Help Please. I am trying to rescue a semi feral who is not eating much (teeth or stomatitis issues)

WWG1WGA

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Hi,
I have been here before. I have a semi feral, I guess, he communicates with me very well who lives in the backyard.. parents did the TNR a few years ago and released him into our backyard ( Geniuses & kept his littermate inside) . He has been around since maybe 5 years ago.I moved back here and have been caring for him.. He is definitely having teeth problems or stomatitis, I have been pureeing his food for a few months, and using a homeopathic remedy with no success. I finally told my step dad its time to make this cat a member of the indoor family (his sister & my cat are indoors) they see him all the time and are aware he is out there. But enough is enough, I cant do it anymore and winter is coming he breaks my heart, I love him like my own cat... I have a vet willing to see him, but I cant catch him.. Its driving me insane, hard to coax him to eat, so he isnt so interested in looking for food in my trap. He has a few cat houses under my deck and is comfortable around here he sleeping back there now but he likes to keep a foot or two or a barricade between us. Should I grab him? I am so frustrated with the entire situation.Help Please..
Shawn.
 

shadowsrescue

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What kind of food have you tried in the trap? I would go with the stinkiest food you can find. I have used canned tuna in oil as well as mackerel. Some have good luck with Kentucky fried chicken. Just take some of the meat and skin off the leg.

If you try to grab him it could do you both harm. You also could try a drop trap.

Thank you for caring for this sweet one and wanting to do the best.
 
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WWG1WGA

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What kind of food have you tried in the trap? I would go with the stinkiest food you can find. I have used canned tuna in oil as well as mackerel. Some have good luck with Kentucky fried chicken. Just take some of the meat and skin off the leg.

If you try to grab him it could do you both harm. You also could try a drop trap.

Thank you for caring for this sweet one and wanting to do the best.
Thank you. He runs away from food right now, I went through this with him before, but I wasnt able to bring him indoors at that time & couldnt catch him for a vet trip, so I have been doing the best I can I spend hours a day with him trying to coax him to eat & trying to get him to step into my house he comes right to doorstep, but wont step inside.. I cant do the 3 hours a day with him outside anymore, so I demanded to my stepdad that it is way past time to bring him inside, I have been advocating for 3 years about this, but he used to be a healthy guy who ate as soon as I put his food down outside, he has shrunk to half the cat he used to be, lost so much weight, its heartbreaking and I have nothing to lure him with, because he is afraid of food, even when I puree it, its not the cage its the food, he doesnt care about any of it, I have tried many kinds of fish, from Tuna to sardines to sea bass fried chicken, boiled chicken, chicken soup, everything. Thanks for your reply
 

Laura57

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I have been in the same situation. Mine started “screaming” in pain every time he tried to eat. I tried every stinky food suggestion and different traps, nothing worked. Finally I got an old landing net for fishing and brought out an old mesh pet playpen with a zipper top. At 3 am I managed to drop the landing net over him. Then moved the rim of the net until he was in the net part only, then picked it up so the net was forced closed by the rim, with the opening still facing down and the cat in the rest of the mesh. Then I put him and the net into the mesh playpen and zipped the top. Brought the whole thing inside and into a bathroom in case he escaped , and worked him out of the net into the playpen. I got him to the vet and found out he was at least 16 years old and was FIV positive and had stomatitis. I ended up having to put him down, I stayed with him the whole time. Broke my heart. I had been feeding him for about three years and spent 6 months trying to trap him to get him neutered, only to have it end like that. But he was in so much pain. Good luck with your cat.
 
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WWG1WGA

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I have been in the same situation. Mine started “screaming” in pain every time he tried to eat. I tried every stinky food suggestion and different traps, nothing worked. Finally I got an old landing net for fishing and brought out an old mesh pet playpen with a zipper top. At 3 am I managed to drop the landing net over him. Then moved the rim of the net until he was in the net part only, then picked it up so the net was forced closed by the rim, with the opening still facing down and the cat in the rest of the mesh. Then I put him and the net into the mesh playpen and zipped the top. Brought the whole thing inside and into a bathroom in case he escaped , and worked him out of the net into the playpen. I got him to the vet and found out he was at least 16 years old and was FIV positive and had stomatitis. I ended up having to put him down, I stayed with him the whole time. Broke my heart. I had been feeding him for about three years and spent 6 months trying to trap him to get him neutered, only to have it end like that. But he was in so much pain. Good luck with your cat.
Thank you so much, my step dad still goes fishing and maintains his boat (we have more fishing equipment than a sporting goods store over here, he has asked me about using a net before and I said no, it wouldnt work, but reading your reply helped me to visualise how I can do it, so I am very grateful. I am also sorry you had to put him down, so sad these animals, it tears your heart out, I get so upset to.
 

fionasmom

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There are videos of people using nets to catch cats. Watching them might help. I have never done that myself, but have a friend who has and it has been successful.
 
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