Socializing a senior (10-plus year old) feral kitty

[Clocat]

I used to feel like I could use the Composure treats too!! It is a stressful time. Try really hard to look at the good signs. She is eating and using the litter box. She is not hiding or refusing to come out. Look for the small things and focus on those. When we humans start to look at the big picture and all that still needs to happen, we get caught up and forget to look at the small steps that have already occurred. I always used to keep in the back of my mind that there would often be one tiny step forward and sometimes 2 steps backwards. Yet the backward steps never lasted long.

If she is food motived focus on using food as rewards. Gerber stage 2 baby food in the glass jars with blue label are kitty crack. I always have the turkey or chicken on hand. Ingredients should only be meat, water and modified food starch. You can take a baby sized spoon and duct tape it to a wand toy or dowel rod or even a stick. Have the pole 2-3 feet. Take a bit of the baby food and slowly reach it out to her on the spoon. Churu is another good one.

Thank you...I have both of those on hand and will try the baby food on a spoon later today when she's hungry.

ETA: I literally joked with my husband yesterday about needing composure treats for humans.

 

[Clocat]

A New Year's Day update: she's still eating, but continues to be very restless at night.

I taped a plastic spoon to a wand and offered her tuna on it, but it scared her. I let it rest in her carrier next to her for awhile, but then an outdoor cat started caterwauling near our house and I figured the time was not right for it and we'll try again tonight.

 

[shadowsrescue]

The outside cat could definitely be making her unsettled. Is there a way to mask the sound? I have used sound machines before or even calming music. On youtube you can search calming cat music. Amazon music also has a lot. I play it frequently for one of my cats.

If the spoon with tuna spooked her, wait a bit to try again. Or just leave the food on the spoon on the floor and allow her to explore it on her own.

Eating is a good thing and a sign she is not overly stressed. I would really try to play some calming cat music for her. Keep the volume low.

 

[Clocat]

The outside cat could definitely be making her unsettled. Is there a way to mask the sound? I have used sound machines before or even calming music. On youtube you can search calming cat music. Amazon music also has a lot. I play it frequently for one of my cats.

If the spoon with tuna spooked her, wait a bit to try again. Or just leave the food on the spoon on the floor and allow her to explore it on her own.

Eating is a good thing and a sign she is not overly stressed. I would really try to play some calming cat music for her. Keep the volume low.

Thank you... I'll try some cat music. She did emerge from her carrier to chow down on the food on her plate even as that cat continued howling. It definitely made me anxious, though, worrying if it would freak her out! I'll also try just leaving the spoon on the floor outside of her carrier. I don't think she appreciated the invasion into her space.

 

[Clocat]

Unfortunately, HLA had diarrhea last night. in addition to her litterbox, she got some in her carrier, and being a long-haired kitty I just know she has some on her bloomers without even having to look. The poor little thing. We cleaned out her carrier and I completely replaced everything in her litter box. She's been huddled in corners of the room where she doesn't normally go. She's also been off her food since last night. I'm hoping if I try feeding her this afternoon she will eat some. Not sure what sparked this, if it's stress, or some of the various treats we've been giving her. Yesterday she had both turkey baby food and some chicken of the sea tuna, which has salt added. I had been buying no-salt tuna to give her as an occasional treat but it's hard to come by. I'm going to stick to just the canned food we were feeding her when she was outside and hold off on the treats. Of course today we received the delivery of composure but I'm reluctant to give it to her without knowing how it will affect her digestive system. Hoping for a better day with her soon.

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[shadowsrescue]

Don't worry if she doesn't eat much today. Her gut needs some time to settle down. If she won't eat any wet food, the baby food would be fine in small amounts. If the diarrhea persists, a good probiotic may be needed. Give her a day or two and see if it clears on its own.

 

[dustydiamond1]

Poor baby
We have been using this since 2017.

I mix 1/2 scoop with 1/2 tube of Churu once a day.

The Churu have a high water content and are great for hydration in the Summer. I get both from either Chewy or Amazon

 

[Clocat]

To say that this has been a disaster on every level is an understatement.

Since the diarrhea incident, she's refused to go into her carrier or to use her litterboxes. We bought new litterboxes and added the same materials she had used before--Dr. Elsey's cat attract litter and organic potting soil. However, despite using the litterboxes just fine with these materials earlier, she now pees and poops everywhere in her room but the boxes. We've blanketed the floor in pee pads and have managed to keep her from destroying the room that way. We rent a small house with hardwood floors, and there is no way we can ever give her free run of the house. We don't want to ruin our positive relationship with our landlord and jeopardize our ability to keep our current two cats.

