Feral rescue

[Julest]

Okay I sound as if I am being a bit crazy here. After all Billy's hissing and spitting he has now come out of his safe space in his basket, used the litter box and then sat up in his crate looking at me. He properly meowed at me for the first time in the almost two months he has been with me, and this time when I looked round at him he just gave me slow blinks for a couple of minutes before jumping down to eat some of the dry cat food I had put into his crate earlier - I had to throw it through the bars earlier due to the hissing and spitting. It's so weird. Maybe he is trying to communicate with me but just knows nothing other than fear and defensiveness.

......and I have had to edit this to let you know that he has now meowed again and more loudly this time. A real meow and then eye blinks. He really is a Jekyll and Hyde in his behavior but the last 2 days is the first time he has ever made any sounds at all other than hissing and spitting since he arrived so I am now excited (from my almost crying earlier) and think he is just very terrified and confused but is maybe trying his best.

 

[Eurocat]

Hi again
Thanks for all the updates! . - I‘ve been having ongoing problems with the „purraise“ button and am pretty tight with time, so the only thing I‘m mostly able to do is give the thumbs up which means of course I’m not always able to give an appropriate response and postpone then to a time when I hopefully have more space to write a quick reply.

I just wanted to say that I really understand your frustration, desperation and the ups and the downs - this is all part of the ride. When I adopted my current kitty I wasn‘t a newbee on working with or training animals or doing animal rescue and had done lots of voluntary work in wildlife rehab when I was younger, but I must say this whole episode with my cat really was one of the most challenging and outwardly crazy (yet rewarding) experiences of my life. I‘d rehabilitated wild animals before, of course with the intent of releasing them but taking a basically wild animal into my home to start a life together was quite something, despite the mystical connection we seemed to have ….

My cat came into my life at a point in time when I was not looking for a cat and which rationally was very unsuitable, yet simultaneously carried a huge emotional logic and a feeling of destiny. And I think that’s always the reason we go the extra mile. Of course making the animal’s very individual best interest absolute priority makes things more conflicting as some things are not clear cut. For me too it was the question of what I‘m inflicting on the (semi-feral) cat. What‘s the value of life if all they feel is initially stress, upheaval and loss of freedom. Am I really giving the animal a life or am I taking it by depriving it of quality of life by taking everything it‘s ever known? Isn’t it better to allow it to succumb to its fate in a hostile yet familiar environment rather than (in my case) be picked up off the Greek streets, crated for 5 days, go on a ferry and deal with 2 flights and then a car ride before finally reaching her forever home. These are many questions that gave me countless sleepless nights and sometimes left me with a huge feeling of guilt.

In my case the universe seemingly intervened a couple of times and aided me in my decision and planning process that bringing her home was the thing to do.
Of course, the further things progressed and the better Kala started doing and adapting, the clearer it became that it was all for the best. But I admit, I also had my doubts initially as to what I had done as she went through quite some tumoil and challenges. And so did I as a couple if weeks after I brought Kala home my elderly father, who lived in the UK (I’m in Germany) suddenly took a turn for the worse leaving me in the major dilemma of what to do with my sick, mostly untouchable (except by me) semi-feral for whom I felt a huge responsibility and didn‘t want to traumatize further by crating at a clinic.
Here the decision was thankfully taken out of my hands as a covid outbreak didn‘t allow me to travel. Luckily then both my father and Kala stabilized. And some time after that I was able to bring Kala in to be neutered, which helped her to calm down (she had come into season for the first time and that had just added to her misery).
This was a really tough time, requiring me to get Kala to the vet at least once a week on a particular day within a time framework, knowing that I may have to leave to the UK at anytime. I once remember sobbing at the vet’s after my attempt to get Kala in her carrier had totally backfired causing her to panic, dive behind the tall fridge-freezer, superficially ripping one of her claws (bloody footprints everywhere).
Then there was the one evening I spent sitting at home totally depressed, debating if she would do better on a colleague‘s organic farm as I felt she was so miserable. Yet 1 day later I woke to find her sleeping on my bed and that evening she curled up on my lap for the first time.

So as you see - my kitty was only semi-feral but we had our major challenges and setbacks and things still moved forward. As I said everything really started falling into place and calming down after about 5 months and once her vet visits had been concluded.

In the end I also knew that if I hadn‘t brought her home, she probably wouldn‘t have survived very long. So bringing her home, I gave her a chance, which, thank goodness she now has profited from and had blossomed.
And Billy wouldn‘t exist now without you. So we do tje things that we do, try to make the best of them and life goes forward in its own unforseeable way.

