susieqz,

Do you happen to have a ball of yarn? How about a laser pointer? I've seen cats go for those -probably more entertaining for the humans who watch, however.

Andy

I second the laser pointer.

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Front sight and squeeze

thanks. i guess i could try a pointer, but that's to give her something to chase, right?
great for house cats, but i don't know about professional hunters.
i do think i need gauntlets. i'll see what amazon has to say.
at this point, i'd like to maximize touching.
if i could pick her up, i could shove her in a cat carrier n put her in the house when i shoot.
plus, she could come inside for winter,

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susie

susie:

Don't overthink it too much. If kitty makes an overture like she did, I think it would be safe to touch her, she may want you to. Try a gentle rub behind the ears, or just stroke her head, don't try to play much at first, just a light touch, til you see how it goes. Now that she trusts you, I think everything is going to be OK. You have been really sucessful so far.

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

I would do like Les. Just try a gentle touch or 2. If she freaks out she would probably just take off. Now if you grabbed her she would probably claw you. Cat is making some moves to show you she trust you. You never know, some time in the past this cat may have started out being a pet or a kitten of a pet.

I found my cat down by the river, hungry and nervous. No way she would get close to my dog. Right now they are sleeping together on the bed.

I think it will be a long time before you can shove her in a cat carrier without some serious loss of trust. Even if you can coach her into the house I would leave the door open at first. The need for an escape route and the fear of being trapped are not going to be easy to get over for a wild cat.

Fur rubbing approach ...

Do NOT reach out to kitty.

Let you hand hang down where kitty can come and check it out.

Kitty may walk up and rub against the hand and the step back.
Later may rub more than once.
When progress to regular multiple rubs - start with rubbing wiggling fingers.
GO SLOW - Remember kitty is in charge.

For gauntlets check for gloves at welding supply shop.

Bekeart

Id use a piece of string rather than my hands to play.She'll be really wound up from that so don't try to pet her then

Skip the toys. Keep it between just the two of you.

Susie:

I'm not too sure about the gauntlets... If I was a cat my size, and some creature with six foot gauntlets that didn't smell like my creature reached out for me, I would probably freak out too!! Some of the suggestions above of slowly working up to touching kitty are probably going to ensure that she doesn't try to scratch or bite. As soFlaNative says, keep it between the two of you...at least for awhile. She will rely heavily not just on sight, but smell as well, so she needs to get used to the smell of your hands. You are making amazing progress...keep up the good work!!

Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

SHE INITIATED CONTACT !
this animal is a creature of habit.
she will always eat 75% of her food, then go away.
5 or 10 minutes later, she comes back to finish.
i was sitting, bowl touching my thigh, just talking.
when she finished the whole bowl in one sitting, i knew i hadn't
given her enow.
so, i went to the house n grabbed a handful more.
my hand was just over the bowl, dribbling kibble into it.
drifter came up n rubbed the side of her face against my wrist.
since she was being so friendly i scratched her behind her ears.
then, she went back to the important business of eating.
we then hung out like normal, til she went her own way.
it looks like we can be friendly for short periods of time.

she is not a normal type pet. she enjoys my company for 20 minutes, twice/day, but that's plenty for her.

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susie

Slowly but surely. She wants some company and friendship too.

Steelslaver said:

"I think it will be a long time before you can shove her in a cat carrier without some serious loss of trust. Even if you can coach her into the house I would leave the door open at first. The need for an escape route and the fear of being trapped are not going to be easy to get over for a wild cat."

And I say it will be a VERY long time before you can stuff that cat in a cat carrier without being seriously and permanently well marked up, gauntlets or not!! One human ain't got near enough hands to control a freaked out cat. Everything that moves on a cat brings blood!!! And you'll likely destroy all the progress you've made thus far.

When drifter rubbed your wrist with the side of her face, she marked you. That is a very good sign that she is accepting you as her friend and maybe even possession. Just be patient and let nature take it's course. I think you are gonna be very surprised about where this relationship leads, given time and allowing trust!

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So long ... Ken

Carrier may NEVER be an option.

Friend owned a cat - Miss Mimi - or was it Miss Mimi owned my friend.

Miss Mimi was a very loving purring machine.

EXCEPT when put in carrier for trips to the vet. HOWL - HISS - CLAWS OUT - you are going to be sorry about this ...

Remember - the cat is in charge ...

Bekeart

k, i get it. no cat carrier for her.
everything i've been doing is to build up trust.
i don't wanna waste that.
i was only thinking about it because i worry when she goes off for 5 hours after i shoot.

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susie

But she has come back every time, right? I think it's OK.

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So long ... Ken

drifter returns only after 5 hours or so.
on normal days, she prowls outside the fence for only an hour or so.
i figure, on those days, she's close enow to retreat over the fence in case of coyote trouble.
i don't care where she wants to mess around. i just don't want her eaten.
i could ask the state to come in n poison the coyotes. but i lost a dog to coyote baits n would probably loose a cat.

