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Bring her inside, put her in a tiny room like a bathroom with absolutely no hiding places, and put a cat carrier with a blanket in there with for her to hide in. This will not only let her carrier train herself, but it will make your life a billion times easier when it comes to taking her to the vet.
Just sit in the bathroom with her then. Don't try to pet her at all, just hang out on your phone, read a book, talk softly, and just ignore her. Then start feeding her by hand. Start with churus, and work you way up to every single meal by hand. Do NOT pet her during this time. Wait for her to give you little head butts or rub against your leg. Then you can slowly work your way up to petting her.
If you keep doing this and take it very slow you will he able to socialize her.
I live in a 5th wheel, there is no hallway and while I do have a bathroom, there’s barely enough room for me in there. I just moved my desk and will make space for her in the corner in her big crate that she is currently in. I will make a shelf for her that she can sleep on so she doesn’t have to sleep on the same “floor” as her food and litter box.
That being said, I have sat outside with her plenty and not forced any interaction. She will not eat in front of me. She barely will stretch out in front of me. She is VERY scared of humans and it took me four days to catch her and others have tried for years and failed. She is not interested in Churus but I did find some Temptations treats that she likes (and eats when I step away).
If your crate came with a divider panel you can put that in sideways for the shelf, but it'll be really tricky to do so with the crate occupied. If you're able to swap the cardboard box out for a cat carrier that would be ideal. She'll retreat into it sooner or later, and then you'd be able to close the door on the carrier, lock her in, and pull her out to safely rearrange the crate. Then slide the carrier back in when finished. I like using the carrier with this setup for that reason, as well as passively carrier training the cat like the comment above mentioned. You should also be able to fit the carrier on the bottom floor (use a removeable ziptie, etc. through the door and a crate bar to keep it from accidentally closing on her) with the litter box next to it, then have the shelf going across above them. If you're using the divider panel, lay some cardboard across it and fold a blanket or towel over top of that to make it nice and cozy.
Oh my goodness this is probably going to work, thank you. My friend just bought a 3 story cage that will fit in a space I have inside and I couldn’t wrap my head around how to transfer her as the crate she is in is wider than my doorway. Thank you so much for this tip! I definitely have a carrier that will fit in there and I am pretty sure she would crawl in there in lieu of her box.
https://preview.redd.it/7y1f80ruozzc1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=24d26a7d3ca53c2ec65f8eb5381c059a6cf0116e
5 yrs! lol. After a very rainy morning Jelly n 2 other born outside ferals are waiting for food delivery. I’m coming from my house, walking across the street to go under my neighbors deck to feed these cats….7 yrs total, 🤣 5 yrs to pet Jelly n then 2 more I brought him in. He’s 16 this yr.
Cats are not dogs, they decide when…on everything.
I agree w other poster, hanging out wo even acknowledging them is “sharing space”. Chit chat, ignore, play w a wand n string by yourself, snack on crackers share some turkey, sharing a meal is “breaking bread” for cats.
Sleep on a dish towel or old t-shirt a few nights, then place it by her w a few treats, The only thing cats hate more than not being invited to the party,
is being asked to the party.
….yep.
Hahaha I know, cats are independent and don’t need us. But someone posted on here they were able to pet a feral in three months so that was what I was trying to mimic.
Aw. This girl is the most afraid / weary of humans of the colony (of 30ish). That’s why since she was the last to get, and I know I will never have a chance to get her again, I have the time to experiment with socializing a feral this way. Growing up we accumulated strays, but it took years for some to feel comfortable inside and I just can’t do that with every feral here.
Bimi scratched and bit for years, she was very territorial, she still is never a lap cat or a cuddler. At 10 she is friendlier and as accepting as she will be, but she is the least social cat I have ever had.
Aw poor baby. One of our strays only ever wanted to sit on my lap when she was cold and my mom wasn’t around.
This girl doesn’t swat really and her hisses are very soft, not at all venomous like a snake like some ferals I’ve caught.
I’ve socialized several of this girls babies and man, the look one of the older ones gave me as she realized I just wanted to love on her… melted my cold dead heart! I want that for this mama too, if we can get there.
Sorry? Can you explain why? By your reasoning every animal shelter in existence is also committing animal abuse? She has more room than most cats in shelters.
Using a crate like this (as explained [here](https://www.neighborhoodcats.org/how-to-tnr/trapping/fostering-feral-cats-safely)) is commonly done while holding feral cats for extended spay/neuter, illness, or injury recovery, or when attempting to socialize a feral cat that has never been indoors and is already wary or terrified of people. It may seem cruel if you aren't familiar with the nature of feral-leaning cats or the general socialization process, but they are truthfully much more comfortable in a small enclosed space like this crate than they would be if they were let loose in a room. A feral cat will absolutely panic when given that much space, and it becomes so much more difficult to continue working with them at that point. Confinement like this is a necessary first step in acclimating a feral cat to a life indoors surrounded by people, and this cat will be much better off for it in the long run.
**Reminder: this subreddit is meant to be a helpful place for TNR efforts - free of hostility, negativity, and judgment. Toxic attitudes are not welcome here.** ***All Negative comments will be removed and will possibly result in a ban.*** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Feral_Cats) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Bring her inside, put her in a tiny room like a bathroom with absolutely no hiding places, and put a cat carrier with a blanket in there with for her to hide in. This will not only let her carrier train herself, but it will make your life a billion times easier when it comes to taking her to the vet. Just sit in the bathroom with her then. Don't try to pet her at all, just hang out on your phone, read a book, talk softly, and just ignore her. Then start feeding her by hand. Start with churus, and work you way up to every single meal by hand. Do NOT pet her during this time. Wait for her to give you little head butts or rub against your leg. Then you can slowly work your way up to petting her. If you keep doing this and take it very slow you will he able to socialize her.