One of the main things I learned from my story is to try and stay in now, (even though „now“ can change really fast) and think only about the next tiny step I can take. This really tends to put expectations of progress in perspective. Of course we look ahead to see how we could plan for future developments, but this can be scary, as we don‘t know what the future developments will be as we‘re not there yet.
The next thing I found is that everything is also a fine line between respecting boundaries and offering encouragement and new challenges. With my kitty I was always encouraging slightly, gently pushing for one tiny little step, but in the end I always made it her choice and her decision to do something (basically because the other alternative wasn‘t as attractive)

So the question is - how is Billy doing right now? And from what you‘re writing is that he seems to be hanging in there really well considering everything. I know you already know this - but the only thing Billy sees is that everything has changed and he‘s trying to survive in a completely new restricted, indoor environment with a strange being who despite appearing threatening, actually provides him with the things he needs to stay alive. And the vet visits and castration were quite a shock to his system too. The fact that he is eating, drinking and using the litter tray normally is huge as is the fact that he is vocally trying to interact. That’s Great!
Kala completely stopped vocalizing for 2 months after being neutered, though she did still interact really well with play.

So at this stage I wouldn‘t look ahead too much. When the time comes you‘ll see where he‘s at in terms of interacting with your family and if it doesnt work I‘m sure you‘ll find a solution. You always have.

I also think he‘ll feel a lot better if he can move around more, or if you could somehow manage to get him to interact with play. When Kala was in the crate for 5 days, I strapped a bamboo toothbrush to a wooden stick. First she hissed, then she played and then I could gently rub her cheek. Or is there anyway you could expand his living quarters, maybe upwards, but that he is still confined?
I find that being able to sit up in high places tends to help a cat‘s mojo. Kala initially only allowed me to touch her when she was sitting higher up in certain (by her) designated safe spaces.

All the best to you and Billy - things are falling into place. Sometimes the journey is the destination.

Take care!

 

[Julest]

Hi All

I thought I would give an update on Billy. Bear with me as these posts are as much for me as anything else so please don't feel the need to respond constantly. It is a necessary way for me to vent frustrations and stress and also post positive updates. I also hope that it is a way for me (and future feral rescuers) to see how Billy is progressing over time and to be able to communicate with people who have shared the same worries, stresses and questions. Reading these types of threads were invaluable to me when I brought Billy home with me.

I am currently in my studio with him and he is happily eating and drinking with me in the room. Another step forward as this is the first time that he has actually done this during the daylight. There were the usual hisses and spits when I first went into the room but I now worry a lot less about that as he does this every single time and I have not been bitten or scratched yet. We have developed a routine with each other now where he warns me when I first start doing anything with him then slowly relaxes and is less anxious so settles down. In the evening he becomes more active and hissy and spitty again but I have had a few little meows now so it is getting promising. He doesn't sound as if he really knows how to meow which is sweet but he tries.

He drinks a lot of water. A full bowl every day. Is this okay. He treats his water almost like his food - it's as if he needs to eat and drink everything that is put down in front of him. He is slowly starting to recognize that there is going to be more food though and I am starting to see him eat half his breakfast/ dinner and then come back to it throughout the day/ night. I see that as a sort of breakthough too.
Anyway, not sure that there is huge news. I am looking forward to the day he can get out of his crate. Not sure when that will be yet. I guess when he is finished his quarantine although I am so certain that he doesn't have rabies that I am loathe to continue with the 6 months. He has been crated for 2 months now so maybe that is long enough.

Kwik a question for you. Do you think I should look at moving Billy into a larger vertical crate now or do you think I should still keep him in the one I have until he stops the lunging and spitting? I know it is unfair to ask you as you don't know Billy but you are so experienced with having worked with your own cats and also socializing feral and working with the wild animal / big cat sanctuary.

That's all for now.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

 

[Julest]

Hi again
Thanks for all the updates! . - I‘ve been having ongoing problems with the „purraise“ button and am pretty tight with time, so the only thing I‘m mostly able to do is give the thumbs up which means of course I’m not always able to give an appropriate response and postpone then to a time when I hopefully have more space to write a quick reply.

I just wanted to say that I really understand your frustration, desperation and the ups and the downs - this is all part of the ride. When I adopted my current kitty I wasn‘t a newbee on working with or training animals or doing animal rescue and had done lots of voluntary work in wildlife rehab when I was younger, but I must say this whole episode with my cat really was one of the most challenging and outwardly crazy (yet rewarding) experiences of my life. I‘d rehabilitated wild animals before, of course with the intent of releasing them but taking a basically wild animal into my home to start a life together was quite something, despite the mystical connection we seemed to have ….

My cat came into my life at a point in time when I was not looking for a cat and which rationally was very unsuitable, yet simultaneously carried a huge emotional logic and a feeling of destiny. And I think that’s always the reason we go the extra mile. Of course making the animal’s very individual best interest absolute priority makes things more conflicting as some things are not clear cut. For me too it was the question of what I‘m inflicting on the (semi-feral) cat. What‘s the value of life if all they feel is initially stress, upheaval and loss of freedom. Am I really giving the animal a life or am I taking it by depriving it of quality of life by taking everything it‘s ever known? Isn’t it better to allow it to succumb to its fate in a hostile yet familiar environment rather than (in my case) be picked up off the Greek streets, crated for 5 days, go on a ferry and deal with 2 flights and then a car ride before finally reaching her forever home. These are many questions that gave me countless sleepless nights and sometimes left me with a huge feeling of guilt.

