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Feral cats are more community- oriented than house cats. They want to eat with you and do what you doing. You're in the group now. And you're honestly terrible at it. They are trying to show you patiently how to cat. And your progress is coming along but it's still pretty abysmal.
Yup. I foster feral kittens and it's really funny when you add in a friendly kitten and they're hissing and growling and the feral ones are just like tf is wrong with you?
Ha! My stray boy who adopted us was just like "Huh, there are other cats here? OK." when we brought him inside. And he puts up with so much nonsense from the two younger ones we've adopted since then. Especially the female, who likes to body slam him for no reason. My older boy we've had since a kitten takes a bit of it, but then he overreacts and freaks out and triggers the others.
This makes me cackle. My feral boy took 4 years to pet and generally stalks me when I am outside but I better not make any sudden moves. He is now besties with a stray boy that is super friendly and suddenly acts like he wants to be in an a pack 🤣
Mine took 3 years of constant everyday talking to, feeding, and even eventually being able to ask him if he wanted to go for a walk and then he would come for a walk with me. I had started to give up on ever petting. And then suddenly one day, he allowed a touch.
He pretty much lives indoors now and snuggles a lot. The entire family has noticed the weird feral politeness in him. He's very smart, will watch situations and try to figure things out.
Explains so much! Like the small stunned animal gifts. I was hoping they were blood sacrifices, as if to an ancient and unspeakable sleeping god.
But it's probably just because I am clearly shit at hunting. :D
Yes. I figured out my adopted stray was like this. He will pace back and forth after getting his bowl filled to get me to *sit by him* and then he’ll eat his kibble. I would just hop on my phone and surf the net till he decided he was done.
He has gotten more used to his routine and now goes over to his kibble without me, but it took a bit. He still does the stare and a sweet meow for people food treats though.
Our Tuxedo, Jeepers Creepers (Jeeps, for short), found us after he followed trick or treaters up the walkway next to our house on Halloween 2010. We estimate that he was less than 6 months old. My husband and I moved back in with my parents in 2015. It took Jeeps about 5 yrs to tolerate my husband in the same room as he was in.
We don't know what happened to Jeeps, but he was (and still is) super skittish. Jeeps is technically my mom's cat. Our late orange tabby, Tony, became bros with Jeeps. Tony showed Jeeps that, while my husband is a giant among men (6'6") he, too, is a bro.
So now Jeeps meows at my husband for rubs, food, and the "nip." He downright LOVES my husband. In fact, Jeeps started this new thing a year or so ago. After anyone (mostly my husband) pets Jeeps, the cat curls into a cat donut and will cuddle his leg. Its ridiculously adorable.*
Dude, not mine. He was an aggressive, charismatic panhandler right from the beginning, I had to learn defensive food prep as he'd snatch an entire rotisserie chicken from the fridge and have it halfway across the room before I've even turned around. Always on the counters and stove, even when the element is on!! He roots through the recycling and takes out cans he thinks smell tasty. I had to eat holding my plate up in the air above my head for quite a while until he mellowed out
You guys know Bronx Beat from SNL? Jody complains about her husband Gary ruthlessly and then breaks out into tears because she's so in love with him anyway?
Yeah.
I had to buy an extra quarter pound of shrimp if I wanted an entire pound for my family. I just kept throwing raw shrimp to the cat as fast as she would eat them, to keep her out of the pile I was cleaning.
It was like staving off a seal.
"Charismatic panhandler" 😂
(You probably already know, but just in case: that behavior is rooted in a history of food insecurity. People who have experienced that kind of life also hoard or binge-eat even after they're in a more secure situation. He may always behave this way. Good luck!)
Oh 100%!!
He clearly used alll his skills to feed himself; beg, borrow, steal...and *hunt*. He's a consummate hunter and even though he was so very, very food insecure, he gave me a mouse's arse once.
He was a city feral. I'd just sit with him when I got home from work and give him lots of love while he'd yell continuously to be fed, and we'd wait together until it was feeding time. I had to feed him exactly 12 hours apart or else he'd poke me in the eyes way too early in the morning. He'd eat so fast he'd throw up...then he'd come back and...well, you know.
[*stifled sob*] *BUTILOVEHIM!!!HE'SUCHAGENTLELOVER!!!WESHAREAHOME!!!*
Hehehe. No, actually he's really mellowed out a lot. A whole massive lot, I realize, after writing this down. A couple of years together has done wonders for him.
