🚀 go-pugleaf

On Mon, 19 Jan 1998, Kudzu wrote:

> I've had a cat that's lived in the sewer pipes near my
> home for several years now.  I no longer have my dog
> (see below) and now the cat has been getting nearer
> to my house lately.  The other night I could hear it crying
> out.  The cat is very skittish and at the first sight of a
> human it goes running.
> 
> Years ago when I was living with my parents, we had a 
> cat suddenly show up and 'adopt' us.  We fed it and 
> very, very slowly it came to trust us enough to allow
> us to handle him.  This cat, named JD, was determined
> to be quite old and apparently had lost the ability to
> acquire food on his own.  Eventually he even would
> come inside and respond to petting and some grooming.
> We thought that JD had probably been on his own
> for nearly all his life and it was really a joy to see him
> respond so positively to affection and have a secure
> home and family in the final years of his life.  JD lived 
> for many years before passing away.
> 
> Losing my best friend and companion this fall has been
> absolutely devastating.  Every now and then I'll discover
> one of her 'hiding' places where she'd stashed one of her
> toys and it really busts me up badly.  Sadie May was a
> wonderful, loving German Shepherd and her memory
> will be with me forever.
> 
> Anyway, given the above, I'd kind of like to try to
> get it across to this cat that he/she has a home with me.
> Does anybody have any advice on how to 'adopt' 
> a feral animal?  I'd really appreciate any feedback.....
> 
> k.
> 
> 
> 

I'm sorry about your loss. Anyhow, adopting a feral animal is very
difficult. It takes time, patience, and treats. There are a couple of ways
of going about this. The first is you can try to make friends with the cat
while it's outdoors. The positive of this is the cat can become friends
with you on his or her own terms and the sense of trust may come faster.
The negative is that while you are working to try to befriend this cat, he
or she can get hit by a car, attacked by another animal (including a sick
person), or contract some disease (if that hasn't already happened). 

If you worry about any of this then you may want to opt for the other
method. Tempt the cat to get close to you with treats. When it is within
arms reach grab it with a towel (the towel prevents you from getting
scratched or bitten), stick it in a carrier, and take it to the vet for
treatment. Then take the little guy/girl home and try to make friends with
him/her in the safety of your home. The advantage of course is that the
cat will be physically safe from harm. The disadvantages are that it will
take the cat longer to befriend one that s/he considers to be a kidnapper,
and you must catch the cat on the first try or you may not get another
chance. 

At any rate, I've found food is the way to an animal's heart, and given
that feral cats don't get that much to eat spoiling this little one with
"forbidden foods" is a good way to when its trust. Just be sure to cut off
the snacks once you have kitty's trust and have it indoors, and reward it
with affection instead. Hope this helps.

-jas

***************************************************************************

"Kittens are cute, but they wouldn't be so cute if they were bigger
than you. Then they could eat you."  -Deep Thoughts