Feral/stray - How To Attract?

[Graceful-Lily]

The other day, I saw a feral or stray... not sure. As we were driving into our complex's parking lot, I called to him and he stopped and looked at me.

I'm wondering how I can attract him to my house and possibly rescue him.

Can I just leave food out?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
You could try that, --although you may attract other animals
Try walking around the area some more, and talk to people a little bit, someone may know him or if he belongs to anyone.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

Highly unlikely he belongs to anyone. People around here are... different. They don't care for animals much. There are a lot of stray cats eating out of garbage bins and running across the streets.

It's also not safe to talk to strangers around here.

It's the last week of school and I'm afraid I won't get another chance to find him. People always have their dogs off leash and they chase cats away. He might go into hiding or get hurt.

 

[Furballsmom]

Keep walking, maybe even have some treats and a can of cat food or tuna along with some out at your house.

 

[Jcatbird]

Look for him at the same time and place you already saw him. Cats often have a regular route they follow. Also they tend to roam when all is quiet. Very early morning, dusk and dark. As Furballsmom suggested, keep some food handy as you search or put some out by your door. If you see him , put the food down where he can see it and then back off to wait and watch. It may take doing this for awhile and regularly but your chances of seeing him again are pretty good. You could try leaving food near where you saw him but if there are lots of strays they might eat it and even run him off his regular route. Hunting and tracking may seem difficult but it usually pays off. It’s more just hanging in there and don’t give up. He is probably just as aware of the people and animals there as you are and already knows how to avoid them. Cats are very smart. Be patient and keep looking. He’s probably very near. Good luck! Keep us posted please. We’ll be hoping you find him.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

Thank you.

I have a garden box outside. Would it help if I put cat grass?

 

[Furballsmom]

If most of the area is concrete, this might be appreciated by the cat

 

[Graceful-Lily]

UPDATE: I started leaving food out but it went uneaten. I kind of lost hope but continued to check. Yesterday, when I woke up, almost all the food was gone. Same thing this morning. To my surprise, little Jasmine (this is what I will call her because I don't know if she is really a 'she' or a 'he' but I feel like she is a Jasmine) had eaten it and came to my backdoor for more. I think I spooked her. She tried to hide behind an old piece of wood leaned up against our grill. But, I still saw her so she casually walked away from me and left.

At this point, she is definitely a stray like most of the cats in this area. She made eye contact and her tail was high in the air. I showed her the bag so that she knew I was the one with the food but it wasn't enough. I hope she comes back. I set some food out for her to eat.

When I saw her actually step foot in my backyard I felt really hopeful. I thought I could set up a shelter out back for her for safety from rain or I could TNR. I'm not sure if I'm ready for another cat. But I feel a connection to her. I can't explain it but that day I called her and she actually looked at me, I knew I had to do something.

Any advice? Shelter outside or try to trap her and take her in? I don't know her medical history of course but maybe I could talk to animal services and strike a deal with them? Get her checked out my a veterinarian?

Edit: I know of a very budget friendly vet close by. Maybe they could spay/neuter for me if I explain the circumstances. If she is indeed female and pregnant, I might be able to get a hold of that lady from the cat rescue that took Hazel in with her kitten. I'm just not sure what to do. After Hazel, Smokey, and the whole lot of them, I'm afraid to welcome another cat into my home. I'm afraid things will go wrong because I regretten giving up Hazel and her babes.


I was thinking something like this as an outdoor shelter but they are very expensive.

 

[movinintime]

Trap w/ canned fish, either salmon, mackerel or sardines. Take to your vet as trust none else since you really care of her. Animal control anywhere it seems only care for themselves re trapping -- not the cat's wellbeing, trust me, as have dealt w/ them trapping & often cat is put down by them too fast.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

I checked online but all the TNR programs I see would require me to register my colony. I don't care for an entire colony. The cats around here are all over the place. Does anyone have a registered colony? What does it mean?

