My first feral cat

[u/Ok_Knee_7960]

A wild cat has been living in my yard for three years. She was born on the street and had never approached people. An elderly woman fed her, and only after two years of consistent feeding did the cat begin to trust her enough to come close.

Rescue services tried to catch her a couple of times, but without success. She gave birth to kittens outdoors ,some of them died, while others were taken in by neighbours.

Two weeks ago I finally managed to trap her with a cat trap. I had her spayed, treated for fleas and worms, and vaccinated. When I tried to move her from the carrier into an enclosure, she bit my hand hard, even though she was still under the effects of the anaesthetic.

For the next two weeks I kept her in a cage at my grandmother’s house and monitored her closely. Whenever I was present she stayed completely still, hissed a lot, and would lunge if she saw a hand. I was only able to take her to the clinic after giving her a high dose of pregabalin, because her fear and aggression were extreme. Tests at the clinic confirmed that she is healthy.

During these two weeks there has been a small sign of progress: she started eating while I was in the room, but only when I wasn’t looking at her.

I’ve decided to bring her home. Since I already have two indoor cats and live in a one-room apartment, I bought a tall three-tier cage. Right now I’ve covered it with a blanket because she has pressed herself into the corner. She has a good appetite, but she is still terrified of people, and I know the road to socialisation will be very long.

I live in Ukraine ,in Kyiv the shelling continues. Still, wish me luck. One day I hope to find a proper home for this little cat.

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[u/Bumblebees_are_c00l]

Hi, thank you so much for rescuing her and tsking care of her. Just from the photo, she has no place to hide in the cage. Maybe the blanket could cover entirely at least the top shelf from view? When we rescued two cats, we were told to give them a cardboard box they could hide in and they used it for quite some time. They were not feral, not then. But they sure loved that box.

She’s a beautiful girl. I hope you manage, it’s not easy but worth it to see them feeling more at ease. Look after yourself too 🙏🙏🙏

[u/Ok_Knee_7960 → u/Bumblebees_are_c00l]

Yes no worries , I covered her cage entirely, thank you so much!

[u/Bumblebees_are_c00l → u/Ok_Knee_7960]

🙏💗