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- #41
I can sense some relaxation in his eyes. Yes there's water beside his litterbox but i really need him to associate with the box. I got it dark and quiet in the area now.
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My New Buddy Sarge
- Thread starter Eddy Burgetti
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He's cute! He lets you pet him? He looks relaxed. Maybe he'll come out tonight and explore.
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- #43
I really thought he would last night while I slept. I was at work 1/2 the day and killed time for the other half just so he could have the place to himself. He's been comfortable for awhile now with me in sight, as long as that back door was propped open. As long as he had a way out. Now he's locked in freeze mode. Not fight and there is no flight, so freeze he does. I just want him to be casual as he was before I shut the door
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- #44
He doesn't so much "let" me pet him as he does tolerate it, just barely
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Hi. How did it go overnight? If he doesn't come out soon, you might have to let him back outside and try again later. He needs to eat and pee, not doing so is dangerous. Did he eat or urinate during the night? Maybe next time you can try getting him into the spare room.
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Another thing you could try is lying down next to him and talking to him. Just don't get hurt!
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- #47
He didnt touch the shrimp, food water or litter box. Now im not sure where hes gotten off to. I still dont smell pee anywhere.
After i find him like you said ill let him out and try again later.
I really dont have an extra room. My kitchen and living room are pretty open, i got 1 bathroom my bedroom and an office. I use all the rooms throughout the day
After i find him like you said ill let him out and try again later.
I really dont have an extra room. My kitchen and living room are pretty open, i got 1 bathroom my bedroom and an office. I use all the rooms throughout the day
It's not unusual for a feral/stray cat to hide out for 2-3 days and not eat or drink, and if he isn't eating or drinking, there's not much to pee or poop.
I would probably confine him to one small room for a few days. Sometimes too much new territory which is scented with "human" is overwhelming.
The feral I TNR'd (but didn't release) last February spent her first nine days in my master bathroom with an open cat carrier lined with fleece, toys, water and a litter box. I fed her several scheduled meals a day. I also went in for 10-15 minutes every hour I was home and sat on the floor, talking, trying to engage play, or just sitting quietly. After nine days, she got access to the master bedroom and bath, as she was coming out of her shell quickly and using the cat litter without fail.
A second feral who I TNR'd over the summer and initially did release, moved into my back patio after disappearing a few weeks. I worked with her all summer and fall until I could pet her and pick her up. I also left the door open for her when the weather was nice, as you're doing with Sarge (except for the "nice" weather part in your case), and by the first cold spell I brought her in for the night. I set her up in the guest bathroom for overnight and started making that bathroom her "dining room". She still comes and goes inside/outside as she wishes and pretty much roams the house at will, but that guest bathroom is her "safe room" with a cat bed, water and her litter.
I think having a small quiet area may be more soothing to their nerves than suddenly having all the expanse of "everything new" with access to the entire house.
I would probably confine him to one small room for a few days. Sometimes too much new territory which is scented with "human" is overwhelming.
The feral I TNR'd (but didn't release) last February spent her first nine days in my master bathroom with an open cat carrier lined with fleece, toys, water and a litter box. I fed her several scheduled meals a day. I also went in for 10-15 minutes every hour I was home and sat on the floor, talking, trying to engage play, or just sitting quietly. After nine days, she got access to the master bedroom and bath, as she was coming out of her shell quickly and using the cat litter without fail.
A second feral who I TNR'd over the summer and initially did release, moved into my back patio after disappearing a few weeks. I worked with her all summer and fall until I could pet her and pick her up. I also left the door open for her when the weather was nice, as you're doing with Sarge (except for the "nice" weather part in your case), and by the first cold spell I brought her in for the night. I set her up in the guest bathroom for overnight and started making that bathroom her "dining room". She still comes and goes inside/outside as she wishes and pretty much roams the house at will, but that guest bathroom is her "safe room" with a cat bed, water and her litter.
I think having a small quiet area may be more soothing to their nerves than suddenly having all the expanse of "everything new" with access to the entire house.
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I would release him so he can eat and go pee. Then try again. Maybe next time try to get him to go in the office and put his litterbox, food, and water in there.
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- #50
That's what I did initially. He would follow the food trail to the office where he had everything before I heard not to put the litterbox near the food. Problem is I need my computer many times in the afternoon, even to reply on here.