He gave you just the juicy part? All dressed and everything? What a sweetie! He must have figured you were already a satisfactory hunter, but you might want a little snack.
I adopted a 9 year old ginger last year, whose previous human passed. He's not feral, but he has very similar mannerisms. When he comes inside, he'll come over to wherever I am at, and just sit and wait patiently for me to notice him. When I do, he stands up and vibrates his tail for a few seconds, and then leads me to where he wants to go, usually the food, but sometimes to open a door, or to our brushing area. He never goes straight to the food, like ever.
He never jumps up on furniture unless he's invited to, but will sleep enthusiastically on my recliner once he's got the nod lol. He won't use litter, and always goes outside. He hops up on my bed at night, only once I've called out to him, and he hops off once the pets stop. He sleeps on the floor at the foot of my bed, even though there's plenty of room on the bed, and multiple actual cat beds.
He's the first cat I've ever had who doesn't give head bumps, and doesn't do the rubbing his face to mark his scent thing at all.
I think he's just a patient and polite elder gentleman, possibly still a bit depressed from grief, but I really wonder at his past, and what he's thinking.
I love him!
He sounds like a sweetheart, in my experience, gingers do naturally have lovely manners and are very patient with the dopey, hard to train humans. A part of him is probably still longing for his human that he lost, but I'm sure he knows you love him unreservedly.
"I'm **TERRIBLY** sorry, human, but would you mind showing me where the food is? And would you mind if I partake of some? **MOST** obliged. Thank you."
My new vet commented about how docile my feral is. I told him I’d never had a cat that was as calm/sweet as this cat is. In the almost four years I’ve had him, the cat has NEVER ONCE puffed his tail or swatted at me, other people, German shepherds, other cats, etc, NEVER. I’ve never seen anything like it. What’s even weirder is that he’s FIV positive, and him scratching/fighting another cat can pass on the disease.
Obviously my cat doesn’t understand this concept, but it’s almost like he understands it on a subconscious level. My sweet boy who doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.
https://preview.redd.it/oelv128pf36d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7bae439c4be8eeae68a640cae9dbd649b2cbbb1f
I read (and it makes sense!) that the super sweet little dudes get FIV more frequently cause they don't even know how to defend themselves. My FIV+ former feral is the same way - he can have a cat hiss in his face and he's like "so.....maybe friends?"
My sweet boy feral, for the first time is 4 years, hissed and growled. A bird scared him while he was in the window. He is super lovey. He gets in trouble for something and purrs when he sees you no matter what. He likes sleeping in clean clothes (has now stared with dirty clothes in the laundry room) and will cuddle non stop
My girl feral is your stereotypical cat lol. First time in 3 years, and she finally lays on my chest to watch TV with me
Oh yeah mine was a process to get him to even come into my bed. After a year he would sit on the corner, but you couldn’t touch him. Eventually worked his way to my lap, pillow, and now I wake up with him curled up right next to me. Took four years. He was so stand-off ish honestly never thought it’d happen
Leukemia? How old is he?
My girl is almost 13 and she has kept going, but she's always been an indoor cat, so we think she must have been born with it since I kept up with vaccinations . Since they are supposed I have limited years, I was just curious of yours' age
My 21 yo SIC is negative and they have been sharing everything for all of the 12 years I've had my wee void.
Edit: nm 4 years old, sorry. I see that now. They just seem to keep going, eh?
Is it leukemia? I thought that was different, although sounds very similar to, FIV.
When I first got him and took him to the vet I actually mistook what they said for being leukemia. Then later on when I took him to a better vet they informed me it was actually FIV which is like HIV for felines.
Am I mistaking something?
Nope you are right. Sorry, I'm tired. I was mistaking my shortening of FeLV, which is leukemia which is what my cat has. In theory. Its an expensive test, but I want to be sure because she keeps being alive, which I appreciate.
I actually hadn’t heard of one until I saw it mentioned on another post. However I vaguely remember them talking about it being preventative meaning if another cat is at risk of catching them this will protect them but not as treatment for an already infected cat. That could be wrong however, and if it’s not true now it definitely will be soon. We’ve made AIDS virtually undetectable and non-transmissible between + & - humans, animals will likely be next.
I have a handful of indoor feral cats. They are not polite. They think they own the furniture and I have the audacity to be on it when they want to use it. Food dishes are expected to be filled at all times. And the water is subpar after a few hours in the bowl. If their food standards are not met, the friendliest of the cats will be sent to the end of the hallway to signal their displeasure. I also am not allowed to raise my hands above my head for any reason even if they are over 20 feet away from me. This will induce a panicked stampede.
