Help with adopted semi feral cat

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sidneyworm
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Help with adopted semi feral cat

Post by sidneyworm »

Hi, this is my first post. We "adopted" a semi feral cat in April. She was living in a rabbit burrow 100feet up a grassy bank for 3 years where my husband works. My husband gradually managed to start feeding her after about 2 years of seeing her and he brought her home in April - just for Easter as there was no one to feed her - and she's still with us! We took her to the vets for a check up. She is about 3 1/2 years old and had been neutered. No one knows how she ended up in the rabbit burrow. She is profoundly deaf and, after a thorough ear inspection, the vet thinks she was abused and has burst ear drums so she might have run away or been kicked out. My question is that 6 months down the line she has settled in marvellous, always uses the tray and has done from day 1, she can't go outside with her deafness so lives indoors. She has her own bed/ blanket and loves sitting in front of the fire. She is very adorable and loving when she wants to be although she will not sit with you or near you. You know if she doesn't want your attention because she hisses, spits and scratches you - is this normal 6 months down the line? However she will not play with anything, we have tried everything from a catnip mouse, balls of wool, laser pen, climbing platform, claw scratching posts but she shows no interest in any of it. how can we get her to play as she is still only young really? Thanks!
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Kay
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Re: Help with adopted semi feral cat

Post by Kay »

What a lovely story. 6 months isn't that long for a cat to settle after such a long period of living alone outside. She is young enough to change quite a lot in the months and years to come. I'm not surprised she still feels at the moment uneasy sometimes if she things someone is getting too close, and this might apply particularly to human hands, which she may have very good reason to fear.

Cats learn to play as part of a litter of kittens, and she may have been totally alone for almost all her life. Toys that are most like the real things she would have come across when living in her burrow - have you tried her with Da Bird or Da Mouse?

But if she is choosing to live a rather restricted life, I wouldn't worry about it. My current rescue cat choses not to go outside, or even explore the house beyond two rooms, even after living her for 18 months, but the restrictions are her choice, and she seems content. Feeling secure from any threat I suspect is her top priority, and it may be the same with your girl.
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