Feral/stray Question

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Pjemond

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Thanks for the encouragement, I think I will wait a bit before letting him in the rest of the house. I'm afraid he will hide and I won't be able to find him. Right now my grandkids are living with me for two more weeks so I think it's best to wait anyways. He's been pretty much sleeping all day today, I think he's active at night. I'm going to try to put more entertaining stuff in there for him today. I did have two cardboard boxes he has taken up Residence in 1. wish I had a camera in there :-)
 

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You are doing great! I think this little guy is a keeper! I agree that you should keep him in his room for a while longer. Visit him as often as you can to get him comfortable with you.

About seven months ago, I brought inside a female semi-feral cat I had been feeding for about three years as well as a stray male cat who I had been feeding for one year. They had become buddies outside so I had to keep them together. I already had trapped them and gotten them spayed/neutered. I cleared stuff out of a small bedroom and cat-proofed what was left. They had one litter box accident, but that was it. I started out using Cat Attract litter and added a little clean potting soil to it. Eventually, the potting soil got mixed in and when I changed the litter, I just used Cat Attract litter. They have never had another accident and the stray cat, who is male, has never sprayed.

I kept them in their safe room for months, although they are both out and about in the house now. I bought a fairly cheap camera (Canary) at Target and was able to set it up myself, a great feat for a low-tech person! I found it really valuable to be able to see what was going on in their room.

Keep up the good work and keep us posted. I think you are doing a really wonderful thing for this kitty!
 

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Thanks for the encouragement, I think I will wait a bit before letting him in the rest of the house. I'm afraid he will hide and I won't be able to find him.
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Just don't rush things and let it be on his terms. Also before you let him explore the rest of the house, make sure it is cat safe and no toxic plants or chemicals or breakables are within his reach and all hiding holes plugged up.
 
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2 nights down....last night was a little calmer. No accidents, he ate the kibble and it looks like he used the litter box. One strange thing though he got the tassels down from tucked at the top of the blind and chewed them up. None of my cats ever chewed anything up? Any thoughts on that? He still won't eat any tasty morsels I bring him. Maybe because of the trapping he doesn't trust me? He was out when we set the trap up and put the food down to lure him.
 
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I'm going to remove the blinds today
 

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Are you giving him any canned food? I tamed Demi by petting him with a long handled duster. I also taught him a lot of words, it helps to be able to communicate, it makes them less afraid.
 
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I have tried canned, he didn't touch it. I did give him a mackerel this morning, when I went to change the litter he scarfed it down. I haven't been able to get close enough to him yet but when he comes out more I will try that. That's a great idea about the duster...... He did use the litter box, I have one that's only potting soil and that's where he did all his business. Very tiny steps forward.
 

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He could be bored and tassel looks like a nice thing to chew on. Maybe yuan get some safe chewable toys for him?
But it's good to put that away and he may learn that tassel is not a thing to be chewed on.

Good other that he's using the litter box. Yes, tiny steps forward and remember, it's always one step forward and two steps back.
 
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Is catnip a good or bad Idea for socializing my guy? I don't really understand it. I hear it can make them go crazy or calm them? Should I try it? Maybe the happy feeling will make him associate that feeling with being here? Any thoughts, experiences?
 

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Here is a feral/stray new mama i have named her swampy and at first yes she was very timid and scared but with persistence time and love she has grown attached to me and vice versa. She just had 5 kittens which she lets me pet and pick up with no hesitation(trust) im having them taking in to the shelter where they will be taking care of and re homed but i am spaying her asap and keeping her, proof that feral/stray cats do love and need love as much as any other furry friend!!!!
 
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Ahh. She's beautiful. So nice to hear the success stories.
 

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Is catnip a good or bad Idea for socializing my guy? I don't really understand it. I hear it can make them go crazy or calm them?
You can try that but it just put them on a 'High' for a moment only and not all cats are affected by catnips.

Maybe you can try the Feliway plug in diffuser or spray but this is just a calming agent and not sure how long the effect will be on a cat as I've not used this product before. You can type 'Feliway' in the search button and they are may threads on it or maybe see members who have tried it will share with you on how it works.

It's only a day or two that he's been inside. Give him more time to get use to being inside, more time to get use to your presence and more time to settle down.
During this time is the crucial period of having him socialized. Once he gains trust in you, it'll be easier. So socializing means lots of human contact using toys and food as a tool to win their trust.

So try whichever way you can without spooking him or by using methods recommended by members of TCS. Sometimes it's fast and sometimes it takes a longer time but whichever it is, please don't give up.
 
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I got the feniway difuser yesterday. Not sure how it will work. It seems his only goal at night is trying to escape. I wish I could see what he's doing in there.
 

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Pjemond

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So things have been going pretty good. Pepper is using the litter box regularly and eating. He won't come out when I'm in the room yet. I clean, read out loud, even do a little work throughout the day in his room. I left the light on last night so I could observe him from outside when he's active. It's the first time I saw him active in his room it was awesome seeing him in action....Although he is still only searching for an escape. He meowed for a few hours last night but Much calmer than previously. I don't know if he'll ever show himself to me. I'm cautiously optimistic that one day we'll be friends.
 

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So things have been going pretty good.
Great to hear that! Slow progress is better than no progress.

He may not be seeking to escape but cats are active from twilight to dawn. And since he’s was an outside cat, he’s used to the freedom and time to do what he wants to do.

Now is the time to make him feel at home by keeping him busy with your presence and love. Once the trust is established, he’ll show himself but remember, it’s always on his terms.
 
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So he is only active late at night when I'm sleeping. I feel like camping out in his room... is that too crazy?
 

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I feel like camping out in his room... is that too crazy?
Not crazy, in fact it would be good so that he get use to you and in a way train him to sleep with you or with you around.

So when he is able and independent to move around, he knows that he can sleep with you.
 

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Now that my cats have been inside for a while, their schedule is more like mine (we sleep at night!), but at first they were much more active at night in their safe room, which was a small bedroom that had a futon. I took the futon frame out of the room so the mattress was on the floor, and I did spend a few nights sleeping in there with them. They pretty much ignored me, but I think it helped them realize I wasn't a threat.

One of them loves catnip toys and he plays with them, kicks them, throws them up in the air, and gets some good exercise with them. Most cats seem to like one particular brand, Yeowww, carried by many pet stores and online. If you Google "yeowww catnip toy" you'll find it in the shape of bananas, balls, rainbows, cigars, and more!

I also bought a fairly cheap camera from Target. It is a Canary View and it was easy to set up. It was great to be able to see what was going on in their room overnight, and I even took my laptop to work and could see what was going on during the day!
 
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It's a week today since we trapped my little guy. He seems more comfortable. I have a webcam now so I can see his habits. He holds up on my desk shelf with a storage bin in front of it. I can't see him at all. Should I take the bin Away so he's not so hidden? He still doesn't eat in front of me. He's eating well, no accidents.... I bring him tasty treats throughout the day but he waits until I leave to eat it. Should I take them with me when I leaved now? I'm too anxious I guess. I want to interact sometime soon.
 
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