# Those who've tamed ferals



## EllyMay (Dec 31, 2004)

Isn't it amazing to watch your feral develop into a housecat? It's been many years since I have tamed a feral and I am really enjoying watching Mikko come around. It's funny, the things that we assume that a cat will understand only to remind ourselves that an feral kitty does not know these things. For instance, the other day I pruned a large palm leaf off of my tree. Charlie was interested so I shook it for him and we played for a bit. Mikko curiously peeked around the corner...so I shook it for him, too. I have never seen a kitty so startled, lol. Poor guy, must have thought I was shooing him off. A couple of hours later I heard the palm leaf rattling inside of a big play box. I looked in and found Mikko playing with it all by himself.  It's so much fun to watch the lightbulbs go off, in his head, as he figures things out. Same goes for the scratching posts. He is learning, by watching Charlie.

He is still frightened by anyone who visits our house, but has become extremely social with us. So trusting and appeciative, too. He's already brought us a field mouse and several spiders. :wink:


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## Hippyhart (Jul 4, 2004)

I love Mikko -- he's the cutest! Glad he's bonding with you so quickly.


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## rosalie (Oct 9, 2003)

> Isn't it amazing to watch your feral develop into a housecat


Isn't it though! I've enjoyed every minute of my former ferals taming, I hug them and kiss them (they smell better all the time :wink: )
and tell them how lucky they are.
My foster kitten was a stray and obviously not a feral though he was dumped at their colony, he's different in many ways..since my other cat has been a housecat all her life I can see plainly how unlike the other their upbringings are..


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## Nell (Apr 7, 2005)

Aki and Hiro were ferals. We trapped them when they were 3-4 months old along with their sister. They had been living in some old storage sheds behind our apartments. We managed to catch 2 of them in a trap we had rigged up with a cat carrier. I'm sure the neighbors had thought we were crazy when they saw us out there waiting for them to go into the trap. 

They were so scared for the longest time and would rarely come out of hiding. All of the effort we put into them was definatly worth it, though. They are the sweetest cats. It took them a long time to come around, but now Hiro loves to be cuddled and petted (usually with my roommate, but I get the special privledge on occassion too.) Aki is still very shy, and rarely lets anyone touch him, but he is becoming more friendly every day. 
It truely is amazing to see how far they've come in the past year and a half.

Here's a picture of the boys right after we had first caught them. Hiro was so sick and skinny. He probably wouldn't have lasted another week outside.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I'm so glad you're making progress, and that you're kind enough to care for these cats.  All of you who care for ferals should be commended!


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## EllyMay (Dec 31, 2004)

Thank you, Hippyhart!

rosalie, yes he is smelling better all of the time, lol. I know what you mean!

Nell, your babies are so cute. What dolls.


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## lilalienangel (May 8, 2005)

I use lived in the harrisburg Pennsylvania area for a short while. A person I meant while I lived there had a pride of cats that lived around her house. Every year one of the mommas would leave 2 babies on her porch. Every year the babies died. She brought them to the place where I was at just to show them off. I asked if I could have them and she gave them to me. These kittens had all of their teeth but they were not weaned at all. They were also covered in little baby ticks and infested with earmites. They were so scared that on the way home one bit me and got away. We ended up having to take out the dashboard of the car to get it. When I came home with them I found my cat Picaso (that had been missing for months) in the box I made for her just in case with 4 kittens about 3 weeks old!! 
It took me hours to get all the ticks off of them. I stopped counting at 100 on one kitten. Then I gave them a flea and tick bath. I then medicated the earmites. I also wormed them to be on the safe side. Teaching them to eat wasn't to hard. I bought moist food and force fed them once. After the first bite both of them realized it was food and ate like pigs. Soon they were eating dry cat food readily. We lived on an old farm. We couldn't have them inside (because of the old farmer) I made a box for them an put it under the bus. I had them tame enough for new homes about 4 weeks later. It broke my heart when they pick those two up. At least I found them good homes where they would be loved and cared for....... 
:roll: 

Good info to know >>>>>>>>>>>>>>Everclear or I think it is called Gem in Maryland, removes ticks effeciently. It is a liquor that is illegal in some states. If you take a capfull of it and dump it on the tick it will release imeadatly. Also the everclear disinfects the tick caused wound. You then remove the tick with a pair of tweezers and use a lighter to burn the tick intill you hear a pop. It doen't take but a second. Everclear is very flammable.


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## Sweetvegan74 (Jun 18, 2005)

*(-:*

I love my former ferals! They make better housecats because they appreciate everything so much more!


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## Feral Fan (Feb 9, 2005)

*Re: (-:*



Sweetvegan74 said:


> I love my former ferals! They make better housecats because they appreciate everything so much more!


All three of mine are tamed ferals, and I love 'em to bits! In fact I don't know if I will ever again own a cat that did not start life as a feral. It is very rewarding to see them become happy little housepets.... and I maintain that all cats are quirky but a feral gets an extra does of quirkiness!


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