Is it wrong to take an old alley cat and try to domesticate it?

I have a dilemma here, and I know DU are some cat lovers.

There's this cat, whom I shall address as Thora. She is a 100% feral born alley cat, and has lived that way her whole life. ( which is around 5 years now, and is a hard life)

Thora knows me, and I know her. I held her in my arms when she was a kitten. (i found her litter accidently and the momma moved them promptly after that) Thora will allow me to pet her, and pick her up on occasion (though she doesn't much like it, she trusts me)

Thora is a very smart female, and extremely prudent. I've never met a cat that I respected so much. She is a total survivor, and always seems to come out ok in the end. She only had one litter of kittens, and that was when she was a young girl. Now, she fights off all males. Thora is quite possibly the smartest and toughest cat I have ever come across in my entire life.

But, sadly, Thora is getting old. I can see it in her, even though she is a young cat by domestic standards. One side of me says I should trap her and take her to my house, and the other says that she is born wild and it's not my place to decide where she lives out her remaining years, even though I could provide comforts to her.

She has paid her dues, she really deserves to be well taken care of. She is a magnificient cat.

She might decide being a house cat is a good deal.

but personally I'd say bring Thora home - she deserves it. I have 5 dogs - all rescues - and I'm glad that I brought them home. But, may you have peace with whatever decision you come to, because you'll have reached it thinking only of what's best for Thora.

never die of old age.

because Thora is such a survivor. When it's below freezing, somehow she survives. When its over 100 F, she somehow survives. She has weathered so much adversity, I just want to let her live out her remaining years in comfort and peace.

...with the caveat that her first stop would be the vet. The bigger question is what to do if she has FelV or FIV. But if you truly care about her, at least find out how healthy she is and get her spayed and vaccinated.

how do you explain to a feral cat about getting spayed and vaccinated? she will be extremely frightened and go nuts.

The vet will trank her if necessary. I think the more difficult stress will be the first few weeks/months of adjustment, for both of you. Getting her ovaries out will help, although it will take time. But if she already tolerates you, she will be your best bud eventually, although on her own terms. It won't be easy. On the other hand, she'll likely still be alive in another five years.

Do give some thought to how you'll deal with FIV and FelV, however. You CANNOT release her back out into the general population if she's positive, not under ANY circumstances, and you'll need to make decisions about the degree of care you're willing to commit to.

to make sure she's healthy, have her spayed, etc.. The vet will know how to handle her, trust me, and will tranquilize her if need be to take care of her. Do you have a vet you trust? Find one, and bring the old girl in. She deserves to be given the option to live with you. It might be tough for a bit, but I bet she'll appreciate the food and warmth and love you give her. If she trusts you, I think you should try.

We have 7 cats, all strays. Cats are wonderful companions. Give it a try with Thora. And let us know how it goes.

the vet part.. is the only hard part. And she'll forget it, I mean she probably is a tough kitty.

This sounds so nice, she is such a lucky girl having someone care about her.

I guarantee you she won't be the first feral your vet has seen.

And it's better to be nuts for a little while and be healthier over the long haul. Being frightened can't kill her.

bring her in.

I have several true ferals; all have adapted to captivity. Some domesticate fully, others have not become affectionate "pets" but still live in comfort and tolerate me well. Since your girl already allows limited contact, I bet she'll bond to you readily.

Cats can selectively forget the slight trauma of being sedated (they really don't have any knowledge of the procedures and vets will normally sedate if they are in decent condition, for their own safety as well as the feral's)

They wake up in their new home and, as long as it's a quiet household, they settle in fairly quickly. You will have to watch for escape attempts, but probably less than you fear.

They alternative is heartbreaking; ferals frequently starve to death when their teeth go, or succumb to a painful infection (often an abscessed tooth) after weeks of illness.

You must be aware, though, that ferals often carry FIV, the analog to HIV in people. It cannot transfer to our species, but has the same implication to cats that HIV has to us (w/o the "social stigma" that humans impose on our own, o/c) and the kindest thing in this eventuality might be to ease her out before she suffers. It appears you don't presently have a cat, so Thora won't be a threat.

I've got a lot of experience with housecats and ferals. Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

And keep her from having dozens of other kitties for people to worry about.

I think you'll know pretty quickly if Thora's completely miserable being protected. ;)

Do get her spayed regardless. I hope she becomes accustomed to the good life with you.

At least take her to a vet and get her fixed, given vaccines, etc. If you take her in, feed her, and she doesn't want to run away, let her stay. I think animals should be treated with respect and have their wishes respected. Maybe, if you have such a place to do it, leave her some food by your back door, and a nice box to sleep in. If she wants to come inside, take her inside.

...and was worried about how he'd adjust. He wasn't a people-shy cat, he was already friendly, but definitely accustomed to making his way in the great outdoors. He settled into being an indoor cat almost immediately, and has been enjoying his cushy new life ever since. Of course I don't know if Thora will react the same way, but at least I can provide that one example of a cat who certainly has never pined for his old hard life. I'd recommend you give it a try, and see how it goes. Be patient with her at first, but maybe she will settle right in!

but keep picking her up and taking her home like I would a teenager. My cats go out through a dog door but one likes me to let her out the front. That one I keep an eye on, she never goes far.

This cat may really like a safe place to be with good food and a loving mom, which I'm sure you'll be.

any more and they're fine. They have plenty of room to play and hide and run and nap. And none of them will ever be road kill. They're all rescues and three of them were so badly behaved they couldn't be adopted. They've mellowed and found their place in the pecking order.

