Semi Feral Cats

[tubeway]

We have been adopted by two feral cats, and they are starting to become fairly tame with members of our household.
How can we tell how old they are?
How can we sex them without going too near (we are sometimes able to stroke them but do not want to break theit trust)?
Sometimes in the evening they do not want to go outside - we do not have any problem with them remaining in the house - but how do we litter train them?
These may seem simple questions but we were never cat people until Sooty and Soo came on the scene.
Your help is appreciated

[Kozmic Blues]

Congratulations on your new adoption!
I have two cats that were feral kittens, they still are not as friendly as tame cats would be but are lovable all the same, I could not live without them.

You can never really tell how old they are by looking at them, you can roughly guess a cats age by its teeth but I don't recommend you check their teeth. As for sexing them another difficult thing to do without distressing them you have to lift their tales and have a look- With the female the the two holes are closer than the males, enough said. lol...

Litter training- If you can lift them and put them into the litter try so the begin to recognize it will help, if you can't lift them try to leave some food to entice them towards it so the become inquisitive and start to explore it. Cats don't generally like to go to the toilet if the can't bury it (natural instinct). They should get the hang of it pretty soon.

Best of Luck!!

*Kozmic*

[divegirl]

Hi, also reguarding sexing....if they are males and mature...you'll be able to see their testicles 'hanging' ..... ahem! Tame them by stoking them whilst hand feeding, spend a good ten minutes at a time doing this....not just the odd tidbit otherwise they will learn to 'feed and run'. Sofar as litter training goes.....fit a cat flap....so much less hassle....lol

Lisa x

[certainage]

If the cats are medium- to long-haired, you may not be able to see the testicles! And they may not completely 'drop' until the cats are about a year old.

I've never had to litter train a cat, even feral ones. I always just took them to the litter box one time, and just plopped them in. They seemed to know instinctively what it was for, and never 'went' anywhere else. Maybe you can entice them to the area with a tidbit of smelly cat food or fish.

I strongly suggest that you have them spayed or neutered as soon as possible. Otherwise, you may have several dozen half-feral cats within just one year! And it may help prevent some undesirable behavior, such as urine spraying. Your local Vet or Humane Society may be able to offer suggestions and the loan of a cat carrier to transport them for the procedures.