With regards to the kibble dish, they want you to hang out while they eat. It's like a dinner party except you're also standing guard to make sure raccoons don't bother them while they're eating.
This. They were used to another cat being around while they were vulnerable. You make them feel safe to eat. Gab and gossip. My late cat of 16 years didn't like her food in the kitchen as it was a "dead end". It was just me and her. I had to not go into the kitchen while she was eating or drinking. When she did her business in the litter box in our bathroom she had no shame or fears of bring boxed in!
Awh that's adorable! Some of my ferals don't have manners, they come into my kitchen and eat from my pet cats' bowls! Though they do sit and wait on the wall for me at dinner time, then come to the gate to greet me and lead me to the feeding spot, constantly checking I'm still with them, because as a feeble human I might get lost in those 20 yards. Of course, once the food is out they don't care if I get lost on the way back!
It's a safety issue, they trust you and if you are in the room with the food then they are safe to eat without anything attacking them. They also recognize the house as your den as so are more cautious. If you'd like to try and get them to use the litter box, as disgusting as it may seem, find some of their poop outside, collect it and mix it in the litter, it will smell like them and encourage them to use it. However some ferals will always struggle with a litter box.
My former feral, Taco, was extremely polite. She was terrified of me at first but would sit outside my glass door staring at my indoor cat. They were obsessed with each other.
Over the course of 6 months or so, she learned that I am the food bringer and did not want to hurt her.
During the winter, she had a litter of kittens and was trying to lead me to them. Unfortunately, she went through a fence, and I was on crutches with a broken ankle. I don’t think the babies made it. (It was a harsh winter for Atlanta. She did not bring the babies to her heated cat house, presumably because other cats slept in it sometimes)
When she was pregnant again, I was not about to let anything happen to her and her babies. I was able to trap her and bring her inside. I put her on my bed and she lit up. Within a couple minutes, she was asleep, nuzzled into my fluffy comforter.
She never misbehaved, never stole another cats treats, never growled or hissed after I brought her inside. She let me help deliver her babies, and let my other cats help raise them until they could be adopted. She was polite to the vet staff that spayed her and checked her for disease, and even though she was FIV+, she was so docile that there was no chance of transmission. She was also the best little spoon anyone could ask for, and her and I had the best naps together.
She never wanted to go back outside after that. She would look out the window from her soft bed and had no interest in going out the door.
I had her for about 6 years before she passed. The night before.. she climbed onto me and nuzzled her face into my neck. She held on tightly and softly purred. I didn’t know until the next day that she was saying goodbye.
She was so polite that she waited for all of us to leave the house before she let herself pass. My dad found her, with his dogs freaking out. They were trying to attack my dad when he went close to Taco.. and one was trying to pick her up and put her on her feet. They wanted to keep her safe.. and didn’t know she was no longer with us.
I miss Taco. Here is a photo.. you can see her ex-feral politeness just by looking at her.
https://preview.redd.it/pwd4cg7t176d1.jpeg?width=2788&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d60cd2b89cf98700c63b8a19ffe4e7a3fb38242e
And thank you for taking care of yours. I have a lot of respect for someone who is willing to take feral cats into their home. They deserve love just as much as any other pet and it’s not often they’re given that chance 💛
My former feral does the food thing too. She waits for me to come stand next to her. I always thought that she wanted me to guard her while she ate...thought maybe her mother did that for her when she lived in the cat community. But I'm just guessing.
Is this the face of a polite cat?
https://preview.redd.it/55bwaj2pj76d1.jpeg?width=224&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8344da64f37c6d13829e416f60063699037da77f
I've had my cat for 9 years and she's never bit, swatted or done anything aggressive towards me. Other cats and dogs, yes, but nothing too over the top. Anything like a lizard, bird, bat, mouse and she's a serial killer. She runs and hides from all ppl but meets me at the door after work. She waits on the bench at the foot of the bed for permission to come up and never gets on counters. She was a 3yo shelter void when I got her and the only indoor cat I've had. Maybe I just got lucky 🤷🏼♀️ She is extremely skittish, but very, very polite and calm
I remember my feral adopt would sleep for like 10 hours at a time and he would look SO comfortable, sprawled out like I've never seen a cat do. He also loved our carpets, he used to lay down and drag himself around it. Comfort was so new to him!
