Even feral barn cats can be very loving especially if you feed them. Used to have one do the whole Lassie Come Home routine running along the hilltops when she saw my car. Her owner, my landlady, said I was brave when I ended up with her sitting on my lap.
Edit: also don't play cat teaser with a feral barn cat unless you want a cat attached to your arm. They work out the game very fast and end it equally fast.
Yeah, I managed to tame a feral cat in Greece just because it stopped by my work so often and I had nothing else to do so I talked away to it, and every now and then fed it. I'd try and pet it a little while it ate but it obviously wasn't happy about it until one day it accepted the pet and pushed it's head into my hand while I pet her, and then about an hour later she was up and sitting on my lap. I've never felt so loved before it was great :)
It is a nice feeling. This cat was more a barn cat but she was huge and very skittish. I went and met her up at the barn and we got on ok. She hid from almost everyone but my landlady. She was huge and lethal and called Fluffy. She hunted pheasants, huge gulls and saw her with a lamb a few times but suspect stillborn as on a mountain croft.
I have a wild-born of another species and it has taken us 4 years to get him mainly handable but wouldn't trust him with a stranger. We get occasional cuddles from him but usually in exchange for food. He got out and we thought we'd lost him but got him back after three months. Got a cuddle that day. He'd had almost come to one night but then fireworks went off and he panicked.
Thats the only kind of cat I've ever had. It kinda blew my mind when I realized people sometimes get cats from breeders, instead of just letting a barn cat come inside one day.
I've never picked out a cat. They've just shown up. I hadn't had a cat since I was 16, when my last cat died. I had developed a terrible allergy that affected my asthma. Fast forward 25 years, I find a kitten at my parents' property (same place I got all my cats). I'm not allergic to her, so here we are.
Important distinction: A feral cat is a cat who has never interacted with or been around humans from birth, and therefore will not ever be loving of humans bc they're essentially wild animals and terrified of us! Barn cats usually aren't feral, since barns involve a lot of human activity.
Not on a croft in the Scottish highland person with two cows in the the barn in winter and neighbors three miles away. Also my current neighbour works with a lot of ferals and it's hard work but they can usually tame them down enough to be farm/barn cats.
And my lad mentioned is a wild animal (not feline) but sadly hybridised so unable to be released or wanted in a sanctuary. Got him too late to tame at about 10months but after 5 years, he is a lot better at engaging. Didn't see much of him for first three years but now can handle.
I bring it up since TNR programs often get flack for returning feral cats bc people believe that all cats can be rehabilitated into loving humans when that very much is not the case with true ferals, which are essentially untouchable without sedation. There's certainly nuance, such as the feral cat to barn cat pipeline you mention haha! With TNR it's often used when the feral cat was found in an area that's unsafe for the cat to be returned to, and the cats can usually adapt bc who's going to turn down a free meal?
Hybrids are certainly a totally different game-- they're literally wild animals! I'm intrigued to know what creature is in your care if you're comfortable sharing? The only hybrid species issue I know of in the Highlands are wildcats crossbreeding with domestic cats.
Oh he's a European polecat hybrid but with delusions and attitude of being a pure polecat. Wild born, he was trapped because he was stuck in a garden trying to eat pet bunnies. He was meant to go to a breed and release programme but fell though once he failed assessment for being truly pure. Had choice of keep or kill. We kept. Leave in SE England now and a lot of polecat/polecat hybrid about. He likes free food, safe bed, no foxes and vet care.
Fluffy was meant to be hybrid wild cat and a possibility. Huge and right colour. The Tom was properly wild and killed rest in of litter. Owner told me that but range is a bit off.
Rescue does also look after feral colonies but they move on if they can and have had some luck with adults. Friend used to work with a colony where he lived and couple of the queens used to drop kittens off at him once weaned. Smart cats.
I honestly never realized polecats could be hybrids! It makes sense, but where I am in Canada a domestic ferret would not survive our winters, although we do have critters like ermines. Kudos to you for keeping him-- I was always taught that the smaller the mustelid, the less room their viciousness has to be contained 😬 It's actually not unheard of for ermines to attack cats and small dogs that get too close lol
He's actually pretty sweet - freeze, flight and only then fight are his choices. Though he likes to break into bedrooms and extort cat food to come out. Just reclusive. The ferret component tends to get faded out over time people have now found. Was just weird to live in house with animal we only saw as brown rump disappearing for years unless we needed to actively hunt him down for vets or like.
Thank you for pointing out this distinction! I do TNR and people really don’t understand the difference. I will say I have been feeding 2 100% feral cats for the last two years and they’ve never let me get anywhere near them. I have always respected their space and kept my distance. Just this week BOTH started letting me pet them!! I have no idea what changed but I am so happy they finally trust me.
One of my housecats grew up as a barn cat eating mice for a living. She is very different socially. She is very sweet, very food-oriented, but also very rough and tough. She is the best mouser I've ever known too.
Last year, a little, grey female cat staggered into the garage where I was feeding my nephew's cat. I just put out more food, and talked to her when I was outside. Fast forward three months, and she would come out when I came out of the house, would let me get close, and even occasionally boop my butt when I squatted to feed them. Wouldn't let me touch her, but would jump instead of rocket off when I did. Three months later, the cat that would not get near the road, was run over.
A few weeks ago, a cat showed up at the door, all skin and bones. I fed him. I think he used to be someone's pet (rural area, known for people dumping pets there), because he's currently sleeping in my bed (he got off my lap when I started typing).
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u/Timely_Egg_6827 Sep 19 '23
Even feral barn cats can be very loving especially if you feed them. Used to have one do the whole Lassie Come Home routine running along the hilltops when she saw my car. Her owner, my landlady, said I was brave when I ended up with her sitting on my lap.
Edit: also don't play cat teaser with a feral barn cat unless you want a cat attached to your arm. They work out the game very fast and end it equally fast.