 

[shadowsrescue]

Look for a low cost spay/neuter clinic. They usually just require that the cat be in a trap. Please please get her spayed or there will be many more cats. If you are going to feed and care for her she most definitely must be spayed/neutered. If you feed.....they will breed. By feeding and caring for him/her you are making the cat strong and healthier so they can breed. TNR is a must.

Also be careful about leaving food out all night. It can attract many unwanted critters which can be hard to get rid of.

Thank you for wanting to help her. She seems to need an angel in her corner!

 

[Graceful-Lily]

That is what I was thinking. I cannot go through the whole kitten thing again. It was devastating the first time because you never know what happens to them and they don't always get adopted out into good homes.

I'm looking for TNR programs who will take females or individual cats instead of entire colonies. I don't know if I can call this a colony because the cats in this area are spread out over several streets and they do not travel together.

I'm not going to leave the food out. I will take it up in the mornings but I have to see what Jasmine's schedule is like. She hangs out in this area and now she knows my house has food.

Is there a specific food I should feed strays? Which is best? Dry food would last longer and attract less animals, flies, bugs, etc.

 

[shadowsrescue]

If you can try to call to her and feed her on a schedule that would be best. I like to feed feral/stray cats the best canned food I can afford. Yet the canned food can only be left out for a short amount of time during the warmer months. I would just feed her the best quality you can afford.

I used to leave dry food out all day, but always picked it up by 8pm. Raccoons, possums, skunks, mice, rats, etc... can easily get into the food at night.

Keep us posted. I hope you can find a clinic that will spay/neuter for a good price.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

She came at 9am so I'll put the food out 9pm in the backyard (hopefully she can find it) and then pick it up 9am. I'll leave a few pieces outside the gate and in the front.

Now that she's stopping by regularly, I hope I can find a clinic by next week and get her trapped for then. She doesn't seem too frightened because she didn't run right away when she saw me. Hopefully, I can gain her trust quickly enough.

 

[shadowsrescue]

You really do not want to leave the food outside overnight. It will just attract other unwanted visitors. Try to feed her in the morning and then again at dusk so you can watch her eat and then pick up the food. You want to be sure it is her eating it and not another cat or a raccoon, possum or other critter.

If you prefer you can leave dry food out for her in a safe spot during the day and then pick that up by 8-9 pm too.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

Okay, thank you.

My dog is in the backyard throughout the day so would it be better to feed her in the front yard? But she came into the backyard so I don't know.

There's a nice little shady spot - the trap would fit nicely there but I'm afraid someone will mess with her.

We only have mice and skunks.

 

[shadowsrescue]

I wouldn't think she would come into the yard with a dog there so out front might be better or on the side of your house. See if you can get her attention so she sees where you are putting the food.

Also when you trap, it's really best to be watching and waiting for her to go into the trap so she is not left unattended. Someone could mess with her or she could get hurt trying to escape. It's best if you set the trap, watch and wait. Then once you catch her quickly cover the trap with a blanket to keep her calm. Then place her somewhere safe and out of the heat/rain until the time of the appointment. If you have to keep her in the trap overnight for an appointment the next day, you do not want to keep her outside in the trap. She will need to go somewhere safe. You also will need the same place to keep her overnight or longer after the spay/neuter. This must be a temperature controlled environment as cats have a difficult time maintaining their body temperature after anesthesia. If she is a she, she may need more than a day to recover. Males can be released the next morning. Be sure you have this all planned out before trapping.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

I planned on keeping her inside after the appointment like I did with Hazel. When I rescued Hazel, they looked after her for free. She got flea treatment, her nails were cut, and they cleaned her up. There is space in my basement and I also have a spare room I can use. But I'd have to clear it out.

Right now, I have no idea where she went. I'm going to search for her outside because she ran off before she was able to see me putting the food down.

I will assess her temperment and if she is able to be tamed, I will keep her inside away from the other animals.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

Is it possible someone else is feeding her? She only comes at night and only every two days or so. I hardly see her around. Or maybe she has kittens? I can't get her to stay around my house.

 

[Furballsmom]

Either, or both, sounds very possible. Would you want to chat with your neighbors?