Bob, Our Feral Cat, Has A Vet Appt Next Week—need Help

[dbcatperson]

I can really use some advice. Bob has been in our house since last July. He has his own room and hasn’t ventured out of it yet. We also have two girl cats. The problem is that Bob still hasn’t bonded with us and will hiss and growl at us sometimes so we haven't been able to touch him. Well, my husband got to pet him a few times back in August--that was before Bob was hissing and growling at him. He has improved in many ways but yet he doesn’t want to come by us. He pretty much sleeps during the day on his condo and is more active at night.

The big problem is he has a vet appt next week. He’s a few days past his due date for his rabies shot. He needs to go in for this as well as a checkup and getting his nails trimmed. I’m so nervous about this because I don’t know how to get him into the carrier. The vet gave us some gabapentin to put in a treat or food 2 hours prior to bringing him in to help keep him calm but bob hasn’t been eating his treats anymore and eating canned food isn’t something we can always count on. He’ll eat some or most of it when we give him canned food but not always. He seems to like his dry food the most which he eats overnight.

The canned food bob will eat the most is wellness signature selects skipjack tuna but like I said, not always. I was wondering if I could try buying something like fancy feast just to try and hide the medication in or would giving him a different kind of food have an effect on him?

Since bob hisses and growls at us yet and treats don’t seem to interest him so much anymore, I’m really at a loss on how to get him in the carrier. I’m afraid of being ripped to shreds if we approach him to actually try and pick him up or if we corral him by blocking things off and trying to scoot him into the carrier, he’s going to hate us even more. I thought about maybe getting a baby brush and putting it on a longer stick to see how he reacts if I try to brush him? I don't know if that will help anything for getting him into the carrier, though.

I really thought we would be further along by now so I’m sure I’m doing things wrong. Any tips would really be appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[surya]

Is your carrier small enough to fit into the condo? If so put a towel in the carrier and tie the door open. It then becomes a nice cozy bed for him to sleep in. Then when he's inside you close the door, easy peasy.

 

[dbcatperson]

I think the carrier is just a bit too big. It won't fit for sure on the first shelf of the condo--the second shelf is open on the top but only for half of it so I think that will still be a problem to try and squeeze it in. it's a plastic carrier that it won't give at all. This is a pickle. I thought of trying to block off as much as we can in the room and have the carrier right next to the condo on the floor and see if he would run in there to hide? I'm not sure if it will work and i don't want to scare him. I'm going to put the carrier in his room later today with a blanket in it so he can start getting use to seeing it.

 

[surya]

Since the carrier is too big, here's what you can do. Put the carrier up to the doorway of the condo and block up the rest of the doorway with something so he can not escape. You can use long zip ties to attach the carrier to the kennel. Put a towel over the carrier, so it is a nice dark tunnel. Do not have anywhere in the condo for him to hide and have it completely open so he want to get inside the nice dark carrier because it is a hidey hole. You have to have something to pull down over the carrier door to trap him inside until you can get the door closed. A wire baking rack would work. I found a video that might help explain it better:

 

[dbcatperson]

Thanks for the idea and for the video. There might be a problem--Bob’s condo is homemade and is open all along the front of each shelf—a longer opening that there isn't really a doorway, unfortunately. But this idea does help—his cat tree is next to his condo—maybe by putting the carrier between the cat tree and his condo and covering that area with blankets, maybe he would run into the carrier then? We just have to figure out how to put up a block in front of his condo that he won't run out after us. Getting close to him is going to start him hissing and growling for sure. Maybe standing a bit further back with cardboard in front of us might help him to run into the carrier? We’ll probably need something soft to try and scoot him if he doesn’t run to the carrier on his own. I’m hoping we can get him to eat the pill to try and calm him down before we have to go to the vet.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[surya]

No problem, I'm sure you will figure something out. Good luck with Bob.

 

[trudy1]

If the only real need, since he’s an inside cat and has no health issues, is the nail trim you could put off the vet for a while and do like other have said...the nice dark cave like carrier with a cover will appeal to him. Over time he’ll use it as security enabling you to close the door on him.

BTW how much time do you spend with him? You are aware he can sense your fear and trepidation? There are very good videos on the site to socialize ferals. July till now is a little long for the progress you’ve made IMO. But there are folks that have a lot of experience with this to help.

I admire you for sticking to this...you must really love him. Please keep us posted.

