Feral Advice

[shadowsrescue]

You are doing absolutely fantastic with her. I cannot believe you have never had a pet. You seem like such a natural! The two of you were meant to be together.

I had a similar scare years ago with a feral I brought inside. I went in his room with his breakfast and he was not in his usual spot. I looked around and couldn't find him. A bit of panic started to set in. Logically I knew he couldn't have escaped, but I could not find him. I finally found him behind a large book case. I had blocked it with some blankets, but he pulled them out and squished himself back there.

 

[angela15]

Thanks everyone. I am hopeful that she will be at a point soon that she can roam the whole house. But want to continue to take things slow and let her adjust.

Over the past week, we have been noticing she has been rubbing her head against things. Mostly her carrier when she enters and exits, and the dog crate. She doesn't do it in a violent way, but she definitely does it a lot. I've read she could be "marking her territory". Could this be the case? If so, will it throw her off a ton to remove the dog crate from the room? We will always have her carrier available to her because it is her "safe space" but I'm not sure how she will react to the dog crate not being in the room anymore.

 

[shadowsrescue]

That sounds like territory marking to me! She will ok if you remove the crate. She will just find something else to mark! She is making such great progress! I am so happy for you and Cat!

 

[white shadow]

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I can only give you feedback that's based on the overall impression/picture that I've formed from all your reports and descriptions of her behaviour/activity in that room.

I've formed the impression that the crate with the carrier inside are her safe and secure home base. These comprise her home within her current widest expanse/her current world - which is this room.

She appears to spend her overnights in there, coming out in the mornings when you enter and she then experiences a series of routine morning 'events'.

I wouldn't be touching the crate until long after she has fully acclimatized to the entire house....and until I had observed her no longer relying on and using the crate as a safe 'return-to' space.

I went back and re-read your paragraph about removing the cage. I get the feeling that you have already decided to proceed with this. Is there some compelling reason to take it away at this time?

If there's a cogent reason to remove it, I'd suggest that first, you add something in there...like a very large cardboard box with some openings. Over a few days you could open it some more, eventually moving the carrier inside the box. Once she's used to all this, then the carrier could go.

And, as for her safe room, that should not be closed off to her for a long time to come, if at all. Even after she becomes accustomed to having the run of the house, that room will still be her refuge during times when she feels stressed (house visitors, unusual activities in/outside the house, you yourselves being stressed out etc.).

You've mentioned the future point when she'll be given the opportunity to roam the house. This needs to be planned out as well beforehand, both the cat-proofing and the provision of 'hang-out' spaces for her. I have a memory of you speaking of reclining furniture (I could be wrong). This will need to be immobilized. I think you expressed a concern about the entrances/exits - these need to be considered. All part of the pre-planning.

There's one thing that will assist you in the long run and that's leaving her carrier 'out'. Most people will put it away, only bringing it out for Vet visits - and so their cats begin to associate the carrier with unpleasantries. Leaving it out will prevent this.

Hope this helps!
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[angela15]

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I can only give you feedback that's based on the overall impression/picture that I've formed from all your reports and descriptions of her behaviour/activity in that room.

I've formed the impression that the crate with the carrier inside are her safe and secure home base. These comprise her home within her current widest expanse/her current world - which is this room.

She appears to spend her overnights in there, coming out in the mornings when you enter and she then experiences a series of routine morning 'events'.

I wouldn't be touching the crate until long after she has fully acclimatized to the entire house....and until I had observed her no longer relying on and using the crate as a safe 'return-to' space.

I went back and re-read your paragraph about removing the cage. I get the feeling that you have already decided to proceed with this. Is there some compelling reason to take it away at this time?

If there's a cogent reason to remove it, I'd suggest that first, you add something in there...like a very large cardboard box with some openings. Over a few days you could open it some more, eventually moving the carrier inside the box. Once she's used to all this, then the carrier could go.

And, as for her safe room, that should not be closed off to her for a long time to come, if at all. Even after she becomes accustomed to having the run of the house, that room will still be her refuge during times when she feels stressed (house visitors, unusual activities in/outside the house, you yourselves being stressed out etc.).