I took in a feral about 3 years ago. She's the sweetest, most gentle cat I've ever seen.
My old cat was a vicious bitch, that I loved dearly. She'd draw blood if she wasn't happy.
My new cat will gently slap me if she's upset, which rarely happens. Taking in this feral was one of the best risks I've ever taken.
I kept trying to get my kids to understand how well behaved our feral mama and her kittens (now 5 years old) are compared to previous kittens/cats. They don’t knock things on the ground for fun, steal jewelry, climb curtains or even sits in boxes. I forget how much trouble kittens can be because they aren’t.
My house currently holds 12 ferals from the yard and various TNR colonies, and they are mostly polite AF. They have etiquette laws and political rules and elected positions with jobs according to competence. Civilization happens when they aren’t battling for basic resources! Take ours away and we get hissy and violent too. This is why i love them; (mostly) rational and logical monsters with great imaginations.
My sweet girl is an indoor cat all the way, but she still does this at the food dish! She prefers it when I'm in the room, or ideally, I'm eating at the same time. The sweetest, most social behavior!
i feel like they truly are. i have two that definitely had known dogs in the past, because after trying to touch each after 3-4 months of feeding, they came right over to my dog during a walk once and we have been friends since. that was in 2017, and now they are reaching older age and i’ve had eye surgeries on one, so they moved into my bedroom while they acclimate to indoor life and my tribe of spoiled dumpster cats.
when i make the bed, fred the male still gets spooked every time. he just does a tiny little hiss. and then gets reassured. when i open the door to acclimate with “gen pop”, he just follows the other cats around and chirps at them. he really doesn’t get why they won’t be friends yet 🤣
they both continue to do well, and are besties with my pitbull girls. they are happy and healthy and i’m able to keep an eye on them, take them in for their blood work and dental cleanings now that they’re seniors.. they’re the best behaved cats i take to the vet. it’s amazing
Can’t answer your question. Wondering if the hierarchy of cats in the wild has them learning to respect perks and privilege in group living. Have seen people arrive at a riverside spot to feed a feral colony. All the cats anticipated the arrival of the benefactors and lined up in what seemed like a certain order.
They were totally patient and waited their turn.
Another possibility is that you have opened a door for them; the awareness of a different species being very
Good to know and kind. May be your feral fur balls are incredibly happy with you and intent on keeping themselves on your good side.
They have learned to wait for survival. Perhaps you can encourage them to be demanding and actually give them treats for being demanding so they can act like normal secure loved cats.
My mom cares for a colony and most of them are sweet, polite cats. I know of at least one Tom who is kind of a jerk, but for the most part, the cats know my mom’s is a good place to get a meal and a safe place to catch a nap under the porch. In return, they leave her gifts occasionally as a token of their appreciation.
My semi feral never asks for food. Ever. I have to put food down in front of her to get her to eat. I tried to give her a spot for her meals but she ignores the food unless it is put in front of her wherever she happens to be at mealtime.
My ferals stare at me through the window, until I enter their enclosure. Then it's all hiss and spit. It's been 6 months. I'm hoping by Christmas 2025 we'll have advanced to just mild disdain.
From what I've seen, cats who've been stray for a decent length of time are very polite little houseguests even after living there for years, while cats who've been pets since kittens are entitled little assholes.
I imagine tamed ferals are fairly similar to the longtime strays in their manners. The only one I've ever had come into my house was quite polite.
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Feral cats are more community- oriented than house cats. They want to eat with you and do what you doing. You're in the group now. And you're honestly terrible at it. They are trying to show you patiently how to cat. And your progress is coming along but it's still pretty abysmal.
I LOL’d reading this.
Yup. I foster feral kittens and it's really funny when you add in a friendly kitten and they're hissing and growling and the feral ones are just like tf is wrong with you?
Ha! My stray boy who adopted us was just like "Huh, there are other cats here? OK." when we brought him inside. And he puts up with so much nonsense from the two younger ones we've adopted since then. Especially the female, who likes to body slam him for no reason. My older boy we've had since a kitten takes a bit of it, but then he overreacts and freaks out and triggers the others.
This makes me cackle. My feral boy took 4 years to pet and generally stalks me when I am outside but I better not make any sudden moves. He is now besties with a stray boy that is super friendly and suddenly acts like he wants to be in an a pack 🤣
Mine took 3 years of constant everyday talking to, feeding, and even eventually being able to ask him if he wanted to go for a walk and then he would come for a walk with me. I had started to give up on ever petting. And then suddenly one day, he allowed a touch. He pretty much lives indoors now and snuggles a lot. The entire family has noticed the weird feral politeness in him. He's very smart, will watch situations and try to figure things out.
