Will My Cat Be Safe If I Bring A Stray Inside?

You might want to trap the cat using a humane trap. Then a vet visit is an absolute must. The cat should have a check up, vaccines and tested for FIV and FELV. Also a spay/neuter is another absolute must. In order to keep your resident cat safe a vet visit must come first. You do not want your older cat exposed to any illnesses.

Keeping the cat in the laundry room is fine, yet it must be cat proofed. You don't want the cat squeezing under or behind the washer/dryer where you cannot get to him. Be sure he cannot get into the ceiling as well. I like to get on the floor and see all of the small spaces a cat can get into. Block those spaces off.

Make sure you have 2 litter boxes. Cats living outside prefer to pee and poop in separate spaces. Start with two. Be sure you keep the food and water a distance from the litter box.

Don't rush any introductions. Allow the new kitty to settle into inside living and socialization from you. Here is a good article on socializing.

How to Socialize Very Shy or Fearful Cats

Thank you for caring about these kitties. It might help to call a rescue organization to see if they could help you with trapping all of the other cats. They need to be spayed/neutered to stop all of the fighting and reproducing.

I never bring an animal in the house, dog or cat, who has not been vetted and I just want to reinforce that part. Otherwise, you have been given good advice and are certainly trying to help these kitties.

shadowsrescue said:

You don't want the cat squeezing under or behind the washer/dryer where you cannot get to him. Be sure he cannot get into the ceiling as well. I like to get on the floor and see all of the small spaces a cat can get into. Block those spaces off.





How to Socialize Very Shy or Fearful Cats

Thank you for caring about these kitties. It might help to call a rescue organization to see if they could help you with trapping all of the other cats. They need to be spayed/neutered to stop all of the fighting and reproducing.

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It sounds like you've been given some excellent advice already, but I want to reinforce the fact that the laundry room can be very difficult to cat proof! I tried it initially when I took in my stray, and she went right behind the washer/ dryer. Took ages to get her back out.

Also, if you're thinking of bringing the stray into a room that's connected to the main house (whether that's the laundry room or elsewhere,) make sure to treat for fleas ASAP. You don't want an infestation in your house.

Aside from that, getting the stray to the vet soon is very important, as others have stated. You sound like a very caring person. Hope all goes well, and feel free to give us an update once you've made your move! Good luck!

Sounds like you describe a Tortie, which are female. Fighting is due to these cats not being fixed which is critical for their well being and your sanity.Otherwise the fighting and abcesses, urine marking and unwanted babies will be ongoing.
Males fight viciously and itend on doing great harm. I have seen a young feral cat's eyes scratched out, blinded I had to have him PTS, tragic.

Use a trap and get her seen. She can sit in the trap for a day or so if need be too.
Just keep covered with a towel except one end.
You can carefully slide a shallow dish with watered down pate canned food for her.

Flea treat while in trap.

Most no kill shelters won't take ferals unless they have a relocation/barn home program.

Are the cats stray cats are feral? There's a big difference between the two. Stray cats were once domesticated and socialized to humans but may have become shy and skittish living outdoors. After working with them for a short time, you are usually ablel to befriend them and handle and pet them. Stray cats can very easily re-adjust to being a pet and happily living in doors. They can also easily be socialized to resident cats. Feral cats, on the other hand, especially ones over the age of one year old, are very difficult to domesticate and socialize. You need a humane trap to get them to the vet for the spay or neuter, and then during their recovery time in your house, decide whether to try to keep them indoors or release them back outside. If any of these cats you describe is a stray and not a feral, then you should be able to pick the cat up and put him into a pet carrier for a scheduled vet visit, and then to give him a room of his own for a while until he adjusts to your home and resident cat. I hope you can help all of them, at least in terms of spay and neuter. If the cats are feral and not stray, you don't want to take them to a no kill shelter. It will be a life of extreme anxiety and misery for them because they hate confinement, and they will not be adoptable. Thanks for your willingness to help these kitties.