City park rescue

[Parker2024]

Hello,
I need help with a feral that was trapped at a local park. The rangers do not like the cats there and will shoot them if they are around the bird feeders. This cat was seen eating bread scraps by the pond..a friend was feeding him and concerned since winter was coming.
So we trapped him at that point another cat came rushing up but this one is super friendly and maybe a year old or so and was probably dumped at the park. I have them both at my house with my other 3 cats.
The feral is in his own room with litter, food, water and toys. I put cat calming music on for him from utube…and now leave an opening for him to venture out of the room but he stays in the room. The other cats will go in but they have not befriended him. Maybe because they are neutered and he is not??
He has stopped eating and sits in the window. I cracked the window so he gets fresh air but it is so cold 16 degrees today.
I regret catching him as he is unhappy and after 6 weeks in the room has only made small improvements.
What should I do?? If I let him out in my neighborhood he wont know where to find food or hide and outside cats just disappear..plus it is winter and very cold outside..if I take him back to the park..he will probably be happy but again its freezing outside and a food source will be an issue for him again.
I have vetted and neutered the other cat but have not done so with the feral yet.
Apologies for the long text and thank you in advance for any ideas.

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. Please don’t regret your decision on trapping him. You would regret it way more if you found him dead or worse.

He needs to be neutered ASAP. He won’t be content until he is. See if you can trap him in the bedroom. Take him to the vet and have him sedated, tested for FELV/FIV, and most importantly neutered. He should also be checked for parasites.

A true feral cat can take a very long time to decompress and settle. The less interaction with you the better for now.

He needs neutering and then left alone for the testosterone to leave his body, about a month. He also needs an exam under anesthesia to see if there is an underlying medical condition.

 

[Kwik]

Hello,
I need help with a feral that was trapped at a local park. The rangers do not like the cats there and will shoot them if they are around the bird feeders. This cat was seen eating bread scraps by the pond..a friend was feeding him and concerned since winter was coming.
So we trapped him at that point another cat came rushing up but this one is super friendly and maybe a year old or so and was probably dumped at the park. I have them both at my house with my other 3 cats.
The feral is in his own room with litter, food, water and toys. I put cat calming music on for him from utube…and now leave an opening for him to venture out of the room but he stays in the room. The other cats will go in but they have not befriended him. Maybe because they are neutered and he is not??
He has stopped eating and sits in the window. I cracked the window so he gets fresh air but it is so cold 16 degrees today.
I regret catching him as he is unhappy and after 6 weeks in the room has only made small improvements.
What should I do?? If I let him out in my neighborhood he wont know where to find food or hide and outside cats just disappear..plus it is winter and very cold outside..if I take him back to the park..he will probably be happy but again its freezing outside and a food source will be an issue for him again.
I have vetted and neutered the other cat but have not done so with the feral yet.
Apologies for the long text and thank you in advance for any ideas.

Oh no- don't regret saving his life and giving him the opportunity to be a wonderful housecat that he was meant to be- it in his DNA,he's only feral because of environment and no human contact,it's behavior that can be re- conditioned,unlike wild species.....

Firstly 100% agree with S silent meowlook ,he needs be trapped again which shouldn't be difficult in a closed room and no other option to eat but into the trap- smelly ,tasty food..... get him to the Vet for nuetering,Vax and a health check and letting your residents in his space is not advised- that is not how to introduce them plus you must keep your cats safe from possible contagious disease,infection or parasites.....

So that is step one- a separate room is fine if that's your only option but a big cage to confine him in a smaller space will make his transition much easier on him- he is in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar sights,sounds,scents plus things like TV or even "cat music" ,central heat blowing sounds,toilet flushing are absolutely terrifying to a feral and extremely loud to any cat

A feral takes a minimum of 30 days to establish a safe place with all resources in it( food,water,litter) as their territory- they'll come to associate you with food source... in a small contained area they do not have the option to run and hide so the exposure to you is better- loose in a room it takes much longer to associate you as non- threatening.... make sense so far?

There's not much sense in giving you an overload of information at this point because you need to take one step at a time- if you are willing to be patient,go slow and commit to loving him to domestication then that is the recipe for success!

It's not an easy task but he can most certainly co- exist with the others and be a wonderful addition to the family with perseverance and positivity re- enforcement- he is far from socialization and intros to the resident cats but taking the proper steps he will live his best life and never miss the outdoor life of survival of the fittest- once you make physical contact everything changes because cats need & desire companionship.....

Please give this guy a forever home and thank you for bringing him in.... it'll be the best decision you ever made

About 18 months ago I took in a 7 yr old feral- true feral,never had human contact.... he is my cuddle bum,love bug,heart throb and is doing fine with my other four cats....there is a formula that works,a little more or little less TIME for each part of the process depends on the individual cat but in over 4 decades of socializing adult ferals I've never met an unacceptable cat that cannot be transitioned to indoor life (& be content)

We are more than happy to be here to help with suggestions,support and encouragement each step of the way if you want....