 

[msaimee]

I am assuming he is neutered? I personally would not put a feral cat through the trauma of trapping and a vet visit unless it is for a spay or neuter, or because the cat is ill or injured and needs Veterinary treatment. If he is already neutered, I would not at this time trap him to get a rabies booster shot and nails trimmed. It will further increase his fear and distrust, and you could get hurt in the process if he bites you . By the way, how old is he? Not all feral cats past the age of one year can adjust to being an indoor cat. It might be that he would be less stressed If you released him back outside and cared for him as an outdoor cat. As long as he is neutered, and in good health, he can have a happy life being cared for with food and a pet house or other shelter on your porch. Nine months is a long time to not have made any progress, and it may just be that he isn't going to adjust to life indoors. Just food for thought, obviously you know your cat and situation better than anyone.

 

[jcat]

You could get a spoon fishing/landing net from a sporting goods store. If the worst comes to the worst, the net part can be cut from the frame to get him into the carrier. Once you have him in the net, a second person can grab it near the frame and twist it so he doesn't jump out. A top-loading carrier is much easier to get cats into, too. Be sure to wear heavy gloves.

A blanket, oversized pillowcase, or duvet cover can work, too, but the net is easier.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

.
D dbcatperson - Personally, I'd ask the veterinarian if she or he would be willing to make an house call in this instance. If your regular veterinarian won't, there are mobile vets these days who specilise in just such cases. Taking a still-somewhat-feral cat into a veterinarian's office doesn't do well for either the vet nor for the cat. Eight of my eleven are ex-ferals, and having in-home care makes my Life and my vet's Life immensely simpler. Best of luck!

 

[shadowsrescue]

I have used a mobile vet for my 3 feral cats. I was surprised how many were available. My regular vet would have come too, but she was very expensive.

 

[dbcatperson]

I really appreciate all the replies. I hope this will answer the questions that were asked—I hope I didn’t miss anything:

Bob was neutered at the humane society. We caught him accidentally last year—we were trying to catch one of our girl cats that got out of the house but we caught Bob first. We took him to the humane society in case someone lost him but they said he was a feral cat. They neutered him there and gave him a rabies shot. Bob had some blood that we saw on his leg and foot and we told the humane society about that and they only cleaned up the wounds and said we should release him after a few days. We just couldn’t do it and kept him and got him to the vet for a checkup and they said he had a bad infection in his foot and we also found out he had FIV and worms. They thought Bob was about 3 years old at that time.

I would say in the time we’ve had him, he has changed in many ways and looks so cute and comfortable and relaxed (from a distance). He mostly sleeps during the day and he plays a lot overnight. He started playing a bit with me from a distance. I use a laser light and a toy on a string. one time he got a little too close to me and saw me there and hissed and back to his condo he went. I do blame us for not spending enough time with him but I have increased it more over the last few months. I have trouble getting on the floor because of arthritis but I’ve been even doing that the last few weeks and that does seem to help. I really feel he’s comfortable in the house (except for not being completely comfortable with us) that I don’t want to give up on him. He does hiss and growl but not every time and once I’m sitting in by him, he stops. I would say the hissing and growling isn’t as extreme as it was earlier—if that makes sense. He doesn’t have the same look on his face like he wants to rip my face off. I still would be very afraid to try and touch him—he’s not ready for that.

We had another vet that did house calls for our previous cats but you had to wait usually a month for the appt and she wanted the cat brought out to her to work on that I don’t know if she would go in his room to try and catch him. I would have to check into this. But then I wonder how Bob would react having a stranger come in his room to try and grab him. I don’t know what to do. The vet Bob saw near our home use to work with our old vet and was very good with Bob. But the part of catching him and him hating us even more is worrying me. I guess we could try blocking areas off and have the area where his carrier is nice and dark and covered and cozy and hopefully he would run in there if it’s right next to his condo? When my husband built his condo and we were going to move it in Bob’s room, we covered his cat tree with blankets and when we walked in his room to bring the condo, Bob went under the blankets on the cat tree. I wonder if he would do this again if the cat carrier is right there and covered in blankets? I’m sure he’ll be on his condo and I don’t know if us approaching him would be enough to get him to move to the carrier or not. If we have trouble where he seems to be freaking out, maybe we would have to cancel his appt then? Bob does get a funny cough sometimes—I thought maybe hairballs but I’m not sure about that. So I thought this would be a good time for the vet to check him over to see if it’s anything he needs medication for.

The vet thought if we give him the gabapentin that it might help to keep him calmer for going to the vet. But it’s if he’ll eat his food with the medicine in there—that might not happen. I feel lost now and not sure what to do. I sure don’t want to make things worse or have Bob fear us even more.

