Can Ferals Ever Become Indoor Cats?

[nomeowing]

I know there are many posts here about ferals and I have read through some threads but I wanted to post my situation. I work part time and when I started working there 3 years ago I noticed cats. There are 3. A woman was coming daily to feed them. They are fixed. She died suddenly which I didn't know. A man then man came to feed them associated with the local trap/spay/release organization but stopped coming. Through the local animal benefit thrift store I got his number. He admitted he stopped going and when I called back and told the woman who runs the thrift store she was rather nasty to me. I have since taken over their care.

My work place backs up to undeveloped land which is not buildable. The street out front is bust, but they don't go up that way. I have permission from the administrator to go in on my days off to feed them. Most employees like the cats. There was talk once of trapping them and taking them to the humane society but our local humane society does not take feral cats. This has since kind of faded away.

I can pet the two bonded ones and even partially pick them up. I had to remove a long piece of a hard weed type matter that was sticking out of the males eye the other day. Poor thing. The eye looks good now.

I live in an apartment but I'm looking for manufactured home in a park. I will not buy a house. I did that and I'm nearing retirement so this is what I'm looking for but newer places are hard to come by and more expensive. I would like to try and take the two tamer ones if and when I find a place. Would it ever be possible I wonder? I don't know what their litter box use would be of coarse since they have always been outside. The 3rd one is more feral and I could only take the two. I don't know how my two I have would react but I would have an extra bedroom for them to start.

Sorry this went on so long. Any ideas or thoughts. I worry about them every day.

 

[nomeowing]

Sorry some typos in the above post. I didn't preview. It should say the street is busy not bust.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Yes, it can be done. It doesn't sound the cats are feral cats since you can pet them and pick them up. True feral cats would never allow that. Since you can pick them up and pet them, socializing can definitely happen.

My only concern is that there are 3 cats and you only want to take two of them. What would happen to the 3rd cat? I would feel very sad for this 3rd cat when his companions are being taken away and he is left all alone.

The first step before you get to the process of socializing is vet care. They will need to have vaccines and tested for FELV and FIV to be sure you other cats will not come in contact with illnesses or diseases. There should be no contact until they receive vet care.

Also that will bring your cat total to 4. Be sure you have the necessary resources to care for 4 cats. Not only is food/water/shelter needed, but also vet care. This can quickly add up.

Thank you for wanting to help.

 

[nomeowing]

Thank you for your reply. The woman who was feeding them and passed away told me that an employee at my workplace alerted her to the cats, possibly dumped due to that unbuildable land behind it, and I think she helped trap and continued to feed them. The two bonded ones I want to take are possible mother, son. Though as mentioned all 3 are now fixed. The 3rd one isn't with these other two and actually they don't get along. The two eat together fine. Some hissing can start if the other 3rd one gets in their space so I feed him first and away from the two. He is much more feral and I would continue to go to my work place to be sure he had food and water. I wouldn't abandon him. If I had a house and yard, I'd have a large catio built and take all 3. That isn't possible. I should mention there are other strays in this area that I may only see once. There are two colonies that are being fed a ways up and down this land gulch from my work place.

I have thought about the communicable diseases and yes, they would go to the vet. For tests and immunization. Not only do I have my two, wanting to take these two, my elderly stepfather has two. One is a feral he took in and she doesn't always use the litterbox. He has told me when he is gone to have her put to sleep. I would hate to do that. I think I can do OK with expenses.

I can't pick them up and hold them but I can left their front paws off the ground and yes pet them. When I pulled that weed out of that poor males eye, he jerked his head but didn't yowl or try to bite or claw. And it must have hurt. The calico female is also more shy but much more confident when the male is around. I should also mention that the female stays close to the area but that male likes to wander and has even been missing for up to two days. His wandering ways make me wonder if he would be miserable inside or get used to it.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Most cats will learn to use the litter box quite quickly. Some people bring in some dirt/soil/leaves from outside and mix that into the litter box. I prefer to use Dr. Elsey's Litter Attract. I buy a large 40 lb bag and use it straight. The last 3 feral cats I brought inside, never once had an accident. A few of my others took a few days. I would just sop up urine in a paper towel and bury it in the litter box. I did the same with poop. Cats are attracted to their own scent.

