# Mixing ex-ferals and non-ferals



## Jet Green (Nov 28, 2005)

A couple of questions for you folks who have both ex-ferals and non-ferals in your kitty families: 

Do you let them mix together? Is this generally considered a good or bad idea?

Does it make a difference if only ex-ferals are established in the household first, and a non-feral stranger gets added later?

Do you let all your cats go outside, or only some of them? How well does that work?

Thank you!


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## Sweetvegan74 (Jun 18, 2005)

Well actually since they are both the same species (domestic cat) they all can get along together. The only difference is their upbrining besides that they are all spoiled house cats. 8) It actually depends on the cat herself. Some do not like other cats and prefer to be loners, others love kitty company.  Most former ferals are very kitty friendly since they lived in a colony. I do not recommend letting any cat outside unless they are on a harness & lead or a cat safe fence. It's a dangerous world out there 8O


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## Jet Green (Nov 28, 2005)

I definitely wouldn't let my ferals out either unless they were on a harness leash and I was with them. I'm afraid they would panic-bolt and I would never see them again. I haven't tried a harness on any of them yet, and I suspect they would NOT let me, but I'd like to try it someday so I can take them out on the porch.

My non-feral cats have always been indoors only too. There are all kinds of good reasons for this, such as cars, dogs, diseases, catfights, fleas, etc. But I've always had mixed feelings about it. Most of them would try to get outside all the time, and on the rare occasions when they succeeded, they seemed so happy to be playing outdoors. I do want to protect all cats. But just like with human children, I think sometimes it's better to balance the need for safety with the emotional well-being that comes from a little independence. Just my opinion, though.

I definitely think it depends on the cat. I wouldn't raise a cat indoors and then just let him or her run loose whenever. But if I took in a cat that had already been raised as an indoor-outdoor and seemed happy that way, I would be a lot more liberal.


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## Sweetvegan74 (Jun 18, 2005)

To give your kitties the great out doors without worrying about cars, dogs, mean people etc you can go with what I got, buy a cat netting for around your yard. Trust me it works. I have a cat named Clover, she was always trying to get outside and when she did it was merely impossible getting her back in. When the fence was put up she tried for about several days trying to find a way over the fence, she coudn't do it. It has been almost a year since the fence was put up and now she is just content to play in the backyard, she has both her freedom to explore and her health. :wink: 

http://www.catfencein.com/index.php


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## Jet Green (Nov 28, 2005)

Thanks for the recommendation! It looks like an interesting product.


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## Sweetvegan74 (Jun 18, 2005)

Your welcome! :wink:


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## jcribbs (Jul 13, 2006)

Ferals usually are submissive to their domestic counterparts... They go by cat rules and follow them... My ferals have never been in a fight with my domestics. Sometimes it helps ferals to aroud domestics because they see them getting petted and loved on.


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## Jet Green (Nov 28, 2005)

Thanks! I did try bringing in the non-feral kitty that I had been feeding on my porch. I kept him in a separate room from my other cats, but it was still too much for them to handle. They stayed outside the door growling; growled at us; started attacking each other. One was so straessed that he had diarrhea. We terminated the experiment after about two hours.

The non-feral kitty is now living happily with a friend of mine. I wish I could have kept him, but he's really better off where he is!


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## carolsclan (Jun 28, 2006)

I often let my ferals out of their room in the evening to smell the house and get used to "house" sounds and to smell my other cats . I confine my dogs and the non - friendly cats .

They have a ball playing with magic and the kittens .. and they are becoming less inclined to want to go back to their quarters


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## jcribbs (Jul 13, 2006)

That post right before mine reminds me of something. My ferals trust my dogs before me........hehe

My dogs love all the cats. I just worry about them stepping on babies if any are inside.......

But my ferals run toward the dogs if they want to get away from me.

it's funny how little kitty minds work.........


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