Taming feral cats

[jessmarimba]

Anyone have any luck with this? I have one that will let me touch him as long as he doesn't think I'm going to scruff him. He actually tried to come in my house the other day as I was going back in.

The other one I call Ninja-kitty - she will eat in front of me as long as I don't budge (or look her in the eye) and won't move if she sees me looking at her (I have to close my eyes, then when I open them she's a few feet closer, but sitting the exact same). She climbs up on the roof and comes looking for me in the morning if I sleep in, though (it is so cute to wake up to the little pair of ears out my bedroom window).

They're both fairly young, and I'd like to get them fixed and socialized but I don't know how much of a project I have ahead of me.

[bmccasland]

It took me a couple of months to get a feral kitty to warm up to me. I'd continue what you're doing.

[jessmarimba]

Just thought I'd share some photos of them, b/c they're cute The orange tabby was born in February or March, if I remember right. He's super-curious and fascinated by my cat, who is easily 3 times his size and oblivious of his presence.



The tortie is Ninja-kitty, she is maybe a year older than he is. I'm pretty sure they have the same dad (there is a gray tomcat around with the same white chest and socks) but their moms were sisters. She babysat him when he was a kitten and pretty much still keeps him in her sight, no matter how scared she is.



Edit - he's making a pretty silly face in that second picture. He spits out all of the orange food pieces until that's all that's left, then eats them b/c he's still hungry. Sorry cat, ferals can't be choosers!

[indysteel]

I'm currently feeding several ferals myself. Even if you approach to socializing them is slow, I would get them spayed/neutered ASAP. Otherwise, you're going to have kittens to care for, too. Good luck!

[Biciclista]

yes, you can tame feral cats. My wonderful cat Enza was feral. I trapped her when she was 4 months old and she came around slowly but surely. The best way to tame a feral of course is to trap them and isolate them (like in a bathroom or a large cage). But the way you are doing it will work too, especially with some cats. You do need to trap them to neuter them, or you will have 8 feral cats by spring.
THere are some videos on youtube that can help you with this as well.

[ttaylor508]

Please be careful around feral kitties. My husband had several feral cats around his work and one of them bit one of his co-workers. The poor kid ended up with a red line going up his arm that night and spent most of the weekend in the hospital getting IV antibiotics. I had no idea a cat bite could be that serious.