In my case the universe seemingly intervened a couple of times and aided me in my decision and planning process that bringing her home was the thing to do.
Of course, the further things progressed and the better Kala started doing and adapting, the clearer it became that it was all for the best. But I admit, I also had my doubts initially as to what I had done as she went through quite some tumoil and challenges. And so did I as a couple if weeks after I brought Kala home my elderly father, who lived in the UK (I’m in Germany) suddenly took a turn for the worse leaving me in the major dilemma of what to do with my sick, mostly untouchable (except by me) semi-feral for whom I felt a huge responsibility and didn‘t want to traumatize further by crating at a clinic.
Here the decision was thankfully taken out of my hands as a covid outbreak didn‘t allow me to travel. Luckily then both my father and Kala stabilized. And some time after that I was able to bring Kala in to be neutered, which helped her to calm down (she had come into season for the first time and that had just added to her misery).
This was a really tough time, requiring me to get Kala to the vet at least once a week on a particular day within a time framework, knowing that I may have to leave to the UK at anytime. I once remember sobbing at the vet’s after my attempt to get Kala in her carrier had totally backfired causing her to panic, dive behind the tall fridge-freezer, superficially ripping one of her claws (bloody footprints everywhere).
Then there was the one evening I spent sitting at home totally depressed, debating if she would do better on a colleague‘s organic farm as I felt she was so miserable. Yet 1 day later I woke to find her sleeping on my bed and that evening she curled up on my lap for the first time.

So as you see - my kitty was only semi-feral but we had our major challenges and setbacks and things still moved forward. As I said everything really started falling into place and calming down after about 5 months and once her vet visits had been concluded.

In the end I also knew that if I hadn‘t brought her home, she probably wouldn‘t have survived very long. So bringing her home, I gave her a chance, which, thank goodness she now has profited from and had blossomed.
And Billy wouldn‘t exist now without you. So we do tje things that we do, try to make the best of them and life goes forward in its own unforseeable way.

One of the main things I learned from my story is to try and stay in now, (even though „now“ can change really fast) and think only about the next tiny step I can take. This really tends to put expectations of progress in perspective. Of course we look ahead to see how we could plan for future developments, but this can be scary, as we don‘t know what the future developments will be as we‘re not there yet.
The next thing I found is that everything is also a fine line between respecting boundaries and offering encouragement and new challenges. With my kitty I was always encouraging slightly, gently pushing for one tiny little step, but in the end I always made it her choice and her decision to do something (basically because the other alternative wasn‘t as attractive)

So the question is - how is Billy doing right now? And from what you‘re writing is that he seems to be hanging in there really well considering everything. I know you already know this - but the only thing Billy sees is that everything has changed and he‘s trying to survive in a completely new restricted, indoor environment with a strange being who despite appearing threatening, actually provides him with the things he needs to stay alive. And the vet visits and castration were quite a shock to his system too. The fact that he is eating, drinking and using the litter tray normally is huge as is the fact that he is vocally trying to interact. That’s Great!
Kala completely stopped vocalizing for 2 months after being neutered, though she did still interact really well with play.

So at this stage I wouldn‘t look ahead too much. When the time comes you‘ll see where he‘s at in terms of interacting with your family and if it doesnt work I‘m sure you‘ll find a solution. You always have.

I also think he‘ll feel a lot better if he can move around more, or if you could somehow manage to get him to interact with play. When Kala was in the crate for 5 days, I strapped a bamboo toothbrush to a wooden stick. First she hissed, then she played and then I could gently rub her cheek. Or is there anyway you could expand his living quarters, maybe upwards, but that he is still confined?
I find that being able to sit up in high places tends to help a cat‘s mojo. Kala initially only allowed me to touch her when she was sitting higher up in certain (by her) designated safe spaces.

All the best to you and Billy - things are falling into place. Sometimes the journey is the destination.

Take care!

Thank you!

Sorry for the delay in responding to this post but I have been trying to live a life outside the site and check in a little bit less frequently. Initially I felt as if I was on here all day every day!!

It's great to read your message and to read that it took 5 months for you to be able to get close to your semi-feral Kala. The fact that you still feel it was all worth it is what I always like to read.

I have been wary about playing with Billy as I am scared that waving a stick or anything that his is not comfortable with into his crate may cause him to get anxious and regress more. At the moment I am sitting with him for a few hours every day just working on my computer, talking to him, sitting beside him, listening to cat music (I did eventually find one that he seems to like) and listening to audiobooks. I am trying to get him used to me but I am not sure he is ready for any actual interaction yet.