As long as that back door is open he strolls all over the house, has gotten pretty used to the area I would think. He eats, then snoops around for 30 minutes then comes into the living room and lays down and sleeps. Goes outside for 5 minutes then comes back in and starts all over. But once that backdoor latches its flight/hide/freeze. He goes limp and I have to scoop him out of whatever hes in.
I had to cut the back of my couch open just to peek in and sure enough there he was. I have no idea how he got himself in there overnight. I had front and back door wide open, the doors to the back of the house shut and I had to scoop him outta the couch and he ran all over the place getting stuck behind stuff, kept having to move furniture around. He finally darted out and since its daytime and raining now I'm afraid he climbed up in one of my vehicles to stay dry so I'm scared to drive anywhere.
I really think I'm going to let it go. I just don't have the setup in this tiny house for him to have his own room. My couch is double recliner with fold down tray in the middle so its full of steel and spring mechanicals that could get him hurt fast just with me trying to find him. He is not going to stop going into the couch at this point especially since I had to make a new hole in it and that's the one place he absolutely has to stay out of.
As long as that back door is open he strolls all over the house, has gotten pretty used to the area I would think. He eats, then snoops around for 30 minutes then comes into the living room and lays down and sleeps. Goes outside for 5 minutes then comes back in and starts all over. But once that backdoor latches its flight/hide/freeze. He goes limp and I have to scoop him out of whatever hes in.
I had to cut the back of my couch open just to peek in and sure enough there he was. I have no idea how he got himself in there overnight. I had front and back door wide open, the doors to the back of the house shut and I had to scoop him outta the couch and he ran all over the place getting stuck behind stuff, kept having to move furniture around. He finally darted out and since its daytime and raining now I'm afraid he climbed up in one of my vehicles to stay dry so I'm scared to drive anywhere.
I really think I'm going to let it go. I just don't have the setup in this tiny house for him to have his own room. My couch is double recliner with fold down tray in the middle so its full of steel and spring mechanicals that could get him hurt fast just with me trying to find him. He is not going to stop going into the couch at this point especially since I had to make a new hole in it and that's the one place he absolutely has to stay out of.
Hmmm. Maybe he needs a cat cave type of bed for a hideout. Maybe even cut a small doorway and a couple of peek-out windows in a couple of cardboard boxes. Just put fleece blanket inside and sprinkle a little catnip in them?
You know, for dealing with a feral, you really are doing remarkably well. Hey, @ashade1, do you have any tips here that might ease things along?
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It might be a girl, he/she looks just like my cat Maggie. Well please don't give up yet. Maybe he'll come back tonight. Yeah, I hate recliners, they are so dangerous. I blocked my recliner chair off with books in the back and I don't use the footrest in the front anymore. I think the office could still work, since you would want to go in there often anyway to socialize him. As long as he doesn't run out, I think it could work. With the door shut, he might come out at night and use the litterbox and eat.
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Hi. How did it go? Did he come back? I'm sorry that it didn't go as well as I thought it would. I guess he just needs more time.
It's so hard to know what the right thing to do is here. I'd be inclined to let Sarge keep coming and going until he decides to stay in the house on his own. That's pretty much what I'm doing with my "wild one"; I worry about behavior problems if I tried to prevent her from getting outside when she's sitting at the door wanting to be released. I did take her for TNR though and I really believe that calmed her down enough to want to stick around the house (both inside and outside), and I think she is starting to see the value of living inside with a human (plus 2 other cats and a dog). Although that may change when the weather warms up again. For now, she at least sees the value of central heat and indoor climate control. 
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- #56
About Sarge being a girl or boy, I have to say he/she hasn't done anything to stink up the house. Male cats usually spray everything correct? Territory and all that. I've had other wild cats stink up my back porch for no reason but Sarge hasn't done any of that. Either a female, or he's already fixed which I really doubt because he's too dang wild to me to have ever associated with other people.
Anyway I left my door closed to him last night. Just a little reminder of how crappy it can be out there in the cold and rain. I put food on the back porch which had a dent taken out of it this morning but I looked at my trailcam pics and it was a stinkin mouse. 1 mouse, 0 cat, no good.
It's just about dark now and I'm about to set the back door up again so Sarge can come in if he's anywhere close. We've been through this once before and he didn't come back for about 4 days but he did come back.