You've mentioned the future point when she'll be given the opportunity to roam the house. This needs to be planned out as well beforehand, both the cat-proofing and the provision of 'hang-out' spaces for her. I have a memory of you speaking of reclining furniture (I could be wrong). This will need to be immobilized. I think you expressed a concern about the entrances/exits - these need to be considered. All part of the pre-planning.

There's one thing that will assist you in the long run and that's leaving her carrier 'out'. Most people will put it away, only bringing it out for Vet visits - and so their cats begin to associate the carrier with unpleasantries. Leaving it out will prevent this.

Hope this helps!
.

To answer some of your questions..

It was recommended to us by the cat behaviorist to begin phasing out the crate so that she becomes more acclimated to the room, and eventually the house itself. When we first started out, everything was in the crate: carrier, litter box, small scratching post, and food. At this point she is in a room of her own and the crate has gone with her. However, at this time, she only has the carrier inside of the crate. She leaves the crate freely to use the litter box, eat, play, and roam around the room.

Regardless of if and when we remove the dog crate, the carrier will ALWAYS be available to her. I know that this is the space she feels most comfortable in, and want her to always have access to it. Because eventually we would like our guest bedroom to become a guest bedroom again, we may eventually relocate the carrier, but we will do that slowly.

Before we open up the whole house to her, we do need to do some "cat proofing". We do have a set of electric reclining couches. There are cavities in the back of each couch that a cat her size could easily fit into. Besides stuffing towels and blankets back there, I'm not sure if there is a good way to close up the space. Right now in her safe room, I have some towels shoved in the cavity around the trundle bed. She hasn't touched or pulled on any of these. Her nature hasn't been to run and hide in any spot in the room except the carrier. I am hoping that this will still be the case when she has access to the whole house, but of course we won't know for sure until we try.

Another concern I had was exterior doors. Those, I can't do anything about. We will be vigilant about entering and exiting the house when she is near these doors. I am not sure if she will have a desire to try and escape to the outside. She has never made any attempt to escape the room she is currently in, but again I'm not sure how that will change once she is in the whole house.

She had a really excellent weekend. Saturday morning when I went to feed her, she was in the cubby of the cat condo. I have it situated so that the morning sun shines on it and she seems to like that. She stayed in the condo for a few hours that morning. When I went back in the room to tidy up a bit (the floor really needed to be swept and mopped) she watched me from the carrier.

Saturday night we had a mini guest stay over (my five year old cousin). When we went to feed her that evening, she was a little apprehensive of my cousin and didn't linger out of her cage for as long as she has been after she eats.

Sunday morning she played a bit with her feather toy when my husband and cousin were in her room. Sunday we had a lot of guests in the house, so every time I checked on her she was nestled in the carrier. In the evening when just about everyone left, we fed her and she came right out despite a few extra people being in the room. After she ate, she spent about a half hour playing. She alternated with the feather toy and her mouse toys. She even sniffed my brother who was a new person to her and played with him with the feather toy.

I was surprised at how well she did with some extra people in her room besides my husband and I. We are being very patient with her and giving her time, but also are trying to balance our normal lives/guests/house sounds etc. Through it all she seems to be doing very well.

She is definitely enjoying "playtime" and sometimes in the morning she wants to play instead of eat her breakfast. We are usually short on time in the morning but we do our best to give her a lot of attention in the evenings. Although she usually sleeps in her carrier at night (or so we thought) when my husband checked on her last night before he came to bed she was sleeping on the corner of the daybed. When he opened the door, she didn't jump off the bed, just stayed curled up.

 

[Avery]

Awww... she is doing so well! What a great weekend for everyone! You are doing a great job. Yes, it can be a challenge to keep their space clean! My sister keeps reminding me that Lucky and Ruby used to live outside and lay in the dirt and on the wet grass, but now that they are inside, I am so happy that they have a room with blankets and an area rug and they can stay clean!

 

[white shadow]

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It says a lot to me that, after a weekend full of new experiences and most notably many new humans in her space, she was comfortable enough to sleep out in the open. That's real progress.

When I spoke to the recliners, my concern was primarily about the metal folding mechanisms inside/underneath. Cats have been seriously injured and killed by becoming entangled in the moving mechanics.....which is why I said "immobilized". There are (at least) two ways to do this, one, the physical binding of the mechanisms so they cannot move, and/or the removal of the electric cords.

