I Have More Trust Issues Than This Feral..

[tnrmakessense]

Hi guys,

I have tried searching the forum for the answer but cannot find exactly what I'm looking for. There is so much info on the communicable cat diseases, but what I want to know is exactly *how* contagious they are?

A tiny, skinny, adult feral showed up at my house a couple weeks ago. In that short time, he's gone from exiting the yard at first sight of me, to eating from a dish when I leave, to eating from the dish in my presence. Just yesterday he came and rolled over on my foot briefly, almost as if to say thanks, before taking off. Today he has started crying at my back door for me.

I am so terrified of inadvertently tracking in some sickness or virus to my indoor cat. I recognize that these cat illnesses are often transmitted through saliva - but are there any that are more contagious than that? Like, can I carry anything in on my clothing or feet if the feral touches me? (Disclaimer: I've never been a cat person til a couple years ago when I took in my first stray cat, so my knowledge is still limited, forgive my ignorance.)

I take my shoes off at the door when I re-enter the house, run and jump in the shower, toss my clothes in the washing machine, and sanitize my shoes. I know this might be overkill but until I know the answer, I can't risk bringing anything in to my cat. This feral is an un-neutered male and has some battle scars.

Short answer - we just don't know. Thirty years I lost months of sleep because a vet told me that without a series of vaccines for hundreds of dollars, I was dooming my rescue to certain tragedy. That kitty lived to 16, and the first kitty to 21. Fast forward thirty years, thousands of dollars, and Niagara Falls worth of tears over lost cats and here's what I now believe. What we know about cat's health can fill a thimble. If that sounds jaded, search PubMed on any cat health issue and see how many studies are being done. Pitifully few. My personal experience is that either a cat has the good luck to come in to this world with an immune system strong enough to fight diseases, or they don't. So you're left with the impossible decision of saving a new one that faces possible death at a shelter or danger outside, or putting your existing cat at risk. It's a choice I struggle with every day and in my dreams at night, but after volunteering at a municipal shelter I have chosen to take in the new one, with any risk that brings. Some have had many good long years, others just a couple. It's an impossible decision and one every pet owner has to make for themselves. I'm sorry you're wrestling with this but I'm glad you found a forum of caring, experienced cat people.

 

[Feral Mom]

To Buffster:

Many ferals do figure out the litter box on sight, go figure. But while the cat is in the trap, we kind of do the best we can for swapping out puppy pads in or under the trap, but, i just kind of resign myself to accepting: "This day here, is not going to be his favorite day of the year." and don't worry too overly much about that if you can help it. Your options are somewhat limited.
YOu can try to swap out fresh puppy pads from between the bars or by opening the trap juuuust a tad , but it is so VIP to not let animal escape, and THAT safety is far more your priority for this one (1) day in the trap, than urine on the floor.

But once you transfer the lil patient over to a slightly bigger dog cage for recovery room ? Then the feral cats all seem to understand about the litter box (mostly).
I do keep mine IN the small trap cage for first night after surgery
to reduce activity. to protect their stitches, etc.,
and then, transfer to the larger, "recovery room" cage, complete with a small litter box,
on next day.

Be sure you COVER The trap cage pronto, soon as you catch it!! Soon as you can, have the sheet ready. They go all crazy when the door shuts, it is pretty dramatic, and have that sheet ready to go.
Most cats quiet right down if they can not see anything.
Same goes for his 'recovery room' larger cage for next day. I mostly keep that covered while he recovers
unless you are interacting with cat, such as feeding or comforting or talking to him etc.
Cats calm down if they can not see stuff.

I trap mine the night before, give 'em a Big Fat meal, to sustain them for the next day,
and then nothing by mouth after midnight except water* and i keep trap covered with sheet or blanket, (depending on weather)
in my patio (i live in condos up high, it is safe)


*but, for spay/neuter of ferals? they are NOT picky if the tummy is empty or not. nope. they do Not care, bring 'em in,
bring 'em in,
bring 'em in.
I have brought in ferals that i could Not catch until morning, so i had nooooo idea if they had eaten or not?? but no one cared at all. Cat did Not get sick. no problems at all.
but i just prefer to KNOW i did catch the correct cat

and am all ready to go cuz to get my lowcost TNVR shelter---- i have to leave with the cat in car, super early at O:darkthirty, and some seasons is still dark out that early.
so i almost always do trap them the night before.

thing is, with traps, you almost kind of only get one (1) catch to get that cat IN to the trap,
if you mess up, or if something goes wrong? that cat will be super hard to ever get into a trap after that. It can be done, but wowza, it is super hard to get a previously trapped cat, or "almost trapped" cat ever to back into a 2nd trap again..... I learned this the hard way.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!

 

[Feral Mom]

I vote to try to get him into trap tonight. Cover the trap, he will chill if it is covered up.
for real, it is like magic.
trap the cat, they go wild, yell and thrash, etc, UNTIL you place a sheet over it.
and then.......ahhhhhhhh..... the cat chills and is quiet.

