Depression in a 5 yo prior outdoor cat now only inside?

movinintime

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He seems lethargic & sad. He sleeps lot. Unsure, if he slept this much prior to (about 2months almost, ago) when we caught him & flew him across US to his forever family, us. I worry as I've never yet been able to get close enough daily when feeding or spending time in his room w/ him to attempt to touch/pet him.

I'm unsure whether to disturb him by walking into his cat-proof room when he is asleep or just when he awakes? He sees me alot w/ him in his room, talking to him, but he seems like he misses his 'friends" & other cats he hung out w/ in the old apts. I worry about him going into depression. He does eat well but really, as of yet has nothing to do afterwards but go back to lay & then fall asleep. I may be moving soon, in a few months & so can't logistically yet buy a cat tree or alot of big toys. Being he is at least 5 yo now, I don't know if he is past his age to want to learn to play?

So he was probably at least semi-feral & thus, has no idea what I am or about or how to react to me. Ok, TY for any advice. At least we have him safe & off the unsafe, harsh streets but I worry depression will affect him badly. He does eat very well & comes out of his room to stand & wait/ask me for food when he's hungry, so I know at least he eats ok.

A sign of deep depression may be not eating, yes or excess sleeping? In cats tho, they sleep so much it is hard to know. Vet said on July 2 that he is very healthy but my concern is I will do him in w/ being kept inside only (have no patio, etc.), for now at least. If I get a place in few months, I can catio then & all would be better for him, but it is a ways off yet.
 

dragonlady2

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Have you put any toys ie)little catnip mice, in the room? My outdoor/feral cats love boxes. Are you able to get any Feliway plug ins? You could put a radio on low so there is some soft music playing. Soft blankets. These are items that my own cats really like.
What is in the room right now?
 
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movinintime

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I will act on those ideas. I can put a radio & box asap. He has a chair he can look out window but won't use yet. He sleeps on a mat I used in his Kitty Tube back in AZ. He recognizes his scent I bet. He has a few soft rugs as apt & all rooms are hardwood floor in 2nd bedroom of this apt. The catnip may be worth try. I can try Feliway but some ppl warned vs them. Unsure exactly why but I'll consider looking them up again. I just wish I could pet him. He will hiss t me -- only if I come in room too fast w/ food or too close.
He's skitterish if too close. Ok, TY for the ideas. :)
 

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Try leaving something with your scent on it so he can get used to it. I have trapped and kept 4 outdoor cats. Three are in a catio and one is upstairs with my adult son. They have all made the transition really well. Once you have settled somewhere, he may adjust to a catio. My one cat has access, via a cat door, to a small catio on the deck.
Your cat is going through so many changes, it will take a little time to get used to them. Better for him to be inside and safe.
 
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movinintime

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TY both for your help. The harness idea is undo-able yet I think. I've yet to ever touch him. I trapped him after several yrs feeding in AZ. Then took trap & he, to vet on July 2. He was then checked over & put in a Sherpa carrier for the flight. I picked him up Fri. aft 7/3 in his carrier. He stayed all nite in it til the flight the next morn. He then was driven to our new apt after 6 hr flight, released in the back bedroom. He immediately went into the closet for a few days. I put many shirts & soft throw rugs in it.

Finally he would come out daily to eat, recognizing me as the one feeding him in AZ for yrs. He knows & trusts me. But I never got closer than arm length & this, when putting food bowl in front of him. Sometimes he scoots away a bit as I come in room w/ bowl. But other times he watches intently me, then looks at food as I speak w/ him when putting it down. I leave room & watch from outside door & he goes to bowl & eats usually v well. I know this is a GOOD sign, his good eating.

Ok, the catio is my best bet but it'll be time til I can get setup that way. Until then, this'll be a makeshift plan to socialize day by day. I never gave up on him & love him even more now that he is always w/ us, safe & indoors. He has clearly made me a far better person thn had I not found/fed/trapped & loved him so much. He means alot to me. Maybe I know how it feels to be him. Alone at times in my past & just wanting someone to be there to understand. I dunno maybe I'm crazy or projecting my feelings on him but I'm sure glad I have him. He is FiV so I worry of his longterm health. But I will do all I can to help him live the BEST life I can.

