Jilly Boo I was just sitting here with my little Molly and Jilly Boo (2 young ferals we trapped this summer) in my lap tonight thinking of a comment someone made to me about how ferals were vicious. Clearly they have never taken the time to see life through the cats eyes. Living on the streets or, around here, at the dumpsters, there are many who I am sure are mean to them. They have no source of food or water and do not know who to trust as the one they did trust tossed them out. We trapped several this summer and so far all have eventually become very friendly. A feral after all is a domesticated cat that has reverted to wild ways to survive. It's true not all can be totally tamed. Stevie still peeks at me from under the kitty condo but even he lately has started to come towards me and even let me get within 3 ft of him which is a milestone for him. Still it doesn't mean he should not be allowed a chance to live out his life as most would suggest to euthanize ferals. Sully was as feral as they come when I first met him peeking from under a brush pile in the woods. Eventually within a year of me feeding him in our carport where he would sneak in at night to eat, he jumped into our sanctuary and never left. After catching him in the kitty house and getting him into a carrier to get neutered, I kept him up for a few months so he would get to know me. Still you can't keep them up forever and that spring I let him, Stevie and Paulie out. Paulie is very friendly now to me but hates to be picked up. Stevie hides although not so much anymore and Sully is a big baby after he got sick and I got him up again to give him meds. He let me pick him right up after going all summer and not letting me near him. After that it was like a light went off and now he's the biggest lap cat of them all.
This summer a man gave us Hoss, a big feral male he trapped. While he was in the cage the man kept picking at him through the wire and slapping the cage. Poor thing was terrified and I immediately told him we would take him for fear of what he would do to him if we didin't. I have been working with him for just a few weeks and we got him neutered. Unfortunately he was FIV+ and is now in isolation with Felicity, another feral girl we trapped. I thought I had really messed up taking him in. He did nothing but growl at us and you would have thought he was the most vicious feral of all. I used a glove on a stick to pet him for a long time. But now after he was neutered he has completely changed. He comes when I call him and hurries to get his neck scratched and is even rubbing on my leg now.
Its just amazing and so rewarding when they finally trust you. I cannot describe the feeling. As I give him a big pet under the chin I think of how that man told me " he will tear you up"! This cat was just scared to death and rightly so. If I even raised my arm he cowered down as if he was going to be hit. Makes me wonder what all he has been through. Felicity is a little ball of fluff and loves to play with the kitty string toy. Hoss is still learning and swats at it on occasion. He's still learning he can be a silly playful kitty and not worry about where his next meal is coming from or who is out to get him. It makes me wonder how many wonderful cats are euthanized each day in shelters just because they are deemed feral.
We trapped Jake this year and he was pretty ticked off about it! I thought to myself well this one for sure will not tame down. Then he started acting like he wanted petting but when you did would whirl around and try to slap you. Now that I've turned him out he's a different cat and comes running for a pet. I still have to watch him but he's not nearly as bad as he was. Goes to show how wrong I was. Its a shame more people don't take the time to work with ferals. I guess not everyone when faced with a snarling cat in a cage or a sweet docile one is going to pick the feral. But just seeing the transformation in these cats is amazing and I'm so glad I took the time to work with them. They have taught me more than I will ever teach them. I just give them kisses and tell them mamma loves her little vicious ferals!
For more information on ferals here are some links:
http://www.alleycat.org/
http://www.feralcat.com/
Below are some of our ferals.
This summer a man gave us Hoss, a big feral male he trapped. While he was in the cage the man kept picking at him through the wire and slapping the cage. Poor thing was terrified and I immediately told him we would take him for fear of what he would do to him if we didin't. I have been working with him for just a few weeks and we got him neutered. Unfortunately he was FIV+ and is now in isolation with Felicity, another feral girl we trapped. I thought I had really messed up taking him in. He did nothing but growl at us and you would have thought he was the most vicious feral of all. I used a glove on a stick to pet him for a long time. But now after he was neutered he has completely changed. He comes when I call him and hurries to get his neck scratched and is even rubbing on my leg now.
Its just amazing and so rewarding when they finally trust you. I cannot describe the feeling. As I give him a big pet under the chin I think of how that man told me " he will tear you up"! This cat was just scared to death and rightly so. If I even raised my arm he cowered down as if he was going to be hit. Makes me wonder what all he has been through. Felicity is a little ball of fluff and loves to play with the kitty string toy. Hoss is still learning and swats at it on occasion. He's still learning he can be a silly playful kitty and not worry about where his next meal is coming from or who is out to get him. It makes me wonder how many wonderful cats are euthanized each day in shelters just because they are deemed feral.
We trapped Jake this year and he was pretty ticked off about it! I thought to myself well this one for sure will not tame down. Then he started acting like he wanted petting but when you did would whirl around and try to slap you. Now that I've turned him out he's a different cat and comes running for a pet. I still have to watch him but he's not nearly as bad as he was. Goes to show how wrong I was. Its a shame more people don't take the time to work with ferals. I guess not everyone when faced with a snarling cat in a cage or a sweet docile one is going to pick the feral. But just seeing the transformation in these cats is amazing and I'm so glad I took the time to work with them. They have taught me more than I will ever teach them. I just give them kisses and tell them mamma loves her little vicious ferals!
For more information on ferals here are some links:
http://www.alleycat.org/
http://www.feralcat.com/
Below are some of our ferals.
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