Feral in my garage

[Bitsy's Mom]

Thanks everyone.

The housing market is so tough here in CT . . . . my realtor just informed me that they have 6 offers in. Ugh I usually lose out to someone paying cash since I have to take a mortgage!

All I can do is try . . . again

 

[tabbytom]

Thanks everyone.

The housing market is so tough here in CT . . . . my realtor just informed me that they have 6 offers in. Ugh I usually lose out to someone paying cash since I have to take a mortgage!

All I can do is try . . . again

Hope for the best!

 

[Bitsy's Mom]

Hey everyone . didn't get the house. But . . . if I want to move as far north as Maine, I am looking at another one tomorrow via FaceTime that has a heated garage. So that would work too.

I am trying so hard to find living quarters that would work for my boy. That said - I don't even know if he'd be happy. I just have to hope for the best. It is tempting to try to catch him again now that the weather is getting cold. It's almost as hard on me to know he's out there as it is on him. I wish he just knew how much I care about him.

I will keep you posted and thanks for caring.

Liz

 

[shadowsrescue]

I am sorry you didn't get the house. I just know the perfect house will appear in time. I moved almost 4 years ago and it took us over a year to find the perfect house. I was caring for 3 ferals on my property at the time. They came with me and are now inside only. I needed just the perfect space for them. With time and patience we did find the perfect spot.

Oscar has food and shelter so he is well cared for. When I had my outside feral boys it was so hard me. I awoke every morning hoping they were all present. My DH bought me wireless ip cameras to watch for them at night. It showed me how many coyotes were in my yard. I lived in the middle of suburbia. I was terrified for my feral boys. Dealing with the cold winters was also hard. Every time it snowed or the temps dipped low and the wind blew I was so worried about them.

He knows that you care. You feed him and watch out for him. The fact that he keeps returning is proof.

You and Oscar are in my thoughts.

 

[Bitsy's Mom]

Thank you! I hope I find the right place with something that works for him.
And I so relate - I worry about him constantly. He does have food but when he doesn’t show up - I panic. But if I miss him, he’s then waiting under my car. I wish I could get closer than 6 ft from him.

Anyway - still trying to figure out some kind of shelter. I think he goes under a big wood pile in the neighbors yard - and it’s what he knows so he won’t use a shelter.

I pray it all works out.

 

[Norachan]

We looked at dozens of places before we decided to buy our current home. We almost didn't bother coming to see this place, because it was further up the mountain than we wanted to be and doesn't have any paved road access. Then we decided to come and take a peek and saw the size of the woodland that came with it......

As cats get older they start to appreciate home comforts the way they never did when they were a year or two old. A few of my semi-feral boys can get over the fence, but now that they are all 8 and 9 years old they rarely bother. They seem to have mellowed with age.

 

[Whenallhellbreakslose]

You have such a sweet kind- heart worrying over Oscar and even looking at houses that would best accommodate him. I have thought the same about my outdoor kitties. I always pictured a house with a winterized sun room with heating to keep the kitties warm and a special cat door if they wanted to go out. I would love to do this, but for now it is not possible.

I have been through ferals going off and not coming back for days or weeks. All you can do is give him some very hearty meals and a warm place to sleep. Regarding shelters, you can try to put out a few. I have used Styrofoam coolers with some very thick contracter garbage bags wrapped around it as insulation and have used either straw or mylar blankets in the interior. I even put a solar heat pool cover over the shelters for added warmth. I have also used large storage containers with 1"insulation boards on the floor, sides and top. I even put microwavable disks in on the coldest nights. Here is an article on all the different winter shelters. There is something for every budget. I hope it helps. https://www.alleycat.org/resources/feral-cat-shelter-options-gallery

Well, I wish you all the best. Have a good night.

 

[tabbytom]

Hey everyone . didn't get the house. But . . . if I want to move as far north as Maine, I am looking at another one tomorrow via FaceTime that has a heated garage. So that would work too.

Bless your heart. Thank you for this labor of love for Oscar and your untiring effort to get a house so that he could live a better life I do hope you get the right one soon

 

[Bitsy's Mom]

Hi Everyone,

A quick happy new year wish for you and an update on Oscar.

So far Oscar is doing OK. I still see him two times a day to feed, although his schedule has become less regular. I came close to trapping him again due to the extreme cold but resisted. I think the best I can do for him at this point is to feed him and I did set up a shelter.

The shelter under my carport. It's a unheated cat house I got on chewy and I put a mylar sheet on the bottom and filled with straw. I really don't think he uses it, (although I put catnip around and in it) since it looks untouched.

My plan is still to trap him when I move since he clearly depends on my feeding him. And, worse case, I can set him up in a garage at the new place with a catio attached.

We just have to get through this winter. I check the weather and worry constantly, but I am hoping for the best.

Love sent to all of you and may 2022 be kind to all our homeless kitties.

 

[rubysmama]

I was just thinking about you and Oscar the other day, so purr-fect timing with your update. Glad things are still going well with him. Probably wise to not trap him again, till you have your new home. Hopefully that will be this year.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Hi Everyone,

A quick happy new year wish for you and an update on Oscar.

So far Oscar is doing OK. I still see him two times a day to feed, although his schedule has become less regular. I came close to trapping him again due to the extreme cold but resisted. I think the best I can do for him at this point is to feed him and I did set up a shelter.

The shelter under my carport. It's a unheated cat house I got on chewy and I put a mylar sheet on the bottom and filled with straw. I really don't think he uses it, (although I put catnip around and in it) since it looks untouched.

My plan is still to trap him when I move since he clearly depends on my feeding him. And, worse case, I can set him up in a garage at the new place with a catio attached.

We just have to get through this winter. I check the weather and worry constantly, but I am hoping for the best.