I give him daily, VetriScience Lysine Plus Immune Support Chews w/ 250mg at 4x/day, thus totalling 1000mg daily. He does & always has had a leaky eyes thing. Vet says it may be a URI that he has probs fighting off completely due to FiV. But I hope the indoors will help him recover better all-around health-wise.
 

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I have a similar cat like that. I was feeding Squeaky across the road. He definitely did not want contact with me. I slowly moved him over to the yard and then the carport. I worried incessantly about him and when he came for food with a swollen face and scratches, I made the decision to trap him. We haven’t looked back since. Even though he is in the catio, he now begs us to scratch his ears, back, butt etc. I have a special connection with this cat and he must sense it. This is a pic of him lounging in the sun. We have added more runway for him so he can now be on the grass as well.
 

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movinintime

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WOW! Well done! :)

I wish I could get something as this someday. Just being realisitic for now, but I hope I can get something similar.

TY again for the pic & all the advice. Keep it coming!
 
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I don't have much advice, but maybe he wound enjoy some outside elements brought in? Maybe a few pots of cat-safe grass(it's easy to grow!), pots of catnip, and those two he can eat and you can also get some cat-safe plants to put in there. He might enjoy one of those perches that attach to the window with suction cups to sit in the window and look out, and they're under $20 on amazon - I got one and both my kittens love it. I put a bed on it.

Maybe he also misses hunting, have you tried engaging his prey instinct with something like da bird toy (pole with rope and feathers on a string), or the varieties that have a mouse/bug meant to drag across the floor. Maybe a more "interactive toy", like those fish that you charge up and it wiggles when they mess with it (success with my kitten, anyway!). Maybe you can't get a big cat tree just yet, but maybe you could get him something smaller that is easy to move around? Something he can really claim as his own. Maybe you could "decorate" it with fake leaves, give him a sense of being in the bushes/trees he enjoyed.

I have this post, it's basic but it's lightweight and easy to move https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06X6J3L65/?tag=thecatsite

If he was a feral cat he might appreciate more..interesting treats.

My kitten will not eat these, BUT, it's the best "toy" ever. She will bat around the dang fish for hours, swat it, hold it in her claws and run everywhere with it. Something about the scent, I guess! When she's done with it my dog often comes and scoops it up so... it's a two-in-one for me.
 

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You did the right thing for him and he is in a safe and comfortable place. This is a big adjustment for him, and he probably misses his old life not realizing the dangers, but he also might be just relaxing into his new life. He is not unhappy enough to miss meals and will interact with you at that time,so I wonder if this is just the first part of a long socialization process.
 

Furballsmom

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Hi!
If you haven't seen these, this first one has some good info
How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home – TheCatSite Articles

This might be of value for the future;
How To Make Your Home Bigger (at Least For Your Cats) – TheCatSite Articles

About the calming products, maybe something here below will help (--my boy had zero reaction to Feliway and went into another room to get away from Comfort Zone)

Only Natural Pet has a calming product called Just Relax Calming spray with essential oil (catnip oil).

There's this one, be sure and scroll all the way down the page;
The Original Bach Flower Remedies - www.BachFlower.com

Also, there is ThunderWunders calming chews, Richard's Organic Pet Calm drops, Naturevet Hemp, HomeoPet Anxiety Relief, Head to Tail Calming, Relaxivet Quiet Moments Cat treats, GNC Calming formula, and there is Calm-o-mile, Natures Miracle calming spray, Vetri-Science's Composure is another item to look at, Pet Remedy - UK (it has valerian) is yet another, as is Essential Pet Pet-eze, Pet Organics No Stress, Only Natural Pet (brand and website) has other calming products, Pet Naturals also has one I believe, and there are others.