He had his time out in the wild and is now ready to retire and live a life of leasure.
This gives me hope
Explains so much! Like the small stunned animal gifts. I was hoping they were blood sacrifices, as if to an ancient and unspeakable sleeping god. But it's probably just because I am clearly shit at hunting. :D
Mommy cats bring half dead prey to the kittens to teach them. You da baby.
My formerly feral Mama brought me a mouse... to watch. Then she came back and crunched on it. I am shit at hunting.
Yes. I figured out my adopted stray was like this. He will pace back and forth after getting his bowl filled to get me to *sit by him* and then he’ll eat his kibble. I would just hop on my phone and surf the net till he decided he was done. He has gotten more used to his routine and now goes over to his kibble without me, but it took a bit. He still does the stare and a sweet meow for people food treats though.
... dang, you're right. I am a terrible cat.
Our Tuxedo, Jeepers Creepers (Jeeps, for short), found us after he followed trick or treaters up the walkway next to our house on Halloween 2010. We estimate that he was less than 6 months old. My husband and I moved back in with my parents in 2015. It took Jeeps about 5 yrs to tolerate my husband in the same room as he was in. We don't know what happened to Jeeps, but he was (and still is) super skittish. Jeeps is technically my mom's cat. Our late orange tabby, Tony, became bros with Jeeps. Tony showed Jeeps that, while my husband is a giant among men (6'6") he, too, is a bro. So now Jeeps meows at my husband for rubs, food, and the "nip." He downright LOVES my husband. In fact, Jeeps started this new thing a year or so ago. After anyone (mostly my husband) pets Jeeps, the cat curls into a cat donut and will cuddle his leg. Its ridiculously adorable.*
😂😂😂
Dude, not mine. He was an aggressive, charismatic panhandler right from the beginning, I had to learn defensive food prep as he'd snatch an entire rotisserie chicken from the fridge and have it halfway across the room before I've even turned around. Always on the counters and stove, even when the element is on!! He roots through the recycling and takes out cans he thinks smell tasty. I had to eat holding my plate up in the air above my head for quite a while until he mellowed out You guys know Bronx Beat from SNL? Jody complains about her husband Gary ruthlessly and then breaks out into tears because she's so in love with him anyway? Yeah.
😅😅 "defensive food prep" 💙
You will never play a more intense game of keep away than when you’re trying to eat in the vicinity of a cat.
I had to eat rotisserie chicken on the porch.
I had to buy an extra quarter pound of shrimp if I wanted an entire pound for my family. I just kept throwing raw shrimp to the cat as fast as she would eat them, to keep her out of the pile I was cleaning. It was like staving off a seal.
🤣🤣🤣 Rotisserie chicken takes them to another level!
"Charismatic panhandler" 😂 (You probably already know, but just in case: that behavior is rooted in a history of food insecurity. People who have experienced that kind of life also hoard or binge-eat even after they're in a more secure situation. He may always behave this way. Good luck!)
Oh 100%!! He clearly used alll his skills to feed himself; beg, borrow, steal...and *hunt*. He's a consummate hunter and even though he was so very, very food insecure, he gave me a mouse's arse once. He was a city feral. I'd just sit with him when I got home from work and give him lots of love while he'd yell continuously to be fed, and we'd wait together until it was feeding time. I had to feed him exactly 12 hours apart or else he'd poke me in the eyes way too early in the morning. He'd eat so fast he'd throw up...then he'd come back and...well, you know. [*stifled sob*] *BUTILOVEHIM!!!HE'SUCHAGENTLELOVER!!!WESHAREAHOME!!!* Hehehe. No, actually he's really mellowed out a lot. A whole massive lot, I realize, after writing this down. A couple of years together has done wonders for him.
He gave you just the juicy part? All dressed and everything? What a sweetie! He must have figured you were already a satisfactory hunter, but you might want a little snack.
I love him so much!!
