Unlike home cats or stray cats, feral cats are born on the streets so they are understandably against humans and want absolutely nothing to do with us. However, if you are confident that you are capable of giving a feral kitty a better and safer life where he or she will always be loved and spoiled, you can totally try socializing the cat. It won’t be easy, but it surely will be full of fun. In fact, that grumpy cat could bring you even more joy than an already tame one.
In this video, Hannah Shaw the professional kitty rescuer and New York Times bestseller will give you some advice on how to transform a hissy stubborn feral kitten into a mild, more lovable one. The video features Crabapple, a cute bicolor kitten that Shawn and her team saved from the streets and kindly took in. This spicy boy was said to be the “crab” version of Apple – his endearing sister who was raised by Shaw herself (hence the name)!
When Crabapple first arrived at Shaw’s home, the baby boy was about 7 or 8 weeks old and really aggressive in front of humans. According to Shaw, the first 5 to 12 weeks are a special period when kittens become less dependent on their mothers and tend to accept changes so Crabapple’s age was kind of perfect to adapt to a new environment. But that environment shouldn’t be too vast and scary, so she prepared a small enclosure for Crabapple instead of letting him roam free in her house.
The next steps were the most important ones, where Shaw patiently helped Crabapple get used to her appearance, her voice, her touch and her food. Once he learned that she was not so bad after all, he could gradually accept that hooman!
After several days, Crabapple the sassy boy had become much milder! So, no more playpen needed. He could run free in the house and enjoy cuddle time. And once the cat was no longer alert, he even enjoyed playtime with humans!
Watch the full tutorial here:
Isn’t Crabapple pawsome? If you love this guy, please share this video with your friends and family!