maxxcolt
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After 7 months, today my feral/stray made contact.
She showed up under our shed last fall. We've been feeding her and built several shelters to get her through the winter.
Earlier this year she finally moved into a box we put on our back porch. In March she gave birth to 2 kittens that didn't make it.
We did a TNR in May and had her spayed and vaccinated.
She's always been very skiddish, but we constantly talk to her when putting food out. Yesterday she got close enough to sniff my hand before running away, so today was a bit of surprise when she came up and started rubbing up against me.
ErniesWidow
To me, the most exciting thing in the world is when a feral cat you've been caring for makes physical "First Contact". Good for you.
DefinitelyaHumanNotanAlien
You belong to her now.
KissMyAshhole
After having to put my first cat down that i had less than a year, i find myself not wanting another cat. It's too hard...
eromitlab
Earning the affection of a cat is just the best feeling.
stonerhino
Loving the scritchies.
milkshakaman
that300ZXguy
You have finally earned her approval.
Feralkyn
Skittish* OP but that's awesome!! Thanks for taking care of her!
tuxedobob
*skittish
cappun
aw you're good people
volcabsol
Fantastic work OP, thank you for your compassion and care.
flash71491
Good job, you're being domesticated
Erutanmi
She’s in heat, that’s definitely why.
Gr8OldOne
Thank you for having her fixed!
Gcleff
Powerhausen
I find that getting down to their level, so you don't tower over them, is the best way to engender trust in a cat. Try laying down.
Hero341
She owns you now
howcansomeonepossiblyhavethesameweirdusernamealready
I've found once you make that 1st contact & they realize how good scritches feel, they immediately want all the pets & love. Congrats and
bronx72a
I think that’s how all this started.
howcansomeonepossiblyhavethesameweirdusernamealready
thanks for giving her a safe place to stay!
superbro2211
We humans are meant to give animals scritches
oscar46
You now have a new owner, enjoy.
JustSomePersonThere
Good shit
StabbyMcMurder
Won't be long till she comes inside.
erischilde
This is a massive moment. You're right, if she ever chooses inside, but trust is there now and it would be a lot easier. <3 I'm so happy.
Oultnil
That's what she sa-.. No, wait... He? Hmm...
Perkunas687
Por que no los dos?
Oultnil
Allebei? Ja, allebei.
fiveclovers
Couldn't we a pull a Britian and just drop off truck loads of strays in Yosemite or the like? Safely, of course.
Bigbadtacomuncher
Oh no the kitties.
lizardbones
its common among stray cats. vary rarely do the get enough nutrition to rear kittens
FizzyBacon
+1
Icantbelieveitsnotbutlers
Good on you for TNVR! I'm doing the same; TNVR for mom, and I'm going to foster the kittens and find a home.
whsdd123
Domestication skills maxed
eatassskatefaster
My aunt does this with a lot of cats, to the point that her property has essentially become a hot-spot for the local strays -
eatassskatefaster
Her washing room is now also a cat hangout with several cat-flaps and central heating, alongside some 16~ cat beds.
cking1
An orange lady cat?! SQUEEEEEEEE
Iloveanonymityandilovebeingnoticed
Orange females aren’t quite as rare as people think. There are a few if you look on petfinder, but no male calicos.
TAMUhowdy82
My orange long haired female turns 18 next month! Best cat ever!
bigblindguy
I like orange cats the most cause they look like tigers
gomibushi
They may look pretty, but they* are rabid tigers trapped in a cat body. *overgeneralizing,
GrimmyChims
I had an Orange Lady named Seppe. She was truly rare.
Incidentally
My little Jinjur was born deaf, we'll undersized, and orange. She couldn't hear herself meow so she was the loudest little thing.
flemkin
We had one that was the most loving little thing. Rare and shocking to vets that expected her to be a nightmare.I miss my little Clementine.