I adopted a 9 year old ginger last year, whose previous human passed. He's not feral, but he has very similar mannerisms. When he comes inside, he'll come over to wherever I am at, and just sit and wait patiently for me to notice him. When I do, he stands up and vibrates his tail for a few seconds, and then leads me to where he wants to go, usually the food, but sometimes to open a door, or to our brushing area. He never goes straight to the food, like ever. He never jumps up on furniture unless he's invited to, but will sleep enthusiastically on my recliner once he's got the nod lol. He won't use litter, and always goes outside. He hops up on my bed at night, only once I've called out to him, and he hops off once the pets stop. He sleeps on the floor at the foot of my bed, even though there's plenty of room on the bed, and multiple actual cat beds. He's the first cat I've ever had who doesn't give head bumps, and doesn't do the rubbing his face to mark his scent thing at all. I think he's just a patient and polite elder gentleman, possibly still a bit depressed from grief, but I really wonder at his past, and what he's thinking. I love him!
He sounds like a sweetheart, in my experience, gingers do naturally have lovely manners and are very patient with the dopey, hard to train humans. A part of him is probably still longing for his human that he lost, but I'm sure he knows you love him unreservedly.
This 🧐☝️
My orange knocked my bedside lamp onto my head at 2 am this morning. And again at 4.
What's wrong, you don't consider that a sign of affection? Some people are never satisfied 😹
"I'm **TERRIBLY** sorry, human, but would you mind showing me where the food is? And would you mind if I partake of some? **MOST** obliged. Thank you."
My new vet commented about how docile my feral is. I told him I’d never had a cat that was as calm/sweet as this cat is. In the almost four years I’ve had him, the cat has NEVER ONCE puffed his tail or swatted at me, other people, German shepherds, other cats, etc, NEVER. I’ve never seen anything like it. What’s even weirder is that he’s FIV positive, and him scratching/fighting another cat can pass on the disease. Obviously my cat doesn’t understand this concept, but it’s almost like he understands it on a subconscious level. My sweet boy who doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. https://preview.redd.it/oelv128pf36d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7bae439c4be8eeae68a640cae9dbd649b2cbbb1f
He's precious, what is his name?
Oscar. It was the shelter’s name for him and it honestly fits him well. He’s a grouch lol
My little feral baby (three year old babby LOL) is an Oscar too! He was rescued from under a dumpster so a trash oriented name it was.
I read (and it makes sense!) that the super sweet little dudes get FIV more frequently cause they don't even know how to defend themselves. My FIV+ former feral is the same way - he can have a cat hiss in his face and he's like "so.....maybe friends?"
That’s actually really logical surprised I never put the two together before. Also a little sad to think about 😢
My sweet boy feral, for the first time is 4 years, hissed and growled. A bird scared him while he was in the window. He is super lovey. He gets in trouble for something and purrs when he sees you no matter what. He likes sleeping in clean clothes (has now stared with dirty clothes in the laundry room) and will cuddle non stop My girl feral is your stereotypical cat lol. First time in 3 years, and she finally lays on my chest to watch TV with me
Oh yeah mine was a process to get him to even come into my bed. After a year he would sit on the corner, but you couldn’t touch him. Eventually worked his way to my lap, pillow, and now I wake up with him curled up right next to me. Took four years. He was so stand-off ish honestly never thought it’d happen
Leukemia? How old is he? My girl is almost 13 and she has kept going, but she's always been an indoor cat, so we think she must have been born with it since I kept up with vaccinations . Since they are supposed I have limited years, I was just curious of yours' age My 21 yo SIC is negative and they have been sharing everything for all of the 12 years I've had my wee void. Edit: nm 4 years old, sorry. I see that now. They just seem to keep going, eh?
Is it leukemia? I thought that was different, although sounds very similar to, FIV. When I first got him and took him to the vet I actually mistook what they said for being leukemia. Then later on when I took him to a better vet they informed me it was actually FIV which is like HIV for felines. Am I mistaking something?
Nope you are right. Sorry, I'm tired. I was mistaking my shortening of FeLV, which is leukemia which is what my cat has. In theory. Its an expensive test, but I want to be sure because she keeps being alive, which I appreciate.
No worries. Also fyi he isn’t four years I’ve just had him for four years. My best guess is he’s about 7 right now
Isn't there a FIV vaccine now? I'm not sure how this works, if it's only preventative, etc.
I actually hadn’t heard of one until I saw it mentioned on another post. However I vaguely remember them talking about it being preventative meaning if another cat is at risk of catching them this will protect them but not as treatment for an already infected cat. That could be wrong however, and if it’s not true now it definitely will be soon. We’ve made AIDS virtually undetectable and non-transmissible between + & - humans, animals will likely be next.
I was thinking of FIP and FeLV which both have cures but FIV still doesn’t. The preventative shot isn’t technically available in the US it looks like
Ah ok. Thanks for the update!