He loves his little cat cave and spends most of his day in that and will also sit in his basket that I took the door off. He no longer uses the original basket with the door that he used to be in every day - maybe because it is the one that I used for his vet visits! He still enjoys sitting on top of it though so I will leave it in there - it also gives hime more options for places high and low to move to and he enjoys changing his positions throughout the day.

I really do think he seems to be doing okay. He has a few places to hide, his basket that he sits on top of at night and a safe place with plenty of food and water. He also has been neutered, treated for his injuries which were probably going to result in a not great outcome for him, and his horrible tapeworms and fleas are gone. I no longer find the flea eggs in his bedding so I assume that means he is clear.

I still plan on keeping him if all is successful and I hope that with time this will prove to be the case. I think he sort of beginning to trust me in his own way but doesn't really trust anyone so is still hissing and spitting to tell me that he doesn't want me too close. I also don't doubt that if I were to overstep his boundary line that he would attack me as he does launch himself at me if I move closer than he wants even if he is sitting half sleeping blinking at me contentedly from 2 inches further away. He definitely has his boundary, particularly when I am working in his crate.

I am at the stage where I am trying to decide if he is ready to move to a larger crate or if I should keep his environment stable for another couple of months. In the almost 2 months he has been here he has had a lot of change to deal with and 3 vet visits and 2 crate changes on top of that so maybe another month in this crate just keeping things as they are is a good idea. Then he can get a tall crate for a couple of months before letting him out into the room and starting the interaction and introductions to the rest of the house.

I will keep my updates coming - both good and bad.

The fact that you rescued your cat from Greece and brought her home with you is amazing. I assume she is totally relaxed with you now. Thank you again for your lovely update. It is so great to hear from people who have gone through similar scenarios.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

My girl sucked back water like a camel in August. Since he has had a vet check, I wouldn't worry about it. And drinking a good amount of water is FAR, FAR better (especially for males) than not drinking enough. It reduces the chance of kidney stones. I did find this guide,

• Kittens (3–6 pounds):5–5.5 ounces of water per day
• Medium cat (8 pounds): 6–7 ounces of water per day
• Large cat (13 pounds): 8–10 ounces of water per day

So, a cup or so a day is the average for adults. AVERAGE. That can, of course, vary.

 

[Julest]

Great - thanks. I feel as if my other cat drinks a lot less but then he drinks out of the tap so it is much harder to gauge. Billy definitely seems healthy though so I am sure it is as you said and all good.

 

[Kwik]

Hi All

I thought I would give an update on Billy. Bear with me as these posts are as much for me as anything else so please don't feel the need to respond constantly. It is a necessary way for me to vent frustrations and stress and also post positive updates. I also hope that it is a way for me (and future feral rescuers) to see how Billy is progressing over time and to be able to communicate with people who have shared the same worries, stresses and questions. Reading these types of threads were invaluable to me when I brought Billy home with me.

I am currently in my studio with him and he is happily eating and drinking with me in the room. Another step forward as this is the first time that he has actually done this during the daylight. There were the usual hisses and spits when I first went into the room but I now worry a lot less about that as he does this every single time and I have not been bitten or scratched yet. We have developed a routine with each other now where he warns me when I first start doing anything with him then slowly relaxes and is less anxious so settles down. In the evening he becomes more active and hissy and spitty again but I have had a few little meows now so it is getting promising. He doesn't sound as if he really knows how to meow which is sweet but he tries.

He drinks a lot of water. A full bowl every day. Is this okay. He treats his water almost like his food - it's as if he needs to eat and drink everything that is put down in front of him. He is slowly starting to recognize that there is going to be more food though and I am starting to see him eat half his breakfast/ dinner and then come back to it throughout the day/ night. I see that as a sort of breakthough too.
Anyway, not sure that there is huge news. I am looking forward to the day he can get out of his crate. Not sure when that will be yet. I guess when he is finished his quarantine although I am so certain that he doesn't have rabies that I am loathe to continue with the 6 months. He has been crated for 2 months now so maybe that is long enough.

Kwik a question for you. Do you think I should look at moving Billy into a larger vertical crate now or do you think I should still keep him in the one I have until he stops the lunging and spitting? I know it is unfair to ask you as you don't know Billy but you are so experienced with having worked with your own cats and also socializing feral and working with the wild animal / big cat sanctuary.

That's all for now.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Hi Julest-

If it were me,yes I'd provide a large vertical enclosure ( one where I could enter).....it's really hard for me to say what I do because I'm very used to moving in close proximity with frightened,defensive animals who are labeled " aggressive" but are just displaying aggression because they cannot avoid....There really are always signals,their reactions are pretty predictable and the last thing they want is confrontation,thsts whst all their fuss is about....

Having room to jump and move around is most certainly beneficial to Billy plus he'll have the option of being above to completely avoid and feel safe with you in his territory going about your business but there's some drawbacks,in the event you need to put him in a carrier it can be quite challenging ..... but it's always my choice working with ferals....

