How to Tame a Feral Cat - Love + Food + Shelter + Patience = Happy Cat!
But as it goes, plans are not
carved in stone, and on a summer’s day in my backyard last year, my hubby and I
spied a little white and black kitten.
We assumed it belonged to a neighbor, but it would not let me get close
and was curled up in my fountain on a hot day.
We would see it in our backyard
each day and as I tried to approach it was terrified. After asking neighbours I realized that this
kitten was on his own and was basically feral.
Most likely born to a feral mother under a porch or somewhere, but this
little guy was not doing so well.
Little Moo Curled Up in the Fountain!
He Thought Bird Seed was on the Menu!
Fast forward a couple of
days, and he was desperately trying to eat seeds from the bird feeder and I
could see he was skinny. I assumed about
3 months old. I told my hubby, we can’t
ignore this.
I put out a plastic dish of
my own cat food at the back of the garden and as soon as I left he inhaled
it.
Do Your Research - Reach out to a Feral Cat Organization
Food and Shelter First
My hubby has a garage tent
that we realized he was sleeping in as he would rush off if we entered. Living in Ontario, Canada, we have some
pretty cold winters and I was not having any luck getting close to him.
We decided this was a project for us, and we
purchased a large litter box with a lid that we transformed into a
shelter. We filled it with critter
bedding and placed it in the spot he was using in the garage tent. You can purchase specialized Feral Cat Shelters online. Example below.
✅ Outdoor Feral Cat House
✅ Outdoor Feral Cat House
✅ Outdoor Multiple Cat Shelter - Perfect for Ferals
Don't Use Towels - Use Straw or Special Critter Bedding
Don't Use Towels - Use Straw or Special Critter BeddingYou can purchase specialized feral or outdoor cat houses online, but if you are making your own as we did, you can fill with straw.
Towels may start out soft but
if the cat snuggles into them when they are wet the towel will freeze and hold
the moisture. We were not going to heat
this space, so it was important that we not use towels or blankets. Use straw or critter bedding that can wick
away the moisture and keep their body heat in.
You can purchase feral cat
houses, with heat in them, but it depends on your level of investment and what
you can afford. It was not practical for
us to use heat, so we did the best we could.
Straw is Ideal Outdoor Pet Bedding
Food Shelter
He preferred to eat outside,
and so for the beginning of fall we overturned a wheel barrow and leaned it
against the wall and gave him 2 bowls, water and food and the barrow kept the
weather off of it.
Feed at Same Time Each Day if Possible
As he was young and I worked
from home I was able to put food out about 8am and then again at 6 pm. Within a few weeks he got used to this
schedule and would be waiting near the feeding station at these times. He would still run away when I got there but
watched me carefully from the hedge.
Move the Feeding Station Closer to the House Every Few Weeks
As winter began to set in, we
moved the wheel barrow closer to the house to make it easier for me to get out
and feed him. He was not impressed at
first, but this worked. He got used to
seeing my own cat at the patio door and slowly became less afraid.
As the temperature dipped we
did worry about him, but my hubby would check his covered bed within the garage
tent and added an old quilt over top to add insulation. He seemed to thrive and grew a thick coat
although still quite young we would see him play in the snow. I felt better knowing his belly was full
enough he could play like a kitten.
You need to find a way to
keep them out of the wind and the elements especially in the winter, but the
feeding station was quickly becoming an issue with the heavy snow.
The Wheel Barrow Shelter With Moo Eating during a heavy winter
Finally come early spring,
Moo (we named him) was right up on the patio door ledge. So I decided to take the plunge. I stopped feeding him outside. He missed a meal because I didn’t come outside
and I put the wheel barrow away, so he was hungry enough to come closer.
Moved Feeding Station to Just Inside the Patio Door
It was a super frosty day,
and his little nose looked bright red. I
opened the door a crack and instead of running away as he does, I put tinned
food in a bowl right by the door. I am
sure my furnace was not impressed but finally, half his body came in, and then
the rest of him and I slowly slid the door shut.
He panicked at first, but was
hungry enough to put up with it. I didn’t
touch him, and as soon as he was done, I quickly opened the door and gave him
some treats.
Moo checking out the house for the first time!
Will Always be an Outdoor Cat
He stays close and doesn't venture far from out yard.
It can be hard to totally
tame a feral cat. We were lucky because
he was quite young when we first met him, but he was not equipped to hunt or
feed himself. As much as I was not
ready for another cat, he chose us that day from all the other yards.
Finally I Picked Him Up - He Was Light as a Feather!
He
let me do that and scratch his neck. I
have a chair in the kitchen near the door and after he eats I sit him on my
lap. I keep trying to pet and pick him
up every day to get used to human contact.
Food Scheduling is Most Important When Trying to Tame a Feral Cat
In my opinion, sticking to a
feeding schedule as much as possible is the best place to start. You can live trap feral cats and there are
organizations that will fix them and house them into feral communities, but we
decided we wanted this kitty as he was a loner from the start.
Next is Veterinarian Time!
He
will then be neutered and all shots. I
couldn’t have done this until now. We
figure he is about a year old right now, so this way he can be checked
out. They have been warned he is “semi
feral” so to keep him sedated.
The day he laid down on the inside door mat in comfort and ease!
Training Will Become a Bit Easier Once Neutered
✅UPDATE JULY 2017 - We successfully got him into the carrier when he thought he was getting food the morning of Jun 16/17. Surprise works the best. He was neutered and sent home.
Best thing we did because once neutered and not being controlled by hormones, he became even friendlier and much easier to train.
Fixing a cat, is a good step
in the training process, it will stop them from wandering looking to mate and
getting beat up by other cats and spraying.
This year we plan on taking the garage tent down, so will have to set
him up with a kitty door in the shed or invest in a feral cat house. I feel he is comfy enough that he will go with
the flow. His world is our backyard and
inside the kitchen and I am happy with that.
I am now officially a Cat Lady! as We picked up another cat, so here are all three at the door including Moo!
Moo was worth all the
Work. He is a beautiful kitty.
✅UPDATE!! as of July 2017
He started this 2 weeks ago, and now quite often has naps on the couch. HUGE CHANGE. So I feel we were successful in saving this tiny ball of starving fur we discovered in our yard last year that hated people! Getting him neutered helped totally. Now her purrs and looks for loving pets!
I regularly pick him up and he loves it! SUCCESS!
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