I have brought in 8 feral cats throughout the years. All have adapted to inside living. No, they are not lap cats and they still freak out with loud noises and strange people. It takes time and patience, but it can be done!

Thank you for caring about them. They truly can use your help!

 

[nomeowing]

Most cats will learn to use the litter box quite quickly. Some people bring in some dirt/soil/leaves from outside and mix that into the litter box. I prefer to use Dr. Elsey's Litter Attract. I buy a large 40 lb bag and use it straight. The last 3 feral cats I brought inside, never once had an accident. A few of my others took a few days. I would just sop up urine in a paper towel and bury it in the litter box. I did the same with poop. Cats are attracted to their own scent.

I have brought in 8 feral cats throughout the years. All have adapted to inside living. No, they are not lap cats and they still freak out with loud noises and strange people. It takes time and patience, but it can be done!

Thank you for caring about them. They truly can use your help!

Thank you again for your reply and thank you for the great litter box tips. Things I didn't even think of. Now if I can just find a place to buy.

 

[fionasmom]

Most of my cats have been ex ferals and just 2 months ago I brought 2 into my house permanently...Alice, my avatar, and her calico sister who looks almost identical. They had lived outside, cared for by me, for the last two years. Born to completely feral parents now both deceased due to coyote attack. I was more or less at a point where you are where I could partially pick up, interact with, touch etc and usually that is a great sign that it can work. A true feral, possibly the other cat, will not bond to a human but most of these possibly, so called ferals who live on the outskirts of society will. They have been cared for in a place where no one has been threatening to them and fed by people they recognize, so I think these guys realize that humans make their lives easier.

Alice was much friendlier to me, and her sister Elise was partially friendly, wanted to sort of play, but kept her distance. On the morning I grabbed them, bypassing the story, Alice was not hard to get in the house but Elise had to be picked up and put inside with the door closed behind her...she protested, but has rethought her lot in life over the last few weeks and is now sleeping in the living room on a nice soft chair listening to classical music. I do have to watch the doors when we open and close them, but they have quickly learned that they are indoor now. Both use litter boxes. Alice was instantly fine with them, but Elise had never buried her poop because for the most part they did not have access to soft dirt outside. She rapidly learned to use a litter box with a pee pad in it and we are transitioning to litter. I have never had a feral who did not use the litter box.

The male may protest for a while about being inside but I have never had a cat who did not transition to being happy indoors. Thank you for helping them and for continuing to provide for the third one. Maybe once the first two are removed someone can start to work on getting him a home.

 

[shadowsrescue]

You can find the Dr. Elsey Litter Attract at PetsMart stores locally as well as online at Amazon, Chewy.com or PetsMart.com It is fairly common. Other local pet stores may have it too.

 

[NY cat man]

Over a 3 year period, we took in 5 ferals. The socialization process started while they were still very young kittens, brought around to our door by their mother, who was very feral, and continued for several months until they came inside by their own choice. We were never able to catch the mother, nor was anyone else, either. Our last feral was a previously TNRed female who hung around for some time before we decided to adopt her as well. She was about 4 years old when she joined us.
All 6 are now indoor only, and all have adapted quite well. They range in age from 9 to 5.
I cannot say that our approach will work in every circumstance, but it has worked for us.

 

[Jcatbird]

