I Got My Feral In The House Today!

shadowsrescue

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
Messages
7,022
Purraise
5,083
Location
Ohio
I have lots and lots of bird feeders to keep my 3 feral boys happy. They LOVE them. I get tons of birds ( not many crows at all) and of course some squirrels too. It is definitely fun for them to watch.
 

shadowsrescue

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
Messages
7,022
Purraise
5,083
Location
Ohio
You might, unfortunately, also get rats. :(
I have been feeding birds for more years than I can remember. I have never had a rat. Yes, I do get squirrels, chipmunks and some raccoons and possum at night, but I absolutely love watching the birds. My cats so enjoy the entertainment as well. Attracting rats would never have crossed my mind.
 

rubysmama

Forum Helper
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Nov 25, 2013
Messages
25,278
Purraise
62,757
Location
Canada
I guess it depends on where you live. Unfortunately, rats have been spotted around my neighbourhood, so I don't want to put out a welcome mat, so to speak, for them.

One other thing to keep in mind, if you put bird feeders out, is to change the seed regularly, and keep the feeder clean.
Bird Diseases at Feeders - How to Prevent Them
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #505

walli

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 31, 2017
Messages
1,246
Purraise
2,627
I live in the suburbs so I will have to think about this
There have been possum sightings and raccoon sightings
Thanks everyone! I think Walli would enjoy it tho, so I will have to
figure out if I'm up to attracting more wildlife.
 

shadowsrescue

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
Messages
7,022
Purraise
5,083
Location
Ohio
Most of the other wildlife only come out at night. I often will take down my bird feeders and put them in the garage over night. My boys coexisted with the possum and raccoons for many many years. Most of my neighbors fed the birds too so my cats ran into this wildlife everywhere. Personally, I adore possums. I had one take up residence in one of the shelters one time. I had another one, steal thin kitchen towels that I had used to cover a heat pad. They must have been building a nest. The raccoons can be pesky, but I rarely see them during the day.

Try youtube cat tv. Most cats really enjoy it and with the sound on they can hear the birds too.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #507

walli

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 31, 2017
Messages
1,246
Purraise
2,627
good idea taking the bird feeders down at night!
I like possums too! sometimes I see one walking on my fence, but that's all I want to see of them, I can't have anymore wildlife in my life!:lol:

I will introduce Walli to youtube!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #510

walli

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 31, 2017
Messages
1,246
Purraise
2,627
Update: No major problems, still making Walli stay in at night, Not seeing anything tragic, Joey seems a bit aggressive at her door sometimes, just for a little bit and then stops, I will wait a couple weeks but I don't think they are getting enough socializing, but baby steps.

I do have a problem tho, I found flea on Joey this morning, freaked me out, He has not been outside, So wondering if Walli has fleas, I went and got her Comfortis and I just pray she will eat it! I've tried it before
but it was hard to get her to eat it. I recently found that cutting the pills instead of grinding them works, and I am going to try this and put it in her dry food, she has not been eating a lot of canned food lately.
I think she threw up on it once.

I had them both flea treated when we had the fumigation, and didn't realize, they could get fleas with the new situation, I'm panicking a bit, Don't think I could handle a flea infestation at this point.

I May be over reacting but...
Any tips would be appreciated, also How can I tell if I do have fleas in my house?
@shadowrescue do you have any tips on giving flea drops? do you use the gabapentin?

just fyi: I tried to give her a pill pocket with nothing in it-she didn't eat it-boo!
 

shadowsrescue

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
Messages
7,022
Purraise
5,083
Location
Ohio
With larger pills, I have had luck buying small gelatin capsules and placing the pill inside. I then just put the small capsule in the wet food and it is usually eaten.

I have also used a liquid that I could squirt into the food. I bought it off Bestflea.com . I will have to search to see what it is called. Yet it was chicken flavored and easily mixed into food. Just looked and it is Program oral suspension. You can create an account on Bestflea.com and then find the product. I used it when my feral boys lived outside.

I have used Revolution and Frontline in the past, but it was so hard to administer. I have been very fortunate that the boys never had fleas. I used Revolution to treat worms and Frontline when one of them had a tick.

I assume since Walli still goes outside, she is picking up fleas outside. I would vacuum often and empty the bag each time.

