Not sure if cat is Feral or Stray

[Jel_Puff]

Hi Everyone,

Need some help with a stray cat situation. I've had a little visitor coming to my front porch for about a week and a half now, not sure if he's a "he" or she's a "she", but my gut tells me he's a boy, so right now I'll label him that. Like the title says, I'm having a hard time reading if this cat is true feral, or a cat who has been lost for quite some time. Here's some info. I have regarding our interactions.

Time Line -

First night I saw him was because my indoor cat was growling at the window, only for me to look out and see a little black and white cat curled up next the window near under our tree. Probably 3 1/2 ft away from our window. He actually just looked up at me and didn't run away when my cat and I were looking out the window, but when I went outside with treats he ran away. He looked to be 1- 1 1/2 years old.

He came back again the next night and I had wet food prepared. He ate right in front of me while I was a stone statue pretending I wasn't there. This has now been a routine for a week and a half, progress has been made with daily feedings. I give him wet food and some dry. He's licked wet food from my spoon, sniffed my hand twice (I swear I almost passed out because I forgot to breathe because I was being so still! haha), we've slow blinked together . At this point I still have never tried to pet him, he's still way too skittish.

Fast forward to the last night couple of nights, which have been interesting . He always now comes up to our patio window and looks inside, I leave the blinds open a little to peak his curiosity. When I come to the window he doesn't run away. I think it's because he sees me as food, but my human mind says he's longing to come into a safe warm home (Geez I wish!). It's still a little cold at night and in the morning where I live, so I feel so bad for him being outside! He also rolls on the patio, because again, I think he's excited when he sees me making food through the window. I should point out that he's never hissed at me, that is until this morning when I opened the "loud" patio door, I think I scared him, but hopefully he doesn't hate me forever now for it! Other than that he's never hissed or lashed out at me.

My question for you guys is if you think he could be feral or maybe someone's lost cat? I'm going to post his picture online in case he is someone's cat, but I've been looking online everywhere to see if someone's posted about him and can't find anything. We've actually been searching to adopt a cat in the past month and a half and are completely open to keeping him if he does end up working out for us and we work for him. I just don't know if he would feel comfortable in our home, he seems to be warming up to me, but he still has a lot of trust issues, which I completely expect. I know it takes a lot of time and patience and I'm willing to put forth the daily effort, but I don't know how to trap him and if I do, should I bring him straight to the animal hospital? If there is hope for this cat to be socialized I would like to take that job on, but if I bring him for TNR I don't know if I could have the opportunity to keep him...

I should mention that I do have a room ready from him upstairs if we do trap him and get him in the house. I only have a pet carrier and not a official TNR trap which I put outside last night with his wet food inside, but I don't know if I would ever be able to close him in there, again he's too skittish and runs FAST. I'm just a little apprehensive because I would like to have tests run for FIV & FeLV and hopefully he's negative because I have another cat. Probably should have him get a basic checkup at least tested for those right away for piece of mind.

I don't know guys, feral or lost cat? What do you think?
I added pictures of the little guy as well!

Sorry for the long post and thanks!

 

[amethyst]

Sounds to me like a scared stray, feral cats act more like a wild animal. He could have been mistreated or been dumped as a kitten though, so is acting more feral due to being on his own for so long. Though he does look very clean to be a stray, he could be just a skittish cat and more recently lost or dumped.

Some animal control places rent out traps, so you might want to look into that. I would try to get him into the vet as soon as you catch him, it's easier if you can just take him in inside the trap, that way you don't have to try to catch him again in the house. You can let your vet know you are planning to catch a stray that you plan to keep, and make an appointment but with the idea that you might have to cancel if you aren't able to catch him in time for the appointment. See if they can scan him for a chip too.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Not a feral, but likely a stray/abandoned cat. There are members on this site whose own cats have gotten out and act the way this cat is acting toward you - some are even more skittish. It's possible he hasn't been 'out' long, others are feeding him, or he knows how to forage for himself, as he is by no means skinny.

Warm up to him some more, maybe even place a box with some blankets in them to see if he will use that as a 'home', or a trap that you can borrow from a local rescue center, or even an extra carrier if it is big enough not to scare him so that he will enter into it. Once you can 'catch' him, get him checked out and scanned for a micro-chip. If no one is found that he belongs to, but if there are conditions in your area about a wait time before you can claim him, volunteer to foster him and go from there with neutering (if need be) and checked for diseases.

