The Feral Cats of the Goathouse
Posted July 05, 2022
What is a feral cat?
Some think a feral cat must be mean or aggressive toward humans, and therefore not adoptable. Yet feral cats are rarely that way, and often are adoptable.
Regan
Oscar
The Goathouse has first-hand experience with the adoptability of cats thought to be feral. The fencing you see around the 3 acres of land behind the main building was donated by a man who read about the Goathouse in a New York Times article. He agreed to donate the cost of the fencing in exchange for the Goathouse agreeing to take in an 18-kitty colony of cats thought to be feral. More than half were adopted, and the others lived out their lives at the refuge. (Regan was an example of the former, and Oscar an example of the latter.)
Feral cats are not aggressive toward humans, but instead shy away from human contact. They are almost always affectionate with other cats, and can often be seen headbutting and grooming their cat friends. This affection reveals their true nature. They simply need to learn to trust humans for the first time
to share their affection with the rest of the world.
Nala, a petit orange tabby, meets the definition of a feral cat. She will walk up to a guest, look up at them with her sweet yellow eyes, and then shy away if they don’t have treats to share. One volunteer has started the process of gaining her trust by sitting with her, placing a hand nearby, and giving her a treat or two. Then they “slow blink” at each other, sending a message of calmness.
It is a slow process as the volunteer only sees her briefly once a week, but an adopter could use this same approach every day and it wouldn’t be long before Nala would be feral no more.
Come meet Nala, Earl Grey, Maiko, or one of the 19 other feral cats at the Goathouse. All they need is your patient understanding of the cat they are capable of becoming!
