Taming A Feral Cat- Oliver's Story

[@MichaelKalb-vn6gg]

So darn adorable they are. Oliver and Otis are a hoot and Stanley seems so chill.

[@bpgk2007]

I have 4 feral cats living with me currently. I have had them for 6 months now and it has been a process. They went from not being willing to even move around me to now being willing to take food from my hands and approach me on their own. They still do not allow me to pet them but I can touch them a little and they will hang out near me.

[@AnnesAnimalRescues-lu1db]

You have patience. I wish more people were like you.

[@VoodooKitty]

Thank you for what you are doing. I volunteer for a rescue in Australia and have recently taken in a 1-2 year old male feral cat to try and socialise him. Hes not aggressive, but he does shut down when I walk in to his room (we have him set up in an onsuite bathroom) hes just so sweet and scared right now, but I have patience and Im stubborn, so hopefully one day we will be able to earn his trust. Im in no hurry.

[@Tina-qp7py]

Very good advice. I've rescued strays but not any feral adults. Only kittens from a feral mom. They were easy to take care of. Now I'm catless watching cat videos wondering if I should get one.

[@josephbelanger5053]

I love this lady and her good work. I do not need to listen to her prattling on and on. I know what feral means. Don't need a ten minute puppet show.

[@brendaford4920]

Otis looked at you straight away when you said his name at 12:37, that’s a happy and content cat for sure. Oliver and Stanley are both lovely cat too. You’ve done well to introduce two new cats to Stanley’s home and have all three happy with no ongoing power struggles.

[@AnnesAnimalRescues-lu1db]

We were really lucky that all three cats got along and accepted each other without marking and spraying for dominance. They all pile in and sleep together in the cat beds.

[@Clover-ec8vl]

Thank you for saving Oliver ❤ and all the hard work, making sure to keep all your cats stress free. Great job!

[@carolb9234]

I took on a feral cat in 2017, Christmas Eve as a matter of fact. I live in Michigan and it was one of the worst snow storms that year. In 2018 I trapped him and had him fixed and tipped. Fast forward, I was able to pick him up and sit with him on my lap. This took 6 years!! Unfortunately, I spoke to him one time recently trying to pick him up and he stays a bit clearer of me so I'm not able to put the flea medication on him but I can't open the door now and he will come in and eat but we'll leave right after. He's always had an outdoor heated house as well as a hutch to eat in. One day I hope to get him in.

[@pandalover3556]

I we have trapped 3 feral siblings and 2 of them have adjusted very well but 1 is still very shy. He allows you to pet him for a few seconds but he’ll tell you when enough is enough.

[@AnnesAnimalRescues-lu1db]

Thank you for being one of those folks that give these ferals a chance at an indoor life. Our ten year old feral female is still too scared to be touched.

[@ariana42]

Thank you for the tips and super awesome cat videos...! I have a little tortie or calico, not sure whats the diff? She loves hissing at me so I call her Sassy, been feeding her wet, now dry and she is so hungry she eats the dry right up someone told me once you go wet food thats all they want. I am leaving next week so my mom is coming to feed her I want to do the catch and release to have her spayed, treated, and released. It is a late summer here so I am worried about when it does get cold, just gets wet here no snow....she does go somewhere sometimes but she is starting to spend most of her days in my backyard napping and waiting for me to feed her in the am/pm. I am allergic to cats so I was not planning on an indoor, am I doing more damage than good? She kept coming around at the beginning and I felt bad for her I started with the small cat food in plastic called soups or something like that, she licked the bowl clean scooting everywhere so I just kept on feeding her...I did buy a cat toy and willing to provide her outdoor comforts...kind of mixed emotions here on how to help her

[@oanadevera5570]

I have a cat who came to me as a feral and who is now the sweetest , most lovable cat I’ve ever had. A year later he’s still an outdoor cat because I have an indoor cat who is not fond of the one I domesticated. Do you have any advice on how I could bring him in the house to live peacefully with my other cat? Is it true that some cats who grew up as ferals will not want to be inside all the time and will try to get out? Also, any advice on moving with outside cats?

[@FarrahB1]

What size the cage you use?

[@lanialost1320]

Thank you -- this is such a heartwarming story, Anne. Just one question -- is it necessary to cover the cage with a sheet or quilt for a few days or weeks to keep you new feral feeling less exposed during the early stages of the taming process?

[@zelliehtrue]

I rescued a pair of ex feral siblings and I covered the cage but I also kept it in the main room because I was in a studio flat at the time. In the end I think this helped because they got used to me very quickly. The first time I opened the cage and left it open was at night so they could explore and that also worked well. After a couple of nights they were running and playing over me all night lol

[@MaricelaGaribay-s8n]

😢