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi and welcome to TCS! I agree with most of the above. Getting him checked out and neutered is priority one. He won't like it, but once it has been done, you stand a much better chance of being able to start to establish a relationship with him. At that time, there should be a concerted effort to begin interactions with him - just you, not the other cats to start with, and in the confines of a solitary room he can consider his 'safe zone'. Having the vet visit and getting to know you is overwhelming enough without him having to deal with other cats too. That can come later.

I don't think you need to leave him be after the neutering, even though it will take some time for the hormones to leave his body. He needs an acclimation process to start as soon as he is back in your home.

If you don't intend to keep him, then start searching around for rescues/shelters that you can abandon him too - the sooner the better.

You did the right thing by removing him from the situation he was in! Not letting him back outside, and getting him to a vet are the 2nd and 3rd best things that you can do for him right now. I hope you intend to keep him!

Although it was mentioned above not to inundate you with too much information at once, I am including some articles that TCS has created to help you with acclimating him to your home and for introducing him to your other cats. You can check them out now, or you can wait if you need additional time to process what you are currently going through.
How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home - TheCatSite
How To Successfully Introduce Cats [The Ultimate Guide] - TheCatSite

 

[Kwik]

Yes P Parker2024 I do agree with FeebysOwner - I never leave a feral be - I am usually( Id say 98% of the time) petting them within 30 days....lots of time spent in close proximity and newly brought in ferals are usually famished and so occupied with eating its the best time to make what I call " accidental grazing" with the back of my hand,lol

Happy to share with you after you've made your decision about what you want to do.... also 1000petcent agree if you do not want to move forward then find a no kill shelter,sanctuary or working cat organization ( barn cat placements) that will accept adult ferals as quickly as possible

Wishing you the best

 

[Caspers Human]

The rangers do not like the cats there and will shoot them if they are around the bird feeders.

I find this troubling! How can a park ranger identify which cats are feral and which are owned? Impossible!

I don't know any ranger who would take the time to keep track of which cats are which. I don't know any ranger who would unholster a weapon in public if it was not a serious situation, much less actually discharge a firearm!

Yes, I live near a State Park and, in the past, I have worked there. Park Rangers DON'T go around shooting cats just for the fun of it! Park Rangers are professionals, just like regular cops. In fact, they have all of the police powers of a State Trooper and they are bound by the same rules. No cop or ranger that I have ever known would go around shooting things just for the hell of it!

If these people are not commissioned law enforcement officers, they should not be allowed to use guns in public. Park employees who are not officers are considered civilians, just the same as you and me. They are bound by the same laws that we are. The law says that you can't just go around plinking at things!

Doubly, it's probably illegal to shoot cats... any cats. If they are pets, shooting them would be considered animal abuse. If they are feral, it would be considered harassing wildlife. Both of those offenses come with hefty fines and possible jail time.

If you know, for fact, that anybody has been shooting cats, report them! If they are supposedly park rangers, report them to the park administrator. If the park admin doesn't listen, go to the police. If they don't listen, go to your Congressman.

Sure! I understand what these people might think they are doing. If they are in charge of parklands, they are responsible to protect the birds and other wildlife but shooting cats is NOT the way to do it!

They could easily put out water sprinklers that will scare away cats but leave the birds alone. (Birds can fly above the sprinklers to get to the feeders.) They could put out sound speakers that make noises that cats don't like. There are, probably, a hundred things that they can do beside shooting cats.

Furthermore, if the park is putting out bird feeders, it's being done for the benefit of humans who come to watch the birds. That means that they are also attracting humans.

So... Let me ask you this question: Would YOU want to go bird watching in a place where there might be bullets flying around?

Those bastards need to be stopped! Forget about the birds! Forget about the cats!

DISCHARGING FIREARMS IN A PUBLIC PLACE, WITHOUT LEGAL REASON, IS UNSAFE AND, LIKELY, AGAINST THE LAW!

 

[Parker2024]

Big thanks to all the advice for Parker!
as far as shooting them..I heard it from someone else so I went to the building and spoke with one of the caretakers, not a ranger and he’s the one that confirmed it for me. I don’t think they would do it with people around or it would be known by more people. It’s horrible, I agree. I can’t prove it …it was told to me and that made us more determined to trap Parker.

 

[Parker2024]

Hi. Please don’t regret your decision on trapping him. You would regret it way more if you found him dead or worse.

He needs to be neutered ASAP. He won’t be content until he is. See if you can trap him in the bedroom. Take him to the vet and have him sedated, tested for FELV/FIV, and most importantly neutered. He should also be checked for parasites.

A true feral cat can take a very long time to decompress and settle. The less interaction with you the better for now.

He needs neutering and then left alone for the testosterone to leave his body, about a month. He also needs an exam under anesthesia to see if there is an underlying medical condition.

Thank you for your advice!
I’ll call my vet and make the appointment. I was worried that I was doing the wrong thing..I have never taken a feral in, only strays.