I was wondering when others have used mobile vets for their ferals, how did that work? Did the vet actually go and catch the cat and did they have trouble?

Thanks again for all the feedback. It means a lot.

 

[surya]

It seems like you are stressed out enough about getting him in the carrier, it might be worth buying a smaller carrier that will fit into the condo. The other option would be to make an extension onto his current condo. You can build a room onto it where the carrier will fit in. You can buy some of these wire grid things and use strong zip ties to hold them together. You can build it other ways too of course, this is just quick and easy. I promise you the covered carrier method works. Make sure the vet you take him to is OK with dealing with a feral cats in a carrier.

You don't have to build it big like this, it is just an example of the square grids:

How to build your own catio from Cat and Caboodle

 

[dbcatperson]

Oh I completely forgot we have another carrier somewhere that we also had in his kennel and I think that one was a bit smaller. I don’t know what happened to it--I’ll have to look for it. If I can’t find it, maybe we should buy another one. I wonder if Bob will fit in a smaller one, though? He seems so much bigger than when we first got him. But maybe the smaller carrier would fit on the condo shelf. Maybe we could try that and put a smaller one on the shelf and the bigger one on the floor and still cover that one up with blankets to see if he’ll go in one of them? I’m thinking if he doesn’t go into one of them right away and he’s freaking out, we should cancel the appt and wait a little longer.

When we first brought bob to the vet, the vet that time had too much trouble and had to sedate Bob. When we went back again to see if he needed another round of antibiotics for his foot and to get another round of medicine for worms, we had the lady vet that use to work for my old vet and she was much better with Bob. She didn’t have to sedate him and knew how to handle him. She used a blanket to cover him and put a mask on him and he stayed calm the whole time. She would be checking him this time too.

 

[msaimee]

Thanks for all of the information. It does make me change my mind about suggesting that you consider releasing him. With his FIV status, he would be more likely to become sick or even infect other cats if he were outside. So you are doing a great thing by continuing to socialize him inside your house.

I had one experience with a mobile vet in my house with a feral cat. The vet and the vet tech were trying to give him a rabies shot and eyeball him for any health issues . He climbed straight up the wall on top of my window and got his foot lodged in a hanging planter bracket that was attached to the wall. The vet had to use a ladder to give him the injection while his foot was still trapped in the planter bracket. The mission was accomplished, but it was a little crazy. Which is why I say that it might be better to hold off for another month or two for the rabies booster shot. And perhaps skip the nail trimming all together. If he has a scratching post in his room, then nail trimming is not necessary right now.

 

[dbcatperson]

Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate it. Wow, that really was an experience with your feral. I’m glad you both made it through it. I kind of feel that would happen if a vet came here and tried to catch Bob. I feel really stupid asking this but how does this work with rabies? Could Bob be carrying this from being outside? And now needing the booster shot, if he bit us or one of the girls, we would get that? I don’t know if he would actually bite us but you never know. Do you think it would be worth giving it a try with the carriers to see how Bob reacts and if he’ll go in without a problem? and if he starts freaking out or coming after us, then cancel the appt for a while?

I forgot to say that Bob does have scratching posts in his room and I do hear him using them at night. Our girl cats have them too but their nails are still getting too long for some reason that they are always getting caught on our rugs. Bob’s floor in his room is just a bare floor but I’m worried if he would get caught on the carpeting if he’s out overnight in the rest of the house. I have a feeling that he might retreat back to his room during the day. His condo and cat tree are rug covered and he has a soft bed and a couple mats he lays on and a window perch that's rug covered too.

 

[orange&white]

Since he had a rabies vaccine when you first trapped him, he should have immunity. They've run studies that one rabies vaccine is effective for at least 7 years, and probably for life. It's just a matter of state law requirements now versus need.

It doesn't sound like you have any emergency, so I would cancel or reschedule the appointment until you figure out the carrier situation. (Or hire the mobile vet, if you feel like the vaccine and nail trimming are really necessary.)

I got one of my ferals comfortable going into the carrier by feeding her meals inside with the door wide open. I also leave an open carrier with a blanket out all the time, so none of the cats are afraid of it and sometimes it's their napping spot.

 

[dbcatperson]

Thank you for your reply. I didn't know that about the rabies vaccine. Thank you for that information. After reading all the replies, I think we should postpone this appt and take a little more time to get Bob ready for this trip to the vet and getting use to the carriers again and in a better place with us. Plus this will give us more time to sit on the floor in his room with him--maybe that will help more too.

Thank you, everyone, for all the wonderful feedback.