PiccChicc
I had an orange/ white longhair female... Pouncer, lmao. My mother killed her by purposefully letting her outside. She was an indoor cat /
PiccChicc
Her entire life and all it took was that one time to never see her again.
Gaumont
Point for name
ClowderKing
I have an orange girl and she’s a sassy brat! I love her so much though, she’s got fire in her veins and won’t take crap from my other cats
Gra55hopper
Awesome name +1
Defecakes
How’d you get a TNR and have her vaccinated if she only made contact yesterday?
maxxcolt
we have been feeding her on our back porch since last year. we set a cage trap and put the food inside. trapped her and dropped off at (1)
maxxcolt
vet for services. picked up and released her to back yard. we talk to her when we feed but she always ran away and would come back (2)
maxxcolt
to eat after we go back inside. over time she would run shorter distances and return sooner, so we just basically built up her trust. (end)
flamingflamingo
Feral =/= stray. Ferals are afraid of humans because they've never had human contact.
maxxcolt
True. To our knowledge she's about 1 year and has always been outdoors. my kids reported seeing some cats in backyard near the shed (1)
maxxcolt
we saw 3 - grey, black&white, and her....she was smallest. other 2 come and go and she was living under the shed, so we started feeding (2)
maxxcolt
to make sure she was eating we moved food to back porch so our cam would see who was eating - we actually had about 5 cats stopping by (3)
maxxcolt
Early this year she moved to box on porch and we could keep better tabs on her. In March she disappeared for 2 days and we found her (4)
maxxcolt
back under the shed with 2 kittens. she wouldn't let us close, and returned to porch 2 days later. we found dead kittens at the shed (5)
OrkenMork
I think she want's to settle down and live in a house.
kennerly
Gerald don’t do great indoors. It’s better to try to get them to take up residence somewhere they have unfettered access to the outside.
GeraltsUnpaidIntern
This is a myth, I volunteered at a shelter and the former ferals did better inside, plus didn't get killed or kill wildlife.
Pr1meKn1ght
I've had a few Geralds come into the home, and they all adapted very well. Much like Matthews each one is different.
missymischief13
Lol tell that to my 4 street kitties who are indoor only now…
Kehy
I've acquired former ferals. It's just a matter of mutual understanding of boundaries and needs and heaps of patience
Longbowgun
Cats live longer indoors. https://pets.webmd.com/cats/features/should-you-have-an-indoor-cat-or-an-outdoor-cat#1
Arcticstorm141
Yeah, but it's a bit different in some cases, is what the guy is saying
thatsonefuckingnicekitty
Yeah, Gerald is a little bit weird.
peachyrae392
Leave them to live outside, but the shelters and food are perfect idea. You'll need consent to spay Gerald though, so raise it delicately.
kennerly
Sigh… ferals not Gerald
Superchief86
Nope, they are Gerald cats now. So it is written.
Kehy
There's a difference?
bigbabyjesusicantwait
Eh, him too probably.
SocialEme
OP needs to name their new resident as Gerald now, no other choice.
BigDogStan
stja
No, no. You shush. I like Gerald better.
ThereAreManyOthersLikeItButThisOneIsMine
I dunno, my feral has taken to it really well. He does get cranky if I keep him inside all the time, but he seems fine with the...
ThereAreManyOthersLikeItButThisOneIsMine
...compromise of supervised walks. He actually hops on a table, starts purring, and waits for me to harness him when I pick up his leash
Onsvaltti
Harness walks are way better than letting them just run there wild ? you are a good person.
mcglirkymeow
Not true. I rescue ferals, tame and acclimatize them to living inside. They do just fine. It’s an old wife’s tale that they don’t do inside.
undeadlemur
Yep, they just take a bit more time usually
shinagami091
Spaying and neutering probably helps
mcglirkymeow
Again, old wife’s tale. It makes no difference.
gnomestress12
I would imagine the change in hormones would have some impact at least.
basiccricket8444
I mean he should probably still do that though