He won't like it, but he will live.

because--------It seems possible that if he is Not accustomed to being locked into your garage all night long? that THAT might induce some anxiety into the lil guy and make him far more jumpy and harder to coax into the trap if he is already wound up from unexpectedly being locked in the garage all night long.

that is my 2cents guess for whatever it is worth.
I am cheering you on, whatever you decide.

 

[Buffster7]

You might be able to convince he to take shelter in the trap. Put a comfy towel in there, cover the trap except for the front and place it somewhere he likes to be. Put his food nearby and see if he will sleep there. Can you get him to go in the trap in the morning?

I don't think he will be here in the morning with storms rolling in.
I set the trap in the garage, where I suspect he comes to eat at night. However, I'm not certain it's him that's eating, so I carried the trap out to the back porch where I've been feeding him so I can sit and watch through the window. I have no idea what time he comes at night. He usually disappears after dinner and I don't see him again til morning, although food in the garage is gone in the morning so I assume he's been coming in the middle of the night.

 

[Feral Mom]

also,
if the cat is trapped into your garage all night long?
when you go into garage in the morning? that lil stinker may have found some cubby hole to hide in,

or some loft wayyyy up high that you never noticed before,

or even some escape hatch, given all night to look for one.
......ya never know what a cat might find if locked into a GARAGE all night long......

I know you probably dislike the idea of this lil cat in a trap all night? but it might be safest way to ensure you DO get him fixed.
Soon as he is in trap, cover it.
GOOD LUCK!!

 

[Feral Mom]

oops, i meant if the cat is "locked into " the garage (not in a trap, but just roaming the garage freely)
well, then the cat might end up in some loft or find an escape hatch of some type, etc.

 

[Buffster7]

I vote to try to get him into trap tonight. Cover the trap, he will chill if it is covered up.
for real, it is like magic.
trap the cat, they go wild, yell and thrash, etc, UNTIL you place a sheet over it.
and then.......ahhhhhhhh..... the cat chills and is quiet.

He won't like it, but he will live.

because--------It seems possible that if he is Not accustomed to being locked into your garage all night long? that THAT might induce some anxiety into the lil guy and make him far more jumpy and harder to coax into the trap if he is already wound up from unexpectedly being locked in the garage all night long.

that is my 2cents guess for whatever it is worth.
I am cheering you on, whatever you decide.

I wonder if I should put the trap back in the garage and trap him there, would it be safer? It's in the backyard where I feed him now, but no sign of him. I'm so scared I'm going to catch a skunk in the backyard, or a possum!

 

[Feral Mom]

hmmm. I see. that is toughie, geez, i don't know.
I would think the best bet might be trap him whereever you have been feeding him. I remember seeing a pic you were able to get the cat to step INTO the trap, right? you were getting him all accustomed to the trap, right?
(or, do i have you mixed up with someone else, if so, sorry)
but, wherever he is used to being fed, "seems like" that is where to trap him...

but geez, that is tough one!!

 

[Feral Mom]

i mostly always stay right by the trap, i have a different set up that you are working with,
but, i always stay by the trap, within earshot or sight of the trap, and throw a sheet over it.
If i have not caught my target by bedtime? I pick up my toys and go home and try again in morning.

 

[Feral Mom]

but geez, that would make a good thread, is to find out what in the heck does one do if you have caught a skunk?
aw geez, someone must know, we will have to post a thread on that sometime to learn what to do? throw a shower curtain over it, while you open door with a gloved hand and then run fast as you can the other way?
I have no idea.

 

[Buffster7]

If i have not caught my target by bedtime? I pick up my toys and go home and try again in morning.

My original plan was to set the trap in the garage and catch him in the middle of the night when he comes for his midnight feeding, so he wouldn't have to be in the trap as long. But everyone says they stay by the trap, so I think I will do as you say. If he has not been caught by bedtime I'll disarm the trap and hope he's hungry enough in the morning to come for breakfast in spite of the storm. I'm disappointed - am ready to get this show on the road and get this boy treated!

 

[Feral Mom]

well, i don't know, your set up is different than mine.
I do not have a yard.
you do.
so maybe for you, leaving the trap all night is ok.
i would hate for you to miss your chance.
but
at least with a TOM, you do not have to sweat out this "get her now or she will be having kittens soon and my chance is over til she is done nursing the babies"
kind of thing that can make catching females a "now or never" kind of thing.
It is slightly different with toms.
He will be the same this week as he is next week i guess. obviously, the sooner the better.

so, maybe in a few more days if this appt doesn't work out?
I don't know.
i am rooting for you though!!

 

[Feral Mom]

sometimes, to get a real hard to get cat,
we withhold the food,
and do Not feed the cat for a day or so before,
(i know, it seems mean but is a reason)
so that the cat will be HUngrier and more easy to get him to go into the trap to get that food?
so,
if you can not catch him tonight,
and then
If you DO plan to trap him in the morning,
consider removing that midnight meal you have set out there,
to hopefully increase the chances he Will show up for breakfast-in-a-trap.

