Can't Tame Feral...i Am Near Tears...need Advice

[sweetblackpaws]

Thank you for the encouragement, yes, I was surprised how calm she was when I brought my boy in - he is a BIG boy! She was not part of a colony outside, so I don't think she has been around cats. I am wondering if maybe she is bored? She might actually do better with a friend, like Maggiedemi points out.

I am not worried about my two girls, they are pretty shy - I know they will be fine with her; but my big boy - he can play a little too aggressively, so I am a bit worried about their interaction.

 

[rubysmama]

Glad she ate. I was holding my breath as I read the posts, especially when you mentioned letting her outside.

Also glad that the brief meeting between Apple and one of your cats wasn't a disaster.

I can't remember who it was, or if it's someone posting here, but I read about a member who would carry her resident cat into the room with the feral, and dance around with it in her arms, so that the feral would see that her cat wasn't being harmed or scared. So letting Apple see you and your resident cats interacting, might help to make her more confident.

 

[msaimee]

That was me, guilty as charged
I also softly sang to them, and still do. Each of them has a song I made up for them, and with Sonny, if I even hum the melody to his song, he comes running to me. They really are very intelligent.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

That was me, guilty as charged
I also softly sang to them, and still do. Each of them has a song I made up for them, and with Sonny, if I even hum the melody to his song, he comes running to me. They really are very intelligent.

msaimee - Applause, applause. Thank Heavens I'm not the only one.
.

 

[rubysmama]

That was me, guilty as charged
I also softly sang to them, and still do. Each of them has a song I made up for them, and with Sonny, if I even hum the melody to his song, he comes running to me. They really are very intelligent.

I think anything that works to help the feral cat know the human isn't a scary monster is a good thing. Even if it involves singing and dancing.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

She is having a better morning. She came out of her closet only for a few moments to "talk" to her brother, whom I was introducing through the mesh playpen. I don't know if she was vocalizing out of anxiety or trying to be friendly?

Also, she is eating like a bird. Is this normal when you bring in a feral? She never had a huge appetite outside (which led me to think she was still hunting), but she is eating even less inside.

 

[maggiedemi]

Awww, I think she loves her new brother. Did she get treated for fleas and worms? What about hairballs? Those are the 3 things that turn my 2 former ferals off their food.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

Yes, she got Advantage Multi. But going forward, she will have to take Comfortis chewables since I won't be able to dose her. I think she got a dewormer - and I have a syringe that I am supposed to give her in two weeks, I guess for the eggs? The vet didn't mention hairballs and she has never spit one up.

She also had a bad ear infection for which she was treated.

As for her heart murmur, vet said not really anything to do except monitor her and stay away from certain meds (like steroids).

 

[maggiedemi]

Well it wouldn't hurt to try some hairball paste or hairball treats a few times a week and see if that brings her appetite back.

 

[msaimee]

It could just be that she doesn't have a big appetite. My Cupcake isn't a big eater, she nibbles a bit and only sometimes eats a few mouthfuls of wet food. She's always been that way. You mentioned Apple was treated for an ear infection - -was she given a Convenia shot (a long lasting antibiotic)? If so, that shot can cause lethargy and appetite loss for several weeks. If not, then stress may be causing a decline in appetite, or she may just not have a big appetite.

 

[shadowsrescue]

My 3 have their ups and downs with eating. One has never had a big appetite and he just picks at his food. The one who had the UTI and did have the Convenia injection was not hungry for weeks.

 

[walli]

Try the Cat Dancer Toy, It is cheap and it's hard for them to resist.
I have another toy Joey goes crazy for, I will post it.
I read in a book, If they won't play, play anyway, The cat watching you
play releases some energy too, It also takes the stress out of worrying about them playing, Just play with the toys by yourself and let them watch.
I started doing this and was amazed how Walli couldn't take her eyes off the toys.
You are doing great by the way, I think your Feral will come around before Walli

They also have a cat dancer that attaches to the wall, I could tell Walli was playing with
hers, and then you have the one that you play with and they might eventually play with you.
there was a couple days Walli couldn't resist and she played with me.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

I think the ear stuff was called "otobloc". But same idea - it is long-acting and requires no additional dosing.

So I guess I pushed the introductions too far - she hissed at her brother.

She is so smart, it is incredible. I placed catnip all over a grooming glove and she went nuts, rolling around on the floor with it. Then I tried to put my hand in the glove and she looked at me like, "do you think I am falling for that?" and promptly backed away.

I have "da bird", I think that is like cat dancer. She won't engage.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Keep the intros short and sweet. Also provide a yummy treat for them both. I like to always try to end an intro on a positive note. Apple hissed to give a warning. Probably too much too soon. Especially if she is still feeling not 100% after the vet visit.

