Is it moral to tame or attempt to tame a wild cat?

[MacTheKnife]

I had a himalyan cat for years...fantastic pets but I had to put him to sleep a few months back...he had kidney disease. I was very attached to him and did everything I could to keep him alive...but the day came when I saw that he was having too much pain thus I put him to sleep.

He trusted me completely and it was exceedingly difficult for me to do what had to be done and not wanting to ever have to go through that again I said I would never have another pet of any kind or sort.

Then...........a little beggar kitty started coming to my back door....I had seen him out in the woods behind where I live and there is a long wooden fence back there and I would often see him walking along the top of the fence but for some reason he never came looking for food. I think whoever was feeding must have moved or something and he was forced to look for someone else to feed him.

So I began to feed him...and gradually he became more friendly...would brush up against me when I was giving him his bowl of food and thus I began to pet him. And on cold or rainy days I would let him into the kitchen to feed him. I had to leave the door open and not get between him and the open door or he would scamper away very quickly...obviously fearing he would be trapped.

Now though he comes in and makes himself at home and quite often does not even want to leave. I have bought medicine for him to get rid of his fleas and given him food grade diatamacious earth to rid him of any parasites.

My neighbor has also started feeding him and we sort of jointly take care of him now...she even got a little house she put outside for him to sleep in. Thus he is getting tamer and tamer.

Now I wonder if it is really a good thing to take the wildness out of a cat? Feral cats usually live short lives....but I kinda think wild cats may really enjoy their existence more than tame cats...especially the housebound ones that are completely dependent on their masters.

 

[flacaltenn]

I had a himalyan cat for years...fantastic pets but I had to put him to sleep a few months back...he had kidney disease. I was very attached to him and did everything I could to keep him alive...but the day came when I saw that he was having too much pain thus I put him to sleep.

He trusted me completely and it was exceedingly difficult for me to do what had to be done and not wanting to ever have to go through that again I said I would never have another pet of any kind or sort.

Then...........a little beggar kitty started coming to my back door....I had seen him out in the woods behind where I live and there is a long wooden fence back there and I would often see him walking along the top of the fence but for some reason he never came looking for food. I think whoever was feeding must have moved or something and he was forced to look for someone else to feed him.

So I began to feed him...and gradually he became more friendly...would brush up against me when I was giving him his bowl of food and thus I began to pet him. And on cold or rainy days I would let him into the kitchen to feed him. I had to leave the door open and not get between him and the open door or he would scamper away very quickly...obviously fearing he would be trapped.

Now though he comes in and makes himself at home and quite often does not even want to leave. I have bought medicine for him to get rid of his fleas and given him food grade diatamacious earth to rid him of any parasites.

My neighbor has also started feeding him and we sort of jointly take care of him now...she even got a little house she put outside for him to sleep in. Thus he is getting tamer and tamer.

Now I wonder if it is really a good thing to take the wildness out of a cat? Feral cats usually live short lives....but I kinda think wild cats may really enjoy their existence more than tame cats...especially the housebound ones that are completely dependent on their masters.

You're on a good path. Trying to make him into a house cat carries a whole lot of burdens about visitors and roommates issues etc. But, if you get to the point where he trusts you enough to be you "outside" cat -- that's a good relationship.

As long as you are not perpetuating a COLONY of feral cats and reproduction isn't going rampant, the both of you have come to terms and everyone's cool with that. It would immoral to watch a growing colony compete for resources and sustain injuries. But what you're doing is the right thing under the circumstances.

And if he gradually accepts the home at his own pace -- that's up to the 2 of you..

 

[Asclepias]

Is it a wild cat or a feral cat? If feral nothing wrong with what you are doing. A domesticated cat is not the same as a wild cat. A wild cat like a Bobcat or Lynx has eons of instinctual behavior that would make it cruel to keep as a pet. Somebodies cat that got lost is not the same.

 

[CarlinAnnArbor]

Feral cats usually live short lives....but I kinda think wild cats may really enjoy their existence more than tame cats...especially the housebound ones that are completely dependent on their masters

That's not true. Especially if you live in a cold climate. There's a reason feral cats only live a couple years.

 

[Natural Citizen]

There's an outlying chance you might be stealing someone's cat. Maybe they leave the window cracked for him to get in and out because they know he'll come home for the night, which he might be doing. He might see you as just a sugardaddy, op.

About wild cats, though, I grew up in nature, my mom used to tame cat litters all the time. She'd go take em out of tree logs and whatnot where they were born after they were old enough. They tore her arms apart every time but she eventually tamed them, didn't take long. We had over a hundred cats, all outdoor. And some really pretty variations.

So, you can tame wild ones.

 

[protectionist]

There's an outlying chance you might be stealing someone's cat. Maybe they leave the window cracked for him to get in and out because they know he'll come home for the night, which he might be doing. He might see you as just a sugardaddy, op.

About wild cats, though, I grew up in nature, my mom used to tame cat litters all the time. She'd go take em out of tree logs and whatnot where they were born after they were old enough. They tore her arms apart every time but she eventually tamed them, didn't take long. We had over a hundred cats, all outdoor. And some really pretty variations.

So, you can tame wild ones.

You could check to see if he has a computer chip in him. One scan can determine if he does. If he does, it should give the name and address of the owner, but it could also be a previous owner who callously abandoned him. People do that.

 

[Penelope]

I took in a cat who was the vet said was about 8 months. One must realize they are in and out cats. They seldom will be an all indoor cat. When she grew up she keep all the feral cats at bay and she neve left the yard. She was a very good indoors, she never got on the counters or table. She loved people and company. I had her about 10 years and she got cancer and I had to put her down.

I also had a Siamese cat who took to my deck. I knew she had a home as she was not leery around people. I wanted to keep her, but I put an ad in lost and found. She has strayed around 3 miles from her home, the girl who came to get her was in tears.

 

[Vastator]

I had a himalyan cat for years...fantastic pets but I had to put him to sleep a few months back...he had kidney disease. I was very attached to him and did everything I could to keep him alive...but the day came when I saw that he was having too much pain thus I put him to sleep.

He trusted me completely and it was exceedingly difficult for me to do what had to be done and not wanting to ever have to go through that again I said I would never have another pet of any kind or sort.

Then...........a little beggar kitty started coming to my back door....I had seen him out in the woods behind where I live and there is a long wooden fence back there and I would often see him walking along the top of the fence but for some reason he never came looking for food. I think whoever was feeding must have moved or something and he was forced to look for someone else to feed him.

So I began to feed him...and gradually he became more friendly...would brush up against me when I was giving him his bowl of food and thus I began to pet him. And on cold or rainy days I would let him into the kitchen to feed him. I had to leave the door open and not get between him and the open door or he would scamper away very quickly...obviously fearing he would be trapped.

Now though he comes in and makes himself at home and quite often does not even want to leave. I have bought medicine for him to get rid of his fleas and given him food grade diatamacious earth to rid him of any parasites.

My neighbor has also started feeding him and we sort of jointly take care of him now...she even got a little house she put outside for him to sleep in. Thus he is getting tamer and tamer.

Now I wonder if it is really a good thing to take the wildness out of a cat? Feral cats usually live short lives....but I kinda think wild cats may really enjoy their existence more than tame cats...especially the housebound ones that are completely dependent on their masters.

You don't tame a wild cat. You might earn its trust, and respect. But you'll never tame it. Many animal behavioralists state that cats are not "domesticated". Rather they've learned to cohabitate.