How To Help A Rescued Stray Transition To Inside Life?

KellyG0513

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Feb 17, 2018
Messages
4
Purraise
31
Hi,

This is going to be a little lengthy but I want to give the full story and am really hoping I can get some good advice here.

Three weeks ago I finally got the nerve to snatch up a stray we had been feeding outside of our apartment building for the past almost 4 yrs now. She got to where she would let me pet her a little while she was eating, but would keep a short distance any other time. She would follow me and my boyfriend around the complex while walking our little dog, sometimes before she would go eat the food we put out. Almost seemed like she liked, or wanted, the companionship or something. I also believe we now have two of her offspring. One kitten "appeared" on our 3rd story deck out back one day at about 8 weeks old with an obviously broken foot. He is now 3 yrs old. We rescued another 4 week old kitten a few months ago right outside of our building in the middle of the entrance walkway. It was dark and she's black. If she hadn't been crying, I would've stepped on her!

I know she has had a least 3 litters since we've lived here. The straw for me finally catching her was seeing her outside being "harassed" by two males while she was obviously in heat again. One was on top of her right out in the middle of the parking lot in broad daylight. I tried the have-a-heart trap on her before but she was having no part of that. So I just scruffed her up while she was eating and put in her a crate that opened from the top as well as the side. It was actually easier than I thought it would be.

She has been in our spare bathroom ever since I brought her in (three weeks now). I was keeping her isolated from our other two cats until she was checked out. She has now been examined, vaccinated and spayed as of this past Tues. She did amazingly well at the vet's. Very easy for them to handle her. But now she is not happy with ME at all. Since Tues, she barely lets me stroke her back lightly without hissing at me. I was able to pretty much pet and scratch her almost anywhere on her body, except her belly, of course.

I'm sure she's probably still in some pain from the spay surgery (and she was newly pregnant, again). Getting the pain medicine in her has been challenging since I can't really put it directly into her mouth, so I've been putting it on tuna and her wet food hoping she would eat it, which she has been for past couple of days, but not really getting the dosage she's supposed to be. I wanted to move her into the spare bedroom where she will have more room to move around and at least have a window to look out of. But now I'm wondering if I can even get her by the scruff again to move her. She's not really letting me touch her near her neck and head right now.

I feel really bad now. I feel like I've betrayed her trust by putting her through all of this scary stuff. I logically know it's for her own good. But my feelings are kind of hurt that she's pissed off at me right now. I really want to get her out of the bathroom now. It can't be good for her to not even have a window to look out of. I'm worried she'll get depressed, if she's not already.

Any suggestions for making her transition easier on her, an "easy" way to get her into the spare bedroom literally across the hall from the bathroom she's in now, or anything else, would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks and sorry again for the length of the post.

Kelly
 

Furballsmom

Cat Devotee
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jan 9, 2018
Messages
39,270
Purraise
53,927
Location
Colorado US
Hi - first off, you are awesome and second, cats are incredibly resilient. What if you put up baby gates or something that would create a path or tunnel, and let her move on her own to the other room?
Also, she isn't angry with you, she's adjusting to a lot of things. Also, I'll post some articles that might help...
Adopting A Stray Cat
 
Last edited:

Furballsmom

Cat Devotee
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jan 9, 2018
Messages
39,270
Purraise
53,927
Location
Colorado US
You've been down the road a couple times already with her kittens, so some of the items in the articles will likely be "old news". If you get a chance in time maybe take a look at some of the other articles on this site - it's pretty amazing how many bases these folks have covered over the years :)
 

rubysmama

Forum Helper
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Nov 25, 2013
Messages
25,277
Purraise
62,756
Location
Canada
First off, welcome to The Cat Site. :wave2: And thank you for scooping up that dear cat and bringing her inside, getting her vetted and spayed, and for feeding her the past 4 years.

I don't personally have any experience with socializing ferals, but I regularly read these threads, and a common comment from rescuers is feeling they've betrayed the rescued cat's trust. And in a way you have, but you have more importantly brought her into a warm, safe environment, where she will be loved, plus prevented her from having yet another litter of kittens. She's a very lucky cat. She just doesn't know it yet.

Here's another article that may be helpful:
Handling Feral Cats

And one for when it's time for the "kittens" to be re-united with their Mom:
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide

Getting her into the spare bedroom sounds like a plan. Could you try maybe wrapping a towel around her and simply shuffling her across the hall?

Good luck. And please post pictures, when you can. :camera:
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

KellyG0513

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Feb 17, 2018
Messages
4
Purraise
31
Wow. Thanks so much for the quick responses! And thanks for the reassurance that I really did the right thing for her and she just doesn't realize it yet. I will definitely be reading all the articles suggested tonight.

I was trying to figure out a way to just tunnel or shuffle her across the hall into the bedroom without having to actually pick her up again. Right now I have a big crate box (with metal crate in it for the weight) blocking the bathroom doorway with the door open while I am at home with her trying to get her used to the other smells and sounds of the household. I like both the baby gates and wrapping a towel around her somehow ideas. I'm sure with the BF's help I can scoot her in there somehow hopefully without traumatizing her again too much.

I've attached some pics of her on the first night she was in. She liked hanging out in the bathtub at first but she mostly stays in the corner now between the tub and toilet on a folded up towel I put down for her. Her name is Frizzi, sometimes Momma.



Thanks again, guys! Will definitely keep you updated on our progress.
 

duckpond

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 13, 2017
Messages
3,905
Purraise
4,346
She is a beautiful cat, and i am very happy you have her!