In this house there are front, side and back doors. However, only the side door is used for entry/exit - because only it has the protection of a two door 'system'. There's a hallway with an inner door and, at the other end, the exterior one. We have a rule that both doors are never open at the same time. No cat has ever escaped. (And, most cats will have some interest in an open door - and, sometimes for reasons best known only to cats, they just dart out.)

When you do decide to allow her into the house, do it at a time when you'll have several hours to be around. Just leave the door open a noticeable little. As she explores, don't watch or follow her, but covertly be aware of where she is. Leave the room door open to allow for a retreat.

We're following.
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[angela15]

Hi Everyone,

Cat is continuing to do very well! She definitely prefers my husband (oh well) and comes running out of her crate whenever he enters the room. He is able to pet her and she constantly rubs up against him or head butts him to tell him she wants to be pet more.

After she got mad at us last week for cleaning out her carrier (we just wanted to dump out the loose litter that had accumulated in it) we decided to leave the crate/carrier setup in the room. We tried to distract her by playing while we did this two minute task, but unfortunately she noticed my husband taking up the entire entrance of her crate as he was trying to sweep up loose litter and hair that was at the bottom. She hopped into the condo, and as soon as he moved away from the crate, she flew right into the carrier. She mostly stayed in the carrier that day, but was back to her normal self giving him lots of love that afternoon.

When she had her spay surgery, the vet did a nail clip for us. Over the month, her nails have gotten extremely long. To the point where sometimes she gets them caught in things (the towel she sometimes sleeps on, the litter mat etc.) I know some people clip their cat's nails and others bring them to the vet to have this done. I'm not really sure which or if either would be worth it at this point. It isn't a big deal, but when she puts her paws on my husband's lap, he can feel her nails even through his jeans.

We plan to work on "cat proofing" the house this weekend. Unfortunately, without being in the current bedroom that she's in, there is no way to keep her away from exterior doors once she has access to more of the house.

 

[shadowsrescue]

I guess she decided for you that she wants to keep her cozy space!

As far as nail trimming, I only have the vet trim my cats nails when I have a scheduled appointment. My cats get way to stressed going to the vet that I only want them there once a year or when absolutely necessary. I trim 3 of my cats nails monthly. There are some helpful videos on youtube that show how to trim cats nails. You could also have the vet show you. The other 3 ( the feral boys I brought inside) have only had their nails trimmed once each! I cannot trim them. Instead I have a variety of scratchers for them to use. This helps to keep their nails from getting too long. It's the best I can do right now.

I used to freak out when I would allow one of my former feral boys to have access to all of the house. I would worry like crazy they would get out the door. I was over the top careful. I used to put a baby gate in front of doors that went outside to remind me to watch for the cats and be sure the door closed all the way. Most of my former feral cats want nothing to do with outside now that they are safe and warm inside. Yet in the summer when the sliding doors are open and windows open, it becomes more difficult as they do like to sniff the air.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

This is one of our newer articles, and may help!

How To Prevent Your Cat From Darting Out The Door

 

[angela15]

Cat did a little exploring this weekend! We closed off a few rooms in the house and left her bedroom door open. She had access to the hallway, a bathroom, and the kitchen, She wandered into the hallway on Saturday and almost made it into the kitchen. She sniffed around a bit, but when she realized where she was she ran back into her room. Lots of meowing after that.

Sunday she ventured down the hall and into the bathroom. She crawled under a cabinet (not to worry, it would be easy for her to crawl right back out and we could see her). My husband peeked into the room and she ran out so fast that she didn't have enough traction and slid into the wall! Lots of meows after this too!

I know it will take time for her to get used to the house, but we will go little by little!

Her claws are worrying me a bit, but maybe I shouldn't be. As I mentioned in an earlier post they were last trimmed about 6 weeks ago when she had her spay surgery. They have definitely grown since then. I just worry because sometimes (especially if she is playing) they get caught. Sometimes in the ball attached to the scratching post, other times in the blanket that she twirls herself around in with her toy mice. She always manages to get them out but it takes a few minutes sometimes because the claws are so sharp and a bit curled.