If he hasn't been on his own very long, once he is in your home, it likely won't take long to acclimate him to the indoors. All of this has to happen, well before you even consider introducing him to your cat. We have articles about introductions, if you get that far.

Please keep us posted!!

 

[rubysmama]

Thank you for feeding him, and caring about him. He does sound more stray than feral.

TCS actually has an article that addresses the subject, which may be helpful:
A Feral Cat Or A Stray Cat? How To Tell The Difference – Cat Articles

Since you have a resident cat, definitely ensure this little guy gets vet checked before bringing him into your home, or at least before letting him access to more than one room. Then if you do decide to keep him, be prepared to do a slow introduction with your resident cat.

Here's a couple more TCS articles that maybe helpful:
Adopting A Stray Cat – Cat Articles
The Five Golden Rules To Bringing An Outdoor Cat Inside – Cat Articles

 

[Kieka]

Depending on where you live, there are usually laws regarding found animals. Where I live you have to either:

a) take the animal to the local shelter and wait for the holding period to adopt it (which then includes spay/neuter and shots).
OR
b) make a good faith effort to find an owner by posting legible signs in the area the animal was found, at nearby vets and/or pet stores as allowed for a minimum of 14 days.

If you have found an animal and don't follow the above, in my area, it is considered theft of the animal. I know we all want to do what is right by animals but weird things happen so don't assume an animal found outside was purposefully let go or has been neglected. If the cat allows, a collar with a tag saying "does he belong to you? Please call" is a good start. If you can't collar or are worried about safety then make sure you post physical signs as well as online (a one mile radius should be good enough). Remember, not everyone is online or has access to the same social groups. I am on a number of local forums and still miss some things but if my cat was lost I would also be walking the neighborhood so I would see signs.

 

[amethyst]

I just want to clarify when I said " let your vet know you are planning to catch a stray that you plan to keep" I know some vets, at least the ones around here, wont even see a stray cat unless you agree you are going to pay for it. So you have to let them know you do plan to keep and pay the vet bill for the cat, assuming no owner if found or the owner refuses to pay.

 

[Jel_Puff]

Sounds to me like a scared stray, feral cats act more like a wild animal. He could have been mistreated or been dumped as a kitten though, so is acting more feral due to being on his own for so long. Though he does look very clean to be a stray, he could be just a skittish cat and more recently lost or dumped.

Some animal control places rent out traps, so you might want to look into that. I would try to get him into the vet as soon as you catch him, it's easier if you can just take him in inside the trap, that way you don't have to try to catch him again in the house. You can let your vet know you are planning to catch a stray that you plan to keep, and make an appointment but with the idea that you might have to cancel if you aren't able to catch him in time for the appointment. See if they can scan him for a chip too.

Thank you for your reply Amethyst! I was thinking he was a stray too, but because he's skittish I couldn't tell. He is very clean and well fed, so I think your right on the money with him being a recent lost/dumped stray, as sad as that is.

I'm going to try and see if I could zip him up in my soft carrier, because I have been feeding him in there for the past couple days and he goes in there head first and lets me sit right next to it. If that doesn't work then I'm going to get a "trigger trap" (not sure exactly what their called) either rent, or ask people I know if I could borrow one.

That's a good idea to call the animal hospital in advanced and let them know my situation because who knows when I'll be able to trap him. I also saw your second comment and will make sure they understand that I'm hoping to keep him if he doesn't have an owner. Last time I brought in a cat was last Feb. and they asked if I would be keeping him if he didn't have a microchip, but he ended up having one and was returned back to his owners, it was a good reunion

 

[Jel_Puff]

Hi. Not a feral, but likely a stray/abandoned cat. There are members on this site whose own cats have gotten out and act the way this cat is acting toward you - some are even more skittish. It's possible he hasn't been 'out' long, others are feeding him, or he knows how to forage for himself, as he is by no means skinny.

Warm up to him some more, maybe even place a box with some blankets in them to see if he will use that as a 'home', or a trap that you can borrow from a local rescue center, or even an extra carrier if it is big enough not to scare him so that he will enter into it. Once you can 'catch' him, get him checked out and scanned for a micro-chip. If no one is found that he belongs to, but if there are conditions in your area about a wait time before you can claim him, volunteer to foster him and go from there with neutering (if need be) and checked for diseases.

