The taming of Mr. Cat is progressing.

[Ocelot II]

I've posted about him several times before. He's a young brown/gray tabby, not neutered (yet). He showed up on my front porch early last spring, found him sleeping on a padded porch chair. The porch is covered, so he could get out of the rain and snow, and the chair has a comfortable cushion. But it was still cold and snowy so of course I put a pet bed heater on the chair and started setting out food. At first when I came out on the porch with food for him, he'd hide under the chair and wait to eat it until I went back inside. When it warmed up I took the heater away and put out water as well as food (when I saw him drinking out of the bird bath). Gradually he became less shy and instead of hiding he just waited in the chair while I dished up the food, and would start eating before I went inside. Then he'd come to the food bowl while I was filling it, which I saw as progress.

By the middle of the summer he was sort of stalking me. If I was outside working in the yard he'd appear on the porch and stare at me until I fed him. He would turn up by the back porch door as well, so I put out a bowl for him there, too.

Then he started meowing at me when he saw me. This was a major breakthrough because adult cats normally only meow at humans, and only to greet them or when they want something. Now he meows every time he sees me. And he started coming closer and closer to get food. I've been offering him bits of pulled chicken, which at first he wouldn't take from me, then after awhile he'd reach out a paw to hook it away with his claws. Now he'll take it directly from my fingers and comes right up to me to get it. After he finishes eating he washes his face and ears and then just comes towards me and sits for a few minutes, maybe a foot or two away, before slipping back into the shrubbery. I think he just likes to hang out. He doesn't seem to be afraid of me at all any more, but he won't let me touch him except that he'll touch my finger with his nose.

I hope to be able to get him into a carrier at some point so he can get checked over, vaccinated and neutered. Then I'll have to decide what to do about him before it gets cold. Bringing him inside might be iffy because my resident cat is likely to disapprove intensely - but we'll see. I've become quite attached to this little guy, and I do think he's tamable.

[SheltieLover]

1. He sounds like a real sweetie!

Ty for helping him!

[samplegirl]

2. Wish you could give him

a warm home. Sounds like you do too!

[NJCher]

3. I think I've written this on this forum before

but the RG tamed a feral cat. He wrapped it up in a blanket regularly (this is after they brought the cat into the house) and the cat could see that nothing was going to happen to it when it was in a helpless state. The cat lived a long life in that house as a domesticated feline.

I enjoyed the story. So sweet to read how he eventually came around, trusting you. He sounds adorable.

Re what to do, some solution will emerge, I trust.

[ryebreadneo]

4. hi

that is amazing maybe you could post photo of him?

[Ocelot II]

5. Here he is in his comfy chair.

[DinahMoeHum]

14. What a handsome boy!

[demigoddess]

6. maybe you could give him a little house like a doghouse outside. that would tell him

that you want to shelter him and keep him warm. put it near where he eats and you are saying to him that you want to give him food and shelter. I would try that if I were in your place. after a while of using the doghouse, I think he might willingly follow you into your house.

[Ocelot II]

7. I am considering something like that in case I can't get him inside right away.

[3catwoman3]

8. He looks like he is in good condition...

…and is well-groomed.

[Ocelot II]

11. He is. His fur is smooth and shiny and he keeps himself very clean;

and he's slender but not skinny. He does have a couple of little scratches on his ears and I suppose he has fleas - most outdoor cats do (that will be taken care of if I can get him to a vet). He gets plenty of food - one or two cans of cat food a day and all the pulled chicken he can eat; I call him the Bottomless Kit. If he hunts at all any more it's probably just for something to do.

[Walleye]

9. I have an outdoor cat that always sleeps on my porch that I've been taking care of for 11 years

We first trapped him as a kitten and neutered and released him back. He was always the friendliest and the smallest. He figured out how to climb up to my deck on the second floor, and sits by my back door, I have a full length window. He sits there and looks in. He disappeared once for seven weeks,I thought he was a goner, cried and cried. Then he showed up, obviously had been trapped somewhere. A survivor. But he has turned out to be one of the sweetest cats I’ve ever known. he is a tabby, loves to be petted, still skittish if anything is going on. And he will only come inside the door a couple of steps and roll on the carpet while I pet him. If I shut the door he starts to freak out. I love this cat and I dread the winters. He has a place under the house he gets I think. I have a little house for him on the deck it’s been out there a couple of years he’s sleeping in it right now A tabby, he was feral. The other kittens we trapped and neutered at the same times have gone. And no more adult cats to come in the yard to have kittens so it worked. Hang in there, this cat will come to love you I know it. He’s beautiful

[multigraincracker]

10. You too?

Orange tabby was hanging out under my van last spring. Put a bowl of food out and some water.
Took a long time, but this week he let me scratch his his head.

[Ocelot II]

12. I will be so excited and happy when Mr. Cat lets me do that!

I also need to come up with a proper name for him, since even though he's living on and under my front and back porches instead of in the house, he's clearly become my cat.

[TreasonousBastard]

13. Years ago we had a dozen or so "summer cats" that spent the winter...

begging the year round residents when their owners went back to the city for the fall and winter. Cats can survive on their own, so the wisdom suggests.

Wisdom or not, we fed them and set up shelters and they took off when spring came. Except for one grey tuxedo with too many toes.

She hung around because she either liked us better than her family, or they disappeared.

One day she was up scratching at a window, but I was afraid of what the resident tomcat might do. Eventually, I let her in and there was no fighting-- resident had never met another cat before and was simply curious what this thing was.

Eventually, they became the best of friends.

[tclambert]

15. "It is a very distinct tribute to be chosen as the friend and confidant of a cat." --H. P. Lovecraft

"I think all cats are wild. They only act tame if there's a saucer of milk in it for them." --Douglas Adams

On a more practical note, my son and daughter-in-law adopted a cat who had been living on its own for some time, though I don't think she began as a feral cat. It took years of patient kindness to break down her barriers to the point where she will sometimes sit in their laps. I think part of what helped is that they adopted a second cat who is the friendliest, most affectionate cat I have ever known. I think the first cat saw how the second cat behaved and maybe imitated a few things. If your Mr. Cat has never seen how to behave in a friendly manner, he may have difficulty inventing such behavior.

Be warned however that it took the two cats a long time to tolerate each other. Actually, the friendly cat was fine and wanted to play with the first cat from the start. But little Miss Angry-pants would hiss and snarl at the new creature invading her territory for at least a year. Now after much time has passed, the two sometimes sleep curled up together on their human mama's lap.

[RFCalifornia]

16. We just got a kitten

He's a sweet hyper tuxie

[brer cat]

17. Share a pix if you can.

We love to see the kittehs. Welcome to DU!

[Ocelot II]

18. Wonderful! Kittens are such fun!

[RFCalifornia]

19. I'll get pics up shortly

Gotta move them from my phone, etc

But he's great. Our older cat, a huge Weegie, is finally accepting him

[gopiscrap]

20. welcome to DU

[RFCalifornia]

21. Here's the kittteh

https://imgur.com/a/HXNuphb

[Ocelot II]

22. He's a cutie! Thanks for giving him a home.