Feral or Not So Feral

As I said previously, I foster for the local animal shelter. A few months ago, I fostered three cats (or almost cats, they still had some kitten in them) who were found under a boat. They were scared to death of people. When I took them in, they immediately hid under the stove and refused to come out.

The shelter was not completely sure they could become adoptable. However, unlike some feral cats, they were not forwardly aggressive. In an attempt to pet them, two of them would shy away, the other might bat you with his paw. In an attempt to pick one up, you wouldn't, because you would be clawed. They did not attack people unless there were these close encounters.

Needless to say, though, they needed work. After a few days, they came out from under the stove in the presence of humans. They sat on chairs to be able to look out the window. They knew when treats were coming and got very excited, they even looked at you expectantly. On the surface, they were very comfortable around people.

It was the touching that got to them. They just didn't like it. After a couple of weeks, you could barely pet two of them. You had to pet softly and only do so on their side while they were laying down, not touching too close to their stomaches or face. The other one was untouchable.

After three weeks, though they were not perfect, they had to be returned to the shelter because I went to the hospital for an appendectomy (appendix removal). I felt very bad leaving the little guys earlier than needed. I went back to the shelter as a volunteer and worked very closely with them in their cage.

The shelter still wasn't sure about them. With aggressive cats, they send them to a farm where they can catch mice and play in the barn without being a worry for humans. They were tagged as feral.

Today they are unrecognizable. Two of them are on the floor, meaning they are out of the cage and roaming with other cats in an area where people can play with them at their leisure. They are still brothers, too. They are very playful together. You can pet them and they enjoy it. The one is still in a cage, but he loves to be pet, especially when it involves a good neck scratch. I'm sure he will be out of the cage in good time.

The moral of the story is that there is a chance feral cats can become socialized. They can become perfectly adoptable and friendly. It's good to note, however, that these cats were not aggressive to people, just scared and protective of themselves. There are cases of cats that are much too aggressive to be tamed. These cats came a long way, which might not be possible for everyone, but it's good to know. Personally, I love the cats. They are energetic and playful. They love string and toys, and carry both around in their mouths as trophies. It's great to see and I am very proud of them.

Here they are (their eyes are not normally so creepy). This was when they were still quite frightened. The one on the right is the most frightened. The one in the back, though he looks the shyest, was actually the first one we could pet.