I want this to work to the point I'm thinking about getting rid of my freakin couch. Don't tell me I'm not dedicated. That couch screws it all up because I'm afraid that's always where he will go where it is hard as hell to get him out. I'll leave the door open tonight and he will be fine if he comes.
I have a pet carrier with the door taken off, a towel in it and a towel over it in the corner of the office. It's dark and cozy but he won't go in it. If I walk in the room BOOP he's running right back out the door. All I can do is stay slow and calm in my living room and all is well. He has a 3 foot circle I'm not allowed to be in. I would think after 3+ months of this we would be closer.
IDK, I'll prop the door open and see what happens
Anyway I left my door closed to him last night. Just a little reminder of how crappy it can be out there in the cold and rain. I put food on the back porch which had a dent taken out of it this morning but I looked at my trailcam pics and it was a stinkin mouse. 1 mouse, 0 cat, no good.
It's just about dark now and I'm about to set the back door up again so Sarge can come in if he's anywhere close. We've been through this once before and he didn't come back for about 4 days but he did come back.
I want this to work to the point I'm thinking about getting rid of my freakin couch. Don't tell me I'm not dedicated. That couch screws it all up because I'm afraid that's always where he will go where it is hard as hell to get him out. I'll leave the door open tonight and he will be fine if he comes.
I have a pet carrier with the door taken off, a towel in it and a towel over it in the corner of the office. It's dark and cozy but he won't go in it. If I walk in the room BOOP he's running right back out the door. All I can do is stay slow and calm in my living room and all is well. He has a 3 foot circle I'm not allowed to be in. I would think after 3+ months of this we would be closer.
IDK, I'll prop the door open and see what happens
When my female feral, Misfit, decided to move onto my back patio, she spray-marked the entire area...and that was after she was spayed. 
There are dozens of ferals born around here every year, and apparently they're quite territorial. I watched her "pee standing up" (which is not pee, but the stinkier territory marking) several times out in the yard and against the wall of the house, so I sure it was her when she decided to claim my patio as hers. Long story short...Sarge could still be a he or a she regardless of marking behavior. One of the reasons I made Misfit stay in the guest bathroom initially was because I was worried she'd spray the whole house. She has not once sprayed anything indoors. 
There are fewer cats inside than outside, so less competition perhaps.
I can tell you are committed to Sarge, so you'll get through to him one way or another and in due time.
Maybe you can cover your sofa with a king-size blanket or two and block the gaps at the bottom? Hopefully the sofa as his favorite hide-out will change with time.
Also, maybe you can sprinkle the cat carrier blanket with some catnip. SmartyKat organic catnip is particularly pungent; they must add catnip extract or oil to the leaves. A $3-$4 bag has lasted an entire year...a little goes a long way. Or maybe some treats or just a few pieces of food in the carrier. Something to entice Sarge to investigate the carrier as a safe and happy place.
There are dozens of ferals born around here every year, and apparently they're quite territorial. I watched her "pee standing up" (which is not pee, but the stinkier territory marking) several times out in the yard and against the wall of the house, so I sure it was her when she decided to claim my patio as hers. Long story short...Sarge could still be a he or a she regardless of marking behavior. One of the reasons I made Misfit stay in the guest bathroom initially was because I was worried she'd spray the whole house. She has not once sprayed anything indoors. There are fewer cats inside than outside, so less competition perhaps.I can tell you are committed to Sarge, so you'll get through to him one way or another and in due time.
Maybe you can cover your sofa with a king-size blanket or two and block the gaps at the bottom? Hopefully the sofa as his favorite hide-out will change with time.
Also, maybe you can sprinkle the cat carrier blanket with some catnip. SmartyKat organic catnip is particularly pungent; they must add catnip extract or oil to the leaves. A $3-$4 bag has lasted an entire year...a little goes a long way. Or maybe some treats or just a few pieces of food in the carrier. Something to entice Sarge to investigate the carrier as a safe and happy place.
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I hope he/she comes back tonight! My female cat never sprayed. But, if it was a girl, it seems like you would have seen her in heat at least once. They get really friendly and roll around on the floor, so you would have noticed it. I agree with you about looking for a new couch. I hate those recliner things, they are just too dangerous. You could take a couple sheets and wrap the whole entire couch. You would need big ones though, at least double or queen size sheets to reach all the way to the floor. Twin sheets won't work, they are too small. Let us know what happens tonight!
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Any updates? Did Sarge come back?