We've backtracked and lost everything we had with her from the first day we brought her in. When we first had her, she would happily eat with my husband or I sitting within a foot or two of her. Now she won't eat with anyone in the room. We've tried waiting for upwards of a half-hour. She will wait it out till we leave before emerging to eat.

Today she's started sneezing and coughing. We have an FIV positive cat in the house. If I've exposed him to something serious by having her in the house and tracking her germs in and out of the room, I will never forgive myself. Obviously, even if we wanted to, we couldn't just let her out in the cold now with some sort of respiratory infection. However...

I'm seriously worried about our ability to capture her and take her to her vet appointment on Tuesday. Now that she doesn't use her carrier, I have no idea how we're going to capture her. I ordered some kevlar gloves today, and got a prescription for gabapentin to give her the day of. I'm worried that nonetheless we won't be able to catch her and take her in. The room is far too small to set up a trap in, and my guess is that she would not use it anyways.

All in all, this has been a stressful nightmare. I think we should have let her out right after the storm ended the week after Christmas. She is simply far too feral to transition to an indoor life. But now we are stuck with her. I'm upset that her first two vet appointments were so futile, and that we've had to wait so long to get her in for a third appointment. (That may or may not happen, depending on how well she cooperates.)

At the end of September, we had to put to sleep our beloved cat of 17 years, following a traumatic illness and hospitalization. This feels similar in terms of stress levels and sadness. I truly care about HLA, after having fed her for over 10 years and seeing the little ways her personality came out. I'm so sad that it's come to all this, and no idea how to salvage it.

 

[shadowsrescue]

I would call the vet and see if you can get some gabapentin for her to take before the vet appointment. Most vets will prescribe it.

When she pees and poops outside of the litterbox, you want to cut up some of the pee pad and bury it into the litter box. Same with poop. Also get more litter boxes. I would have 2-3 of them. Some cats prefer to pee and poop in separate locations. She may now associate the litter box with diarrhea and not feeling well. Also she could have a uti. Some cats avoid the litter box when they are in pain.

The sneezing and coughing are a worry. She definitely needs to see a vet.

Have you tried Feliway plug ins for calming?

Please please please try to remember that when bringing inside a feral cat, it takes a lot of patience and work. It can take a year before they settle down. Inside life is difficult for all at first.. Yet if you put her back outside and she gets sick again, your chances of ever trapping her again are slim to none.

It is very normal for a cat to go back wards when being brought inside. It's usually one step forward and 2 steps back. She is not feeling well now and there is no moving forward until she feels better. Don't stress about her not eating in your presence right now.

Another option is to get a mobile vet to see her. It might be less trauma for all.

I am sorry you are feeling so upset. Being a feral care taker is hard. It tests us all. Try to look at the bigger picture and realize that inside life will be much better for her in the long run. Think of how you will feel if she gets sick outside and you cannot capture her. What if she runs off? She has only been inside for a short time. When a cat gets sick, all progress can immediately halt.

Jcatbird Can you offer any advice here?

 

[Clocat]

I would call the vet and see if you can get some gabapentin for her to take before the vet appointment. Most vets will prescribe it.

When she pees and poops outside of the litterbox, you want to cut up some of the pee pad and bury it into the litter box. Same with poop. Also get more litter boxes. I would have 2-3 of them. Some cats prefer to pee and poop in separate locations. She may now associate the litter box with diarrhea and not feeling well. Also she could have a uti. Some cats avoid the litter box when they are in pain.

The sneezing and coughing are a worry. She definitely needs to see a vet.

Have you tried Feliway plug ins for calming?

Please please please try to remember that when bringing inside a feral cat, it takes a lot of patience and work. It can take a year before they settle down. Inside life is difficult for all at first.. Yet if you put her back outside and she gets sick again, your chances of ever trapping her again are slim to none.

It is very normal for a cat to go back wards when being brought inside. It's usually one step forward and 2 steps back. She is not feeling well now and there is no moving forward until she feels better. Don't stress about her not eating in your presence right now.

Another option is to get a mobile vet to see her. It might be less trauma for all.

I am sorry you are feeling so upset. Being a feral care taker is hard. It tests us all. Try to look at the bigger picture and realize that inside life will be much better for her in the long run. Think of how you will feel if she gets sick outside and you cannot capture her. What if she runs off? She has only been inside for a short time. When a cat gets sick, all progress can immediately halt.

Jcatbird Can you offer any advice here?

Thanks for your advice. I did get some liquid gabapentin from a compounding pharmacy--supposedly flavored with chicken to make it more palatable. I put a small dose on some sardines (a favorite food) this morning to see whether she would eat it, but she has not touched it. Whether this is because she's sick or because of the gabapentin is anyone's guess, but it doesn't bode well for Tuesday.

