Feral in my garage

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Bitsy's Mom

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I sent out a call for advice. I have seen an oral flea treatment for fleas but can't recall what its called, I'll let you kow when I find it. :hangin::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::goodluck::catrub:
Thank you! I can cover the bottom of the trap if that will help? I also have CAPSTAR which is oral flea treatment I can use - but it only last 24 hrs so will get some off him but not long-lasting. Thank you.
 
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Bitsy's Mom

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Worst case scenario and you can't get him is there a neighbor who be willing to take over his feeding and caretaking?
No - I already asked. I’m moving because people are not nice. They also have landscapers who spray toxic chemicals on their lawns once a month or more. It’s awful for wildlife and me and I’m sure Oscar too.
 

shadowsrescue

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I would line the bottom of the trap with puppy pee pads. Then you can make a trail of food leading to the back on top of the pee pads. You can start with the trap unset if needed. I have read that Kentucky Fried Chicken is truly a winner.

I do think you should try to withhold food for a bit. Just be sure that when you set the trap that you are watching. I would keep trying every single day.
 

dustydiamond1

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Gypsy absolutely loves the Sheba meat sticks and I use a tube of Inaba Churu mixed with her probiotics daily. I ordered them from Amazon. The Walmart here in our city carry the Sheba. 20210619_204054.jpg 20210619_204137.jpg 20210619_204156.jpg 20210619_204212.jpg
Rereading past posts I saw that asking someone else to take over is futile.😿
 
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Bitsy's Mom

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Whenallhellbreakslose

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Gypsy absolutely loves the Sheba meat sticks and I use a tube of Inaba Churu mixed with her probiotics daily. I ordered them from Amazon. The Walmart here in our city carry the Sheba. View attachment 386551View attachment 386552View attachment 386553View attachment 386554
Rereading past posts I saw that asking someone else to take over is futile.😿
I like to mention that I had a load of cats dumped on me after one of the feeders on my block moved and made an agreement with the other feeder on the block to feed her kitties. Well, the other feeder is a hoarder and she was not able to handle all the cats, so she dumped them on me. I feed the kitties as well as can, but I am now getting mobbed again and wondering if she is dumping more cats on me. Outside of the usual suspects (from her colony(hat raid my feedings, their is now a new Tabbico kitty. I have limited means and can't keep having cats dumped on me. Ot is not a good position to be put in.

So I think Bitsy's Mom Bitsy's Mom is doing the right thing to take the kitty with her. People can really let you down. I lived in a neighborhood where no one feed a crumb to stray cats, not even kittens. They just shut everything out and had the attitude that states "not my problem." It broke my heart seeing this.☹

The only exception to what I just said is if you know another feeder that has a long, reliable record of taking care of ferals who can handle one more (bonus if she tnrs and has connections in the tnr/rescue world). The only other concern then is whether your cat will be accepted into that colony. Usually a new cat is left in a crate outdoors in the day to get use to the new environment and cats (and vice versa). This process usually takes 3 weeks otherwise things may not go well. E.g Your kitty is chased away or he runs away himself.

Well, I hope that this post gives you a little clarity. Thank you for caring for this cat and be willing to do the right thing. ❤

Here is a very good article with tips on how to trap (hard to trap) Ferals. I hope you find it helpful.🙂Humane Trapping – Tips for Hard to Catch Cats | Feral Cat Focus
 

dustydiamond1

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Hi, happy Caturday, Jcatbird Jcatbird posted this for you on her thread:
dustydiamond1 dustydiamond1 dustydiamond1 dustydiamond1 I have been to that thread before. I went over it a bit more and her instincts are good. Persistence! Never give up! She is already over the hardest part , which is getting trust. She just needs to know that the kitty is no longer feral. Semi maybe but she must not give up. I’ll try to get back there and post again. Until then, tell her to keep on! If possible, lay outside, belly up. Cat speak for showing trust. Lay near the food. She doesn’t have to be there when he eats but show him she is offering vulnerability to him.( Temember how I laid in the edge of the woods with BJ? Lol) Put her scent near the food. Gerber 2nd foods all meat baby food, slightly warmed takes time to lick up and carries scent. Feeding always inside the trap , or in my case, using a large crate or carrier that is under a tarp. I put it under a suspended tarp so I could sit concealed near it and shut the door once the kitties trusted eating there. Of all the ferals here, that never failed me, even with trap shy cats. He may also decide after he watches her, to just follow her back inside. Start calling to him! Try leading him back to the garage. If he comes on his own, things will be different. If you can copy this or show it to her, please do along with all the great suggestions from tarasgirl06 tarasgirl06 .
 

dustydiamond1

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And this is from tarasgirl06 tarasgirl06 :
'Well, my suggestions would be all of the ones we probably all know, dustydiamond1 dustydiamond1 dustydiamond1 dustydiamond1 -- put towels or other camouflaging over the trap, sit on a drop trap if that might be more possible, bait the trap with tuna, salmon, or other favorite wet food. *PRAYERS* for him to come in for her!!! Otherwise, is there a kind neighbor who would keep an eye out for him and let her know after she moves, so she can come and get him right away? Really hoping there will be a way."
 
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Bitsy's Mom

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Good morning - he is very feral. He will not eat if I am sitting 10 feet from the food. I have to go inside. He does let me approach him within 4 feet but any closer I get hissing and a standoff.