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susie

She is indicating that she is comfortable with you. If she kicks back and lays close to you slowly move your hand towards her nose. Try letting her smell your hand before trying to touch. If she smells and doesn't run try petting her. They have scent glands in their cheeks, gently rub one finger against her cheek or rub the back of the head. They also like the nose bridge to forehead to be petted.

All you can do is try. If she doesn't like it she might bat your hand away or run but I highly doubt she will scratch. If you fail once, try again, she might be more open to it later. Cat scratch fever is not very common at all. I would not be worried about it. I think much of it is people not cleaning and tending to their wounds. I have never known anyone who has been infected. I am part of a large network of cat fosterers and feral trappers and feral kitten socializers. I have a few scars on my hands and arms to prove it! Next time you go to the doctor, ask him or her for some Mupirocin ointment. It is the best antibiotic ointment to prevent infections from anything from rose bush scratches, to fence post splinters to cat scratches.

Edit: sorry, I didn't read the post before that said she rubbed her cheek on you. That is great! She is marking you as hers!!! :-)

i was sooo upset with this animal. i was thinking myself foolish to bond with an animal determined to get herself killed.
she left last night, didn't come for breakfast, didn't come for supper.
i knew she was dead.
when i went out for a stroll, i found her sitting on the steps waiting for me, food untouched.
she came just to see me !
she greeted me like a long lost friend, more affectionate than ever.
she acted just like a kitty.
since she was being cuddly, i forgave her for worrying me.
i finally realized why she wasn't hungry n stayed away so long..
she must have caught a bunny.
my adorable little killer.
thanks for easing my mind about cat scratch fever.

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susie

i got smart. my new neighbor likes hunting, so i told him i got a pack of 4 coyotes hanging out here.he said he'll shoot some.
of course i let him know the cat is mine.

i know some hunters shoot feral cats because they thing they hurt game animals, but drifter is just killing bunnies.
i can do without shooting them, as long as they wind up dead.

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susie

Well make no mistake..feral cats kill game animals by the boatload. I watched my ol black cat catch a bird right out of the air. They are usually great hunters/killers if they live in the wild...They have to make a living you know They kill the heckout of rabbits..but we have so many rabbits I don't really care. When I lived on the farm back east...I shot cats and even more so foxes. We were over run with foxes. On a little 40 acre place I had 4 covey of quail...A dwindling species...tween the owls foxes coons possums and cats...the quail have a very hard life..so I trapped and shot all but the owls. The farm across from me was about 1200 acres and they may have had 20 quail on the place and maybe 35 cats. With you feeding your kitty it will kill less critters but will never stop. Try to get it to come in the house...especially for winter`

Good work Susie! I think you're winning her over.

Cats kill more wabbits than Elmer Fudd.

Elmer was not a very good hunter. Obviously wabbits are not a contributing factor to his body mass.

Bekeart

so far. i know drifter eats rabbits, mice, rats, locusts n lizards.
i kinda like lizards, but the rest i'd like to wipe from the face of the planet.
if she kills some game animals, that's a small price to pay.
acceptable collateral damage.
she is not a rifle i can aim. more a mine that goes off when anything presses her trigger.
i think that's adorable.

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susie

Rabbits have been extinct here on the decline they say. You need to get out and sit before first light to see them. As twilight appears they run around chasing each other like crazy. There are more rabbits than most think. They don't see them. I left the thickets on one property line, planted black and red raspberries so the rabbits have feed. Everyone has to eat.

bunnies here are ravenous beasts, not at all like they are up north.
they cost me more than $300 in ornamental plants. then forced me to dig a huge trench to bury chicken wire underground.
so, i shoot on sight.
i hate them.

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susie

They're good with gravy and biscuits.

I love that statement..As ol Elmer said...Hunting wabbits is vewy vewy stwenuous....hahahaha.

As Suzie said rabbits can be destructive. Last year we had so many rabbits I couldn't grow much of a garden(I sell veggies at farmer's markets for part of our income). I had to plant many of my income producing crops 4 times. We had so many rabbits I resorted to shooting them en masse. Still had too many but I was able to grow stuff. To give you an idea...I shot 78 in an hour and a half on the dry ground side of the irrigation canal. The were living over there and raiding the garden crops from dust till dawn. I had already shot more than 40 in and around the garden area. This was all on a piece of ground less than 5 acres. And the ol black cat probably hunted down 15-20 over a month or so. As far as game birds I have never seen the black cat catch even a young pheasant. He brings us all kinds of "presents" such as mice moles voles kangaroo rats and wabbits. He does not mess with snakes..in fact avoids them. I did shoot a very large coyote that was stalking that ol cat not so long ago. When he noticed me he was so close he growled at me just before the shot. He was engrossed in trying to catch that cat. Like rattlesnakes I don't want coyotes near the house. Momma wants to have chikins for eggs again...LOL

I was surprised when I came to AZ years ago just how many rabbits live out here in the desert. Of course there are some big farms out here.

