Happy National Feral Cat Day! Today is very important to me because I've never known the inside of a house. A feral cat, also called a community cat, is one who is wild and unsocialized to humans. Although I'm getting there, I'm not to the point of allowing the humans to touch me for more than one stroke of a finger on my head, side, or whiskers. Then I move away and hiss, or sometimes just look and hiss.
Mouses, but the house air feels warm and dry! I really want to be in that shelter, whatever the dangers are, but I'm not quite ready. I'm still too leery of what might be hiding in there. My friend Sherbet, who used to be a feral like me, lives inside now and won't come back out here. He decided once he was in, that it was his forever home!
Yep, Niss, you're right! I love it in here. I know you would, too, if you gave it a chance. While some ferals don't ever adapt to life with or around humans, some of us transition to life indoors. Once I was trapped in a humane trap and neutered, given my first shots, and got my eartip to mark me as a feral, I was brought back to be inside in the trap while I healed for a few hours. When it was time to let me out, the humans gave me that chance because that's the "return" or "release" part of trap-neuter-release (TNR). I, however, didn't want to go out! I bit the mommy on the thumb (not hard) and escaped inside the house! I've been given multiple chances to "escape", but I love my life inside. I don't trust that scary blinking thing on the wall that gives off a weird smell and emits strange sounds, and I also don't trust the daddy's electric recliner when it talks. I love playing chase around the house with the others, especially with Autumn, though! I also have a green bouncy ball that I play with for hours at a time. I love to get pets from the humans, and will brush up against their legs to tell them I'm there, then wait to be petted.
You can go to the National Feral Cat Day website for more information about cats like us, and please give your ferals an extra treat today!
There so many kinds of community cats and they all deserve love and care.
ReplyDeleteNiss, we hope that one day you'll give the inside life a chance. Sherbert's not wrong about it.
ReplyDeleteNiss, inside isn't so bad. Ashton will vouch for that, even if she still thinks humans are kind of scary.
ReplyDeleteWe are all formerly feral and know how good ti is to be indoors!
ReplyDeleteNiss, the humans who are caring for you are awesome, and they will let you live on your terms, until you decide to change them. They are great feral caretakers.
ReplyDeleteNIss, we are so glad you have some people looking out for you. One day you'll see ... inside is pretty darned good.
ReplyDeleteSherbet, none of us trust Mom's new washer it makes LOTS of weird noises. Even the Mom is afraid of it.
ReplyDeleteNiss, we hope one day you are brave enough to venture inside. We think you will like it in there.