...to this day. She's very stand-offish towards my other cats. But she follows me from room to room like a little puppy dog. I couldn't imagine not having her, and I think she feels the same about me.

Go for it!

take her in. At least get her to the vet and then give it a try. She'll probably never be a lap cat, but you will very likely at least double her life span and she'll be warm, fed, and comfortable in the process.

Good luck!

I know it sounds odd but being a food source goes a long way with a cat. I would not let her out for a while after she comes inside--especially if she goes directly to the vet. She may not bond with you enough in the first few days and may never trust again if she returns to feral immediately.

I'd lay in a supply of super yummy cat favorites like shrimp and chicken--stuff cats like--and I'd "feed" her several times a day. Not too much because you don't want to overload her--but a few little bites several times per day. I would also suggest a top quality dry food that she can eat on demand. Ferals have been hungry, and they appreciate food an awful lot.

Good luck, and you rock for taking care of this kitty!



Laura

added on edit: cats HATE cold food. Make sure it is body temp when you feed it!

Plus two more stray kitties (and two possums) I feed out on the back stoop.
It has been my experience that cats are going to do exactly whatever the hell it is they want to do. The only advice I'd give is to be liberal (heh) with the food and the soothing voice and let Thora make her own mind up. Frankly, it isn't going to work any other way -- she, not you, is going to be the final arbiter of what happens here.
Best of luck. I can tell from your note you're a good person -- one cats respond well to. And it's entirely possible Thora will decide to become a house kitty at this point in her life. That's how it worked out with my Boo Mew and Fat Fat Mister Fat, anyhow.
Meanwhile, the possums continue to maintain their distance but, interestingly enough, they're perfectly content to share the food out on the stoop with the cats -- often side by side.
John (and Boo Mew, Mother Superior, Mother Inferior, Mouse, Fluffo, Junior EB, Dude EB, Fred EB, Pudge EB and Fat Fat Mister Fat)

PS - Hi Laura. FUNDAY's June 21 at the Same Old Place.

I have Boo-Boo, Baby, Pumpkin, Feisty, Bryce, Max, Doofus, Tiny - all rescued from outdoors.

Some time, psychologists should investigate why cat owners give their kitties the names that they do. I have a personal rule that I never give a cat a name I've given out in the past (kind of like how race horses are named, though I've never made a nickel off of any of the mews).
John
"Cats: Helping Build Strong Back Muscles Two Eighteen-Pound Bags of Food at a Time."

I would give it a try and let Thora have the final decision.

Hooray to you for offering this option to her. Please keep posting, with pictures if possible. We want to know what happens!

is offer her shelter, medical care and love. :hug:

Just offer. It will take time for her to change from feral to domestic cat. But let her decide and don't force it. Sometimes it doesn't work, but good of you to try. Some cats prefer to be feral (so do some people). Just offer.

Khash.

I was in graduate school in Oklahoma. He was an older cat who had obviously been abandoned. He had some very real allergy problems (produced sneezing and some drooling). He found us on his own. He basically came to see us as we would sit on our steps in the evenings where he would get a little bit of petting.

We realized after a bit he was on his own and began giving him food and water regularly. HE never really wanted in the house, but he was a good cat.

A few months before we left, he just disappeared. Probably he met his fate to traffic.

So yes, to a certain extent you can, but you may have to keep them on THEIR terms.



But, exactly how is that different from any cat???

get her spade and she'll eventually come around. Domestic cats aren't meant to live outside. They usually die from the elements and or predators. Good for you for trying to help her. :hug:

She's lived the life of a Queen for 14 years now.

Actually, she thinks she OWNS the place, and allows me to live here with her. :eyes:

You should definitely bring the cat in. You will worry about her if you don't. You obviously care deeply for her.

I have "socialized" several formerly ferals. It takes a bit of patience and can be frustrating at times. But it can be done. Don't expect her to acclimate to a new environment immediately. Give her some time.

It would be best when you first bring her in, to confine her to a small space like perhaps a bathroom, or one of those larger wire dog crates, etc. She may be defensive at first since she will be outside of her usual territory. I've found a "back scratcher" is a wonderful tool when trying to pet a kitty that's not quite sure of things.

The best of luck to you and THANK YOU for caring about Thora.

...but it sure is fuckin' hard.

(Out of context, that sounds weird.)

It's a wild animal for all practical purposes.

I'll bet she would welcome a regular meal, shelter from the cold and the heat and a nice lap to cuddle on.

If you have the motivation, the means, and the desire, I'd bring her in.

As they get older they will look for more shelter, more safety, and if you provide it, I am confident that in the end she will be grateful. Give it a go and give it patience. If she were completely feral you would not be able to get as close to her as you already have. So the domestication has already begun and it does sound like time to take the next step. Bless you. It's a Good Thing.

she's halfway there. I have tamed one even more feral than that, and she's a sweetie.

Take her home.

furniture for the first month. After that he would only sleep on the end of my moms bed because she wouldn't touch him. He never liked to be petted. He was only happy at the cottage and we took to leaving him up there during the summer and going up during the week to feed him. He was always thrilled to be there out in the wild. And he would come visit us when we were up at the lake. Sometimes coming close enough to pet but often sitting in the garden. Sorry to say one day he disappeared.

After that experience I would always think twice about having a non domesticated pet. I don't think they are ever very happy in a domestic situation.

But you could try. If it doesn't work out Thora can always go back to the situation she is in now.

Good luck to you.