DEAR JOAN: I have two ginger cats, Frankie and Johnnie. I adopted Frankie in 2016 when she was about 1. Johnnie was adopted about 2 years later.
Frankie is a true feral. After years of giving her her space she allows me to pet her only when she comes to sit by my side. She doesn’t like to be held, but lets me trim her nails as my husband holds her. I can only pet her on her terms. I’m OK with that as she is the queen of our home
Johnnie was adopted when he was about a year old and we’ve had him for about 4 years. He doesn’t allow us to pick him up. He is very skittish. While he screams every morning for his food, this is one of the only times we see him. He is under our bed all day until we go to bed and shut the lights off. He will only allow me to pet him once he settles down next to me at night.
I know feral cats take time to settle in. I wanted to know if Johnnie will come around at some point and feel more comfortable with the humans
JoAnn DiDonato, Bethel Island
DEAR JOANN: It’s hard to know if Johnnie ever will be a social cat. Some feral cats, like Frankie, will become friendlier, and some make a complete change, becoming Velcro-kitties that won’t leave your side.
Others spend their lives under the bed, waiting for the day felines gain complete dominion over humans, like they don’t already have it.
There are some things you can do, however, to make Johnnie more accessible.
You don’t mention how Frankie and Johnnie get along. If Frankie is the dominant of the pair, she might be hindering Johnnie’s social development. If he’s confronted by a bullying queen of the castle every time he pokes his head out, he might prefer staying in hiding.
If you haven’t noticed any spats between them, then Johnnie could be naturally shy. If he was a stray, he probably grew up being fearful of a lot of things, including humans.
All cats need safe places, and Johnnie’s is under the bed, but you can give him alternatives to hanging with dust bunnies. Cats like to get high, and I’m not talking about catnip. They like high perches where they can observe their surroundings and watch out for trouble. You might want to add a tall scratching post and perch in the bedroom for Johnnie to explore, but near his current safe place under the bed.
One of the keys to coaxing a shy cat into the open is to discover what motivates the cat. For some it’s food, others are keen on toys, and still others like attention. Judging by his morning breakfast demands, I’d say Johnnie’s motivation is food, so use treats to lure him out into the open.
You can make a game of it, tossing a few treats under the bed and then placing them further and further away. Draw him to you and if he allows you to pet him, reward him with a treat. Take it in stages, slowly extending the time, but allowing him to set the pace.
He might get bolder about leaving his hiding place, but don’t be too disappointed if he doesn’t. We take whatever cats want to offer.
Contact Joan Morris at jmorris@bayareanewsgroup.com.
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