We currently have two litterboxes in the room and no room to add a third--but I will try your advice to cut up a pee pad and bury it. We need to go to the pet store this weekend to pick up more pee pads, so will look for Feliway then.

My main concerns at this point are making it to Tuesday and getting her into the vet, and the health of our two resident cats. I really don't want this to impact them negatively.

 

[Clocat]

In addition to the respiratory symptoms, she is now not eating. I called our vet to see if there's any way they could squeeze her in before Tuesday, and they can't. They did say, however, that if she doesn't eat for a full 24 hours, we should take her to the emergency vet. I can't think of a more stressful place for her to be, particularly when their wait times for non-acute problems tend to be in the 7-8 hour range. And it's ironic, since this is all most likely due to stress in the first place. Not sure that there's any practical advice that can be given, here, just venting and upset with the situation.

 

[Furballsmom]

I looked back through your thread and didn't see that we'd posted this for you (sorry if I missed it).

There are a number of things here, including the Beechnut babyfood which was mentioned above. She might even go for applesauce, it's worth a try on the same plate with some baby food ham and beef. There are a lot of things in the thread I'm linking for you that you might not think would entice a cat to eat.

Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

 

[FeebysOwner]

I would agree this is all likely due to stress, up to and including the sneezing/coughing. Chances are she has a viral condition, be that FeLV, FIV, or whatever. As long as your cats have been properly vaccinated and are not sharing space with her, they should be fine.

Trying to give her gabapentin might have triggered a new reluctance to eat, not to mention that if the diarrhea has not been resolved, her entire digestive system is probably bothering her. I don't care how they compound gabapentin it still tastes nasty (I have tasted all 4-5 compounded versions I tried with Feeby). I think a lot has to do with the fact that even the compounded versions have a sweetener in them - like that is appealing to most cats (NOT)!!! You don't have a lot of time, but you might ask the vet if you can try another sedative besides gabapentin - there are others out there.

If she will eat the baby food meat, maybe even try Gerber Stage 2 rather than Beechnut. And, as mentioned above, definitely try the ham and beef (my cat's two favorites). For right now don't worry about the fact that it isn't nutritionally complete. Better for her to eat anything than nothing. Of course, offer her the canned food she was used to eating as well.

This has been such a short time for her being inside, and I am not surprised to see some backtracking going on. It will take a lot longer time for her to very gradually get used to this new set up that she has never known.

 

[dustydiamond1]

In addition to the respiratory symptoms, she is now not eating. I called our vet to see if there's any way they could squeeze her in before Tuesday, and they can't. They did say, however, that if she doesn't eat for a full 24 hours, we should take her to the emergency vet. I can't think of a more stressful place for her to be, particularly when their wait times for non-acute problems tend to be in the 7-8 hour range. And it's ironic, since this is all most likely due to stress in the first place. Not sure that there's any practical advice that can be given, here, just venting and upset with the situation.

Did you contact the vet which comes to your house?

 

[Jcatbird]