Personally I never use anything but my hands,no sticks or extensions...litter boxes never in corners ,closest to the door with 3 escape routes for the cat- it's what they choose outdoors because it's when they are vulnerable to predators and they do not put themselves in harms way.... so I simply pull the box to the door to clean it several times a day,they watch from above

First I keep food up high hntil they are relaxed eatijg in my company,always using the finger tapping & voice ( Come EAT or FOOD) and gradually lower it as they begin responding to tapping- eventually they are eating with my hand limp by the dish.....

Of course this is not for wild animals,big cats- best not to be closely associated with food,lol.....

I don't work around their schedule,,I want them to adapt to mine..I keep them up as much as possible during the day,socialize in the day,feed,play,train etc. so they learn to sleep more at night and acclimate to a diurnal lifestyle.....

I think Billy is a ways off from having free access to the studio until he no longer avoids you and chooses to hide....I know you can't imagine him ever rubbing against you or trotting over for a pet and very often it never happens because they are given too many options to keep their distance ....for starters all you have is food and treats to work with but once you do make physical contact that is what they like best- truly

So,yes.... but that's me,I would set up an indoor enclosure of around 6ft in height....a 4x 6,3x6 or something about that size where you have room to work and he has room to get the excersize he needs'-it's also a safe way to introduce resident animals after scent swapping.....

If a window view is possible on one side ,thats great.... I always keep a corner up high covered( with a blanket) for a safe spot ---with a cubby.... a mid level cubby as well...a gallon water dispenser on the ground furthest from litter

 

[Julest]

Hi Julest-

If it were me,yes I'd provide a large vertical enclosure ( one where I could enter).....it's really hard for me to say what I do because I'm very used to moving in close proximity with frightened,defensive animals who are labeled " aggressive" but are just displaying aggression because they cannot avoid....There really are always signals,their reactions are pretty predictable and the last thing they want is confrontation,thsts whst all their fuss is about....

Having room to jump and move around is most certainly beneficial to Billy plus he'll have the option of being above to completely avoid and feel safe with you in his territory going about your business but there's some drawbacks,in the event you need to put him in a carrier it can be quite challenging ..... but it's always my choice working with ferals....

Personally I never use anything but my hands,no sticks or extensions...litter boxes never in corners ,closest to the door with 3 escape routes for the cat- it's what they choose outdoors because it's when they are vulnerable to predators and they do not put themselves in harms way.... so I simply pull the box to the door to clean it several times a day,they watch from above

First I keep food up high hntil they are relaxed eatijg in my company,always using the finger tapping & voice ( Come EAT or FOOD) and gradually lower it as they begin responding to tapping- eventually they are eating with my hand limp by the dish.....

Of course this is not for wild animals,big cats- best not to be closely associated with food,lol.....

I don't work around their schedule,,I want them to adapt to mine..I keep them up as much as possible during the day,socialize in the day,feed,play,train etc. so they learn to sleep more at night and acclimate to a diurnal lifestyle.....

I think Billy is a ways off from having free access to the studio until he no longer avoids you and chooses to hide....I know you can't imagine him ever rubbing against you or trotting over for a pet and very often it never happens because they are given too many options to keep their distance ....for starters all you have is food and treats to work with but once you do make physical contact that is what they like best- truly

So,yes.... but that's me,I would set up an indoor enclosure of around 6ft in height....a 4x 6,3x6 or something about that size where you have room to work and he has room to get the excersize he needs'-it's also a safe way to introduce resident animals after scent swapping.....

If a window view is possible on one side ,thats great.... I always keep a corner up high covered( with a blanket) for a safe spot ---with a cubby.... a mid level cubby as well...a gallon water dispenser on the ground furthest from litter

Thanks Kwik

I will order the larger catio style enclosure then. I know you had said that initially, then suggested that I should leave things as they are for a couple of months to allow Billy time to settle in without any more disruption, but I am almost at the 2 month mark now so hopefully he is ready for a bit more space.

I really am becoming so much more comfortable with Billy over the last week. It's as if we have both realized that neither one of us is actually about to attack the other. If he hisses and spits at me I just carry on with what I am doing and speak gently to him and he settles down and starts his eye blinks. It has changed so much that I can now clean his litter whilst he is in the same side of the crate and I no longer close him in his basket. For a big crate clean up I do wait until he is in the other side but more in case it is very stressful for him or in case he escapes as the door has to be wide open.

Last night and the night before he was pretty playful whilst I was in the room so I ordered some cat wand style toys today and I will see if I can introduce them very gently to him. I think he is going to be just fine.