I was in a position of needing to rescue a colony and it was mostly ferals. Because it was a large colony I had to take them in a few at a time. Ages ranged from newborn to elder cats. A few have remained a bit shy with other humans but the majority socialized very well and were adopted. Almost all tested as healthy. All were spayed or neutered and immunized. Also socialized. The ones that did not get adopted remain with me and most have become very bonded with humans over time. I have one sleeping next to me and one in my lap as I type. Lol These cats are absolutely wonderful companions. Each one is different and socialized at their own pace but some of them totally surprised me. The one I thought would be the most difficult to socialize, an older Tom and very fierce, turned out to be a lap cat and a true lover boy! We cannot always predict how a cat will react but I can tell you that each one is much more content, calm and happy now that they no longer have to fear predators, cars, humans, harsh weather, injury, illness or the worry of finding food. Time, patience, love, care and continuity brings amazing results. I am so very glad you noticed that these cats had lost their caregivers. They become dependent on that care and you are saving lives. Thank you! I hope you find the place of your dreams very quickly and you all live together as a happy furmily. When the time comes to socialize and integrate these cats with your residents, many people will be here to offer support and share any tips they have learned during their own experiences with ferals and strays. There are lots of litter box tricks for the one your step father has that doesn’t always use the box. I expect he feels she should be put down if he passes because she would not find a home but there are lots of good possibilities for her. As for the third feral, it is possible to integrate him with the two bonded ones. You could also try socializing him with the goal of getting him adopted. I know people often feel that ferals won’t socialize enough to get adopted but I found homes for 78 over two years. Some older ones included. All became indoor only cats with loving families. There are lots of options.
Long posts and typos are my specialty. Please post with any and all questions and as often as you need. We welcome you and the kitties! We look forward to updates!

 

[Katie M]

I have no experience with adult ferals, but Charlie was a feral kitten when he was found. He readily took to the life of an indoor cat. He has occasional flashes of feral behavior (suddenly bites for seemingly no reason, attacks my legs if they're bare-both hard enough to draw blood), but he's really mellowed out for the most part. Really, to look at him, you would have no idea he was born feral.

I do believe a feral kitten can become an indoor cat-the younger the better, of course.

 

[nomeowing]

Most of my cats have been ex ferals and just 2 months ago I brought 2 into my house permanently...Alice, my avatar, and her calico sister who looks almost identical. They had lived outside, cared for by me, for the last two years. Born to completely feral parents now both deceased due to coyote attack. I was more or less at a point where you are where I could partially pick up, interact with, touch etc and usually that is a great sign that it can work. A true feral, possibly the other cat, will not bond to a human but most of these possibly, so called ferals who live on the outskirts of society will. They have been cared for in a place where no one has been threatening to them and fed by people they recognize, so I think these guys realize that humans make their lives easier.

Alice was much friendlier to me, and her sister Elise was partially friendly, wanted to sort of play, but kept her distance. On the morning I grabbed them, bypassing the story, Alice was not hard to get in the house but Elise had to be picked up and put inside with the door closed behind her...she protested, but has rethought her lot in life over the last few weeks and is now sleeping in the living room on a nice soft chair listening to classical music. I do have to watch the doors when we open and close them, but they have quickly learned that they are indoor now. Both use litter boxes. Alice was instantly fine with them, but Elise had never buried her poop because for the most part they did not have access to soft dirt outside. She rapidly learned to use a litter box with a pee pad in it and we are transitioning to litter. I have never had a feral who did not use the litter box.

The male may protest for a while about being inside but I have never had a cat who did not transition to being happy indoors. Thank you for helping them and for continuing to provide for the third one. Maybe once the first two are removed someone can start to work on getting him a home.

What an inspirational story. Thank you and for taking the kitties in. When I can, I really don't have much worry about getting them and putting them into a carrier. I will get the female first since she is less confident when the male is not there.

 

[nomeowing]

Over a 3 year period, we took in 5 ferals. The socialization process started while they were still very young kittens, brought around to our door by their mother, who was very feral, and continued for several months until they came inside by their own choice. We were never able to catch the mother, nor was anyone else, either. Our last feral was a previously TNRed female who hung around for some time before we decided to adopt her as well. She was about 4 years old when she joined us.
All 6 are now indoor only, and all have adapted quite well. They range in age from 9 to 5.
I cannot say that our approach will work in every circumstance, but it has worked for us.

Thank you for your reply. You have done so well for those kitties. I really appreciate the advice and encouragement I am receiving here.