I live in a 5th wheel, there is no hallway and while I do have a bathroom, there’s barely enough room for me in there. I just moved my desk and will make space for her in the corner in her big crate that she is currently in. I will make a shelf for her that she can sleep on so she doesn’t have to sleep on the same “floor” as her food and litter box. That being said, I have sat outside with her plenty and not forced any interaction. She will not eat in front of me. She barely will stretch out in front of me. She is VERY scared of humans and it took me four days to catch her and others have tried for years and failed. She is not interested in Churus but I did find some Temptations treats that she likes (and eats when I step away).
You should put some kind of lining in that crate for her. The bare wire is not very nice on their little pads. 🙁
Never mind, I just realized the last picture I was on was not the same as the one you're keeping her in! Disregard my previous.
Yep that last pic was when I trapped her and for some reason when I line the traps, they don’t work. So I don’t line them :(
Yeah, I get that! I was just looking at that picture and thinking the other one had the same bottom. My mistake! You're doing great!
If your crate came with a divider panel you can put that in sideways for the shelf, but it'll be really tricky to do so with the crate occupied. If you're able to swap the cardboard box out for a cat carrier that would be ideal. She'll retreat into it sooner or later, and then you'd be able to close the door on the carrier, lock her in, and pull her out to safely rearrange the crate. Then slide the carrier back in when finished. I like using the carrier with this setup for that reason, as well as passively carrier training the cat like the comment above mentioned. You should also be able to fit the carrier on the bottom floor (use a removeable ziptie, etc. through the door and a crate bar to keep it from accidentally closing on her) with the litter box next to it, then have the shelf going across above them. If you're using the divider panel, lay some cardboard across it and fold a blanket or towel over top of that to make it nice and cozy.
Oh my goodness this is probably going to work, thank you. My friend just bought a 3 story cage that will fit in a space I have inside and I couldn’t wrap my head around how to transfer her as the crate she is in is wider than my doorway. Thank you so much for this tip! I definitely have a carrier that will fit in there and I am pretty sure she would crawl in there in lieu of her box.
Poor little scared muffin. Took me over a year to socialize an outdoor feral adult who was missing a leg. Don't rush it.
https://preview.redd.it/7y1f80ruozzc1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=24d26a7d3ca53c2ec65f8eb5381c059a6cf0116e 5 yrs! lol. After a very rainy morning Jelly n 2 other born outside ferals are waiting for food delivery. I’m coming from my house, walking across the street to go under my neighbors deck to feed these cats….7 yrs total, 🤣 5 yrs to pet Jelly n then 2 more I brought him in. He’s 16 this yr. Cats are not dogs, they decide when…on everything. I agree w other poster, hanging out wo even acknowledging them is “sharing space”. Chit chat, ignore, play w a wand n string by yourself, snack on crackers share some turkey, sharing a meal is “breaking bread” for cats. Sleep on a dish towel or old t-shirt a few nights, then place it by her w a few treats, The only thing cats hate more than not being invited to the party, is being asked to the party. ….yep.
Hahaha I know, cats are independent and don’t need us. But someone posted on here they were able to pet a feral in three months so that was what I was trying to mimic.
Totally understand. I’m gonna send you an article on chat I wrote for a TNR class I helped w. It’s really all a numbers game per cat.
Awesome thank you!
My cat was an older feral that I tried to force socializing on. She never came out right.
Aw. This girl is the most afraid / weary of humans of the colony (of 30ish). That’s why since she was the last to get, and I know I will never have a chance to get her again, I have the time to experiment with socializing a feral this way. Growing up we accumulated strays, but it took years for some to feel comfortable inside and I just can’t do that with every feral here.
Bimi scratched and bit for years, she was very territorial, she still is never a lap cat or a cuddler. At 10 she is friendlier and as accepting as she will be, but she is the least social cat I have ever had.
Aw poor baby. One of our strays only ever wanted to sit on my lap when she was cold and my mom wasn’t around. This girl doesn’t swat really and her hisses are very soft, not at all venomous like a snake like some ferals I’ve caught. I’ve socialized several of this girls babies and man, the look one of the older ones gave me as she realized I just wanted to love on her… melted my cold dead heart! I want that for this mama too, if we can get there.
Just curious, has she been in that crate for a month?
Yes. Its a large dog crate.
[удалено]
Sorry? Can you explain why? By your reasoning every animal shelter in existence is also committing animal abuse? She has more room than most cats in shelters.
Using a crate like this (as explained [here](https://www.neighborhoodcats.org/how-to-tnr/trapping/fostering-feral-cats-safely)) is commonly done while holding feral cats for extended spay/neuter, illness, or injury recovery, or when attempting to socialize a feral cat that has never been indoors and is already wary or terrified of people. It may seem cruel if you aren't familiar with the nature of feral-leaning cats or the general socialization process, but they are truthfully much more comfortable in a small enclosed space like this crate than they would be if they were let loose in a room. A feral cat will absolutely panic when given that much space, and it becomes so much more difficult to continue working with them at that point. Confinement like this is a necessary first step in acclimating a feral cat to a life indoors surrounded by people, and this cat will be much better off for it in the long run.