Hydrox is a feral cat. Sometimes, Hydrox likes to hang out by my back door. He’s perfectly happy spending hours laying there. When he’s facing away from the door, it gives him a good view of the yard. When he’s facing toward the door, like he is doing in these photos, he gets to see the cats that are inside of the house, or he gets to watch me and see what I’m doing if I’m anywhere near the back door.
These photos were taken through the glass of the back door so I apologize for the reflections on the glass. Hydrox was looking pretty shabby that day since he had been out hunting in the nearby woods and running around in the dirt.
It took many years for Hydrox to feel safe enough to come this close to the back door. For several years, he would not go near it or near me or any other human in the yard. Now he’s not bothered by any humans in my yard and he feels very safe by the back door. Feral cats of all ages can be trained and socialized. For some, it takes longer than others. Hydrox is more than 8 years old right now, so for him, it was a slow and gradual process to get to where he is today.
Both of these images are from Episode 113 of Season 3 of the Lucky Ferals Cat Family Vlog which you can watch here – https://www.luckyferals.com/season-3-episode-113
I wonder about Hydrox having her ear clipped. Surely she was spayed in a TNR program. Do you think it was the cause of her extreme caution, right up to the end?