I do have some suggestions. First, take some deep breaths, go and do something soothing in your apartment and try to understand that helping ferals is often two steps forward and three back for awhile. Stress is involved but also she has been having ear problems and I suspect it may have been a long and ongoing issue whether symptoms were evident or not. Have you ever experienced vertigo? Ear problems cause all sorts of symptoms. Please, please do not think you have made a mistake by bringing her in. You didn’t! Imagine if she was sick outside, alone and she could not function. Dizzy and could not get to you. It may not be a complicated thing to treat but would be very bad for her outside. When cats (especially ferals) feel bad, they withdraw. They hide because they know they are vulnerable to predators. Her instincts are to withdraw, going to doors or windows is a sign of that instinct to get away from upset tummy poo that would draw predators outside. Smart kitty but it is alarming to you. She is in the safest place she can be. Outside would be very dangerous for her . So, keeping her hydrated is going to be first. Keep her water very fresh. Keep things within easy reach for her. Can you put a blanket in a cardboard box for her? Is there a light on in the room? If not, turn one on. If there is, try giving her darkness and a new place to hide. If she soiled her carrier, her feral instincts are to go to a place that is fresh. I would give her a couple of places to go that are fresh cardboard boxes. Turn one on the side and one where the top is the opening. Scrub out her carrier using a mild mixture of a little tiny bit of Clorox but mostly water and then clean it again with something like Dawn dish liquid. (No fancy scents but original Dawn) Let the carrier dry thoroughly for a couple of hours and use a fan if you need to help it dry well. No Clorox should be left in the carrier! Then put the carrier a distance from her litter boxes. Maybe drape it a little with a towel so she feels more hidden, place a pee pad inside it. If she has poo on her fur, change the pee pad a lot! Make sure she is warm enough as well. Her original canned food would be a good idea and you can try topping it with a bit of Gerber 2nd foods all meat baby food. I think she could have backtracked because of her strong instincts. She may simply have a cold virus but if she becomes lethargic, breathing becomes labored or she shows no sign of any improvement, an emergency vet is a temporary fear but may bring her great relief in the long run. Trust is something you are concerned about but when she is well again, Trust will not be lost. In fact, it could be stronger than before because they do turn to the human they know when faced with one they don’t know. I think that getting the carrier out for some fresh air and scrubbing while she hides elsewhere will mean she will return to the carrier. Then she can be transported. During business hours, keep checking with your vet. Cancellations do happen. Don’t lose hope or let this drive you into a stress mode if you can avoid it. Calm and confidence have already brought her to you. She already trusts you, she is acting on instinct placed there by nature. Both by giving you trust to feed her and in hiding or seeking further hiding places away from where she was pooping. You are actually doing everything right. Goodness knows we have all had moments of questioning when working with ferals. As many ferals as I have had here, I have worried too but even the senior cats show me how much they find comfort in being out of rain, cold, hunger and loneliness. Those who do not get the opportunity to live out with ferals do not always see the struggles up close or the desire of a cat to simply be able to sleep soundly without having to jump at every twig that snaps. Please keep us updated. Any changes and you can post any worries here. Others are watching with you. You are not alone in this. Someone actually called me at home to let me know and Shadowsrescue also brought me and others came as well. You already had the best people posting before I came to see if I could offer anything. I would just go back a few steps to how you were caring for her when she first came in, a little quiet time alone and vet care as soon as you can. You can work on helping her socialize more after she is settled again.

 

[shadowsrescue]

C Clocat Any updates?

 

[dustydiamond1]

She will pick up on your anxiety so as Jcatbird mentioned take a deep breath and try to relax, and follow the other suggestions too. You have her in the safest place she could be please don't turn her back outside. How are things going?

 

[Clocat]

I apologize for abandoning this thread back in January. As you might guess, we released her back outside before making it to her vet appointment. The thought of having to take her to the vet ER over the weekend was unbearable--I've had so many bad experiences with vet ERs.

She showed up the next morning for breakfast in our yard, and then repeatedly throughout the rest of that day. Since then she's been stopping by almost daily and eating just fine. Fortunately for her, it was a VERY mild February here, almost springlike.

Long story short, though, she's back inside. One thing we had noticed the second time we caught her, was that her hind legs seemed to bother her. She would limp slightly sometimes, and we asked the second vet we took her to, in December 2022, to examine the legs. That vet seemed less than interested in providing her with any kind of care (this was the vet who dismissed basically all of our concerns by saying "She's an old feral.") So there was no diagnosis or anything on what might be wrong with her legs.

After releasing her, we noticed that the insides of her hind legs were increasingly raw and hairless, even bloody at times, and she was limping and constantly licking them. This progressed over the last month to where she was looking as bad as I've ever seen her. A neighbor who knew we were watching out for her expressed the thought that she should be euthanized because she looked like she was dying.

So, yesterday I caught her again. Our regular vet was unable to see her until next week. Not knowing whether the problems with her legs were a severe injury or what, I felt that she needed medical care right away, so I took her to one of the vet ERs in town.

It turns out that her entire abdomen, inner legs and elsewhere on her body are covered in crusty, infected lesions. They completely shaved her because her hair was so matted, gave her a medicated bath, and tested her for FELV and FIV (negative on both counts). Bloodwork and vitals were good. The tentative diagnosis is an autoimmune disorder called pemphigus. The treatment is daily steroid medication for the rest of her life. Because she is erratic about visiting us to eat, sometimes skipping a day or two here or there, there is no way that we'd be able to treat her effectively without keeping her confined in our house/yard.

Our current options are: release her back outside and leave her to her fate (no), have her euthanized (no), and keep her inside and medicate her and try to get her used to being a housecat. Since that last option is the only reasonable one, we're going to give it a go, as hard as it will be for her. I'm sure I'll make new posts as we encounter challenges, but wanted to give this update. Please wish us luck, we will absolutely need it.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I am so glad you are going to try to help her and keep her indoors!!! Is she also receiving antibiotics? Many times, her condition will lead to a bacterial infection as well.

Wishing you the very best - . And, by all means, keep us posted as well as ask all the questions you need to help her, and you, acclimate to her new life!