lap cats and we can't pick them up or cuddle them but that doesn't mean they don't show love in other ways.

We started them in their own room to let them get use to the new place and the sounds, then they were allowed in the rest of the house. They now basically have the spare room (with king size bed) as their room for sleeping in when we are not home but have the run of the house when we are home.

Very happy cats.

@ithoughtisawapuddycat that’s good to hear!

Mine is still in his room getting used to that. Whilst he’s still timid he does roll when he is about to have food or during play and “makes bread” (or whatever we say!) in the air. I take this to be positive.

What did you do to help yours settle/gain confidence?

This is the usual activity… lying under the sofa… rolling and flexing/padding his paws - some times chirping

That's all really positive, Emma, and interesting as mine did similar, lots of rolling around looking happy in view of us!

Ah! What was the next step @Yarnivore

I think this looks really positive. I fostered a semi-feral a couple of years ago and I didn’t see him for the first month. He was meant to be in a quiet room but made a dash for the livingroom and spent the month behind the Christmas tree, hissing and thumping the floor when anyone got too close. He came out at night to eat and use the litter tray. This was followed by a month sitting on the stairs, hissing and swiping as people went past. I would sit beside him and talk quietly, sometimes read aloud to him. I would put my hand nearer and nearer, day by day, until he let me touch him. The real breakthrough was when he discovered he loved being brushed, he had so much dead fur that needed to come out. Eventually he could be stroked and would come and sit next to me and ask for attention. He was adopted by a lovely man who wanted a companion and was willing to keep working on gaming his trust. Before and after pictures and one of the handfuls of fur that I brushed out!

Mine was (and still is!) completely toy obsessed so next steps for her was playing while we were there. Mine was quite defensive (claws and teeth) and quite hand obsessed too to start so we couldn't use toys on strings as she'd go straight for hands. Stroking was tricky as she'd go for hands but the rescue had made some progress and she liked being stroked while she ate. She still likes this and often waits to be stroked when she goes to her dish!

She's not interested in food at all, which made things harder as I couldn't rely on dreamies, but once I'd found a treat she liked, a dried liver thing, and used that to hand feed her and distract her that helped with bonding and reducing her focus on hands.

Trying to play a few times a day at similar times. Think there may even have been a purr at one point…

This morning I can see over the door (whilst out of the room) that he’s sitting under a different object (open desk) rather than in is hidey hole under the sofa. This could be as it’s near the window and radiator. Also caught him out of his main hidey hole twice in the last 24 hours when knocking and entering.

I take this as good and that he is starting to feel more comfortable in the wider room? He seems so desperate to be fussed but so timid when it comes to it.

Wanting to be fussed but not really being able to cope with it was definitely a thing for mine. She's a calico so has those bolshie tortie genes which have helped.

Hiding things around the room like catnip toys, balls and treats might get him exploring more when you're not there.

OP, I love your updates! It does as though your new feline overlord is making progress and that you are doing everything correctly.

I am sure that, given time, your new furry friend will be a loving companion.

It certainly sounds like he is getting more confident and will get there in the end. We were adopted by a feral cat a year ago. Similar to yours he was clearly fascinated by us and wanted to be friendly but very scared. It took 4 months before we could touch ours but once he discovered being stroked he couldn't get enough of it. He will now sit on your lap and grab your hand if your not stroking him with it. He gets more soppy and demanding by the day!

Thanks all! Yes I do hope so. He is a little more nervy today for some reason - it’s so funny how these things go back and forth. It didn’t help that he pulled something down in the room himself when we weren’t there and freaked himself out.

Has anyone used background music or anything to calm/minimise occasional external noises?

I wouldn't try to minimise him hearing normal noises, he should learn he's safe in the room whatever noises he hears, it will make it easier when he comes out as he will be used to the usual things he hears in your home.