Looking for some advice on stray cat socialization

[kmae111]

For about 2 or 3 weeks, a cat has been coming by my apartment and I have been thinking of adopting him. He has an ear tip so I know he has been part of a TNR program but he seems like an abandoned or stray cat to me rather than a feral. He started off nervous and would run if I opened the door, but within about a week he has become comfortable rubbing on my legs, receiving pets on his back and cheek, and also comes up to the screen door to rub his body against where my 2 indoor cats stand. We also feed him every day.

One issue that I have been having with him is he tends to reach at my hand with claws out and often breaks the skin - it isn't aggressive, it just seems like he doesn't understand that hands aren't supposed to be played with with claws. He will go from receiving a cheek scratch to clawing at me. Does anyone have tips on how to break this habit? I am not sure how to handle it because on one hand I want him to trust me, but I don't want him to hurt us if we invite him inside.

The other issue is how I should bring him inside. We are planning a move within the next few months but I want to make sure he would be comfortable inside before bringing him with us. I am thinking of inviting him inside for a bit and seeing how it goes. My other 2 cats seem to like him and always sit by the screen door if he is around, my concern is mostly about house habits and litterbox training. Anyone have any tips?

 

[kmae111]

Also, I forgot to mention that he seems very young. Probably under a year old but definitely not a kitten

 

[fionasmom]

Many TNR groups fix any cat they catch, and you can't blame them. He may be an abandoned pet and not a true feral...in which case he needed to be fixed anyway.

I was in a similar situation with the last two I brought in.They were outside, TNRed and cared for, long enough for my indoor cats to sit by the glass door and "play" so once I decided to bring them inside, there were really no issues as the introductions had already been done in a slightly different way.

One of them will claw at hands if you stop doing what she wants, oddly enough. She wants to be petted and brushed interminably and will swat if she thinks it is over and I wonder if that is what he is doing. The quickest remedy for that is to keep your hands away from where he could scratch them, even if he does not get his cheek scratches. Many young cats who have lost their littermates or mom too early do not know how to express themselves.

I did ultimately allow the calico sisters to come into the kitchen to play with the others which is one way that I knew that they were all agreeable to being friends. It was my decision to do it this way, but I should add that making sure he is healthy is a good idea, as is giving him his own room to adjust in when you initially bring him in. Even a bathroom will do for a cat. I have done that in all cases of bringing a cat into the house with the exception of the last two.

You are very sweet to help him and by now are probably his food source, so leaving him behind would leave him possibly helpless.

 

[Babypaws]

If he has been neutered already that’s great but I’m wondering if has received any shots. if you want to keep him maybe you could bring him to the vet or a clinic to be checked out before you let him inside with your other cats. I love to hear it when people want to care for a stray/feral or abandoned animal...
i recently brought on my porch 2 kittens (now about 4-5 months old) who were born in our yard. I have several inside cats already but took them to the vet to get their shots (distemper/rabies) unfortunately they have worms so the vet gave them a dewormer and they’ll get a booster in a week, then they will get checked again to make sure they’re clean. At that point I’ll let them inside the house to get acquainted with the others. It’s best tobe safe, also does he have fleas?
As far as the scratching I really don’t have any hints but I know I have another kitten that loved to bite my feet (playing) but each time I would tell him”no” and he has stopped. Animals are smarter than we think.
i hope things turn out okay for you and the little fellow. It’s a cruel world out there when you’re on your own...

 

[kmae111]

Thank you both for your responses! fionasmom it sounds like you really did have a very similar situation. How were the two kitties once your brought them inside? Were they okay using a litterbox?

Babypaws Both of my cats are up to date on shots but worms are something I didn't think of at all.

I've gotten really attached to the little guy and definitely don't want to leave him on his own when we move.

 

[fionasmom]

Everything is amazingly fine and even my husband is shocked. My older indoor cats love them and everyone comes out and socializes and there have been no fights. Jamie who is 3 finally has friends his own age and they have a great time together.

One used a litter box even before she was inside full time. However, their situation was probably different from yours so the other one won't use litter, but will use a litter box with a pee pad in it. They were born under a house in a very urban area and I found out before I brought them in that the one girl had been using the cement in an adjoining alley as her bathroom, so I assume never used soil or any organic matter. However, I have never had any other cat refuse to use litter and a litterbox.

 

[moxiewild]

I also had a very similar situation.

3 years ago, we saw a cat near the neighbors yard. At first he ran and kind of hid, but with some gentle coaxing, he came up to us.

He loved being pet, then suddenly “attacked” in the way you describe.
I figured i’d overstimulated him, but it became increasingly apparent that it’s just how he is, and it wasn’t easily predictable.

I posted on Nextdoor asking who he belonged to, because I was concerned he was going to pull these shenanigans on a child or someone who hates cats and it wouldn’t end well.

Three other neighbors had cared for him at different times, and by putting their stories together, I got a pretty good idea of his history.

As Fionasmom mentioned, it turns out some neighbors found him as a small kitten at the gas station up the road and took him home. He was likely separated from mom and siblings way too early.

They eventually kicked him out - as a kitten - because someone in the house was allergic That’s when other neighbors started caring for him, one of them even TNR’ing him.

What’s funny, is that one of my first posts here years ago talked about my foster having a nightly “friend” visiting his window. I even posted a picture of him!

It wasn’t until a year or so after we started feeding Toby that I realized it was the same cat outside our window from two years earlier!

But man, this cat was a brat. I used to have a phobia of cats that started because of a cat with the same exact behavior, so I held out on him being an outdoor cat for almost a year.

Eventually my boyfriend forced him into my heart and he came inside

To be honest, he is still a dick but we’re much better at reading the signs now - when to back off, what triggers him, or simply preparing to minimize the impact of the “attack”. And I cannot understate how helpful that alone is.

Some cat just didn’t learn their manners!

But I’ve had others like him where I was able to correct the behavior, particularly through lots of daily, interactive play time. Wear them out, basically. There’s a lot online for how to address “play aggression” and you might find some of those tips helpful!

It could also simply be from overstimulation, and if that’s the case, you’ll get better at knowing what not to do over time.

You can also consider kitty caps in the worst case scenario! We do this with Toby, although we’re terrible at consistently reapplying. However, they make any scratches virtually painless, and no broken skin!

As far as litterboxes go, most cats instinctively know what to do! But if not, they can be easily taught.

Get unscented litter.

If it’s in your budget, get a wood or grass based litter. Okocat (blue box) is our favorite wood based litter, and there are several grass based litters on the market.

Dr. Elsey’s has a clay litter called “Touch of Outdoors” too. I’ve never tried it, but it’s for exactly this type of situation.

You can use one of these outdoorsy litters until he gets the hang of it, then slowly transition to a cheaper litter.

If he’s still having problems, mix in sterile potting soil and leaves, sticks and grass from outside. Worst case scenario, use 100% potting soil or dirt + leaves, grass, etc.

Once he gets what he’s supposed to do, you can start transitioning to regular litter.

But 8/10 stray or feral cats don’t need to be taught anything, so don’t stress out about it too much!

 

[kmae111]

Thanks for your reply!! He does sound a lot like this guy. Since I posted he's been slowly getting better with the clawing and I think it might be something we can teach him not to do. Thanks for the litter advice as well! I hadn't thought of buying more natural litters but that makes a lot of sense. I appreciate everyone's help!