Up until now I had been using a yard stick to close his basket door but I no longer feel that I need it (for one he doesn't go in the basket with the door any more - just on top of it) but he doesn't seem too fearful of the yardstick as I alway moved very slowly and never put it towards him directly, so it hopefully seemed less threatening. I have never clapped my hands or done anything to startle him so I think he is starting to relax. Last night after a little play and eating his food he actually slept curled up outside his baskets on the blanket whilst I was working on my computer. He looked so sweet and vulnerable that my heart melted.

Anyway thanks for the support. I have no doubt I will have setbacks and be on here stressing again but I now see the light at the end. It's been 2 months and I am not close to touching him but there has been a definite change - weirdly a really significant change - just in the last few days.

 

[Kwik]

Thanks Kwik

I will order the larger catio style enclosure then. I know you had said that initially, then suggested that I should leave things as they are for a couple of months to allow Billy time to settle in without any more disruption, but I am almost at the 2 month mark now so hopefully he is ready for a bit more space.

I really am becoming so much more comfortable with Billy over the last week. It's as if we have both realized that neither one of us is actually about to attack the other. If he hisses and spits at me I just carry on with what I am doing and speak gently to him and he settles down and starts his eye blinks. It has changed so much that I can now clean his litter whilst he is in the same side of the crate and I no longer close him in his basket. For a big crate clean up I do wait until he is in the other side but more in case it is very stressful for him or in case he escapes as the door has to be wide open.

Last night and the night before he was pretty playful whilst I was in the room so I ordered some cat wand style toys today and I will see if I can introduce them very gently to him. I think he is going to be just fine.

Up until now I had been using a yard stick to close his basket door but I no longer feel that I need it (for one he doesn't go in the basket with the door any more - just on top of it) but he doesn't seem too fearful of the yardstick as I alway moved very slowly and never put it towards him directly, so it hopefully seemed less threatening. I have never clapped my hands or done anything to startle him so I think he is starting to relax. Last night after a little play and eating his food he actually slept curled up outside his baskets on the blanket whilst I was working on my computer. He looked so sweet and vulnerable that my heart melted.

Anyway thanks for the support. I have no doubt I will have setbacks and be on here stressing again but I now see the light at the end. It's been 2 months and I am not close to touching him but there has been a definite change - weirdly a really significant change - just in the last few days.

Great! I believe at the start I mentioned it does take a minimum of 30 days for territory to be established at can take between 30 to 90 days for a feral to relax once he's established that territory ad his safe space- once they feel safe,secure and comfortable they are ready to focus on what's in that territory- meaning YOU and that relationship( food source,lol) can develop into companionship - this is where you get what you give

Many people are of the mindset where they will give them the run of a room or the house and simply wait for the cat to come to them.... nothing wrong with it if it works for them,right?

It doesn't work for me,it's not my method- this is the time I make the moves to help them along by working closely and making contact.... we're the ones with intellect supposedly so we have to use it to show them how great it is to trust a human....lol

You're doing great Julest & right on schedule....you'll have a slight progression freeze when transferring to tye new enclosure,Billy will very quickly adapt as it's still in the same environment but still it'll be unfamiliar so give him a minute to feel safe again

 

[Julest]

Great! I believe at the start I mentioned it does take a minimum of 30 days for territory to be established at can take between 30 to 90 days for a feral to relax once he's established that territory ad his safe space- once they feel safe,secure and comfortable they are ready to focus on what's in that territory- meaning YOU and that relationship( food source,lol) can develop into companionship - this is where you get what you give

Many people are of the mindset where they will give them the run of a room or the house and simply wait for the cat to come to them.... nothing wrong with it if it works for them,right?

It doesn't work for me,it's not my method- this is the time I make the moves to help them along by working closely and making contact.... we're the ones with intellect supposedly so we have to use it to show them how great it is to trust a human....lol

You're doing great Julest & right on schedule....you'll have a slight progression freeze when transferring to tye new enclosure,Billy will very quickly adapt as it's still in the same environment but still it'll be unfamiliar so give him a minute to feel safe again

Yes, you did and I keep reading back over the old posts and recommendations when I am concerned so they have been very useful.
I will continue posting my updates as things move along.
thank you!

 

[Kwik]

Yes, you did and I keep reading back over the old posts and recommendations when I am concerned so they have been very useful.
I will continue posting my updates as things move along.
thank you!

Fantastic,I look forward to your updates..... so glad for you and Billy,I had no doubt from day one that there's a darling little love bug in Billy boy just waiting to be discovered by someone special...... (& always had a hunch who that someone special is-lol)

 

[Julest]

Fantastic,I look forward to your updates..... so glad for you and Billy,I had no doubt from day one that there's a darling little love bug in Billy boy just waiting to be discovered by someone special...... (& always had a hunch who that someone special is-lol)

 

[Julest]

Another update.
Billy is still unpredictable - sometimes he hisses, spits and lunges at me, other times he sits calmly and slow blinks. I never know what to do expect.
Kwik I have ordered a large 6ft x 6ft cat enclosure to set up in my studio so I am hoping that will help Billy settle in. Part of me really does think he is destined to be a forever feral and another part of me is hopeful that he will transition to being a pet. Whatever happens he is at least safe and healthy. I will post a follow up with photos once he is in his new home.

