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

[sweetblackpaws]

Thank you, everyone! There is some wonderful advice here. You all are the best for taking time to help me and my little girl! I will post a picture of her setup to give a better idea of the trap size, etc, but thus far I cannot get her past eating at the very inside of the trap. I even tried topping the food with Whiskas treats. Catman is correct, she does remember.
Cats are such intelligent creatures. I have been very gradual, and I can't get her further inside. However, I won't withhold her food (yes, I am the only one feeding her and the only one she trusts). I am too afraid of her going into hepatic lipodosis, although, this would be more likely with an overweight kitty, I don't want to chance it.

I am going to give it one or two more days for her to inch farther inside the trap, and if she doesn't budge, I'm just going to have to try to lure her into the apartment or possibly start feeding her in a carrier? At least she has never seen a carrier and won't know what it is. I just didn't want to have to start over with another method. But I may have to.

She does give encouraging signs, however, that I have gained her trust:

She meows when she sees me
She has rolled over on her back when she has seen me
She leaves her scent on the stairwell near my door and rubs on it
She "stretches" using my door as a scratcher (I see her through the window)
She will let within a few feet of her - months ago, she would have ran.

 

[maggiedemi]

I never trapped my two ferals. I tamed them outside and then they just walked in the house one day. They don't mind their carrier either, I leave it out all the time and they sleep in it and eat in it sometimes.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

Maggiedemi, how long were you feeding them before they walked inside? That is pretty funny! Although, I can't be 100% sure she is disease-free. I think the odds are good though, since she has been spayed, appears healthy, and is not part of a colony.

 

[maggiedemi]

Maggie was in heat, so it only took a few days. It took a little while with Demi. He was so scared, he would only stay inside a few minutes at first...I would start with feeding her just inside the doorway, then slowly move her dish farther in each day. Is she vaccinated? You could put your other cats in another room. You could try feeding her in the carrier and see if that works too.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

Not sure if vaccines are part of TNR? If so, then she has been vaccinated.

 

[shadowsrescue]

I did TNR on my 3 years ago. I knew that they would most likely never go into the trap. Also I had 3 to get inside so if one saw the the trap go off, they might scatter. I lured them into the house over a period of 6 weeks. I had to put my other animals away and also leave the door ajar to win their trust. I had to get them to an upstairs bedroom so I needed them to go into carriers. I used carrier for medium sized dogs. They were tall and deep. I put a cozy mat down and then sprinkled it with catnip. I placed a bowl of tuna in the back. I made sure the doors were kept open. They went in most days. On the day I needed to get them, I only gave a tiny bit of breakfast so they would be hungry. When it came time to come inside, I put their tuna in the back as usual. It all went fairly well. I did have to push a few bottoms in with my hand.

Have you tried lining the bottom of the trap with a puppy pee pad or something soft? Then sprinkling catnip on it. I have also found that canned mackeral works pretty well. It is very stinky and most cats love it. You can make a trail that leads to the back.

Sometimes when you try something different it works right away. So just be prepared!

 

[maggiedemi]

I think with TNR they at least do the rabies vaccine.

 

[Herekittykitty27]

Since she allows you within a few feet, why don’t you try sitting on the ground, as low as possible: try not to look big. Look at her eyes and blink very slowly. Offer some nice-smelling canned food a foot in front of you. See if she’ll eat! Slowly put your hand on the ground. Don’t try to move it, just fluidly set it on the ground and keep it still. If she runs, that’s okay, try to do this every day. With my cat Luna, she was born feral. It took three months to get her to be within a few feet, but after that, it was a matter of days. Good luck!

 

[sweetblackpaws]

Here you can see the trap setup. She won't go past where the plate is. I have tried some of the suggestions on here (pads, catnip, covering, etc). I will withhold only dinner tonight so she is good and hungry in the morning, then I will try to trap her. If she won't go, I will have to begin the "trailing" method into my apartment which could take weeks.

Herekittykitty, she will eat close to me. But I can't touch her.

 

[msaimee]

She is trap savvy now and will likely not re-enter the trap. My one feral Tomcat was so trap saavy that not only would he never go near a trap again, but when we were trying to trap him his offspring, he would prevent them from going into the Trap so I had to lure him away while my neighbor trapped his offspring. Is there any way you could give her a little to eat for dinner so she's not terribly hungry? Sorry, I know most people have no problems withholding food to trap a cat, but I've never had the heart to do that, so I am reacting emotionally.

 

[maggiedemi]

I would use a carrier instead of a trap. Or just feed her closer to the house tonight and closer every night until she's inside the door.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

MsAimee, she kind of looks like your cat! You are right in that I probably will not have the heart to not give her dinner. I just wanted her to be good and hungry for the trap. Maybe a small dinner...

Maggiedemi, I am sure I could get her to eat in a carrier, but I would not be able to get the carrier closed fast enough, unlike the spring-loaded door on the trap.

Yeah, if I can't catch her tomorrow, I have no other choice but to try the trail-method to lure her into the apartment. I do worry about my other cats since I don't know her health status.

 

[trudy1]

Will pray for success tomorrow for you. For a calm spirit for you and a cooperative attitude for her and also for her health status.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

When I looked out the window she was in her box that I put out for her at night, with her blanket. She was awake, though.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Lots of good vibes being sent your way this morning. I hope she will head straight into the trap for her breakfast! Let us know how it goes.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

She wouldn't go in. She just circled around it, looking hungry. I finally caved and put the trap away and placed the food slightly inside my door, and watched her through the window. She did take a few bites then walked away (so she was slightly inside my apartment at this point, and my other cats were confined, out of view).

I am incredibly sad. It has been nearly a year I have been feeding her and talking to her. I read stories about ferals running inside houses after just a few weeks or becomming tame, etc. Guess that won't happen with my little girl.

 

[shadowsrescue]

She is obviously very afraid of the trap and knows what will happen. I am sorry this method will not work for you. I wish I could find a picture or video of how people use a cage with a sturdy rope tied to close the door and latch it once the cat enters the cage/crate. I just can't seem to find anything with more details and what kind of crate/cage you need.

Is the room you will have her in, near the door? That would certainly make it easier. It may take her weeks to get used to coming into your house. It will just take patience. Be sure that you leave the door open as if she feels unsafe and runs to go outside the door is closed, you will lose her trust. If you happen to get her into a different space and you can close the door, you might be able to get a sturdy blanket over her and transfer her to her room. Just be prepared and have a few options in mind.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

Thank you, Shadowrescue. I should have listened to you all when you said she would forever be spooked of the trap. I thought I could do it, but I have never taken in a feral and I was wrong.

To think I could outsmart a cat, I must have been crazy!

No, her safe room is on the other end of the apartment, for which she would have to cross the living room. It is a 2 bedroom apartment of a fairly decent size.

Well, at least she put her her head part way into the apartment, that is a good sign. It's not the way I wanted to do it, but the trap isn't going to work.

 

[shadowsrescue]

I think you had to try the trap as it truly would have been the easiest method. So now you have a new plan. Another thing I learned along the way is to stay as calm as possible. Cats are very good at sensing your tension. If they believe you are tense, then the radar will go up. Just try to make it light hearted when she is coming inside. You might try finding something she really likes. Try plain cooked chicken, tuna, mackeral, etc.. You can then leave her a bowl of her regular food and in front of it leading further into the apartment, put a trail of the food. Sometimes just regular food will work too. Keep trying and be patient.

 

[maggiedemi]

Well I consider that a success if she went inside your apartment on the first try! Give yourself some credit. You are doing fine.