We are really really not at the point of being able to clip them I believe. We can pet her, she likes to bump her head into us, and she will rub her body against us. She does NOT like to be pet if she is sitting on her towel, or in her condo (she feels cornered I believe) but as long as we avoid these two places, pets are usually always welcome. Progress for sure, but nail clipping not so much.

My husband has also tried to get her used to the feeling of being picked up. He will put his two hands around her and lift her ever so slightly. She doesn't seem to mind this much.

Should I not be worried about the nail clip right now? Other than that, she is doing so so well I believe!

I should also mention that she does have several scratching posts available to her. Occasionally we see her use the one that is a ramp up to the condo.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

We are really really not at the point of being able to clip them I believe.

I think you are right about waiting on that. It is rare for a cat to injure themselves due to overgrown claws, although it can happen. At this point, I'd be more worried about traumatizing her at this stage of her integrating into the house.

 

[angela15]

Cat (now Catarina) is continuing to do well with her new indoor life!
A few weeks ago we contemplated phasing out her dog carrier, but decided to leave it. She spends less and less time in the carrier and crate though which is great.

She has full access to her room 24/7 and loves to snuggle up in the condo cubby and on a blanket i have set up on the bed we have in the room. When we are home, we let her roam the house and she seems to like it. Lots of sniffing and investigating. And tons and tons of meowing when she is out.

She found our bay window and enjoys watching what is happening outside! I know it’s still early, but she hasn’t even climbed the Christmas tree (yet!).

She likes to wander out of her room and when she reaches one particular room (our family room) she always spend a few minutes sniffing around, and then literally gallops back to her bedroom as if someone is chasing her! And then she comes right back out and wanders through another room.

She hasn’t had any inclination to jump up onto any furniture or counter tops or scratch any of the furniture (yet!). I know the house is still so new to her so she may still try, but maybe we will be lucky!

Each morning and evening she loves loves to be pet. She pushes her little head up against us to tell us she wants more. She loves playing with all of her toys too. She is really settling in to be a house cat!

She seems to have a better handle on her claws and doesn’t get caught in things as much as she used to. She uses the scratching post a good amount so i think that is helping too. So we are going to put clipping her nails on the back burner for now.

She gets one meal of kibble soup, and another of wet food. Some morning she gobbles up her dry food right away, other mornings she leaves it in her bowl till the afternoon. But she never leaves a drop of the wet food behind!

She likes to roll around in her (clean) litterbox, treating it like a sandbox lately pouncing in and out of it. We find ourselves sweeping up after her multiple times a day and she has gone from being afraid of the broom to chasing after it.

Just wanted to give an update and thank all for the support and advice!

 

[shadowsrescue]

This is such fantastic news! I love her new name too. Thank you so much for the update. I was just thinking about you today.

 

[Avery]

I was looking for some inspiration and ideas and just re-read your entire thread. WOW! You and Catarina have come so far! You are doing a wonderful job with this cutie pie and she will have a great, safe indoor life now. Keep up the good work and enjoy every minute with her!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I am just so happy that this has turned out so well, and this little girl has found her soft place to land!

 

[azpops]

... Just finish reading Catarina's thread, and I gotta say, What a Great Story! ...

When you look at this photo ... (pitcher in post #1)

View attachment 255336 View attachment 255337

then this one ... (last pitcher in post #153, of Catarina looking out the 'man that's one nice' window!) ...

Cat (now Catarina) is continuing to do well with her new indoor life!

View attachment 265383

It just places on heck of a smile on this Old Guy's Mug! Congrats to all of yous, and thanks for the pitchers!

Pops

OK, what I'd do, ... wrong? The pitchers didn't show? Anyways I guess you knows what I means, right? ... ....

 

[Mamanyt1953]

You did fine, A azpops . They don't show in quotes, ever.

She's doing so well. I'm just almost teary-eyed with the happies.

 

[angela15]

Thanks everyone! I am so happy she is inside with us as the weather begins to get chilly!
We are giving her more time out of her room and leaving her out for short amounts of time when we’re not home. So far she’s been such a good girl! Finding lots of new spots to lounge around lately!

 

[shadowsrescue]

She looks so relaxed and chill! My goodness she has come a long way! I absolutely love the picture of her on the shelf by the stairs! Thank you so much for continuing to update. I was just thinking about you yesterday.