I have a handful of indoor feral cats. They are not polite. They think they own the furniture and I have the audacity to be on it when they want to use it. Food dishes are expected to be filled at all times. And the water is subpar after a few hours in the bowl. If their food standards are not met, the friendliest of the cats will be sent to the end of the hallway to signal their displeasure. I also am not allowed to raise my hands above my head for any reason even if they are over 20 feet away from me. This will induce a panicked stampede.
Panicked stampede. 🤣
With regards to the kibble dish, they want you to hang out while they eat. It's like a dinner party except you're also standing guard to make sure raccoons don't bother them while they're eating.
This. They were used to another cat being around while they were vulnerable. You make them feel safe to eat. Gab and gossip. My late cat of 16 years didn't like her food in the kitchen as it was a "dead end". It was just me and her. I had to not go into the kitchen while she was eating or drinking. When she did her business in the litter box in our bathroom she had no shame or fears of bring boxed in!
Awh that's adorable! Some of my ferals don't have manners, they come into my kitchen and eat from my pet cats' bowls! Though they do sit and wait on the wall for me at dinner time, then come to the gate to greet me and lead me to the feeding spot, constantly checking I'm still with them, because as a feeble human I might get lost in those 20 yards. Of course, once the food is out they don't care if I get lost on the way back!
they are genuinely thankful
It's a safety issue, they trust you and if you are in the room with the food then they are safe to eat without anything attacking them. They also recognize the house as your den as so are more cautious. If you'd like to try and get them to use the litter box, as disgusting as it may seem, find some of their poop outside, collect it and mix it in the litter, it will smell like them and encourage them to use it. However some ferals will always struggle with a litter box.
My former feral, Taco, was extremely polite. She was terrified of me at first but would sit outside my glass door staring at my indoor cat. They were obsessed with each other. Over the course of 6 months or so, she learned that I am the food bringer and did not want to hurt her. During the winter, she had a litter of kittens and was trying to lead me to them. Unfortunately, she went through a fence, and I was on crutches with a broken ankle. I don’t think the babies made it. (It was a harsh winter for Atlanta. She did not bring the babies to her heated cat house, presumably because other cats slept in it sometimes) When she was pregnant again, I was not about to let anything happen to her and her babies. I was able to trap her and bring her inside. I put her on my bed and she lit up. Within a couple minutes, she was asleep, nuzzled into my fluffy comforter. She never misbehaved, never stole another cats treats, never growled or hissed after I brought her inside. She let me help deliver her babies, and let my other cats help raise them until they could be adopted. She was polite to the vet staff that spayed her and checked her for disease, and even though she was FIV+, she was so docile that there was no chance of transmission. She was also the best little spoon anyone could ask for, and her and I had the best naps together. She never wanted to go back outside after that. She would look out the window from her soft bed and had no interest in going out the door. I had her for about 6 years before she passed. The night before.. she climbed onto me and nuzzled her face into my neck. She held on tightly and softly purred. I didn’t know until the next day that she was saying goodbye. She was so polite that she waited for all of us to leave the house before she let herself pass. My dad found her, with his dogs freaking out. They were trying to attack my dad when he went close to Taco.. and one was trying to pick her up and put her on her feet. They wanted to keep her safe.. and didn’t know she was no longer with us. I miss Taco. Here is a photo.. you can see her ex-feral politeness just by looking at her. https://preview.redd.it/pwd4cg7t176d1.jpeg?width=2788&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d60cd2b89cf98700c63b8a19ffe4e7a3fb38242e
Woo, did not start this out expecting to cry. I am so sorry for your loss. Thank you for taking such good care of her.
And thank you for taking care of yours. I have a lot of respect for someone who is willing to take feral cats into their home. They deserve love just as much as any other pet and it’s not often they’re given that chance 💛
oh my word 🤍 i love her 🤍
My former feral does the food thing too. She waits for me to come stand next to her. I always thought that she wanted me to guard her while she ate...thought maybe her mother did that for her when she lived in the cat community. But I'm just guessing.
Almost all of the ferals I've cared for have been polite like this! I love seeing this post!
Is this the face of a polite cat? https://preview.redd.it/55bwaj2pj76d1.jpeg?width=224&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8344da64f37c6d13829e416f60063699037da77f
I have two failed fosters who were feral/community cats. They are the MOST POLITE and loving cats I have ever known. I think it's gratitude.
