Feral cats!

[meme]

Hi, I posted here not to long ago about how I was feeding the feral cats, and I got a paw print from them with some dough. In order to make sure it was acually a cat eating the food at night time. Well about 2 weeks ago I saw the mother and her kitten waiting for their food in my front yard. I came and put the food out at my front step. Thay let me watch them from the window, but they were definately wild....so I thought. After about a week of window watching. I decided to go out and sit on my front step. That night they came and ate the food next to me. Every day I eased closer and closer, but I never thought they would let me pet them. Last night I sat right next to the food, what do you know the kitten was letting me pet its head! I took it really slow with the mother, I did not want her to bite me. I let her smell my hand, and when she got scared she would just back up , besides biteing. She as well let me very slowly touch the top of her head. Once they completly trust me, I plan to get the boy kitten neutered, and the mom spayed. I am so happy that they let me pet them. I never thought it would happen. They seem to only like me though, because they are used to me if anyone else comes they act like complete ferals again.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I used to rescue cats and feral cats, and one summer ended up taming about 14 ferals aged 6 weeks to several months old. If you go slow and are nice to them sometimes they will tame down, but not always. I was able to get all 14 vaccinated and neutered and found homes for them all, but it worked out better than normal because they were so young. The younger the better. I have a "feral" cat now that lives in my house with me, he is super sweet to me, but not to anyone else. The thing with ferals is they usually bond with one person only. I had rescued another feral mamma and the lady who's house she was at was able to pick her up and pet her etc, but I was never able to, not in years of being around her. Sometimes it all depends on the cat. Glad these ones are bonding to you! Take care of them, they need our help.

 

[meme]

Wow! You tamed 14! Thay really do need our help. You are exactly right, the younger the better. I am worried that the mother may already be pregnant again. Once they settle down, I plan to get them spayed and neutered. I would feel bad though killing the kittens if they were far along. But it is better than having all of her kittens re produce, and end up with tons of ferals. I think that is the case with these two ferals, they only trust one person, me. I am the one who sits out there with them every night for at least an hour. We have three rescue houes cats from the animal shelter ourselves. They are big love bugs. All three of them are spayed and neutered. They love to watch the feral cats through the window at night time! I will try and post some pictures tomorrow of the kitten and the mother. Thanks

 

[meme]

Here are some pictures from tonight:

Sorry they are so blurry. They didn't like the noise that the camera made, so I had to take far away pictures.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Aww so cute. Poor things, I feel so bad for feral kitties, they have such a hard life. And yes I tamed 14 in one summer, there were two feral mamas that both gave birth right around the same time. Fortunately all of them tamed down into "regular" cats, even the older ones.

And yes please spay and neuter!

 

[meme]

I will definatly get them spayed and neutered. That was so nice of you to help the feral kitties. Here is a very informative sight that I found online, about cat body language.

http://www.catster.com/cat-behavior/cat-body-language

If you look at the different tail possitions, from what I can see in the picure of the mom and the kitten together. The mom cat is amicable, not fearfull, or aggressive. The kitten is either, friendly and content, non-threatening, unsure, derisive, or very happy to see you based on the possition of it's tail. I have also been looking at how they hold their ears, and wiskers. In the pictures, their ears and wiskers seem to be more foward. They both seem to be very submissive. Wich one do you think the kitten is, with it's tail? Thanks

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Both of them look like they will be eventually willing to come up to you. Neither look fearful or aggressive.

 

[Animallovers1]

They are pretty cats. Its nice that they were Abel to find a resin to take care of them

 

[meme]

I have been getiing closer and closer to them every night. They seem to be getting more used to me day by day. I am very glad that they do not look fearfull or aggressive! At first I was a little worried about aggression, but these ferals do not have it in them. The mother does get a little bit anoyed with her kitten, and smacks it acrost the face as well as some hissing. Luckily she has never done that to me.