If he hasn't been on his own very long, once he is in your home, it likely won't take long to acclimate him to the indoors. All of this has to happen, well before you even consider introducing him to your cat. We have articles about introductions, if you get that far.

Please keep us posted!!

Hi FeebysOwner, thanks for your reply! Yes, he's very skittish, but he is warming up to me every day so that's a good sign. I've been feeding him wet food with a spoon and this morning we had a great breakthrough because he ate directly out of my hand, even licked me a bit too! You’re right, my childhood cat I raised as a kitten was found outside and I believe would have acted very similar to how this little guy is acting because she was only socialized to our family, so I can see the similarities.

I do have a chair (the one you see in the picture with some towels on it), kind of created a "cave" from him as best as I could. I now have a soft sided carrier with a soft towel in it that I've been feeding him in the past couple days, I keep it under the chair so it's not seen in plain sight. He has been going in there, but seems like he prefers to lay on top of the chair. Hopefully I can keep him preoccupied with the fact that he's so focused on eating when he gets his wet food that I can zip him up in the carrier and take him to the animal hospital.

Will post updates for sure on progress!

 

[Jel_Puff]

Thank you for feeding him, and caring about him. He does sound more stray than feral.

TCS actually has an article that addresses the subject, which may be helpful:
A Feral Cat Or A Stray Cat? How To Tell The Difference – Cat Articles

Since you have a resident cat, definitely ensure this little guy gets vet checked before bringing him into your home, or at least before letting him access to more than one room. Then if you do decide to keep him, be prepared to do a slow introduction with your resident cat.

Here's a couple more TCS articles that maybe helpful:
Adopting A Stray Cat – Cat Articles
The Five Golden Rules To Bringing An Outdoor Cat Inside – Cat Articles

Thank you rubysmama, and you're welcome! I'm trying my best to win this kitty's love, haha! Yes, will definitely get him checked at the vet before bringing him in my home. Thank you for the articles, these help a lot too. Luckily we do have a spare room that I can keep him in so he doesn't stress out my cat I already own.

 

[Jel_Puff]

Depending on where you live, there are usually laws regarding found animals. Where I live you have to either:

a) take the animal to the local shelter and wait for the holding period to adopt it (which then includes spay/neuter and shots).
OR
b) make a good faith effort to find an owner by posting legible signs in the area the animal was found, at nearby vets and/or pet stores as allowed for a minimum of 14 days.

If you have found an animal and don't follow the above, in my area, it is considered theft of the animal. I know we all want to do what is right by animals but weird things happen so don't assume an animal found outside was purposefully let go or has been neglected. If the cat allows, a collar with a tag saying "does he belong to you? Please call" is a good start. If you can't collar or are worried about safety then make sure you post physical signs as well as online (a one mile radius should be good enough). Remember, not everyone is online or has access to the same social groups. I am on a number of local forums and still miss some things but if my cat was lost I would also be walking the neighborhood so I would see signs.

Thank you for this advice Kieka! I will definitely research the laws when taking in an animal for my area.

 

[Jel_Puff]

Thank you all again for your replies, this has helped me ease my mind quite a bit knowing that we're all leaning towards the fact that he's a stray and not a feral. I will keep posting updates and let you know how this all pans out, thank you again!

 

[moxiewild]

Stray or Feral -

Agree with everyone else, definitely not feral! And also agree that lost, socialized cats can act very differently when lost and scared! This cat will almost certainly come around very quickly once inside with you in about 1-3 weeks time! Might take longer of course, so don’t be discouraged if that’s the case, but from what you describe, I don’t think it will take too long at all!

Finding Potential Owners -

I definitely recommend posting photos to Nextdoor and local Pet and “informed citizen” Facebook groups. Avoid stating your exact location and give a very general area or the closest major street. Sometimes malicious people with nefarious intent will pick up strays from posts like this if they know an exact location (as in the precise street/intersection, not necessarily address).

Also go to lostmykitty.com and create a “found” flyer. It’s a free service that will send the fliers to local vets and rescues who will then usually print it out and post it to a bulletin board. It’s a super easy way to cover your bases for any non-tech folks!

