Have You Tamed a Feral Cat? I Have, And His Name is Benny!

There are all kinds of beliefs about feral cats. That they want to be wild, they can never be tamed, they have to live outside, you have a small window to be able to tame feral kittens. I have heard it all. I have tamed them, and then of course people say they were never feral. Cats have intelligent bright minds, and can make choices just like humans.

When Benny the feral cat showed up in my backyard, I simply loved him from day one. He was smart enough to meow when he came around, and stayed up in the trees until I put my dogs inside and brought our canned cat food for him. The feeling he brought me was that of pure joy. He told me his name was Benny, which was interesting because I had never known a Benny before. Even though he was a wild cat, he communicated with me telepathically quite clearly.

Usually I would hear the dogs making some noise, then I would hear Benny’s meow. He would eat the wet cat food in big jagged bites. I could tell how hungry he was, and wondered the last time he had eaten until he was full. With time, he let me get close to him and watch him eat from a few feet away.

Sometimes he would stop by every other day, other times I wouldn’t see him for a week. This was nerve wracking living in Tucson, where I live is 1 house per acre. There are washes that lace the landscape that are basically corridors for prey animals like coyotes to run.

I remember when the feral cat Benny decided to move in with me. He shared with me how hard it was, looking for food every day, looking for water. Chasing his catch into the cactus and getting hurt. He came to me in the summer, with a golf ball size abscess on top of his head. I mixed penicillin in with the wet food I gave him to help him heal. It was 110 in the summer in Tucson, and I couldn’t imagine having an infection so serious in the heat.

I was upset when he didn’t show up that he wasn’t getting his medicine often enough. I knew then that the only way I could really take care of him is if I moved him inside the house. I was worried how he would get along with my cats, until I realized they were all sitting together quietly outside. So apparently they all got along!

I moved the food bowl closer and closer to inside the door. Then I mixed catnip with it. Benny was a sucker for catnip. When I had the food inside the door of the house. Benny easily came in. He was so happy on the catnip, he let me pick him up. He was loopy.

Thru the summer, I worked on Benny being tamer, while he taught both my dogs how to hunt and eat their catch. They were enamored with Benny, and eagerly learned every lesson Benny taught them. Benny also walked with me and the dogs every night. It was interesting to see how he made sure he was outside & ready to go on the walk. He was incredibly loyal.

When I went on vacation, I locked all the cats inside and had a house sitter come and feed them. I came home a week later, to my tame cats climbing the walls wanting to go outside and gets some space. I opened the door and they all ran out. Meanwhile, Benny was happy to see me and waiting on the couch. When I asked him if he wanted out, he said, “No. I have seen it all out there. I’m good here.”

Cats can come for their humans, and have a spiritual purpose for their humans. They can also have their own spiritual growth. Benny made the conscious decision, after taking care of himself and trying to forage on his own, to trust a human. I am not just any human, I can talk telepathically to animals, which I know intrigued him. He was a very intelligent cat, on a similar soul journey as many humans. Learning to trust and love another being, instead of surviving alone.

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6 thoughts on “Have You Tamed a Feral Cat? I Have, And His Name is Benny!

  1. maryltonks says:

    I tamed 3 ferals we trapped from a colony, and we enjoyed their company for a few years. Subsequently, I have tried and failed to tame 2 other ferals, one is in my barn now. We can’t get closer to him than 6 feet, and it’s been 4 years. He comes to the steps every day for his meals and we enjoy him from a distance.

  2. Holly says:

    Aw! I just fell in love with Benny! 🙂 Such a sweet story, Ann Marie! Thank you Katzenworld for sharing the beauty of redemption. I agree with you wholeheartedly, Ann. Not all ‘ferals’ are wanting to remain this way. Each cat has a unique personality – just as we do. One of the most heartwarming lines in this post was, “When I asked him if he wanted out, he said, “No. I have seen it all out there. I’m good here.” — So sweet! My baby boy, Pips, who was also feral, feels the same way! 😉

    God bless you for loving these babies the way you do. There’s no doubt in my mind that you and Benny were a match made in Heaven! These precious souls come into our lives for a reason in the same way we enter theirs. Love is contagious and healing! ♥

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