Just rescued an almost feral cat. Could it be domesticated?

[Anonymous]

Through a series of events, I found myself helping in a rescue of a cat who's hoarder owner had recently passed away. It took forever for us to find her, and even longer to dig her hissing self out of the sofa she hid in. The home was a mess- roaches and debris everywhere. Apparently the owner had doted on his previous cats, but this last one kept itself hidden from the few people who visited and didn't come into contact with any visitors. Given the state of the house, we wondered if the owner had actually interacted with the cat, or did he just put down more food and water and occaisionally change the litter box.
So, clearly I'm a know-nothing volunteer trying to do best for a cat, but not knowing what the best might be. She's at the vet for the weekend to get checked over, but after that we need to find a way for her to be safe. It's not even a question of finding a 'forever home': it's a question as to whether a snarling animal can be groomed to be a potential pet, or should we cut our losses and let her roam (spayed) and free?
Thanks in advance for any advice you may have.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Many such cats are quite ready to be tamed. Food, water, a safe calm and clean home and a clean litter box...you are already more than halfway there. You are a fantastic person, OP. Let your kitty explore your house and curl up and sleep in a calm warm sunny spot. She may want to be under the bed for a few hours or a day or two but she will emerge with some patience once she gets the vibe. Animals are extremely resilient.

Let us know how it goes.

[Anonymous]

Whatever you do, don't let the poor cat out in the freezing weather. It will perish.

[Anonymous]

My brother and SIL live at the end of a country road that seems to be very popular for cat dumping, so they've taken in a number of cats over the years. They've continued to provide food and shelter for all. Some domesticate and some don't. At the extremes, one has become a cuddly house cat, and another refuses all human contact despite showing up regularly for meals for maybe eight years now.

I don't think I'd just release the cat, as it will suffer. I'd give it a try, and if it doesn't work out I'd euthanize it.

Good luck to you, however it works out. You have a kind heart!

[Anonymous]

I adopted a cat who would not otherwise have been placed due to temperament. She had to have been semi-feral and could be very hostile. But, like 5:35 said, having a calm and safe home did wonders. It wasn't a fast process though. She turned into a cuddle bug who slept in my hair at night but it took a couple of years for her to get to that point. (She got much less hostile within a few months.) I have another friend who had a semi-feral cat for almost 20 years. That cat never did truly come around.

What you're doing is terrific, but I would keep an open mind about how long it will take for the cat to adjust. Don't rush it or give up too fast.

[Anonymous]

Cat professional here: I have worked with cat rescues, Alley Cat Allies, cat breeders. A cat that is feral cannot be domesticated. Ever. To become domesticated, a cat must interact with humans before the age of 16 weeks. If they are in the wild/ not socialized by people until then, they will be feral for life. Those cats can live comfortably outside for life, even in this weather. (Like a fox, squirrel or other outside animal).
A cat living with an elderly hoarder -- it is hard to tell whether they are really feral, or just have limited contact with people. It takes about 2-3 weeks to determine the status. A cat that will not come to you when you feed it after that time is probably feral. If it never lets you touch it -- it is feral. They will remain feral for life -- about 15 years. Feral cats do not make good pets. They tend to defecate in the back of your closet, or on your rugs to mark their territory. You can contact Alley Cat Allies and they will tell you what to do. You can also use google to double check this.

[Anonymous]

Even if the owner was a horder the cat was slightly domesticated, so don't give up on the cat as feral unless a vet or someone who interacts with the cat tells you to give up. If the vet who examined the cat thinks it's within reach, there's still a chance. If not with you, then place it with a shelter.