 

[Kwik]

Sounds great- look forward to your updates

I just don't believe there is ANY cat who's behavior cannot be reconditioned,cats adapt to their environment better than most species..... Not like a fish out of water,or a bull in a China shop,lol ( made you laugh?)

It's certainly not a task for everyone and there are many variables in each equation that will yield different results but honestly the results are predictable when you consider all factors.....if Billy was mean and aggressive all the time we'd have to wonder what made him that way,that's difficult because we all know treating a symptoms does not cure,you need to treat the cause or source to cure a sickness or disease- same principle in reconditioning behavior..... but Billy is unpredictable at this point,he's not been abused and aggressive towards humans as a conditioned behavioral response - he doesn't know what to make of you,undecided and he's figuring it out slowly but surely

Timmy had a couple of bad experiences out in the world but he was not an abused animal and was not a mean ,aggressive cat..... He'd hiss,growl and swat because he didn't know what to make of these huge,threatening creatures he avoided instinctually for 6 years....if I waited for MrTimmy to make the first move I'd still be waiting,lol It doesn't work that way if you want a relationship beyond feeding and provision

I told you it greatly depends on your own goals and what works for you,your expectations..... people with little expectations are rarely disappointed but imo don't get the results that someone else with high expectations can achieve if they are determined to work really hard to attain those goals....

There was a lady took in a stray very young and he just became more n more aggressive over time- he avoided,came out for food and in 3 yrs she could not trust him as her story went so she surrendered him to my friends shelter,she did not want to accept this cat but a woman volunteer was there when this poor boy was surrendered,he was a beautiful rare chocolate colored cat with stunning green eyes-the cat was truly mean- it was obvious he had been terribly mistreated when I observed him in the volunteers home.....we don't know how the cat was abused but I suspect he was hit,kicked etc....." Truffles" fell into the perfect person's hands,she was scratched quite a few times in the first 6months so she asked if Id come by adter 6 months of trying to avoid lunging and swatting......

I watched his movement at feeding time and boy he was agreesive and didn't take his eyes off her- I suggested let's start from square one- containment ,one cubby only - up high -block off any hiding places except the 1" hands off" safe space provided and begin all over given him vertical space.... I imagine his lunging and being below humans was too threatening for fear of being hit or kicked.... it worked,she was able to start petting him at eye level where he felt much less vulnerable,Truffles adapted quickly to the small space and it was less than a year that his Mom felt he was a very trustworthy boy......he may have adapted well in many kind homes but had he not had this very persistent woman who was not willing to simply feed & co exist I don't believe he'd of ever blossomed to his full capacity - a velcro cat that was glued to his owner

There's lots of variables- I think adjusting and setting a controlled environment to suit your and Billy's needs will give you both the right atmosphere to get to know each other..we are very Blessed to be able to set up what we need to work with and not be in the position where everything works against you,isn't that great? I'm happy you have such a perfect set up at your house and your office room

You're A- OK Julest

 

[Kwik]

J Julest
Just thinking of you and wondering how everything is going with Billy boy(& you of course)

 

[Julest]

J Julest
Just thinking of you and wondering how everything is going with Billy boy(& you of course)

Hi Kwik

Thank you for both of your messages. Billy is doing pretty well. Sometimes I think he is great and really progressing in leaps and bounds and other times I think he will never quite lose the feral in him. Overall though he has make huge progress.

I can feed him, change his litter, clean up his crates and overall work around him without worrying about him biting, scratching or attacking me now. He is always happy to eat in front of me, drink his water and use his litter tray now. He even acts quite playful sometimes when I am sitting in the room with him jumping and playing with a little ball I have given him, pulling his cover off the crate (he plays with it, and coming over to the corner of the crate where I am and acting kitten like. It is very sweet. I get a lot of eye blinks and he will sit close to me outside of his safe hiding spots and relax and watch me.

He has never wanted to get close enough to want me to touch him though and doesn't really trust me enough to want me to play with him yet.

The issue is that when I go into the room initially he always acts really aggressively lunging towards the front of the crate, hissing, spitting, teeth bared and acting as if he would attack me if there weren't bars between us. This only happens at night after dark and only when I first enter the room. I know its because he is in full alert, hunting, predator/ prey mode. As soon as I sit down and talk to him he calms down and I start to get the eye blinks again but for the first few minutes it is really quite scary and I therefore don't feel as if he is ready yet to be out of his crate.

The new catio that I ordered has arrived. It looks huge and it looks as if it will take some time to put together so I haven't started it yet. I am planning on putting it together next week though so he will have more space and height then - hopefully that will be a great transitional space for him. I am already wondering how I can move him from his current set up into the new space though as he no longer goes into his old cat carrier that allowed me to close the door so that I would have been able to lift him into the new space. I guess when I have put it together I may be able to work something out. I hope so. If you have any good ideas please let me know.