 

[Jcatbird]

Just get when the getting is good. I know the problem of catching other creatures. I haven’t caught a skunk. They tend to stay away. Thank goodness. I have caught a possum and Raccoon. The hardest thing to release was the Buzzard! It was as large as the trap and turned away from the easiest end to open. Every time I tried to open the trap it pecked at me and hissed! I had never heard one hiss before. Too much cat food I guess! I did get the door open but it took the bird some time to get turned around. Once it was free it soared away!!It and a sibling grew up here. The sibling had stayed with the trapped one. Previously they had been an issue stealing cat food but after this, they never returned. I kind of missed them after that. The cats didn’t! The cat I was trying to trap saw the whole thing. He ended up following me home and coming in without being trapped! Smart kitty!
Just follow your instincts. You know this cat better than we do and have learned his habits and I think you have a good feel for how to proceed. If you trap him now, then you definitely need to bring him inside for safety. I never leave them unattended outside. If it takes changing his appointment, that’s okay too. It’s done all the time. It should not be a surprise for the vet. Trapping is an unpredictable time. Good luck!

 

[Talien]

You shouldn't have to worry about catching a Skunk unless it's just curious about the trap, but that isn't likely. Skunks mostly eat insects and small rodents so they aren't really interested in Cat food.

Raccoons and Woodchucks, on the other hand, are just a nuisance and I've caught a lot more of them than I have Cats.

 

[Buffster7]

Well, I ended up deciding to leave the trap set as the master bedroom is right up against the garage and I'm a very light sleeper. Once trapped, I could just secure the doggy door and leave him in the garage for the night; it's 70 degrees and secure.

Sure enough, I heard the trap shut at around 2:30 this morning, so I ran out to the garage and...nothing. All the food in the trap was eaten, the trap door had shut, and the trap had moved slightly, but no kitty. Can cats escape once the door shuts? Or perhaps he was on his way out of the trap when his hind legs stepped on the trigger and he was able to bolt? My only concern with that scenario is - would that not potentially injure his face/eyes? Now he's going to be scared of the trap AND scared of my garage. I'm really worried about him. I don't know how much longer he can function being so infested with so many parasites and oozing green stuff. He needs a vet and sooner rather than later.

 

[Feral Mom]

Oh darn. I was so excited at first that you heard the trap sgur!! Yay
But what a bummer nothing in it.
Yes, sometimes cats can escape a shutting trap, if like, one leg was not yet all the way in, etc.
I have seen that with my own eyes twice and it is sickening, as the cat gets injured.
Hopefully, this is not what happened.

Because of that, my feral limped x a week or two, and it took monthssss to ever catch her again. But amazingly, vet said no apparent fracture by time I Ever got to her to vet. She did resume a normal gait later. Whew.

This happened with a "slamming-shut" type of trap, which usually have a diagonal type of bar when viewed from the side.
I threw it away
And got this kind of trap,


It is brown, and the door drops down fairly quietly and safely,
No further injuries since. I think this is called a "tru" trap or something.

Anyway, in case anyone Who has not yet purchased OR BORROWED from local TNVR, is reading along, that "tru" trap is a good kind trap, imo.

I bet your lil guy will show up later on. Just get new appt.
GOOD LUCK!!

 

[Feral Mom]

Oh, the pic of my favorite kind of trap, a brown "tru" trap, it did not attach... I try again.
(In case anyone is aboutvto buy or borrow a trap, IF you get a choice)

 

[Feral Mom]

And I place firm piece cardboard floor of tru- trap,
to avoid the feeling of the bars on his feet creep the cat out,
also the cardboard on floor helps keep food INside the trap and it kind of trap door come down.

 

[Buffster7]

Oh darn. I was so excited at first that you heard the trap sgur!! Yay
But what a bummer nothing in it.
Yes, sometimes cats can escape a shutting trap, if like, one leg was not yet all the way in, etc.
I have seen that with my own eyes twice and it is sickening, as the cat gets injured.
Hopefully, this is not what happened.

Because of that, my feral limped x a week or two, and it took monthssss to ever catch her again. But amazingly, vet said no apparent fracture by time I Ever got to her to vet. She did resume a normal gait later. Whew.

This happened with a "slamming-shut" type of trap, which usually have a diagonal type of bar when viewed from the side.
I threw it away
And got this kind of trap,


It is brown, and the door drops down fairly quietly and safely,
No further injuries since. I think this is called a "tru" trap or something.

Anyway, in case anyone Who has not yet purchased OR BORROWED from local TNVR, is reading along, that "tru" trap is a good kind trap, imo.

I bet your lil guy will show up later on. Just get new appt.
GOOD LUCK!!

I am just sick over it. He had to have been all the way in to finish the food as I pushed it to the very back, and the trap is longer than him. He had to have tripped the trap upon exiting as I ran out when I heard the trap, and he was gone. I am praying that it was another cat, or even a rat, and not my guy. The thought of him being injured makes me sick to my stomach. I just don't think his immune system is strong enough to overcome an injury at this point.
I have no idea where he goes to hide. He runs along my fence into the neighbor's yard and off from there. Praying that he doesn't associate me with the trap, and that he can come back here for help.