Tobey sometimes misses out on food treats/scraps when they are served up in the yard. This was not the case yesterday. Tobey was VERY motivated to get the first of the bread scraps as these two photographs prove:
I use the "Mining" technique to tame feral cats. (We tame them so we can socialize the kittens and send them off to be adopted and then spay the mothers)
I start by feeding the cats wherever they aggregate.
Once they're used to me bringing them food, I start hanging around on the extreme periphery. When they're okay with that I start moving in closer.
Eventually, I'm sitting next to the feeding station.
Then I start mixing the food, tossing the treats (usually cooked chicken)and just pouring dry cat food in the bowl.
Pretty soon, the bravest are rushing up to me because . . .by golly, MINE! MINE! MINE! is more a social statement than filling the belly. I still make no moves to touch anybody until the most timid are completely engaged in the MINE!!!! competition. Then I carefully stroke the back of whoever's in reach with one finger.
It doesn't take long before I have cats in my lap.
I've done the same thing with crazy wild goats out of Mexico and also to talk a strange bull out of a pasture of unbred heifers, but it's alot more work when you have to do it all in one day . . . and the target is a whole lot bigger than you and may just take the bucket away and trample you on a whim.
Sometimes I accidentally think about the applications to humans but the implications freak me out and I just leave it the hell alone.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2008-08-11 12:48 pm (UTC)(We tame them so we can socialize the kittens and send them off to be adopted and then spay the mothers)
I start by feeding the cats wherever they aggregate.
Once they're used to me bringing them food, I start hanging around on the extreme periphery. When they're okay with that I start moving in closer.
Eventually, I'm sitting next to the feeding station.
Then I start mixing the food, tossing the treats (usually cooked chicken)and just pouring dry cat food in the bowl.
Pretty soon, the bravest are rushing up to me because . . .by golly, MINE! MINE! MINE! is more a social statement than filling the belly. I still make no moves to touch anybody until the most timid are completely engaged in the MINE!!!! competition. Then I carefully stroke the back of whoever's in reach with one finger.
It doesn't take long before I have cats in my lap.
I've done the same thing with crazy wild goats out of Mexico and also to talk a strange bull out of a pasture of unbred heifers, but it's alot more work when you have to do it all in one day . . . and the target is a whole lot bigger than you and may just take the bucket away and trample you on a whim.
Sometimes I accidentally think about the applications to humans but the implications freak me out and I just leave it the hell alone.