Im sure she is not mad at you, well she may be, just like kids get mad at parents sometimes when we have to do things for them they dont like, but need. It hurts or feelings just the same, but be assured You did the right thing :)

My little white cat, my avatar, was spayed too young i think, by the vet at the rescue where i got her. She was also horribly allergic to the suture material they used. My vet had to do surgery on her again 3 times in the next 6 months, it was horrible, and we didnt know if we could save her. But that was 2 years ago, she is very healthy and happy now :) it was traumatic and very stressful, for both of us, like you are going through now.

After her last surgery she was stressed, scared, and i guess felt like i had hurt her a lot. Broke my heart too, but for almost a year she didn't want me to touch her. So i let her be, and didn't push her. Now 2 years later she is loving and cuddles up with me each night in bed. Im happy and i think she is finally over her mad and scared. :)

Be patient with your little girl, love her in any way she will let you. and give her space right now if thats what she needs, im sure she is afraid and does not understand anything going on. It would be great if you can move her to the room with a window and more space. Once she is over the pain, and stress i think she will be fine, seems like you are doing all the right things!
 

duckpond

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 13, 2017
Messages
3,905
Purraise
4,346
Thank you, duckpond, for the encouragement! I know I do need to be more patient with her.
I feel it will all work out. I know when we have a new cat we want it to be all happy love and cuddles, right from the start. we want them to be as happy to be with us as we are to have them. Unfortunately it doesn't normally work that way. they are usually scared and stressed, and everything has to happen in cat time, not our time :) Just have faith that it will happen. Hopefully soon for you guys! :purr:
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13

KellyG0513

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Feb 17, 2018
Messages
4
Purraise
31
Phase II begins! Got Frizzi into the spare bedroom successfully this morning. Blocked off the hallway and just kind of shuffled her across the hall with a folded up bath towel behind her. She went right in. She's currently hiding under the drawers of the office desk in there. I got a Feliway plug in diffuser this afternoon. Hope that helps her out a little. I go in there periodically and just sit on the floor and read and talk softly to her.
 

trudy1

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Nov 19, 2011
Messages
890
Purraise
1,214
When you get too worried that you hurt her or let her down just think of what you rescued her from! It must have been an awful life...all those litters, being chased, attacked and all the rest. I think you’re making great progress. Remember, after what she has been through living outside she must learn to trust. You will find a special bond between you and her, I’m certain, if you are patient. I think she knows she’s home and safe. The rest just takes time.
 

playerdark

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
137
Purraise
62
This is quite common I guess, I had these worries too, should I put the cats through this or that or rather let them be. The bottomline is to be persistent. Good thing is your cat is inside now so she can't run away. The rest will come in time. The important thing is not to feel bad and to think "oh she might be better off outside if she can't get used to her new situation". They all will.
I have a feral cat that started in our garden. It was two years before she would let me touch her and another year until she would come inside occasionally. Luckily I had her so far because she got a real bad eye infection one day and I just had to get her inside to give her the medicine on time every day.
It took a long time, the first months were very loud and for a year or two she would always scratch on the metal screen door to the garden when it was open, trying to open it.
Now she is quiet and I think likes her life inside. She hardly ever goes to the garden door and mostly lives on my desk.
Other cats are easier to handle but the important part is not to give up and continue. Eventually they all come around.
As for the medicine there ae a few ways, if it's a pill, try either pill pockets or get a pill gun which makes it easier to place the pill so far in the mouth that she has to swallow. Another trick is to either dissolve in water and shoot it up the mouth with a syringe, but that can also create a lot of waste, or maybe grind up some hardfood and mix the medicine in it. My cats like it when I mix pulverized hardfood with water. If the medicine can be dissolved in water, that may get it in easier.
 

di and bob

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 12, 2012
Messages
16,577
Purraise
22,949
Location
Nebraska, USA
I give liquid medicine and ground pills (check with the vet first to see if they can be crushed.) into the juice off of tune. In fact just gave it to my impossible to medicate Casper this morning. I have never had one reject tuna juice!
You will be blessed for saving that little girl! I too hate to see those rough toms, it breaks my heart! She is so traumatized over everything these last few weeks, I think she is doing amazingly well. Make sure she has that place to hide for security, and just continue to talk softly and sit with her as often as you can. Switch blankets once in a while with your other cats to get them all used to each other. Getting them together will be a challenge, but if my bunch did it, any of them can! It will take weeks for her to trust you again, she is just so scared of all the changes right now and hurting from the spay. It is not you she doesn't trust, it is all the changes, after all, cats HATE change. She'll come around, keep us posted!
 

houseofnine

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Oct 22, 2013
Messages
210
Purraise
232
Location
Connecticut
Hi and welcome to TCS! Bless you for all you've done for this kitty and her offspring too! I was wondering, could you sleep in the same room as Frizzi does? That's how I got to be friends with our first stray/feral, Hanna. I was sleeping on the office floor on a foam pad, and would put out dried chicken or salmon treats before I hit the pillow. Hanna started to come out of hiding every night..would sit near my feet and STARE at me for her treats. I'd toss them to her and talk to her. Then I got the laser toy and she gradually figured out what it was for. So we'd have treats and playtime every night after lights-out. This went on for months..then one night I felt something lying at my feet. Guess who?!!!
So I would try this if you or a family member are up for it. It has to be all in the dark for a while though!
Let us know how it's going. I have high hopes for this relationship! It can take a long time to get to be good friends with them but I really think they appreciate us more than we know. She will get over the shock of spay and vetting. It's a necessary evil. =)
Best of luck--keep the updates coming!
 
Top