If you have a passion for animals or are looking to provide a wild animal with a safe and loving home for the remainder of its short life, you may have considered rescuing a formally feral cat.
It can seem like a relatively heart-warming experience but there are a number of factors you must consider before taking the plunge and making such a long-lasting and permanent decision. If you are considering rescuing a formally feral cat, continue reading to find out what you must consider beforehand.
They may require treats
If you are considering rescuing a formally feral cat, you must know that they may require treats in order to gradually warm to you. It is a widespread belief that wild animals, and cats, in particular, can be swayed with treats if they are led to believe that you are a bearer of food and formally feral cats are no different.
To convince your furry friend that they are safe and secure in your home and that you mean to harm, feed them small treats throughout the day before, eventually, allowing them to come to you as you place their food bowl on the floor. If a cat starts eating in your presence, this can also be a key indicator that they are happy and comfortable around you.
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They may require expensive trips to the vet
If you are oblivious as to where your formally feral cat came from or are equipped with little to no information on their life-long medical history, you must take them to be checked over by a vet as soon as possible. This can, however, lead to expensive vet bills if any underlying health conditions or physical problems are uncovered.
To offset mounting costs, it may benefit you to check the Petsure website for pet insurance ahead of time. This can also allow you to protect yourself, your furry friend, and your purse strings from any medical accidents or emergencies that may occur down the line.
They may need a safe space
If you rescue a formally feral cat, you will be, essentially, completely altering the only way of life they have ever known. It may be for the better, but they will still require a great deal of time, patience, and care to adjust to living indoors as opposed to living outdoors.
This can be done by creating a safe space in a room of the home that allows them to play, relax, and run away if necessary. It is also important to avoid entering their safe space if and when you please or invite others to join you as this can only sever any trust you may have already formed between yourself and your furry friend.
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They may need to be introduced to toys
A formally feral cat is unlikely to be familiar with toys or what they are used for. It may, therefore, be up to you to introduce them to toys by encouraging them to play with you when they are feeling particularly energetic.
It may be a long and arduous process at first but by giving it time, your new furry friend won’t hesitate to come to you if they want to play again. This will also allow you to form a stronger bond with your cat and increase the chances of them feeling safe and secure in your presence going forward.
If you are considering rescuing a formally feral cat, there are a number of factors you must consider ahead of time before you make a final decision. They may, for example, require treats, expensive trips to be vet, a safe space, and to be introduced to toys.