Seeing how much he has progressed in 2 1/2 months I have far less concerns about the next few months as I am now confident that given time he will definitely settle down. It is certainly time consuming but I am growing really fond of him and I think in his own way he is starting to like me - at least I believe he knows deep down that I care for him and won't harm him and he does show that in his body language most of the time now.

At the moment the office space is still working well. He has lots of things around him and as I am typing this I am actually giggling at him as he has pushed himself out of his basket backwards and upside down and is wiggling his way across the crate on his back looking at me. He is definitely getting playful and that is actually really adorable to watch. If I were to reach towards him he would hiss at me though but he kind of knows that I am okay as a human I think.

I do love hearing all your tales about Timmy and other feral cats you have worked with so please keep the stories coming.

Thanks for continuing to check in. It is very appreciated.

 

[Kwik]

Awww,I'm so glad to hear your update J Julest and to know both you and Billy are well( you're both in my prayers)

His progress is terrific and it's wonderful your enclosure has arrived- my cousin builds homes and it took him like 4 hours to erect Timmy's- they are not all so easy to do but boy are they worth the time,effort and $

I'm wondering if it's completely dark and then you turn on the light when you enter the office at night with the lunging and hissing- sounds like he's startled....

You know although cats can see very well in the dark there must be a source of light for there night vision to work and if there isn't any light to draw in( even a small night light,or the moon or a dim lamp)then they are just like us and can't see in the dark..... anyway,I'm thinking if the room is dark and suddenly the door opens it could be startling him,it would me ..... maybe you could talk a bit so to prepare him before opening the door or turning a light on..... if that's the case.He may be sound asleep in the dark & quiet and opposite of what you'd think about hunt mode.....mine are all sound asleep around nightfall,as a matter of fact it's when they come in from the patio and they get really active much later( or to me " earlier") Right now its around midnight ,everyone is fast asleep and in a couple of hours they'll start zooming around before breakfast(3am) They really start to change and acclimate to a different routine after transitioning in captivity- he'll even change more in his bigger space where he has the freedom to move around much more and gets more & more accustomed to your activity.Anyway,it's a thought to consider

So you like cat stories,

Last year I relocated 2ferals to a friend's stable on their property- 2 very antisocial but excellent ratters that have been doing a great job in eliminating the rodent problem they were having.....my friends wife cares for the horses and knew nothing about cats,always had dogs ,has chickens and sheep too and last weekend I had to stop by their place , I walked in the barn to a surprising sight

My friends wife was sitting on a bale of hay with one cat on her lap and the other sleeping on a bale of hay behind her head! I said" are these the 2 cats I brought here last year?" rofl

Now I thought I'd share that with you - here's a person who had never been around cats,had no idea what to do and look at that! It was really nice to see this pair of working cats so content and loved

A consistent routine, love and time yields positive results

 

[fluffpaws]

Hi @ Julest and Billy,
Thanks for the update and happy to hear things are going well for the both of you.
You asked about ideas on how to transfer Billy into his luxurious penthouse suit
How's about constructing some sort of tunnel from crate to enclosure? My guess is once he's in the enclosure he will head upward especially if there's a cubby hole up high? Your thoughts?

 

[Kwik]

I love fluffpaws little tunnel idea but I'd imagine your going to want the enclosure set up where the crate set up is currently,is thst correct?

So your going to have to erect the enclosure first and then slide it to where you want it first.... I ask if you know where you want it so we know what that entails considering if Billy's crate will need to be moved first etc etc

 

[Julest]

Hi @ Julest and Billy,
Thanks for the update and happy to hear things are going well for the both of you.
You asked about ideas on how to transfer Billy into his luxurious penthouse suit
How's about constructing some sort of tunnel from crate to enclosure? My guess is once he's in the enclosure he will head upward especially if there's a cubby hole up high? Your thoughts?

That's a good idea and one that I will probably follow. I have put off building the large catio for two reasons - one is that it looks daunting and I just haven't set aside enough time to put it together. I am thinking it will take the best part of a full day. The other is that Billly is coming along so nicely that I am terrified that the added changes will throw him all over again. He now comes out almost as soon as I come into the room, eats his food very comfortably whilst I am there, cleans himself and sits nicely very close to me at the corner of rthe crate and will eat squeezy Churro off of a spoon whilst I am holding it. He still hisses at me if I get too close and he thinks I am going to touch him, but it turns very quickly into an eye blink.
I know I still have to take things very slowly as it has taken almost 3 months to get this far so I am loathe to making more changes and pushing the progress back again. However, I do feel very sad that he has been in such a confined area for almost 3 months so I know that it is important that I get him into the larger catio for a couple of months before hopefully being able to let him roam freely in the room.