I finally caught me feral

WWG1WGA

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I have been caring for a feral my family TNRd about 6 years ago. I took over care for him about 2 years ago, bought him a few shelters and we have a pretty good relationship he stays under my deck in the houses I got him and I feed him daily of course, I see him multiple times a day, About 4 months ago he started having difficulty eating, until I figured out I had to start making his food into puree so he could eat. He comes from a litter where one of his siblings lives indoors with us. I wanted to get him to the vet and its taken me this long to catch him, its been very difficult. I had bought a dog crate and put it directly outside my door with some towels in it, and when I walked outside, to my shock, he was laying in it, awaiting me to bring dinner for him. I panicked but had enough speed to close the door. I brought him inside ( I have 2 cats inside) in the crate and have it covered, but I feel so badly the way he started moaning & whining when I shut the door of the crate. . although I know I am doing the right thing, I feel bad. Should I give him any food tonight? I am planning on taking him to my vet tomorrow, they had told me if I call anyday before 9 AM, I could bring him, considering I wasnt sure exactly when I could catch him. I want him checked out, his mouth looked at and honestly I would love to bring him indoors for good. Any help or suggestions? He is in the basement in the crate, and my cats cant get downstairs. I am pretty shook up at the moment because I really care for this guy and feel really shitty right now. Although at least its warm inside! Thank you.
Shawn.
 

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Don't feel bad, considering an overnight stay in his crate is an investment well worth his trip to the vet. In contrast, Bug (my avatar), a former feral, now indoor... took me weeks to get indoors, let alone crated for a vet visit. The process of transitioning to fully indoor may also tug your heartstrings, but well worth the effort, especially in view of his age.

I'd say a bit o' food will do him good tonight, so yeah....feed him.
 
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WWG1WGA

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Don't feel bad, considering an overnight stay in his crate is an investment well worth his trip to the vet. In contrast, Bug (my avatar), a former feral, now indoor... took me weeks to get indoors, let alone crated for a vet visit. The process of transitioning to fully indoor may also tug your heartstrings, but well worth the effort, especially in view of his age.

I'd say a bit o' food will do him good tonight, so yeah....feed him.
Thank you for the encouragement! Much needed.
 

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Any help or suggestions? He is in the basement in the crate, and my cats cant get downstairs. I am pretty shook up at the moment because I really care for this guy and feel really shitty right now. Although at least its warm inside! Thank you.
HI Shawn, thank you for taking interest in this cat and for taking him in :clapcat: I would say that this is the most easiest case that the cat is already in the crate and taken into the house while trying to trap him.

Yers, please, feed him as normal as what bigbadbass bigbadbass mentioned (not to derail this thread, detract a little bit, off topic, I just want too say hello to bigbadbass and Bug. :hellosmiley: guys, nice to hear from you and send my love to Bug. If you need to reply, please reply through Bug's thread 😉)
His moaning and whining is not a sure sign if he's surprised at being brought in to an unfamiliar place or he's hungry or in pain. As long as he's in the house for now, is most important. It's ok if you feel shitty, you did the right thing. Just stay calm and composed. Cats can sense human feelings and emotions. You want to keep him as comfortable as he can. If you are calm, he'll be calmed.

Gert him to the vet ASAP and have him checked out and have the necessary jabs and treatments. After that, never let him out again or you'll never be able too trap him again.

Feel free to ask questions and many members here will help you out. If you have the time, do check out Bug's thread here meet-buggy.331208.

Do keep us updated of the progress.
 
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WWG1WGA

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HI Shawn, thank you for taking interest in this cat and for taking him in :clapcat: I would say that this is the most easiest case that the cat is already in the crate and taken into the house while trying to trap him.

