Reply #14: Any cat hopping your lap is not feral, IMO. [View All]

[davsand]

They may not be well socialized yet, but that is not a "feral" cat by my standards. If it was me, I'd take them home with me simply becasue you have at least one that trusts you already. That is a great start!

As for taming them? A few things I learned about wild kitties as a kid with a lot of barn cats:

1. Never look a cat in the eyes or stare at them. That is seen as aggressive behavior by cats.

2. Keep them fed and be the only person doing it. Use wet food (eew--I know it can be nasty) and do it at specific times of day. They associate food with you at that point, and you are less of a threat. If they are young enough, they will come to see you as a Mom replacement.

3. NEVER touch a wild cat on the back of the head where it attaches to the spine. That is where they apply a killing bite on prey and if you touch them there too early, they will freak out.

4. Move slowly and use soft voice with them. Avoid loud noises and sit still for a long time in the same room with them. Sudden movement is to be avoided if at all possible.

5. Be advised that litterbox use may be an issue for them. Cat instinct is to bury body waste, but if they have been outdoors that may mean dirt or dry grass or pine needles--wahtever your local ground cover is. THAT is what you start with in your litter box ,and you have GOT to keep it clean and in a low traffic/private area. Once they start to use it you can mix the old filler with the more traditional catbox fillers.

6. Catnip may not work on younger cats. Try it now, but if it has no impact on them try again in a few months. Use catnip on things like scracthing posts and places where you want them to play.

Good luck! They are such pretty animals and I bet they will be well worth the work they might take.

Laura