I adopted a feral cat.....sort of

[liberaltrucker]

Not long after I moved to PA, a big yellow tomcat
showed up. At first, all he wanted was food. Eventually,
he decided that the human (me) wasn't too bad, so he started
to "meow" when I'd feed him, but wouldn't let me touch
him. About a month ago, while he was eating, I stroked his
back. He flinched, but kept chowing down. After that, I can
pet him at will, even without food.

Which brings me to tonight. SO found a good deal on steak, so
there were some leftovers. Guess who was outside? He was in
kitty heaven. Suddenly, there was a faint "meow" from around
the building. He grabbed the bone in his mouth and hauled
ass around the corner. Guess he had a date!

I'd love to post a pic, but he won't sit still long enough.
And, BTW, I'm the ONLY human he'll get anywhere near.

I'm honored!

:)

[liberaltrucker]

1. A Lounge kitteh thread sunk like a rock

Whoda thunk. Ah, well.

:shrug:

[cherish44]

2. He sounds like a sweetie

I have a yellow tom feral tom cat friend too. He was very shy at first but now he purrs and jumps right on my lap whether I feed him or not. Oh I bet that kitty loved the steak...did he make a "num...num...num..." sound while he was eating?

I feed him and in return he guards my front door :)

[liberaltrucker]

5. That he did. With a very loud purr

:)

[stray cat]

3. Thanks for caring for the big guy!

[liberaltrucker]

7. My pleasure

I fear for his safety, but he is, for all
practical purposes, wild. He will NOT enter
the apartment. Runs when the door is opened
or if another human approaches. I'll always
treasure his friendship.

:)

[GoCubsGo]

4. Steak is a great tool for making friends..

Cat, dog, human...

It IS an honor to be befriended by a feral cat. Congratulations!

[Mrs. Venation]

6. Bertha and I Think

You rock out loud! Not everyone takes the time or makes the effort to take care of cats that might never bond with humans. Feral cats, and semi-feral cats, can have a really difficult time finding food and a warm place to sleep.

Thank you, liberaltrucker.

[liberaltrucker]

9. I can't claim to have taken care of him

I fed him and he learned to trust me. I'll provide
food as long as he comes around. I can't provide a warm
place to sleep, he runs away when I open the apartment
door. I would if he wanted though.

If I'm due credit for anything, it would be my lifelong
love for cats. If I can make just one happy for just a
little while, I smile.

:)

[Ikonoklast]

8. Please. You did not 'adopt' a feral cat.

He adopted you.

You had no choice in the matter, trust me.


Thank you for taking care of the ferals, winters are so hard on them...they need an enormous amount of calories just to maintain body temperature.

[liberaltrucker]

10. I stand corrected

I suppose TRAINED me is more specific. I don't mind.

:)

[WolverineDG]

11. I read a short story in which the two feral cats

were really spirit guardians....no one would offer them food, but this one family. Then all the homes got broken into & some people murdered except the one that took care of the feral cats. When the criminals were caught, they said that they couldn't get near that house because of the giant cats guarding it. Everyone thought they were nuts & they were locked up in the loony bin.

Whenever I hear the ferals jump on top of my roof, I think of this story.

dg

[KT2000]

12. the beginning of a

rewarding relationship.
I see a future for you two, three?

Are you saying that he was eating the steak leftovers and the meow came from another cat around the corner? You may now have TWO cats.

[Arugula Latte]

13. Thanks for helping the big guy!

:yourock:

I'm wondering ... Does he have a warm place to sleep? Winter's a comin' ...

[liberaltrucker]

14. So far, he refuses to come inside

If that changes when it turns colder, he's welcome to.

:hi:

[hamsterjill]

15. Aw, you're a nice person!!!

I love hearing stories like this. It reminds me that there really ARE good people in the world. Thanks for being proactive for him.

But, of course, I am going to ask you if you can now do even more! (You knew that was coming, right?)

It would be awesome if you could get this guy neutered. And if there is a local rescue group in your area, they probably have a trap you could borrow and may even have access to some free spay/neuter services. It would be worth a phone call to find out, right? At least this way, he's not making more babies to show up at your door (or someone else's), and there are enormous health benefits to having a free-roaming male fixed. It cuts down a great deal on their fighting with other toms.

In addition (damn, I'm expecting a lot, right??? LOL), it would be great if you could provide him something for weathering the cold. Feral cats will generally not enter a shelter (like a doghouse) because they prefer something with two exits. It's part of their natural instinct not to get cornered. But even if you happen to have a large cardboard box with a blanket in it, he might learn to go there for warmth.

Please know that regardless of whether you are able to do more or unable to do more, I still very much appreciate you taking the time to feed the guy and watch over him. Thank you sincerely!

[liberaltrucker]

16. I'm thinking of having him neutered

He'd need to be tranquilized, though. A friend of my SO
is a vet assistant and could do that. The doc she works
for occasionally does pro bono spaying and neutering
and she could probably get him to do it.

As far as the shelter, my SO thought of that. She's gonna
put a wooden box and an old blanket under the porch. that'll
keep the wind and rain/snow off him. I seriously doubt he'll
ever come inside-won't get within 5 feet of the door.

I enjoy helping the guy out. I'm just surprised that he
ever let me approach him.

:)

[hamsterjill]

18. See, I should've known that you were already ahead of me!

Good for you. He's lucky to have found you.

[Arugula Latte]

19. I mean like an outdoor shelter ... Maybe a waterproof box w/ bedding?

:hi:

[liberaltrucker]

20. Got it covered

See #16

:hi:

[Arugula Latte]

21. Oh, cool!

She could cover the outside of the box w/ plastic sheeting to help keep the damp out.

:hi:

[joeybee12]

17. Good for you...but if he meows and lets you pet him, he's a stray....

..must have had some human contact. I have a feral colony and the real ferals never make a peep and are very skittih...the abandoned ones will get closer as they get used to me.

Glad he's being fed, but check around for free clinics to get the guy fixed...he's gonna go looking for it otherwise and you don't want any kittens born ourdoors...the survival rate for those little guys is dismal. Good luck.