I Got My Feral In The House Today!

[walli]

Gosh, thank you all so much, I really was needing the support
Thanks rubysmama !

@Jcatbird she is not scratching at the door or yowling so I'm going to hang on to that as being a good sign!

@Furballsmom Mamanyt1953
I just started bringing music in, i read about the harp music and I think it does something!!! I will do this more, and check out the relax my cat app.

@shadowsrescue I actually hang on to your story about your cat to comfort me.
I have to stop worrying and just let it go slow, something is happening with both cats, kitten steps!!

Thanks so much, I feel better!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

In the matter of All Things Cat, patience is the key, ALWAYS! Let her take things in her own time...she has a LOT of new things to get used to, after all! BUT...She is in the house, and not frantically trying to get back out every minute, which is HUGE!

 

[walli]

Thank you! I'm glad it's HUGE!!!

 

[Solcita]

So nice to see Walli's progress!!! I know the slow steps are frustrating sometimes, but the most important thing (which I also repeat myself a lot) is that she is indoors and SAFE.
No more worrying about predators, cars, cold, heat, etc... so even if the progress is slow, you have all the time in the world, there's no reason to rush things as she is already safe inside

 

[walli]

Thank you!
Yeah i make mistakes when I try and rush things.
I think it's for her good and I make bad decisions!

She has a tube that goes from her room to her catio outside.
last night I closed the plastic I put up to keep the cold out
freaked her out, she managed to get out to the catio ok, but it was raining
so I had to go open it back up!

We live in San Diego so It's not that cold, but it will be getting colder
If I have to I will close the window when it gets cold.
We are in the process of figuring out how to put a cat door in the window.
it will freak her out but it has to be done.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

The bad thing is that EVERYTHING freaks her out right now, and the good thing is that EVERYTHING freaks her out right now. It will just be one more weird thing to adjust to.

I found this for you, if the price is in your possible range, it might work well. Saw the same one on Amazon for almost $50 bucks more!

Cat Doors - Cat Flap Fever Industries®

 

[Solcita]

We built this cat door for our old balcony window:


We had to use clear acrilic (the most expensive part of the whole) because we didn't want to lose the natural light coming from the balcony. But you can totally use any type of wood and you can make it yourself to fit your window...
This gave our cats a lot of freedom.

 

[walli]

Hey!!!!!
Thanks so much!!
This is becoming more important, Her room got to 50 degrees last night
for a feral this is warm, but for a house cat it is not!
I want her to have the comforts of a house cat!!
Thanks Guys! Got so much going on right now, I so appreciate the info
and time involved to help me.

This morning I got so upset that her room was so cold, I vowed to get the window closed tonight.

 

[rubysmama]

50 degrees is pretty cold. It may be time to tell Miss Walli that the catio season is over.

 

[walli]

Yes! Thank you my husband was saying she will be fine but I made the executive decision this morning it's too cold!! Hope i can get the window closed from the bedroom side without her running outside otherwise I gotta go from the catio side I will get home pretty late tonite which may be to my benefit husband having foot surgery and I have to go to school I can't miss finals next week! Life is super duper crazy!

 

[rubysmama]

Good luck. With everything.

 

[walli]

closed her window last night, from the catio side
I put a space heater in her room to warm it up before going to bed, I should not have done this.
It scared her, she started to run out to the catio and bumped her head on the closed window.

It was 63 degrees in her room this morning instead of 50 tho!!
that room does not have any heat, once I'm able to open her door it will be warmer.

 

[rubysmama]

How is she this morning? I forget, have you tried the stacked baby gates so she and Joey can safely see each other? There's a pic in the How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide article. How old is Joey now?

 

[walli]

She's doing ok, still scared of me, everything different seems to be a step back, I'm going to get that window cat door ordered asap!

I have baby gates up, but Walli won't come out of her room to go to them, this is a work in progress.

When Walli was in the other room and Joey was in her room now
Walli had come out to take a peek at him.

The fumigation set us back a lot!
I hate to do it and I'm hesitating but I think I may need to keep her from the catio so she is forced to socialize.
It was my plan for the winter, I keep making mistakes! dang it!
any thoughts on this?

 

[rubysmama]

I hate to do it and I'm hesitating but I think I may need to keep her from the catio so she is forced to socialize.

Since I have zero experience with ferals, I'm so not the person to give advice. But it does seem like you need to do something to force her to begin socializing. Hopefully other members will reply with their comments.

 

[Solcita]

Crazy thought: is is possible to move the catio into her room?
Or can you build a cage like Kato's cage indoor so she can be inside feeling safe but still be warmer? The cage even when it has all doors open all the time is still their safe place to run...



Kato+Kittens are warmer than us as we gave them our electric heater that is activated every time it sensors movement... they of course found out super quickly how to activate it... Kato sometimes lays in front of it to keep it on... electricity bill will kill us this month!

 

[walli]

Hey that's a good idea! It's a possibility!
I was just reading in another thread about how ferals will trust other cats
before humans, uh I guess that was your thread! ha ha
so I'm thinking I need to accelerate socializing Joey and Walli.
Wallis room has a door that goes in the living room, but it also has a door
going to my master bathroom, Joey is always sitting there listening for her.
I may move the baby gates to there, she can't miss seeing him there!
She can hide from the living room door.
When it gets really cold I'm going to keep her in and do this I think.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

HEY, @jacatbird, take a look at post #454, and weigh in, if you have a moment!

BTW, Jcatbird has successfully gentled and homed over 70 ferals. We have several members here who have done almost as many over time, but her name comes to mind more easily for me.

 

[walli]

Hey thanks for the concern, I have decided to keep walli from going out to her catio during the winter and put up baby gates from her room to the master bath
that way Joey and her will have to socialize, she can't hide.
I hope by spring they will be somewhat socialized, the problem is Joey he is a bit aggressive and I worry for walli, but if they have to socialize that way till he matures that is what it will be. I'm going to do the baby gates this weekend.
and close her window to her catio maybe next weekend.

I did check out the window cat door link (a very good one) and contacted them about a special order. I will get this done by this summer.

My husband just had surgery so he is unable to help much right now, so I'm kind of on my own, he said he could help, but I am not going to let him.

I do have a question, preparing for the baby gates between the two, I'm wondering if I have enough things in wallis room, there is a bed a scratch post she doesn't use a piano that she doesn't use a book shelf that I put her cat food on and litter boxes, I put up a couple shelves for her to hop around on but she doesn't, I think I need more of those around the room maybe. Should I put a cat tree in there before I close the window to the Catio? I don't want to do to much in there after I close the window. [sigh] so much to do!

 

[rubysmama]

Is the only window the one to the catio? If not, something so she can look out a window would probably be good. And a radio, maybe, so it's not quiet in there all the time. A small cardboard box? Most cats do love boxes!

Wonder if she'd like some cat grass?
9 Grass Growing Kits That Will Make Your Cat Happy

I also think you could try keeping Joey locked in another room sometimes, and leaving Walli's room open, to see if she'd venture out into the rest of the house.

Good luck. Keep us posted. Hopefully we'll have a pic of her sleeping in someone's lap sometime in the future.