WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BRING A FERAL CAT INTO OUR HOME

(This is why we can't have nice things) 

We never heard of them before and in a short period of time we had two black smoke cats, and by what we read they are rare.  Black smoke cats are born completely black and in their first few months they develop a gradient of gray and white fur in distinctive markings. Chowder’s eyes change from green to gold and his smoke is a small patch on his belly.

We were told at the shelter Chowder, an adult feral, may never bond with us and we had the challenge Chowder was going to be an inhouse cat but the shelter trained him to use a litter box and that was enough for us.

Minutes after bringing Chowder home he jumped out of his carrier and ran underneath the sofa and about three weeks passed before we saw Chowder again. Over that period of time, late at night Chowder emerged, as we heard him bonding with the other cats and by early morning he ghosted again. In time, from behind the sofa, to underneath the recliner, behind the drapes, under tables, is how Chowder traveled, never engaging us.  It was a slow process but on his terms.

The biggest challenge of a feral cat in our home was everything because everything was wrapped around sensory that he never experienced.  The whirling of a fan.  The waterflow of an aquarium.  The ringing of a phone.  Hearing the voice from the fire alarm stating the batteries needed replacing but not seeing anyone was a freak out. Chowder climbed the drapes as if they were trees but taking cues from the other cats helped him to adjust and by the time we put a collar on Chowder he was cool with it.

In the winter Chowder enjoyed laying on an electric blanket watching YouTube videos for cats and on hot days Chowder  freaked out seeing ice cubes in their water bowl.  

Another challenge and we are still working on it was picking Chowder up.  He can be picked up as long as he is moving downward, like chair to the floor, but he will not stand for being raised higher and that may not change, and that’s okay.

Then one morning Chowder came out of Mason’s bedroom, stretched and yawned at the doorway.  Cats.  They always choose the human they like the most and apparently that applies to those once feral. Home. Be it a person or a feral cat, it’s the same. Chowder was not home because he was under a roof, Chowder was home because of the way being under a roof made him feel. 💜💜💜