any tips?

[KitCat]

Get a small hairbrush (the kind with plastic bristles and a rounded tip at the end) and try brushing the cat. Most cats find it irresistable! Also offering a treat out of your hand is a good way to gain trust.

[Medusa]

What a great landlord! Before I bought this house, I was renting and he thought I had only one cat, Puddy. When I knew he was coming to do repair work or whatever, I'd toss cats in the garage, basement, spare bedrooms, wherever and PRAY that none of them would meow. Well, one day my black cat Boo got out and ran right by my landlord while he was working. He stopped and looked, then looked at me. I had an no expression on my face and if he had asked me about it, I would've said "What cat?" He didn't say a word. When I moved out, I had shelters outside everywhere and a trap to capture the last ferals to find homes for and he never said a word. He left them there until I housed every cat. The good landlords are out there.

Anyhow....some ferals you can work with and some you can't. But I found it helpful to get a Cat Dancer and play w/them. They loved it and they eventually allowed me to hold them and give them Revolution on the scruff of their necks, deworm them, etc. It takes time but is well worth it.

Blessings,
Mary

[AvaJoy]

You have made optimistic progress with Ring, as she allows you to rub behind her ears as she eats! Don't give up hope; continue to spend as much time as possible with her.

I used to sit by the cage of my now RB feral, Muskrat, and read nursery rhymes and sing to her. Being completely wild, she of course initially would recoil from my attempts to touch her, so I slowly began to reach out to her via a brush, which she did not mind at all. With much patience, and taking the situation one step at a time, she eventually became fully trusting (of me, exclusively) and would sit on my lap and interact with me just like my tame kitties. It was a very satisfying experience to witness the change in her.

Depending on Ring's personality and pondering the big question mark of what she endured before you came into her life, if you are dedicated and devoted to achieving your goal it sounds like you are well on your way to realizing it.

I believe that your persistance will reap rewards!

[moosmom]

Keep on doing what you're doing. Patience, above all, is the key to socializing a semi-feral kitty.