Don't panic just yet.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #512

walli

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 31, 2017
Messages
1,246
Purraise
2,627
Ok I won't panic yet!
She goes outside but she doesn't have access to grass so figured she was ok, I will check out the chicken flavored liquid program
This stuff isn't cheap! 80 dollars for the Comfortis! and not sure if she will eat it! I like the Gelatin capsule idea,

I don't see her Scratching, did see Joey scratching he does get to go in the garage
and he goes to the critter cleaners to get his nails clipped, I hope he was the one that picked it up. I will get this solved as we always do!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #513

walli

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 31, 2017
Messages
1,246
Purraise
2,627
She ate the Comfortis! I cut it into 8 pieces (very large pill)
she ate 7 pieces I'm good with that!
I gave it to her with the Costco Cat food we feed the Ferals
Chicken and rice so not a bad dry food for ferals
She usually gets the prescription cat food mixed with the royal canin hairball food (for fiber) so the Costco food was a treat!
I'm so relieved! I don't know how we got fleas but I will be more mindful of it now. Thank you!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #515

walli

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 31, 2017
Messages
1,246
Purraise
2,627
yes! So glad I saw that tip about cutting it into pieces instead of crushing it into the powder! Not sure where I saw it but it works!!
She would not eat the food when I tried putting the powder into wet food before.
That's why I threw away the comfortis I had, now I had to buy more.
Not cheap!
 

Avery

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Aug 5, 2018
Messages
459
Purraise
1,299
I'm hoping to build a catio in the spring so bird feeders are something I'm thinking about, too. I really like the idea of having them for indoor cats to watch, but I think there are some real negatives to consider. I'm not a bird or bird feeder expert, so others may have more information to share.

In my neighborhood, bird feeders are discouraged. If you want to have them, you must have a tray under the feeder to catch the seeds that fall because they are afraid the seeds will attract rats. Now, I'm an animal lover but people in my neighborhood would want to put out poison if they see rats and that would not be good for the rats or any cats that might catch them! Also, if you have any neighborhood cats roaming around, you might find they like to hang out around the bird feeders and try to catch the birds... which is not good for the birds!

That said, I know many indoor cats really enjoy watching birds at the feeder! There are different kinds of bird feeders for different kinds of birds. So you could have one with smaller holes that only smaller birds (not crows) would be able to get seeds out of. Once you start to investigate, there are lots of choices! Of course, you could always find a YouTube video of birds and squirrels and let your cats watch that!

Oh... for heavensake! I'm way behind... just realized everyone already discussed bird feeders several days ago! Sorry for being late to the discussion!
 
Last edited:
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #517

walli

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 31, 2017
Messages
1,246
Purraise
2,627
I appreciate the input, I have put off the bird feeder for now, I have too much going on to maintain it right now.
I did however buy some bird seed and I sprinkled about a Tablespoon on a table where Walli can see it, I saw a bird sitting at that table and got the idea, so maybe I will just get a couple birds-that's ok for now!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #519

walli

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 31, 2017
Messages
1,246
Purraise
2,627
So we have taken backwards steps.
Walli got too stressed and I had to back off of locking her in at night.
It's not as cold so that part doesn't Bother me.
At first I was leaving her window open and opening the door to expose the baby gates, but then when her pee balls started reducing I had to stop.

If I go into her room she runs to the catio, If I go outside she runs inside. Before she was in her room when I got home from work and I could sit with her for a bit, now we are not doing that anymore.

I seriously think I made a mistake bringing her in, I will not release her but I feel so guilty and bad for her.

She is not happy. I need to find someone in San Diego to help, I will need to post on the Next door Ap or something.

I am trying to find a cat behaviorist for Joey because if they could be friends that might be the answer, no luck yet.

one thing Joey was standing on his hind legs at the baby gate with his front legs up holding onto the baby gates, kind of like he was standing straight up, is this a bad sign?

I don't know if he is jealous when I go in there or just wants to go in there, when I am in there he will paw at the sliding glass door, this is the door that is from the living room. he stands up and paws repeatedly at the door.

fyi: Baby gates are at my master bathroom/walli's room, sliding glass door is at the living room/walli's room.

I'm at a loss here and feel so bad for her, she must be bored to death/lonely.
 

shadowsrescue

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
Messages
7,022
Purraise
5,083
Location
Ohio
Remember that any change with a feral cat brings one step forward and two or more steps back. You have to sometimes just stick it out. If you keep opening or closing the door it's confusing to her. You have to stick to the plan. It may take her weeks or so to adjust, but she will. It's just another change which is hard on feral cats.

Have you ever put Joey on a harness? You might be able to bring him into the room to see Walli if you put him on a harness.

Please don't give up. You have come so far. She is so much better off inside her catio or in the house than being free outside. There is just way too much danger out in the world. Believe me, I know how hard all of this is. We all get frustrated and sad. I have thought that way many times. Yet, I look for another answer and try try again.

It's a big change for her since you want her inside at night or you want her inside full time. Either way it's a change. Of course this will stress her. But you have to stick with the plan as long as she is still eating. Smaller pees for a few days would be expected. As long as she is peeing that is a plus.

She will rebuff you at first. The change causes that. Yet stick to the daily routine. Keep a positive attitude around her. If you are stressed about it, she is stressed about it. If you say to her this must be awful. Then she might just begin to feel it's awful. Keep telling her she is in a warm, safe, wonderful place. Try your best to be upbeat around her.

I know it's hard, but try try again!
 
Top