Yers, please, feed him as normal as what bigbadbass bigbadbass mentioned (not to derail this thread, detract a little bit, off topic, I just want too say hello to bigbadbass and Bug. :hellosmiley: guys, nice to hear from you and send my love to Bug. If you need to reply, please reply through Bug's thread 😉)
His moaning and whining is not a sure sign if he's surprised at being brought in to an unfamiliar place or he's hungry or in pain. As long as he's in the house for now, is most important. It's ok if you feel shitty, you did the right thing. Just stay calm and composed. Cats can sense human feelings and emotions. You want to keep him as comfortable as he can. If you are calm, he'll be calmed.

Gert him to the vet ASAP and have him checked out and have the necessary jabs and treatments. After that, never let him out again or you'll never be able too trap him again.

Feel free to ask questions and many members here will help you out. If you have the time, do check out Bug's thread here meet-buggy.331208.

Do keep us updated of the progress.
I think he was just upset and scared thats why he was howling earlier. He has been quiet except when I go downstairs & he sees me.It was easy to catch him today, but I have been trying for months. I knew where to come for support, the people here are great.Thank you,
 

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I think he was just upset and scared thats why he was howling earlier. He has been quiet except when I go downstairs & he sees me.It was easy to catch him today, but I have been trying for months. I knew where to come for support, the people here are great.Thank you,
B23897A4-51D3-4BD3-9BCF-7803C930DEA6$L0$001~photo.GIF

Yea, try to settle him down and leave some of your clean unwashed non perfumed clothings with him. This will get him to settle down as your scents are there and he'll feel more confident as he is used to your scents. Visit him more often or more regularly. Give him a name and each time you go see him, call out his name lovingly so that he'll get used to his name and your voice and also when you go see him, walk down the basement quietly and open the door gently as you call his name.

Try to spend some time and sit down near him and speak softly to him and feed him. Let him know that food and love comes from you and this will help him gain confidence and trust in you. Last thing you don't want to do is betray his trust.

Take it easy, win his heart. Feel free to ask questions and we'll try our best to help answer them.
 
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WWG1WGA

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Great. Thank you. Trying to get in touch with my vet now. I will update later today and thank you all for the wonderful advice. The cat site is filled with the nicest people on the internet.
Here is a a photo of him from a few weeks ago. I call him Bud Bud
 

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Yup, looks like he's house shopping, fo' sho'

You are absolutely doing the right thing, taking him in. Once he's adjusted, out and about indoors, he'll thank you!

Cold and wet out this morning, I opened the back door for Bug to go out.....he sniffed and balked. He knows he's got it made indoors!
 
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WWG1WGA

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Yup, looks like he's house shopping, fo' sho'

You are absolutely doing the right thing, taking him in. Once he's adjusted, out and about indoors, he'll thank you!

Cold and wet out this morning, I opened the back door for Bug to go out.....he sniffed and balked. He knows he's got it made indoors!
, Going to get him now!!!, vet said he had to pull 4 teeth. I will check in with you great folks a little later. I picked up some feliway and a little carpeted hut for him with a nice snuggle blanket., I am going to need some help with acclimating him, from yall, like I said I have 2 females who live inside, they know Bud I think from seeing him through the window around the house for a few years, but I dont want to upset anyone, so any tips will be appreciated. But I will let you guys know when I get him home. Thank You all.
 
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View attachment 402123
Yea, try to settle him down and leave some of your clean unwashed non perfumed clothings with him. This will get him to settle down as your scents are there and he'll feel more confident as he is used to your scents. Visit him more often or more regularly. Give him a name and each time you go see him, call out his name lovingly so that he'll get used to his name and your voice and also when you go see him, walk down the basement quietly and open the door gently as you call his name.

Try to spend some time and sit down near him and speak softly to him and feed him. Let him know that food and love comes from you and this will help him gain confidence and trust in you. Last thing you don't want to do is betray his trust.

Take it easy, win his heart. Feel free to ask questions and we'll try our best to help answer them.
He is home!! He had to have 4 teeth pulled. Blood tests sent out, nothing else wrong, no feline leukaemia, Doctor said I should keep him in the crate for a few weeks, said I could fit a small litter box on there? I dont know. I wanted to thank you all. I will check back in later. say hi to Bud Bud.
 