Trapping -

As someone else mentioned, most county and city animal control/care services will lend out a trap for free or for a refundable deposit.

However, a pet carrier also works! I actually prefer to trap with a pet carrier more often than I do a trap nowadays.

You can do this by tying a long string to the door and pulling it shut once kitty enters.

Basically, after tying the string to the inside of the door, run it inside the carrier and out through one of the vent holes in the side or back (depending on the specific carrier and/or the angle relative to you). Make the string as long as you need, and either find a hiding spot or just stay far enough away to where kitty is comfortable enough to go inside the carrier.

Places bricks, bags of sand, or something otherwise heavy on top of the carrier and at the side(s) and where ever else you need to ensure the carrier does not move whenever you quickly and forcefully pull the string to close the door. Any movement during that moment risks escape.

Always practice beforehand. Ensure the angle allows for a smooth pull, and take note of the speed required to quickly close the door, and the amount of force you must exert to keep it firmly closed until you can walk up to the carrier to manually lock the door yourself. And don’t forget to drape a blanket over the carrier to help keep her calm!

I pretty much exclusively use this method for timid strays and semi-feral cats who will allow me with 20 or so feet of them. It seems way less traumatic than a trap for some reason.

Vet/Medical Clearance -

An FIV/FeLV test is great! I would also suggest testing for heartworm too for good measure, but certainly FIV/FeLV is far more important if finances are an issue! Another beneficial (but not immediately necessary) “addition” would just be a regular wellness exam and labs.

However, absolutely be sure to bring in a fresh fecal sample for PCR testing (NOT in-house/clinic or fecal float, too inaccurate). This will be especially important for when your cats end up sharing a litterbox eventually. Once your vet sees the cat, you can generally drop off a sample at the clinic whenever.

Plan on deworming, as virtually all outdoor cats have worms. Expect at least 2 treatments, 2-3 weeks apart in order to ensure eggs that hatch later on are also taken care of. There are safe OTC dewormers if you’d like to do it yourself, but most vets use or have options that are only < $5-10 a dose. Some vets will even dose the cat themselves at the appointment so you don’t even need to worry about potentially handling her to do it yourself if she won’t take it in food.

Also plan on flea control! I would suggest purchasing Capstar from your vet and dosing this kitty in regular food in the day or two before trapping, and at least a few days after bringing her inside. Capstar can be given daily for short durations of time and is easily mixed in food and very safe. It lasts for 24 hours and kills adult fleas quickly. It can also be given alongside most monthly treatments (which generally also address other stages in the flea life cycle - I’d personally recommend Revolution for both cats, and most vets are also willing to apply this for you in office in cases like these), just be sure to verify the exact combination with your vet. You may or may not want to also offer your resident cat some Capstar in those first few days, as well.

Finally, thank you so much for caring about this little girl, offering her a forever home, and being so contentious about it and willing to extend the patience and compassion necessary to socialize her! I swear I’d give my left arm for adopters to be half as compassionate and responsible as you!

If you need any help at all with socializing her, helping her acclimate, or cat introductions, don’t hesitate to come back to TCS and ask for help!

 

[Jel_Puff]

Hi Everyone!


Just wanted to fill you in on a update, I finally caught my little visitor! It turns out that he is a boy! Either way would have been fine with me though.

I was able to get an appointment at the animal hospital on Friday, 3/20. and they said he was feral. He was very scared in the back of his cage and hissing, so I could see why they would automatically think that. They said they would have to sedate him in order to look at him and said that while he is sedated he should also be neutered, it turned out he was an intact male and he is a year old. They said I could either take him back home without any medical attention and release him, or go forward with the neutering, blood test, nail trim, etc. I decided to go with the medical attention.

He is now neutered and they told me he is very healthy. He tested negative for FIV & FeLV which was one of my biggest concerns since I already have a cat at home. That was such a huge relief to hear that because I was so stressed out about his health.

Right now he is in the same room as me pooped out. He's been eating his pain medication just fine and had no problems using the litter box immediately. He does come out when I'm in the room and stretch and eat, but I haven't tried to pet him yet because I'm still gaining his trust again after taking him to the vet. He hisses a lot more now, but I expect that. I'm just trying my best to give him his space and let him know that I'm no threat.