DAY 41
well, everything is different.
i started touching by ''accidentally'' brushing her while she ate, which made her jump.
after i hand fed some beef, i started stoking her as she ate.
she enjoys the contact, which increases every day.
when i call for dinner, she comes even after a good day's hunt. she takes only a bite of food.
she now comes to see me.
i spend extra time out there n in the evenings she wants lots of touching.
so, this part is working better than expected.
but, the main plan of getting her to live in the garden is failing.
i think she was spending extra time in the garden due to food insecurity.
now, she knows she's gonna be fed, so she is spending less time in the garden.
she has a den somewhere that she prefers.
she wants 20 minutes of attention in the morn n an hour in the eve.
she prefers to be on her own the rest of the time.
the weird thing is, even now that i'm stroking her, she still runs if i'm on my feet n not holding food.
she is a real dr jeckel n ms hyde.

i'm happy we can have contact, but my big aim was n is moving her into safety.
i seem to be failing at that.

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susie

Suzie
Don't know how old that cat is but just take what you can get from it. It has survived this long without your help. Just keep paying attention to it..stroke it every now and then and one day it may make sure you belong to it.

to me, drifter looks like a young adult.
i don't believe she will ever leave this source of food.
when i started this thread i was asking about how to doctor her.
that's because when she first got her she was so thin i thot she was dieing of some disease.
i was wrong.
hunting was just keeping her alive, barely.


she now looks normal n healthy from getting proper food to supplement her prey.
she will not give up this easy .food

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susie

It is a given that the cat has worms. Maybe in a month or so get one of those worming kits. It is topical stuff that goes tween the shoulders. As long as she kills critters though she will keep getting them. So you will have to re-apply as needed. And worming sometimes has a side benefit. Cat will gain weight kill less and become more of a domestic critter

Count me in rabbit catch A tore, yummy tastes like chicken.

Do coyotes outrun cats or wear them down?

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i suspect that a cat can outrun one, if it's a quick dash.
a good climber should be safe around trees, but we have few on the plains.
but, in a chase of more than seconds, the cat will be lunch.

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susie

You think your GARDEN is protected
My CAT is protected!

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great pic, bush.
i wish more people would post kitty pics.
i'm still trying to, but now the memory card is in the mailbox n the 3 mile road is too muddy to drive.
i canceled my appointments for this week n am hunkered in.
some desert.

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susie

Don't even think of taking this kitty's shotgun

His Motto: From My Clawed Furry Paws

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oooh, i like both kitty n gun. a double shotgun is on my wish list.
i hope others will follow your lead n show more cat pics.

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susie

I like the kittie's choice of shotguns. Winchester if I am not wrong. Cat will never outrun the yote..but they will out climb and hide.... hunkered down in a safer place. Luckily we are one of the few places around that has trees. We probably have about 10 acres worth on the ranch here. Deer live there and raid the garden at night.

Deer are Agent Orange with split hooves

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susie:

Here is "LB" (for Little Boy", the biggest boned cat I've ever had) in his bed. How is this gun related? Well, his bed is in top of a gun safe!! He's watching over my collection!! Watch cat!!



Best Regards, Les

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

i think i've seen one deer here in the last 8 years.
see more antilope, but usually at half a mile.
they never come close enow to hurt anything.

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susie

lb is adorable.
why does a cat pic need to be gun related?
the only animals i have pics of with my guns are dead.

gonna be a while before i can pose drifter with my model 15.
i'm just hoping for her to stand still long enow for a pic.

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susie

^^^^^^ this is definitely truth! We have approx 75 deer that live here adjacent to the garden crops. It is a surprise they can still run with all the lead shot they have in their tail ends. I shoot them with #9 loads and they stay away for a few days. and they do not like the electric fencing or the little blinking lights at night

if i had deer bothering my garden, i'd want a bigger cat.
i do like automatic defenses.

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susie

That's what I use an 1100 auto. One day talking with the game warden I told him I was gonna start shooting deer cause they were eating my crops..He told me not to do that as he would have to charge me with shooting deer out of seaso..It would be poaching. The deer belong to the state...So me and my big mouth told him..If the deer belonged to the state and he was the state's representative on game animals...I wanted him to remove his deer from my land or I would shoot them for trespass. He didn't know what to say... He just mumbled a bit and left...never has come back. I don't really NEED to hunt deer but I do shoot them in the butt with shotguns. I have four young gals that come out and get their deer every year. And a young serviceman.

have you thot of caltrops?

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susie

Um...I have to till the ground and mow the area around the gardens. Be a bit hard on tractor tires..