Anyway, set the trap this morning with a puppy wee pad dripping with cat food juice and sheba meat sticks at the mouth of trap. Then went in house. He came up through the woods, looked at it, walked around once ...and then left. He didn't wait - he left all together. So he has not been fed this morning and the trap is untouched.

Not sure what else to do. Cover the trap? Try it at night next to my car since he comes and waits for me at night under the car?

And no, when I move, they will most likely bulldoze my house to put up a McMansion and he will lose his territory to cement and a 5,000 square foot house.
 

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Good morning - he is very feral. He will not eat if I am sitting 10 feet from the food. I have to go inside. He does let me approach him within 4 feet but any closer I get hissing and a standoff.

Anyway, set the trap this morning with a puppy wee pad dripping with cat food juice and sheba meat sticks at the mouth of trap. Then went in house. He came up through the woods, looked at it, walked around once ...and then left. He didn't wait - he left all together. So he has not been fed this morning and the trap is untouched.

Not sure what else to do. Cover the trap? Try it at night next to my car since he comes and waits for me at night under the car?

And no, when I move, they will most likely bulldoze my house to put up a McMansion and he will lose his territory to cement and a 5,000 square foot house.
Yes, covering the trap is always a good idea. Cover it with something as close in appearance to the environment as possible. Cats are supposed not to be able to see some color, though, so you just have to do the best you can with what you have.
And though I'm sure most of us believe that feeding ferals is the kind and caring thing to do, Merritt Clifton at Animals24-7 is among those who believe that it is not only not the best thing to do, but that it is harmful for the cats because feral cats are truly "wild" animals and habituating them to being fed puts them in harm's way and also at risk when the feeders cannot feed for whatever reason. He posits that truly feral cats can, do, and always have obtained enough nutrients from their prey, who are largely small rodents; they also obain moisture from this diet. If Oscar is truly feral, I am hoping and praying he will return to catching wild prey and avoiding human habitation and presence if you cannot take him with you.
 
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Bitsy's Mom

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Yes, covering the trap is always a good idea. Cover it with something as close in appearance to the environment as possible. Cats are supposed not to be able to see some color, though, so you just have to do the best you can with what you have.
And though I'm sure most of us believe that feeding ferals is the kind and caring thing to do, Merritt Clifton at Animals24-7 is among those who believe that it is not only not the best thing to do, but that it is harmful for the cats because feral cats are truly "wild" animals and habituating them to being fed puts them in harm's way and also at risk when the feeders cannot feed for whatever reason. He posits that truly feral cats can, do, and always have obtained enough nutrients from their prey, who are largely small rodents; they also obain moisture from this diet. If Oscar is truly feral, I am hoping and praying he will return to catching wild prey and avoiding human habitation and presence if you cannot take him with you.
 
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Bitsy's Mom

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The reason that I started feeding Oscar in the first place was because I. noticed all of my small cat food cans were licked clean in the garbage. Then, my dogs chased him from the recycling bin where he was trying to find food. I did not feed him to be a busy body . . . I fed him since I thought if he was going through my recycling bin, he must be hungry. I was glad this winter when we had weeks of snow in excess of 10 inches, that he was in my garage getting fed.

He is not young. He was TNR at some point in his life since his ear is tipped. He waits every night for me under my car and in the morning behind the bushes were I can see him. We make eye contact each time.

I don't know what else to do. Not sure if I should keep trying. The trap is in my backyard so covering with a towel is what you recommend?
 

dustydiamond1

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From Mamanyt1953 Mamanyt1953 :
'OH, tell her that most cats cannot resist Kentucky Fried Chicken.'

I was hoping that by giving him the Sheba away from the trap he'd get hooked on them and then you could use them to lure him in. He's so sharp that I think the overabundance of cat food juice and strange new treat Sheba spooked him off the trap. Hang in there, we're with you.
 

Joelle and the kittens

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This is probably a ridiculous idea that I haven't thought through or researched, but...since he was presumably neutered after reaching sexual maturity he might still respond to cats in heat. Maybe you could play a recording of heat-yowls at the back of whatever trap you're using, behind something so he can't see nothing is there. You could do a test run to see how he reacts at the next feeding where you're present -- if he looks freaked out and runs away then it's a no-go.
 

dustydiamond1

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This is probably a ridiculous idea that I haven't thought through or researched, but...since he was presumably neutered after reaching sexual maturity he might still respond to cats in heat. Maybe you could play a recording of heat-yowls at the back of whatever trap you're using, behind something so he can't see nothing is there. You could do a test run to see how he reacts at the next feeding where you're present -- if he looks freaked out and runs away then it's a no-go.
Good out-of-the-box thinking. This guy is going to take some off-the-wall ideas.
 
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Bitsy's Mom

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I don't know if it's going to take something off the wall. I just want to make sure I am doing everything correctly. Some people say line the trap with paper/pee pads. Others say do not do that since it's different. Some people say cover the trap, others say not to. As far as stinky food . .he doesn't eat it outside the trap and so it will not draw him in since he doesn't seem to like it.

So still not sure about covering the trap or not and lining the floor or not. Thanks
 

shadowsrescue

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When trapping difficult to trap cats, the key is to try many different things until you find one that works. What kind of stinky foods have you tried? I would with hold food for a day and get some Kentucky Fried chicken. Make sure it is warm so he can really smell it.

Also keep trying to get someone from the rescue group to assist you. Since you have their trap, they may need it back and possibly willing to stop by and help.
 
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