Our biggest obstacle right now is the windows in the room I'm holding him in. He's already destroyed the blinds and I've done my best to cover the windows, but he seems out to destroy/jump out the window when nighttime hits. It's difficult because I want to give him his space, but the vet told me he shouldn't be jumping at all, and he does this to the window when we go to sleep at night. I'm constantly waking up to him meowing and trying to see/get out the window (it's closed tight).I have taken a nap on the room on the floor and was fine, but I've had childhood cats that have mauled me and my brother for moving funny in our sleep, so I don't feel comfortable yet sleeping in his presence unfortunately.

I don't know, but I'm going to call the animal hospital today and see when he is okay to jump because I have a nice cat tree that he can look outside with and maybe that would help relieve him of his cabin fever. I just hope it works out for us. I'm willing to dedicate the time, and I'm hoping he comes around. I mean he meowed & yawned at the same time in front of me. I think there is progress and it's only been 2 -1/2 days inside. Any-hoo, that's the scoop right now.

Again, I appreciate everyone's help on my situation, it has helped tremendously! Thank you all again so much!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Thanks for the update! This is all pretty good news. As a male, being just neutered, I would think he should not have to be 'held down' for more than a day or so. Some members will tell you less time than that! Keep on updating us! A pic and a name - when you get the chance!

 

[rubysmama]

Oh, what a wonderful update! It sounds like things are going really well. Him not hiding when you come into the room is great. Cats, being nocturnal, means they are more active at night, and him being former feral, and only recently neutered, will mean he needs time to get used to being a inside pet with humans and another cat that sleeps at night. It takes a few weeks for the hormones to completely leave a cat's system, so you'll see some changes sooner than later.

Here's another TCS article you may find helpful: Handling Feral Cats – Cat Articles

Plus, when it's time, the ones on cat introductions:
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide | TheCatSite
Introducing Cats To Cats | TheCatSite

Thanks so much for bringing him inside. Thanks to you, he now will have a wonderful life.

Good luck. Keep us posted on his progress.

 

[Jel_Puff]

Hi Everyone! Thank you for the replies and links, you have been so helpful to me during this time! I can't thank you enough!

Update again!

No name yet, My boyfriend and I are still trying to figure out his personality, but I do have my heart set on naming him after a character from Harry Potter since we love the Wizarding World so much, but who knows.

This Coronavirus has been a blessing and a curse in disguise. I hate the state of the world right now, but on the positive side I'm able to stay home and work in the same room as him every day so he can get used to me and sounds, etc. My company has never let us work from home, so I'm so fortunate to have found him amidst this crazy time we live in!

Right now he's looking at the door and licking himself. He was licking his "private parts that currently have stitches in them" lol, and I told him to please stop, and amazingly he looked at me and actually did. He still hisses at me and I haven't tried to pet him, but he was meowing at me this morning when I walked into the room. I was absolutely sure it was my other cat, but when I checked to see where she was she was downstairs eating her food. I came back into the room again and sure enough he's meowing at me. It does make me think that he isn't a true feral. He still comes out of the room when I'm in it, but usually will only stay out for about 3 minutes and then go to sleep back to his carrier. This morning he was meowing at the door, he really wants to get out of this stinky human infested room! haha. He still sleeps all during the day and then is wild man at night, but like you said he was just neutered and it will take time for those extra hormones to "flush" out of his system. Would be amazing if that could happen because I'm not getting a lot of sleep at night.

I have been reading to him while he eats his food, and although I feel really silly I think that has helped to associate me + food = good. I also found out that I'm terrible at reading out loud because I haven't done it since high school, so I guess it's a good workout for me too!

I hope one day I get to pet him!!

Alright here are some pics of him! He actually looks at me pretty calmly so I think that's a good sign. Apologies for the messy room! Also R.I.P my blinds.

Will update again, hopefully each day gets better and I will have a name for him soon!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Rooting for him and you!!

 

[rubysmama]

Rooting for him and you!!

Me too.

 

[Jel_Puff]

Do you think that my resident cat will be able to help him trust us more? She's extremely socialized with people, so I'm not sure if that would help build his confidence with us once they're introduced. Just curious if that would help.

 

[FeebysOwner]

There is no way to know whether or not your resident cat can help bring him out of his shell - really depends on the cat(s). Just work on getting him used to your home before you begin introductions. The more comfortable he is with his new home, the more he will build up confidence.