Lambert Vet Supply is a website to look at, and of course chewy, also there's Petwishpros, animaleo, 1-800-petmeds, Petco and PetSmart, and other pet stores.

There is also a product called a lickimat which could be helpful, as cats can be calmed by the process of licking.
foodpuzzlesforcats.com

This post talks about some other products;
Calming Treats For A Very Picky Cat
 

jefferd18

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He seems lethargic & sad. He sleeps lot. Unsure, if he slept this much prior to (about 2months almost, ago) when we caught him & flew him across US to his forever family, us. I worry as I've never yet been able to get close enough daily when feeding or spending time in his room w/ him to attempt to touch/pet him.

I'm unsure whether to disturb him by walking into his cat-proof room when he is asleep or just when he awakes? He sees me alot w/ him in his room, talking to him, but he seems like he misses his 'friends" & other cats he hung out w/ in the old apts. I worry about him going into depression. He does eat well but really, as of yet has nothing to do afterwards but go back to lay & then fall asleep. I may be moving soon, in a few months & so can't logistically yet buy a cat tree or alot of big toys. Being he is at least 5 yo now, I don't know if he is past his age to want to learn to play?

So he was probably at least semi-feral & thus, has no idea what I am or about or how to react to me. Ok, TY for any advice. At least we have him safe & off the unsafe, harsh streets but I worry depression will affect him badly. He does eat very well & comes out of his room to stand & wait/ask me for food when he's hungry, so I know at least he eats ok.

A sign of deep depression may be not eating, yes or excess sleeping? In cats tho, they sleep so much it is hard to know. Vet said on July 2 that he is very healthy but my concern is I will do him in w/ being kept inside only (have no patio, etc.), for now at least. If I get a place in few months, I can catio then & all would be better for him, but it is a ways off yet.


How do you know he wants to go outside? Does he cry and claw at the door?

If you feel the key to his happiness is to being an outdoor cat than please use a harness on him or a catio of some kind. I say this because even if he wants to go outside he does not know the area surrounding your new house.
 
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movinintime

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Hello all! I can get an apt in the bldg if you all want to live in it & help w/ him! LOL

I never expected this much help so fast. Ok, I think the main thing is entertaining his boredom. I know w/out the i-net I'd go crazy myself in solitary, as I can't stare at a fish tank or even TV all day, hehee.

He awakes when I go in to talk w/ him & lie near him about 6 ft away & begin to talk to him. He never yet meows as being most likely 100% feral, he only so often makes a barely audible hiss at me. It is kinda funy & I hiss back & he looks up & stares as if to say, 'what'd you just do to me?'. Haha, it is adorable. I have a tall chair he can jump up on to see out wondow of this 2nd flr apt, but the front apt door of our apt, goes to a hallway & stairs that I don't ever want to let him out or down there.

This was a short-term move-out from AZ into this apt, that could accomodate our now, 2 cats. He is feral & our girl kitty is about 12-13 yo & has only one eye from Glaucoma surg to remove it about a yr ago this month. SoO far they've never met nor had any probs knock on wood. He is much younger, stronger, bigger, etc. She is crazy & feisty tho but c'mon he'd whip her poor tail, so hence I avoid confrontation thus far.

So this move to this apts really is only to find a home to buy back east here. So, depends on how fast we find the new (well existing as I'm not made of $ :() home to live in permanently.

Ok, again TY so much for a ton of wonderful suggestions. Hope I live long enough to put some in motion! ;)
 

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He may like meeting your cat. In my experience, feral cats are much more social that regular housecats, and often enjoy the company of another cat. I'm also a big proponent of keeping ferals/semi-ferals in the bedroom. It gives them the opportunity to sniff you, walk on you, even lie on you, while you are asleep and thus non-threatening to them, and it gives them an extra 6-8 hours a day with you. I realize this poses some logistical challenges with your other cat, but I've found that cats I keep in my bedroom come around much more quickly than cats in their own room (including the one in my profile picture, who became the most affectionate cat literally overnight after years of trying, when I randomly fell asleep on the couch.)
 