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Hi Bud Bud! Great step, a clean bill of health imperative to eventual (indoor) free release & roam.
I'd start by choosing his own room, with door, segregate him (for now)
Dark pic, hard to fully discern him.
 
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tabbytom

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He is home!! He had to have 4 teeth pulled. Blood tests sent out, nothing else wrong, no feline leukaemia, Doctor said I should keep him in the crate for a few weeks, said I could fit a small litter box on there? I dont know. I wanted to thank you all. I will check back in later. say hi to Bud Bud.
0F54D0BB-7345-49C0-8F5D-E19D646202BA$L0$001~photo.GIF
A0D26ED0-D739-425D-B182-0626177AE4AA$L0$001~photo.GIF


a59761b4cd439fbf1de268bd39cb6bba.gif Bud Bud! We are so happy for you. You've found yourself a a loving home.

I think you should just play by ear. You can go as plan as what the vet says but also just observe his behavior. Make sure that he is comfortable. It may not be a few weeks to keep him in the crate, could be much less. Just as what bigbadbass bigbadbass mentioned, get him his own room, which is better than the crate. You can have a cardboard box for him in the room if he needs to retreat into.

Now the most important thing to do is get him to be comfortable, reassure him by visiting him often and sitting down and talking with him. He must regain the trust after the vet's visit. Once he feels that he was not betrayed by coming into the house and then was brought out too the vet to have his teeth taken out as he was not expecting all these, he'll gain his composure faster and the trust link is not broken.

What a good looking boy! :hearthrob: :redheartpump: He sure looks like fast learner. I believe that if the right steps are taken, to break him in is sooner than expected.

Hey Bud Bud, you are in safe hands. Enjoy your new company and new home. :heartshape:
 
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WWG1WGA

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much better pic, he's a beauty. Ditto what (the master) tabbytom tabbytom has stated.
So now I know who to go to for ideas, The Master!! I am going to bring him to his own room now, its the computer room. I can bring the cage with him. He is very unhappy in the cage, its hard for him to get used to a litter box when I have to take it in and out. Thank you!! I will check with you guys a lil later, I wanted to check with "The masters" before I did anything, You 2 affirmed my thinking. What I would do without you, what a blessing this site and yall are!!
 

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So now I know who to go to for ideas, The Master!! I am going to bring him to his own room now, its the computer room. I can bring the cage with him. He is very unhappy in the cage, its hard for him to get used to a litter box when I have to take it in and out. Thank you!! I will check with you guys a lil later, I wanted to check with "The masters" before I did anything, You 2 affirmed my thinking. What I would do without you, what a blessing this site and yall are!!
:nono: No Master.

It's good that you are bringing him early into there study. This will help him transit faster rather than stay a few weeks at another room and move again which will cause stress to him.

As long as your computer room is cat safe and no escape route and no hidey holes, I think you can maybe in a few days time, leave the cage door open. Put a big towel or some cloth that is big enough to drape over the crate. This way will keep him feel safer if he choose to stay in the crate. Or, you can leave the crate there with the crate door opened and get a cardboard box and place it next to the crate. This will give him an option either to stay in the crate or box or maybe he rather just stay out of the crate or box. But before you venture into this route, keep an observation on his behavior so that you know when to let him out.

The other thing to do is keep praising him for being good and keep doing slow eye blinking with him. Leave a towel or two in his crate and take it out after two days or so and leave it a few feet away from the crate and place another further away or in the box. This is to let his scent spread around the room and if he should venture out of the crate so that there's familiar scent and he won't freak out so easily.

It takes time and just don't rush into it. Always do observation and assess the situation before making a move. You don't want too freak him out and most importantly, you don't want to betray his trust in you.

As for the litter box, you may leave it in one corner of the room away from the crate but not too far away so that he can come out, take a walk to the litterbox. And you can feed him or let him eat in the crate and slowly over the days, move the food further out so that he starts eating outside the crate without no fear.

Love, patience and routine rules the day and keep calm and composed. He can sense your feelings.
 
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