The cat dancer toy is very different than da bird. Take a look.

 

[Teri122]

You mentioned Comfortis - I would be very cautious with that, actually I would never use it again. I have read many horror stories but gave it to Tabitha anyway once when she was outside . She did not move for a day, I thought she was dead .Then she didn't eat for many more days. Have read about a lot of deaths from it. Just think about it.

 

[msaimee]

There's no antibiotic called otobloc that I can find doing searches, and as far as I know, the only long lasting antibiotic shot available for cats is Convenia. If you look on your veterinary receipt, it would have the name on it. If Apple had Convenia, she may have decreased appetite and lethargy for while, some cats are sensitive to the side effects. They can last a few months.

What you described as depression in Apple may have been pain from her ear infection, and any current lack of appetite and being out of sorts now may be due to the antibiotic injection--so continue to hang in there with her.

Since she's an inside only cat now, you likely won't need to give her another flea treatment. Hopefully the one dose will do the trick. You can cross that bridge if and when you come to it.

I'm hoping you're feeling relieved and at peace about your decision to not release her back outside. If you had, she would still be suffering from that ear infection. When the infection has fully cleared up, and the side effects of the vaccinations and antibiotic shot have worn off, you will likely see a much happier cat.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

The ear stuff was "Oti-Pack M". Thank you for the heads up about Comfortis. I have never used it before since I have always been able to handle my cats. I doubt I will use it now, after reading about your scary experience. Glad I didn't purchase any.

She is doing the same - no better, no worse. She is back to sleeping in her carrier, which I think is a good sign that she is getting over the vet visit/car ride.

How long until I should give her free reign of the apartment? I have 3 other cats, all friendly, except one is really high-strung/hyper, can play too aggressively sometimes. Of course, they are all spayed/neutered.

 

[msaimee]

I know people advocate for different time frames, but I really believe it depends on the personality of the new cat, as well as the resident cats. There was one stray cat that I simply opened my front door, and he walked right in and made himself right at home with me and my other cats. The others have required anywhere from four days to four months, and some had the run of the house while I was home to supervise but were confined while I was at work for a few months. Continue to bring your 3 cats into her room for visits, one at a time, using a harness or the play pen for safety. Don't rush the process, you don't want to stress them, that will only delay the process. It does help to bring a cat in while you're holding him for a few moments to show affection to the cat in front of Apple. That can be a quick visit. When Apple is feeling less stressed and you're able to guide her back into her room, you can confine the other cats in her room for a while and allow her to explore the rest of the house. The process may go very quickly, or may take a few months, and then you'll have the process of re-adjustment when you move. Hopefully, these cats will be a part of your home for at least another decade or more, so if you view it in that light, waiting several months for them to gel as a group is a drop in the bucket.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

I think it's going better than I thought - it's going to be okay. She sort of rubbed noses with her brother. He is VERY sociable and was not going to give up. Initially, she had hissed at him. Then she growled when he would approach, and now they almost kissed noses - there was no hissing or growling.

My smaller girl hissed when I brought her into the room, so she will take longer to come around. My 19 pound girl seems indifferent. She knows there is a new cat, but does not seem interested.

I just wish she would come out of the closet more.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

I think it's going better than I thought - it's going to be okay. She sort of rubbed noses with her brother. He is VERY sociable and was not going to give up. Initially, she had hissed at him. Then she growled when he would approach, and now they almost kissed noses - there was no hissing or growling.

My smaller girl hissed when I brought her into the room, so she will take longer to come around. My 19 pound girl seems indifferent. She knows there is a new cat, but does not seem interested.

I just wish she would come out of the closet more.

sweetblackpaws - Thank you for not giving up on her! I've just gone through this with Miró (an easy integration, because she was a stray, not a feral) and have been going through it with Black Friday and Clawed-Ya for more than two years (Mother and Daughter - both former ferals and both positively wild in Nature), but over the years (sixty-four of them) I've brought in more than four dozen feral cats - and socialised more than that, to be re-homed as well, and there's is nothing in the world that compares with the feeling that comes over you when one of them finally "gets it" - when they understand that they're safe and Loved, and that you'll always be there for them. I wouldn't trade that first head-bunt with any former feral cat for all the gold in Christendom - and I know that many of the members posting to this thread feel exactly the same.

Soon or late, she'll come 'round, and one day as she's lying safe and snug in your lap, and a storm is raging outside, you'll look back to this mental snapshot of a frightened kitty, and wonder who this beautiful girl is - and whatever became of Apple. When it happens, be sure to have a tissue handy.
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