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Hello M movinintime and feline furmily! LOTS of excellent suggestions here, to which I can't add a lot -- I was going to recommend the interactive wand-and-lure toys such as da Bird and Cat Dancer, Feliway (which I have used for a long time in many situations with great success and no problems ever), a feline companion (or more than one), those links, and also "Cat Daddy" and cat behaviorist extraordinaire, Jackson Galaxy's "MY CAT FROM HELL" Animal Planet series on whatever TV service you have, plus his videos on YouTube. Just want to wish you and your cats all the very best and conCATulate you for doing something so rewarding and wonderful!
 
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movinintime

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TY all very much! So much to do. LOL

Update Saturday: He has a slight limp (always has since I began feeding yrs ago) but it seems he walked to water bowl Fri. & kinda fell in a bit prior to regaining his balance? l wonder if it is the left front leg again? Vet didn't notice either time he was in (Dec. '19 for neuter & July 2-3rd for booster shots, tho I thought they said he needed completion of part 2 of neuter surg but vet made mistake & it was uneeded as he was ALL fixed in Dec., long story).

But she was unable to eval his gait as he was in a cage from the trap til surgery later that day of 12/19/19. Then he awoke after neuter, in cage & he sat there til they put him back in trap for me to get him in the trap on 12/20/19 & take him home to apts, then release him back out again to the apts outside again, as had no room in my apt in AZ to keep him. I kept feeding him daily til July 2, & re-trapped him thinking he need part 2 neuter surg. on July 2. But she only need to give him vaccine boosters from Dec. '19 original vaccines, & on Fri. 7/3 I picked him up enroute to the airport for Sat. July 4th cross US flight w/ also, our indoor kitty on board w/ the feral.

It must be my anxiety/OCD at work here worrying over every inch of this move. I thought yest. too, I saw a droplet of red on the wood floor in his room? I worried it was blood? But not so it seems, as his litter box is normal color urine & poo, thus I think I'm now hallucinating too, haha, no it is not a joke. I really am very tensed as the fallout from finally trapping him again, flying 2 cats, having them safe in new apt not fighting, etc. is overwhelming. I know others have done this but I never have (hope I never need to again while on earth, hehee).

Never have I taken on such task w/ pets, let alone flying cross-country too w/ a pet or now 2, haha.
Unreal I need write a book -- if I'm the ONLY one too read it. :)

Oh my, I need a drink or 2 or 2 for each cat & so on. :) I really thought trapping him again after Dec. would be imposs. It still amazes me that I did it,, when I go in his room & see him INSIDE -- not outdoors in the old apts! I know I've told this story 100x but it is the craziest attempt to save cat I ever took on & did. Ok, now you all KNOW I'm nuts. So be it. ;)
 

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TY all very much! So much to do. LOL

Update Saturday: He has a slight limp (always has since I began feeding yrs ago) but it seems he walked to water bowl Fri. & kinda fell in a bit prior to regaining his balance? l wonder if it is the left front leg again? Vet didn't notice either time he was in (Dec. '19 for neuter & July 2-3rd for booster shots, tho I thought they said he needed completion of part 2 of neuter surg but vet made mistake & it was uneeded as he was ALL fixed in Dec., long story).

But she was unable to eval his gait as he was in a cage from the trap til surgery later that day of 12/19/19. Then he awoke after neuter, in cage & he sat there til they put him back in trap for me to get him in the trap on 12/20/19 & take him home to apts, then release him back out again to the apts outside again, as had no room in my apt in AZ to keep him. I kept feeding him daily til July 2, & re-trapped him thinking he need part 2 neuter surg. on July 2. But she only need to give him vaccine boosters from Dec. '19 original vaccines, & on Fri. 7/3 I picked him up enroute to the airport for Sat. July 4th cross US flight w/ also, our indoor kitty on board w/ the feral.