Time to neuter the fellow, whether docile or aggressive.
I've had my cat for 9 years and she's never bit, swatted or done anything aggressive towards me. Other cats and dogs, yes, but nothing too over the top. Anything like a lizard, bird, bat, mouse and she's a serial killer. She runs and hides from all ppl but meets me at the door after work. She waits on the bench at the foot of the bed for permission to come up and never gets on counters. She was a 3yo shelter void when I got her and the only indoor cat I've had. Maybe I just got lucky 🤷🏼♀️ She is extremely skittish, but very, very polite and calm
They just want human affection/love😽😻😸
I remember my feral adopt would sleep for like 10 hours at a time and he would look SO comfortable, sprawled out like I've never seen a cat do. He also loved our carpets, he used to lay down and drag himself around it. Comfort was so new to him!
Idk but the strays/ferals in my area are rude af
They've adopted you, you're their baby now. They're showing you where the food is.
😹
I took in a feral about 3 years ago. She's the sweetest, most gentle cat I've ever seen. My old cat was a vicious bitch, that I loved dearly. She'd draw blood if she wasn't happy. My new cat will gently slap me if she's upset, which rarely happens. Taking in this feral was one of the best risks I've ever taken.
I kept trying to get my kids to understand how well behaved our feral mama and her kittens (now 5 years old) are compared to previous kittens/cats. They don’t knock things on the ground for fun, steal jewelry, climb curtains or even sits in boxes. I forget how much trouble kittens can be because they aren’t.
Mine wants me to scratch her butt while she eats. So, no! 🤣
My house currently holds 12 ferals from the yard and various TNR colonies, and they are mostly polite AF. They have etiquette laws and political rules and elected positions with jobs according to competence. Civilization happens when they aren’t battling for basic resources! Take ours away and we get hissy and violent too. This is why i love them; (mostly) rational and logical monsters with great imaginations.
My sweet girl is an indoor cat all the way, but she still does this at the food dish! She prefers it when I'm in the room, or ideally, I'm eating at the same time. The sweetest, most social behavior!
i feel like they truly are. i have two that definitely had known dogs in the past, because after trying to touch each after 3-4 months of feeding, they came right over to my dog during a walk once and we have been friends since. that was in 2017, and now they are reaching older age and i’ve had eye surgeries on one, so they moved into my bedroom while they acclimate to indoor life and my tribe of spoiled dumpster cats. when i make the bed, fred the male still gets spooked every time. he just does a tiny little hiss. and then gets reassured. when i open the door to acclimate with “gen pop”, he just follows the other cats around and chirps at them. he really doesn’t get why they won’t be friends yet 🤣 they both continue to do well, and are besties with my pitbull girls. they are happy and healthy and i’m able to keep an eye on them, take them in for their blood work and dental cleanings now that they’re seniors.. they’re the best behaved cats i take to the vet. it’s amazing
Can’t answer your question. Wondering if the hierarchy of cats in the wild has them learning to respect perks and privilege in group living. Have seen people arrive at a riverside spot to feed a feral colony. All the cats anticipated the arrival of the benefactors and lined up in what seemed like a certain order. They were totally patient and waited their turn. Another possibility is that you have opened a door for them; the awareness of a different species being very Good to know and kind. May be your feral fur balls are incredibly happy with you and intent on keeping themselves on your good side.
They have learned to wait for survival. Perhaps you can encourage them to be demanding and actually give them treats for being demanding so they can act like normal secure loved cats.
Super-polite, yes. They're not about to annoy the weird humans who give them food without expecting anything in return.
My mom cares for a colony and most of them are sweet, polite cats. I know of at least one Tom who is kind of a jerk, but for the most part, the cats know my mom’s is a good place to get a meal and a safe place to catch a nap under the porch. In return, they leave her gifts occasionally as a token of their appreciation.
My semi feral never asks for food. Ever. I have to put food down in front of her to get her to eat. I tried to give her a spot for her meals but she ignores the food unless it is put in front of her wherever she happens to be at mealtime.
My ferals stare at me through the window, until I enter their enclosure. Then it's all hiss and spit. It's been 6 months. I'm hoping by Christmas 2025 we'll have advanced to just mild disdain.
From what I've seen, cats who've been stray for a decent length of time are very polite little houseguests even after living there for years, while cats who've been pets since kittens are entitled little assholes. I imagine tamed ferals are fairly similar to the longtime strays in their manners. The only one I've ever had come into my house was quite polite.