 

[nomeowing]

I was in a position of needing to rescue a colony and it was mostly ferals. Because it was a large colony I had to take them in a few at a time. Ages ranged from newborn to elder cats. A few have remained a bit shy with other humans but the majority socialized very well and were adopted. Almost all tested as healthy. All were spayed or neutered and immunized. Also socialized. The ones that did not get adopted remain with me and most have become very bonded with humans over time. I have one sleeping next to me and one in my lap as I type. Lol These cats are absolutely wonderful companions. Each one is different and socialized at their own pace but some of them totally surprised me. The one I thought would be the most difficult to socialize, an older Tom and very fierce, turned out to be a lap cat and a true lover boy! We cannot always predict how a cat will react but I can tell you that each one is much more content, calm and happy now that they no longer have to fear predators, cars, humans, harsh weather, injury, illness or the worry of finding food. Time, patience, love, care and continuity brings amazing results. I am so very glad you noticed that these cats had lost their caregivers. They become dependent on that care and you are saving lives. Thank you! I hope you find the place of your dreams very quickly and you all live together as a happy furmily. When the time comes to socialize and integrate these cats with your residents, many people will be here to offer support and share any tips they have learned during their own experiences with ferals and strays. There are lots of litter box tricks for the one your step father has that doesn’t always use the box. I expect he feels she should be put down if he passes because she would not find a home but there are lots of good possibilities for her. As for the third feral, it is possible to integrate him with the two bonded ones. You could also try socializing him with the goal of getting him adopted. I know people often feel that ferals won’t socialize enough to get adopted but I found homes for 78 over two years. Some older ones included. All became indoor only cats with loving families. There are lots of options.
Long posts and typos are my specialty. Please post with any and all questions and as often as you need. We welcome you and the kitties! We look forward to updates!

Wow thank you so much! My two are so sheltered here as indoor kitties, I don't know how they will react but when I do move, I will have an extra bedroom to start the two new ones in. I have to mention how I found out the woman who came daily to feed died and the man abandoned them: I turned on a faucet out in the back of my work place and turned it off. Someone says, "don't turn the faucet off all the way the cats drink out of it" they were so thirsty they were drinking the drips. I was like what the...? I found a bowl immediately and left water. That's when I took over their care.

You have adopted out and saved so many kitties. That is amazing.

I too hope to find a place soon. My area was hit with a disaster which messed up real estate availability and increased prices. Things are leveling off and I swear I check the real estate site 5+ times a day. Thank you again so much.

 

[nomeowing]

I have no experience with adult ferals, but Charlie was a feral kitten when he was found. He readily took to the life of an indoor cat. He has occasional flashes of feral behavior (suddenly bites for seemingly no reason, attacks my legs if they're bare-both hard enough to draw blood), but he's really mellowed out for the most part. Really, to look at him, you would have no idea he was born feral.

View attachment 335174

I do believe a feral kitten can become an indoor cat-the younger the better, of course.

Charlie is beautiful. I've never had a black cat but would certainly adopt one. Thank you for taking him.

 

[tnrmakessense]

Wow thank you so much! My two are so sheltered here as indoor kitties, I don't know how they will react but when I do move, I will have an extra bedroom to start the two new ones in. I have to mention how I found out the woman who came daily to feed died and the man abandoned them: I turned on a faucet out in the back of my work place and turned it off. Someone says, "don't turn the faucet off all the way the cats drink out of it" they were so thirsty they were drinking the drips. I was like what the...? I found a bowl immediately and left water. That's when I took over their care.

You have adopted out and saved so many kitties. That is amazing.

I too hope to find a place soon. My area was hit with a disaster which messed up real estate availability and increased prices. Things are leveling off and I swear I check the real estate site 5+ times a day. Thank you again so much.

You are a hero. Thank you for caring for these guys. Do what you can. I disagree about rushing them to a vet to be tested if they're already fixed. First, I've found few vets that will treat a feral and second, even if they do have an immune illness, they can live long healthy lives. Cats hate change and just getting adjusted to a new home - an inside one - is plenty. Give them lots of places like cardboard boxes to hide. Make a pact with them that you'll wait for them to come to you. Then be patient. And know that you're doing a wonderful thing.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

Absolutely! Thank you for caring for them. You will be amazed how quickly they will use the litter box, too. I suggest Dr. Elsey Cat Attract mixed with a bit of potting soil at first (be sure to get chemical-free). Gradually add more and more litter until it eventually is only litter. Cat Attract is VERY expensive,but it doesn't have to be forever. Just the first few weeks. I tried a mixture of CA + catnip, but it worked too well, and she tried to sleep in it, lol!

