How to help our kitty de-feral?

[mellymommy]

Our sweet 1yo kitty Fluffakins has had a rough couple of months. In early May we moved from OH to MO, May 22nd our home was destroyed by a tornado, we moved to my IL's for 2 weeks, then we moved to a rental home way out in the sticks. I don't know how she survived the tornado. I mean, our home wasn't just partially destroyed, it was completely, smashed to pieces with nothing standing and almost nothing recognizable. She and her litter-mate Ponyo both survived.

Yesterday ds1 found her in the woods down the street from our rental home. She is 100% our kitty, no doubts about it, but she is a bit wild. She doesn't recognize Ponyo, she doesn't recognize anyone but dd. She is trying so hard to get out.

Poor kitty. Nothing smells familiar, nothing looks familiar, nothing feels the same. How can we help her?

Right now we have her "locked" in dd's room with kitty litter (thank goodness she remembers how to use that!) and food and water and we keep going in one at a time to love on her and give her cream.

What else can we do and how long can we expect this to take?

[J3K]

You are doing the right thing. Sometimes when taming a kitten I let them come to me after I've put cat food on my hands.

She's probably terrified still. Traumatized. To live thru that destruction...you know what that's like..it's indescribable. Give kitten lots of love and time. :hug

[Niphredil]

:( Poor kitty. Very blessed to have such a great family though. :hug

[expatmom]

Our cats who were generationally feral took a long time to 'tame' when we first brought them home. They were quite spooked by our younger kids' quick movements and high pitched voices. Dd1 spent a long time with them every day. We actually let her have them in her room most of the time & she has become their de facto parent. Our female cat is still a bit wary of us, but dd1 can get her to snuggle in blanket & she sleeps curled around dd1's head every night. :giggle

[mellymommy]

She is such a sweet cat. She slept with me last night--something she has never done. She seems much calmer today than yesterday, although still far more skittish than before all this mess.

Her brother Ponyo is behaving violently toward her. He seems to attack her at every chance. What is that? We are keeping them apart but I don't think we can do that forever.

[Johns_Gal]

I hope to BBL: I had a friend lose a stud cat for three weeks and he came home rather changed.

For now? Give her some Rescue Remedy,either in her water, rubbed into her ears or nose, and Feliway plugins if possible.

[Amber]

I would put a Feliway diffuser in the room she is staying in, and keep that room quiet and calm as possible. You can also add some Rescue Remedy to her water.

The poor thing has been under so much stress, I'm sure she feels very frazzled and raw.

[J3K]

Lavendar oil works too. Rub it in your palms and rub the cat down. Most stand still for it. I only know one cat who wouldn't. Just to spite me I'm sure. :)

If the cats are fixed , it'll take awhile to acclimate again. I had a neighbor rub one cat down with a brick of cheese. :giggle Then the cats got along.

If the cats aren't fixed #1 they don't need to be alone together anyway :giggle and #2 fixed males can sense an unfixed female and all other cats seem to sense an unfixed male.