Former feral stray slowly adapts to the comfort of being a family cat, one paw at a time; human parents are delighted that: 'He doesn’t hiss or scratch at all anymore.'

Feral cats' transformations are ameowzing.

Thinking of the long way a feral cat has to make to become a house prince or princess is so incomprehensible sometimes. And that's without even talking yet about the effort their humans need to do to help that happen. Former feral cats who are used to the hardships of living in the streets have such a sharp curve to go through before they can trust that the home they're in is really the forever home they were wishing for - even if they didn't know they were wishing for one at all.

Think of all the things a cat might experience outside, alone, with no one to care for them - lack of food, harsh weather, fights for territory, dangerous roads, predator roaming animals, and sometimes even people who behave abhorrently towards cats. All these things cat creat cats who are anxious, reserved, and hard of trusting. All these things happen to them, but all cats need is love. And it's hard receiving love with open paws when all you've ever known are trials and tribulations.

Following a journey of former feral cats is an ameowzing transformation to watch. And it's also with a lot of thanks to the humans who are willing to take them in and guide them through this wholesome ride. People who are willing to adopt a feral cat are people with bravery that not everyone has. Luckily for this sweet cat below, he has the most patient family, who shares his journey with the rest of the online cat community.

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“Oreo’s Slow Adaptation to Indoor Life”
So I am sharing an update of Oreo, who was a feral that I’ve posted about twice on here to ask for advice.
Oreo has now been inside for four months and has really been getting used to it! He’s always been very scared and not aggressive, but he’s slowly getting more confident, exploring the house, and taking up space. We have a three-seasons patio and we had a major breakthrough in the past two weeks where that is finally a safe place for him (and he spends most of the day and night there). He also used to be mostly nocturnal and would only come out when we went to sleep, but now he’s out and about in the day! We’ve also learned to communicate—he’ll give a big yowl if he wants a door opened, though he’s never asked to be let back outside! Not too surprising, since he was not doing well on the streets before we took him in.
Touch and company is still a challenge. We tried the SSL method and made progress but lost patience. He will let us sit next to him usually, and I try to have him smell my hand and then bop his nose with my finger a few times a day. We also have been trying to pet him with a back scratcher when he will tolerate it, but he will usually run away after a minute of that. (I have a great video of his reaction to the scratcher the first time but can’t figure out how to post it). He doesn’t hiss or scratch at all anymore though, and does do slow blinks of appreciation for his new life.
We’ve accepted that Oreo might never be a cat we touch and cuddle, and are thinking of adopting another cat in a few months that is more cuddly. I’d love to hear any advice people have for that. More than anything we are just so happy that Oreo is happy and healthy indoors with us!!
Thank you to everyone here for your advice and support!
-emls
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Malsperanza
Adopting a second cat might help socialize Oreo - give him a model and some companionship. I'd get a young adult female, not a young kitten, as they are energy maniacs and might stress him out with the constant play. A year-old or 2 year-old is still young and lively, but a little more calm. Ask the shelter or rescue to point you to a very friendly cuddler, and confirm that you will need to be sure the newbie is OK with your timid ex-feral. Sometimes you need to give it a week or two to be sure.
It can take a really long time to get a former feral over the Do Not Touch the Cat hump. A year wouldn't be unusual, but it could still happen. If you're not feeling pressured about it, just give a try now and then. Also: churu on your fingers, followed by those fingers doing a little light touching.
The fact that he's relaxing and not wanting to go back out is a great sign. My semi-feral current foster took months to let me touch her, but she moves to whatever room I'm in and hangs out nearby, She always hides when strangers are in the house - that probably won't change.

emls
Thanks for the suggestions about gender and age if we decide to try out adding another cat to the mix. We’d definitely want them to have some chance to meet and try it out before we committed, as Oreo’s comfort comes first.
Thanks for the advice about churus. In our experience, that’s actually the worst time to touch him because he will batt or scratch during churu time. We assume he just has some mild food aggression.
I do think someday he might get more comfortable being touched, he’s made so much progress just tolerating sitting near us.

Malsperanza
Yes, sounds very possible.
RE churu: the goal is to get him to see hands as associated with good things, not scary. So give him churu on your fingers (not from the tube). No sudden or abrupt moves, slow and gentle. After the churu is gone, you see if you can get a little stroke in before he runs off.
Check out the franklinandfosters account on Instagram. She's been posting a daily update about her process for socializing a very feral cat. I think she's on day 50. It's very step by step, and I think gives helpful guidance.
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Seeing this floofy feline friend trying to hide behind furniture is heartwrenching. But knowing that his family gives him all the time he needs to feel safe cancels that, and fills our hearts with joy. So, he might be a little frightened in this picture, but we all know he's safe and sound - and that's what matters.
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Icy_Yesterday8265
Have you tried feeding churu and petting at the same time? Thats what really helped my cats. They were so distracted by the churu that the pets didn't bother them. Over time they decided they loved the pets and now they cant get enough.

emls
Thanks for the advice! We have tried that a bunch but actually have found that churu time is when he is most likely to batt or scratch. I think he has a little bit of food aggression from life on the streets.

Icy_Yesterday8265
One of my former ferals is a bit food aggressive too. I hope one day he will realize he doesn't have to worry and that he'll always have a full tummy
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moyo_me_moyo
You and Oreo are making great progress! It took 6 months for us to be able to touch my now former feral. As others noted, we also would distract with a Churu snack and sneak a couple of strokes on a daily basis. My Eddie let me know how many strokes were allowed and the number increased slowly but surely! It was about a year before we could truly pet him. He loves being petted and brushed now to the point that he comes to us, meows and walks to where we keep the brush. He’s still evolving as a house cat. He still hisses at everyone but my hubs and me. I definitely believe my friendly cats have been great role models showing Eddie how to be loved by humans!

sodosopapilla
You are awesome
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It has nothing to do with the fact that all cats deserve a loving home, no matter who they are, but we have to admit - this cat is especially handsome. What a dapper gentleman in a tuxie suit, all floofed up and ready to be the house prince. Seriously, what a beautiful cat.
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