Love sent to all of you and may 2022 be kind to all our homeless kitties.

TYSM for this reassuring UPdate. Cats are very strong and resilient re: temperature. They can and do live quite successfully in extreme temperatures; and they are excellent at finding shelter even in environments where there doesn't seem to be any. Looking forward to more UPdates!

 

[shadowsrescue]

I too was thinking about you the other day. So happy to hear that Oscar is still around and well fed. Vibes that you will soon find a new place and Oscar will make the journey too. Thanks for keeping us posted. Looking forward to hearing more news.

 

[Bitsy's Mom]

One more thing . .. I bought a flat cushion type bed for him with a self-heating piece of mylar inside. It's plush.

I sprinkle it with catnip and put it under my car. Sometimes it gets wet and so I have to remove it, or the wind blows it into the yard. But when it's there, sometimes I go out to feed him and he's stretched out on it.

I cannot tell you how happy that makes me, I almost start crying. Usually he's on the cold hard blacktop or the ground, so to see him laying on soft velvet bed with catnip makes me so very happy.

He always leaves after he eats . ...but does wait on the bed for me.

 

[tarasgirl06]

One more thing . .. I bought a flat cushion type bed for him with a self-heating piece of mylar inside. It's plush.

I sprinkle it with catnip and put it under my car. Sometimes it gets wet and so I have to remove it, or the wind blows it into the yard. But when it's there, sometimes I go out to feed him and he's stretched out on it.

I cannot tell you how happy that makes me, I almost start crying. Usually he's on the cold hard blacktop or the ground, so to see him laying on soft velvet bed with catnip makes me so very happy.

He always leaves after he eats . ...but does wait on the bed for me.

I love those self-heating beds. Anything electric gets a thumbs down from me, especially where moisture may be involved. We have a self-heating bed covered in faux leopard in the living room. It's wonderful! Wish the company that made and offered them was still around but sadly, Drs. Foster & Smith is no more. Glad to hear there are other avenues to obtain one of those, though, and very glad Oscar has the option!

 

[rubysmama]

Just thinking about you, B Bitsy's Mom . How are things going with you and Oscar?

 

[Bitsy's Mom]

Just thinking about you, B Bitsy's Mom . How are things going with you and Oscar?

Hi Rubysmama,

You must have ESP. I was just thinking of the gang here and was planning to post an update.

First of all and most important, currently Oscar is fine. I have not missed a day in feeding him and for the few snowstorms that we have had, he disappeared for a day or two but that was it so I didn't worry too much. There have also been some days at under 10 degrees and he has survived those. He must have somewhere he goes. I set up a shelter with straw under my carport but it has remained untouched this whole winter.

My decision going forward is whether where I am moving to is good enough for him. I did find a house. It's not even a house I like but I want to move to get my expenses down and in this tough real estate market - it's hard. The house is a basic ranch without a garage. My two options are the basement (which only has an outdoor hatchway so no interior access.) It's a cement floor and has some small windows. It's about 12 x 18 full height where the mechanical stuff is and then the rest is a crawl space with a cement floor and insulation above that. Its probably about 3 1/2 feet. I have thought about putting a catio out of one of the windows. The other option is the shed in the back of the yard. I would have to have someone cut a window and attach a catio to that.

I am not sure if either option is good enough and I am worried. I want him to be happy and I don't know if he would be in either place. I go back and forth about what is best for him. I am humble in that I don't know - all I know is I love him and want what ever is best. When I feed him, he is sometimes famished and eats it all, and other times eats only one can. He may be eating somewhere else but he comes to me consistently for food. I still can't get close to him so that hasn't changed. 4 feet is the closest.

I will be moving in end of March so have some time to figure out the best way forward.

Let me know.

Thanks,

Liz

PS. It is really hard to find tradespeople available to do things. I like the idea of cutting a window in the shed - but don't know if I will be able to find someone to do it. Also, there is no electricity out there. The basement only has outdoor access so maybe the dogs wouldn't bother him, but what kind of a life is that living in a basement?

 

[rubysmama]

Congrats on the new house! You've been looking for a while, so glad you able to find something. And though it may not be exactly what you wanted, you can probably either fix it up over time, or buy something else in the future.

As for Oscar,

all I know is I love him and want what ever is best

Knowing that you want what is best for him, I truly believe that means bringing him with you. If you leave him behind, I fear you'll always wonder what became of him.

Unfortunately, neither the basement or shed seem like plausible "homes" for him. Would you be willing to try, again, keeping him as an inside cat? If so, maybe having time to prepare the perfect kitty room for him could work.

 

[Bitsy's Mom]

Congrats on the new house! You've been looking for a while, so glad you able to find something. And though it may not be exactly what you wanted, you can probably either fix it up over time, or buy something else in the future.

As for Oscar,



Knowing that you want what is best for him, I truly believe that means bringing him with you. If you leave him behind, I fear you'll always wonder what became of him.

Unfortunately, neither the basement or shed seem like plausible "homes" for him. Would you be willing to try, again, keeping him as an inside cat? If so, maybe having time to prepare the perfect kitty room for him could work.

I have no problem making him an indoor cat in my house but it’s not going to work for him. I have 3 dogs and that’s too stressful for him. I’m convinced that’s why he didn’t eat when I had him indoors before. I had him separated and didn’t let the dogs near him - but he could hear and smell them.

So I’ve got to figure out how to make something else work.

 

[Bitsy's Mom]

Photo taken this afternoon.

 

[tabbytom]

I am not sure if either option is good enough and I am worried. I want him to be happy and I don't know if he would be in either place. I go back and forth about what is best for him. I am humble in that I don't know - all I know is I love him and want what ever is best.

Bless your heart for loving this kitty so much