 

[Parker2024]

Yes P Parker2024 I do agree with FeebysOwner - I never leave a feral be - I am usually( Id say 98% of the time) petting them within 30 days....lots of time spent in close proximity and newly brought in ferals are usually famished and so occupied with eating its the best time to make what I call " accidental grazing" with the back of my hand,lol

Happy to share with you after you've made your decision about what you want to do.... also 1000petcent agree if you do not want to move forward then find a no kill shelter,sanctuary or working cat organization ( barn cat placements) that will accept adult ferals as quickly as possible

Wishing you the best

Thank you for your advice! I would love to keep him..I’ll call my Vet for an appointment and work with getting him acclimated. Another problem is that he will use the litter box to poo in but will not use it to pee. I have plastic covering the bed and most of the floor then puppy pads on top of that. I hope after the neuter he will follow the other cats and use one of the litter boxes.

 

[fionasmom]

A few years ago, in Oakland, CA, there was a program in which East Bay Regional Park officers were shooting cats as part of a plan to protect birds. It was halted, and groups like Alley Cat Allies usually get involved when they hear of this.

Yes, you or I firing a gun in public would have huge consequences even if we did not hurt anyone and firing a gun to kill a cat would bring additional charges of animal cruelty and in CA, a possible felony.

Thank you for rescuing this cat. All of my indoor only cats were ex ferals with the exception of the flame point boy, who frankly is the one with the behavioral problems.

It takes time and we have resources that can help you. I agree that getting him neutered is a huge first step.

 

[Caspers Human]

as far as shooting them..I heard it from someone else so I went to the building and spoke with one of the caretakers, not a ranger and he’s the one that confirmed it for me.

I can understand, in the rhetorical sense, why people might want to cull feral cats. It is a problem and it needs to be dealt with but shooting is not the way to do it. It doesn't matter whether they wait until people are gone or not. Bullets, flying around in parklands, is a bad thing. Period! Full stop!

Why don't they trap the cats? Then can TNR them. They can sort out the pet cats from the ferals. They can scan for microchips and contact the owners. They can take photographs of trapped cats and keep them on record. If it's a pet cat, the owners can be fined for allowing their cats to roam, at large. (Most municipalities have "Animals At Large" ordinances.)

IF a true feral cat is found to be a repeat offender, it can be dealt with according to law. It can be sent to a shelter and euthanized.

You have it on record that a park employee admitted that they are shooting cats. You've got them by the balls!

How about contacting the local newspaper?! If this gets out, the public will have a field day with it!

I say again: DISCHARGING FIREARMS IN A PUBLIC PLACE, WITHOUT LEGAL REASON, IS UNSAFE AND, LIKELY, AGAINST THE LAW!

 

[Parker2024]

Yes P Parker2024 I do agree with FeebysOwner - I never leave a feral be - I am usually( Id say 98% of the time) petting them within 30 days....lots of time spent in close proximity and newly brought in ferals are usually famished and so occupied with eating its the best time to make what I call " accidental grazing" with the back of my hand,lol

Happy to share with you after you've made your decision about what you want to do.... also 1000petcent agree if you do not want to move forward then find a no kill shelter,sanctuary or working cat organization ( barn cat placements) that will accept adult ferals as quickly as possible

Wishing you the best

Thank you for the Advice and encouragement. I hope to keep him and have him be happy to he here. He’s been here for a while now and is eating less and less. I need to follow the recommendations and get him into the vets asap for his neuter and shots.
i’ll keep you updated!

 

[Caspers Human]

He'll settle in.
Just give him time.

 

[Kwik]

Big thanks to all the advice for Parker!
as far as shooting them..I heard it from someone else so I went to the building and spoke with one of the caretakers, not a ranger and he’s the one that confirmed it for me. I don’t think they would do it with people around or it would be known by more people. It’s horrible, I agree. I can’t prove it …it was told to me and that made us more determined to trap Parker.

Oh,I don't doubt it for one minute- not sure where you are but in every State in the USA you cannot go around shooting cats because it's against the Law BUT I live in Florida,lots of good ole boys with a gun,a truck n a dawg that would not think twice about shooting a cat,an iguana or a duck and because we they live in a City that prohibits ' free roaming ' pets or any non indigenous species they think it's perfectly fine.... I've seen it myself

13 States have been trying desperately to get legislation passed to allow ' open season's on free roaming cats.... For anyone with a gun.FWC sees ferals as a threat to indigenous species and even they would never shoot a cat and Animal Control in many Cities has the same power & authority as city police - they'd not shoot them either BUT people will & they do

I feared my Timmy would be shot or poisoned( also against the Law) when people started to notice him as he was looking for me- 6yrs no one saw him..Last month I rescued a little kitty who started meowing at my door 3am,a man came storming out of his house with a gun...he didn't expect to see anyone but he would've shot the cat- then Id have been arrested for sure

Thank you for protecting Parker