[Anonymous]

We successfully domesticated a feral cat who moved into our back yard with 4 kittens. (We also found homes for her kittens, who were very easy to domesticate.) It took a lot of patience but was worth it. The first step was just catching her and getting her (and the kittens) spayed/neutered and immunized. Eventually she spent about half of her time in our house and was really sweet with me and our child. When she was the slightest bit nervous (such as when guests came over), she would run to the door and cry until we let her go outside, where she was more comfortable. She had a dog house outside to use during inclement weather, when she would sometimes refuse to come in. Taking her to the vet was a huge challenge, and our discovery of the house call vet (there are now several in the area) was a minor miracle in our lives. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cat professional here: I have worked with cat rescues, Alley Cat Allies, cat breeders. A cat that is feral cannot be domesticated. Ever. To become domesticated, a cat must interact with humans before the age of 16 weeks. If they are in the wild/ not socialized by people until then, they will be feral for life. Those cats can live comfortably outside for life, even in this weather. (Like a fox, squirrel or other outside animal).
A cat living with an elderly hoarder -- it is hard to tell whether they are really feral, or just have limited contact with people. It takes about 2-3 weeks to determine the status. A cat that will not come to you when you feed it after that time is probably feral. If it never lets you touch it -- it is feral. They will remain feral for life -- about 15 years. Feral cats do not make good pets. They tend to defecate in the back of your closet, or on your rugs to mark their territory. You can contact Alley Cat Allies and they will tell you what to do. You can also use google to double check this.

People use the word feral in all different ways. This is an irresponsible post.

[Anonymous]

OP here- thanks for all of your replies. To be clear- when I say 'roam free' I meant that we'd let her decide if she wanted to go into our open air shed ( like a carport) with a bed/box and her food and water changed regularly, as opposed to accidentally traumatizing her by trying to introduce her to living in another house. I'll look up Alley Cat Allies as well as FOHA and anyone else we can think of on Monday. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cat professional here: I have worked with cat rescues, Alley Cat Allies, cat breeders. A cat that is feral cannot be domesticated. Ever. To become domesticated, a cat must interact with humans before the age of 16 weeks. If they are in the wild/ not socialized by people until then, they will be feral for life. Those cats can live comfortably outside for life, even in this weather. (Like a fox, squirrel or other outside animal).
A cat living with an elderly hoarder -- it is hard to tell whether they are really feral, or just have limited contact with people. It takes about 2-3 weeks to determine the status. A cat that will not come to you when you feed it after that time is probably feral. If it never lets you touch it -- it is feral. They will remain feral for life -- about 15 years. Feral cats do not make good pets. They tend to defecate in the back of your closet, or on your rugs to mark their territory. You can contact Alley Cat Allies and they will tell you what to do. You can also use google to double check this.

People use the word feral in all different ways. This is an irresponsible post.

Yeah I'm also really surprised by this post. I've known a number of people in real life who have cohabited with feral or fromerly feral cats. It can be done. But I'm not a professional so whatever.

[Anonymous]

"Feral cat" is a specific term. It does not mean "lives outside"

[Anonymous]

I domesticated an adult feral cat. It was biting / scratching wild at first - lived behind a business on a big road. Kept it indoors in a large kennel with a litter box for a couple of weeks, wearing gloves to feed it. Then opened the door and he gradually came out. Ended up being one of the sweetest and best cats ever. We let him go in and out because he did like to be outside. He came to say goodbye to me just before he died. Found me in the kitchen with a lit of meows. I didn't realize it at the time - but he was saying goodbye.

[Anonymous]

http://www.alleycat.org/FeralCat
definition

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I domesticated an adult feral cat. It was biting / scratching wild at first - lived behind a business on a big road. Kept it indoors in a large kennel with a litter box for a couple of weeks, wearing gloves to feed it. Then opened the door and he gradually came out. Ended up being one of the sweetest and best cats ever. We let him go in and out because he did like to be outside. He came to say goodbye to me just before he died. Found me in the kitchen with a lit of meows. I didn't realize it at the time - but he was saying goodbye.

No you did not. You rehomed an abandoned cat. The laws of nature did not change just for you. But you did a good thing providing this cat with a home.