Time to get into the good stuff! Previously, I had mentioned I found my “niche” – socializing timid and semi-feral kittens and stray cats. By “semi-feral”, I am referring to kittens that were born to true feral cats. I cannot tell you how many people move, and the shelter receives phone calls from landlords saying the renters left their “pets” behind. It could also be an inside/outside cat that never found its way back home. Our shelter will check for microchips and post them on our webpage to see if an owner can be found. For more information on the differences between a “true” feral cat and a stray cat, please follow the link below:
FeralvsStray-Caregiver.pdf (alleycat.org)
If one of our trappers manage to snag a true feral cat, the shelter will spay or neuter it, and then re-release the cat where it was trapped. When the cat gets spayed or neutered, the vet will also “clip” its ear. The reason behind this is if another rescue/trapper ends up with a cat with a clipped ear, the trapper will know it has already been “fixed”, and they will release the cat right then and there.
Why the Clipped Eartip on Outdoor Cats? It’s TNR | Alley Cat Allies
In the picture above, you can see that Lil’ Bear’s left ear is clipped – the tip of it was removed when he was neutered. Lil’ Bear came to us from a high-kill Florida shelter. They were uncertain at the time he was neutered if he would be able to be socialized. Thankfully, Lil’ Bear is food-motived, and that is helping tremendously in our efforts to socialize him so that he can be adoptable.
Personally, I consider there to be two types of socializing — “hard” socializing and “soft” socializing. Both are equally important. The main purpose of hard socializing is to push a kitten or cat slightly out of its comfort zone. The main reason to do this are two-fold. One, it allows the kitten or cat to get used to human touch. Second, it builds up the kitten or cat’s confidence.
“I can’t wait to hear him purr“, I texted my friend Joyce. She responded, “And you will”. And I did.
There is nothing like the sweet sound of a purr from a kitten/cat you are working with — you know you have reached them.
“Hard” Socializing
Hard socializing will consist of touching the kitten or cat, playing with the kitten or cat, “burrito” wrapping them and putting them in your lap, and hand-feeding the kitten or cat. For instance, in the video below, you will see me literally hand feeding Lil’ Bear. I am also touching him while he is eating. This is one of the most important aspects of socializing. It not only builds trust, but it also demonstrates that hands aren’t so bad after all. It is a messy job, but the most effective way to show Lil’ Bear he can trust humans.
Below is a video of Lil’ Bear in my lap wrapped up in a blanket, a.k.a.: the “burrito” wrap. (Of course, someone drove up to the back door where Lil’ Bear’s room was and spooked both me and him!) The burrito wrap helps ensure the safety of the animal, as well as the socializer. Depending on the kitten/cat, I will either cover them with the blanket, then wrap them (if they are too squirrely to scruff), or I will scruff them and put them in the blanket on my lap. In Lil’ Bear’s case, I didn’t scruff him.
“Soft” Socializing
I define soft socializing as one simple concept — getting the kitten or cat used to the presence of a human. I will do this with kittens or cats that are extremely timid. Zero trust whatsoever. They usually are not food motivated. When a new kitten or cat comes into the shelter like this, the first thing I do is simply sit with them. My favorite thing in this case is to bring whichever book I am reading at the time and read out loud. Then I may open their cage and simply put my hand near them. I will try to spoon feed. Usually, these kittens or cat have zero desire to eat, and until they get a bit more comfortable, we put the food dish down so they can eat when they feel it is “safe”. Mind you, this is not ideal — in most cases, the shelter only has to do it for a couple of days.
Lil’ Bear’s Next Steps
The next steps for Lil’ Bear were to get him out of his cage and exploring the room. It was quite easy with him. Remember? He’s food motivated. All I had to do was sit away from his cage on the floor and show him the spoon. He was such a thief!!! He would come out of his cage, grab a bite, and run back in. Baby steps. You have to patient with this process and not try to be too aggressive too soon. It could potentially set an animal backwards.
Yesterday
Yesterday I went in and spent some time with him. Usually when I approach the cage, he hisses. Not yesterday (yay!). He’s all bark and no bite anyway, but it was nice to see his level of fear go down a notch. I opened his cage doors, then sat in a chair about seven feet away with some dry food in my hand. His interest peaked when I showed him what was in my hand. As I moved away from him, I could see him thinking, “Wait!?! Where are you going with my food?!”
I put one piece of dry food in my hand and dropped it. I could see Lil’ Bear react to the sound. He came up to the cage door. So, I dropped another one. He came scurrying out of his cage and ate the piece of food. You could see his eyes get big as he looked around the room. He did a little bit of investigating, then it was time to play with his favorite toy – the laser toy.
Lil’ Bear’s confidence is now growing leaps and bounds. It will not be long before an email goes out from Joyce to all the volunteers saying that Lil’ Bear found his furever home. After all, they all do.