It must be my anxiety/OCD at work here worrying over every inch of this move. I thought yest. too, I saw a droplet of red on the wood floor in his room? I worried it was blood? But not so it seems, as his litter box is normal color urine & poo, thus I think I'm now hallucinating too, haha, no it is not a joke. I really am very tensed as the fallout from finally trapping him again, flying 2 cats, having them safe in new apt not fighting, etc. is overwhelming. I know others have done this but I never have (hope I never need to again while on earth, hehee).

Never have I taken on such task w/ pets, let alone flying cross-country too w/ a pet or now 2, haha.
Unreal I need write a book -- if I'm the ONLY one too read it. :)

Oh my, I need a drink or 2 or 2 for each cat & so on. :) I really thought trapping him again after Dec. would be imposs. It still amazes me that I did it,, when I go in his room & see him INSIDE -- not outdoors in the old apts! I know I've told this story 100x but it is the craziest attempt to save cat I ever took on & did. Ok, now you all KNOW I'm nuts. So be it. ;)
I would feel the same way. Have moved a lot in my life, most times "with cats" and of course it's fraught with anxiety -- it should be! Precious cargo! I've had to airlift 12 of my beloveds internationally, too, and if you don't think THAT was stressful...! All went amazingly well and they arrived at their destination cool, calm, and collected. Nothing special went into that except for good double-door hard carriers lined with pure foam sprayed with Feliway. All the more amazing considering they were "community" cats and we had earned their trust over time, getting each spayed/neutered and innoculated.
Was your guy cryptorchid?
 
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movinintime

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Yes he was cryptorchid! :)

Very rare but poss. said vet. or else she lied to get me out of town cheaply, lol. I sure hope he is fully neutered.

But you win & my hats off to you, as international? Wow, that'd really wipe me out -- & 12 cats??!! Woe, I'm a minor-leaguer but at least I'm in the game, hehee. ;)

PS - I now worry re cancer risk for him due to this condition??
 
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tarasgirl06

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Yes he was cryptorchid! :)

Very rare but poss. said vet. or else she lied to get me out of town cheaply, lol. I sure hope he is fully neutered.

But you win & my hats of to you, as international? Wow, that'd really wipe me out -- & 12 cats??!! Woe, I'm a minor-leaguer but at least I'm in the game, hehee. ;)
Yeah. I do cat advocacy work 365 days a year and so I see quite a few cryptorchid cats needing adoption, not because of their status as cryptorchid but because they are either stray or abandoned/betrayed or homeless for some reason.
Long story on the airlift but basically I took as many of my beloved felines as I could when divorce forced a move; and twelve were airlifted to sanctuary. Broke my heart and my family but their survival and safety was paramount.
 
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movinintime

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I envy your energy & heart & desire alot! :)

I'm just happy I became a kitty person over the past 12 yrs or so. It began w/ a black cat named, Boo, he passed in Sep. '08 of total renail fail. I was devastated, tho it was not really MY cat alone but my roomie's back then. Roomie was so neglectful of vet care, etc. & I had no idea re cat health. The day my g/f & I took him to vet for my roomie & paid the bill, as roomie wanted him asap put down instead of my hope to let him live, I was devastated to hear of his kidneys.

So we paid his sub-Q, & other neglected things my roomie did to him :( (unbenownst to us) etc. (really this poor baby's ONLY vet trip other than a neuter in '05 which I convinced & took my roomie to) but a wk later he needed to be put down. We took him, held him, cried w/ him & for him & then he kicked his last kick. I was so upset I couldn't drive home from vet's for a long time. I got his remains in an urn to this day & will display them -- if we ever more to a home not this apt. But you see when & why cats now, mean so much & I worry so much re health.

Ok, just spoke to vet's! Tech said he did not ever HAVE, period, a 2nd testes thus the testicular cancer risk is gone. I didn't understand all this til now. I posted a thread re Cryptorchid in Health forums too.

TY again for your valuable stories & insight re all this medical info. :)
 
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