How to Safely Socialize a Feral Cat

The temptation to find a home for a feral cat that looks underfed and lonely can be overwhelming. If you've made the decision to help one of these unfortunate balls of fur, you'll need to socialize the cat first and do so safely. Safety in this case applies to any human beings involved as well as to the feral cat and to any pets already in your home.

Should You Intervene?

As a car rescuer, I get lots of panicky calls from local residents who have seen feral cats that apparently need help. They want me to come to their home and help them take in the cat. Before doing so, I try to help them explore the idea by asking if they plan to keep it, who will socialize it, if they have a safe place for it to live and how any other pets in the home might react.

I also ask about how much initial vet care they intend to provide. I need to know what they will do if the feral cat can't be sufficiently socialized to live indoors or how they plan to get the animal adopted. If the caller has really considered all these options and still wants help, we begin to explore ways to safely socialize the feral cat.

Safety First

Whether your objective is to bring a feral cat into your home or to find it a permanent home elsewhere, the first step is getting your hands on it safely. Then you'll need to discern if it can be socialized and get it to the vet. Whether it's a kitten or a cat, the process takes time and patience. Generally, the younger the cat, the faster it will socialize, according to the Stanford Cat Network.

Here are some tips for accomplishing the process:

Routine. You need to interact with the cat at the same time every day. Whether it is in sight or not, put out food and water at the same time each day. Feral cats compete with other animals for food and are therefore very fearful. They need to feel they can predict what will happen. The cat needs to be able to both hear and see you.

Touching the cat. You will probably sense when you can touch the cat. Typically, a feral will either come and stand beside you or even brush against your legs. For safety, avoid the impulse to pick up the cat the first few times this happens. Merely talk to the animal in a low voice. When you sense it is safe to touch the cat, lower your body from the knees very slowly and just lightly touch the fur as many times as the cat will tolerate. The ideal situation is getting the cat to want to come into the home through a sliding glass or other door, even for a minute at a time.

Bringing the cat inside. The first rule of bringing a feral cat inside permanently is never do so unless you can pick up the cat. Ferals cats exhibit very unpredictable behavior. If you can't pick up the cat, you won't be able to catch it. Worse yet, it might exhibit bizarre behavior once it realizes the door is shut and it's "trapped" in your home. Some ferals actually enjoy being picked up. While some individuals always wear heavy gloves to accomplish this, you risk the chance of the cat being freaked out by the feel of the rough fabric. However, you should wear clothing that covers your arms, chest and legs as well as shoes with closed toes to avoid serious scratches. If the cat throws a fit, pick it up by the nape of the neck, with your arm outstretched. The second rule of safely socializing a cat inside your home is never bring one inside unless your other pets are confined to another room.

Dedicated space. A feral cat being socialized needs a room of its own, with food and water. Ideally, it won't contain any furniture under which the cat can hide. A cat tree for climbing and a simple chair that lets the animal be at around the level of your waist is ideal. You will also need to put cedar ships, straw or grass clippings on top of the litter in a litter box in the room to entice the cat to use the box. It's a good idea to continue to feed the cat in the room at the same time each day. Since feral cats and kittens usually have worms, isolate the cat until a vet has examined it and advises that it can mingle briefly with other pets.

Introducing other pets. If you are sending the cat to another home, do not introduce it to any other felines. Doing so will only encourage it to bond with them, not humans. If, however, you want to make the cat a member of your household, put any other cats in a room with a closed door. Then carry the feral into that room for no more than 10 minutes twice a day to get acquainted. If you attempt this before worming and inoculations are complete, make sure the cats never eat or drink from the same dishes or use the same litter box.

Handling the super-ferals. If you've already let a cat into your home to save its life or because you thought it was generally in danger but can't pick it up, you have a problem. The cat is really a super-feral. We have two of them we still can't pick up after two years. Your best bet is to call a cat rescue volunteer to assess how you can help the cat adjust and to help you realize limitations on your ability to help the animal.

For special considerations on how to help a feral cat in winter, see this article .

Sources:

http://catnet.stanford.edu/articles/socializing_ferals.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/425952/how_to_help_feral_cats_survive_winter.html?cat=48