 

[doudounne]

I know there are many posts here about ferals and I have read through some threads but I wanted to post my situation. I work part time and when I started working there 3 years ago I noticed cats. There are 3. A woman was coming daily to feed them. They are fixed. She died suddenly which I didn't know. A man then man came to feed them associated with the local trap/spay/release organization but stopped coming. Through the local animal benefit thrift store I got his number. He admitted he stopped going and when I called back and told the woman who runs the thrift store she was rather nasty to me. I have since taken over their care.

My work place backs up to undeveloped land which is not buildable. The street out front is bust, but they don't go up that way. I have permission from the administrator to go in on my days off to feed them. Most employees like the cats. There was talk once of trapping them and taking them to the humane society but our local humane society does not take feral cats. This has since kind of faded away.

I can pet the two bonded ones and even partially pick them up. I had to remove a long piece of a hard weed type matter that was sticking out of the males eye the other day. Poor thing. The eye looks good now.

I live in an apartment but I'm looking for manufactured home in a park. I will not buy a house. I did that and I'm nearing retirement so this is what I'm looking for but newer places are hard to come by and more expensive. I would like to try and take the two tamer ones if and when I find a place. Would it ever be possible I wonder? I don't know what their litter box use would be of coarse since they have always been outside. The 3rd one is more feral and I could only take the two. I don't know how my two I have would react but I would have an extra bedroom for them to start.

Sorry this went on so long. Any ideas or thoughts. I worry about them every day.

Yo ! Greetings from Northeastern Québec. You need not worry about the litter box. That is automatic. This is my opinion only, but the risk would be for them to wander off once you let them loose in your new place. Maybe if you keep them inside a few days, they would call your house home and come back to eat. If they do, but getting them to come in might be a long process. I have succeeded over many months in converting a female feral cat I had captured and got operated on to a house cat. After a few years, though, she only cuddles on the couch next to me when SHE feels like it, and is skitterish about being picked up. Yes, an adult cat cn be 'converted', but it never becomes a full-fledged, loving, hugging, house cat unless you imprint it when it's a few weeks old. My first cat was caught behind the barn in october. She could fit in my pocket. Despite all her growling and hissing in the cage, after 5 days of being invisible in the house, she came over and climbed up on my while I was sleeping. That was that. Good luck, I wish there were more people like you who cared.

 

[Jcatbird]

If they don’t get a vet check then you will need to keep them separated from your kitties until they do. Although the majority of mine didn’t have any issues, I had rescues from a previous colony and my Felv cat lives in a separate area from my other kitties. He owns the master bedroom. Lol I needed to test the new kitties to avoid cross contamination since I had to bring most together at some point and I needed to get many adopted out. We did have to treat new kitties for worms, and one had Fiv but he’s well and happy. There were over 100 so the odds went very well in the kitties favor.

 

[NY cat man]

Yo ! Greetings from Northeastern Québec. You need not worry about the litter box. That is automatic. This is my opinion only, but the risk would be for them to wander off once you let them loose in your new place. Maybe if you keep them inside a few days, they would call your house home and come back to eat. If they do, but getting them to come in might be a long process. I have succeeded over many months in converting a female feral cat I had captured and got operated on to a house cat. After a few years, though, she only cuddles on the couch next to me when SHE feels like it, and is skitterish about being picked up. Yes, an adult cat cn be 'converted', but it never becomes a full-fledged, loving, hugging, house cat unless you imprint it when it's a few weeks old. My first cat was caught behind the barn in october. She could fit in my pocket. Despite all her growling and hissing in the cage, after 5 days of being invisible in the house, she came over and climbed up on my while I was sleeping. That was that. Good luck, I wish there were more people like you who cared.

Actually, whether or not an adult feral adapts successfully depends mainly on the temperament of the individual cat. Case in point: Our latest adoptee was- per the vet- about 4 years old when she came inside. Miss Eleanor is the sweetest cat anyone could ask for, and she is on my lap right now. She is a real cuddle cat, loves to be picked up and held, and at night curls up and sleeps next to me. Each of our other 5, which came in while still kittens, vary in how much handling they will tolerate- some quite a lot and others not so much. As I said, it depends on the individual cat, and nothing can be assumed or taken for a hard and fast rule.